HC notice on encroachment by councillor
The Delhi High Court has asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to file a status report on a petition complaining of "inaction' by the authorities in preventing encroachment on a public road at Mainwali Nagar by a local municipal councillor. Justice Pradeep Nandrajog also issued notices to the Councillor Tarsem …
SC nominee Bhure Lal is opposed to changes
The green brigade is seeing red over DDA's proposal on mixed land use. The Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) the city's apex green body headed by former bureaucrat Bhure Lal
Nahan development plan approved
The Himachal Pradesh government has notified the revised development plan for Nahan town, emphasizing the need for land pooling reconstitution and taking up major projects on a public-private partnership basis. The Cabinet, in its last meeting, approved the revised development plan for Nahan, for a target population of 38,000 till …
States approach Centre with development plans for cities
Close on the heels of the launch of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), States including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat have approached the Urban Development Ministry with development plans for specific cities. "Some States including Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal have prepared their city …
3 months more for shops to shift, says SC
Commercial establishments in Delhi's residential areas got three more months to pack their bags and avoid the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's sealing squads. The breather came from Supreme Court, which also extended
Slum removal now a DDA priority
The Delhi Development Authority will be removing slum clusters on a priority basis in the coming financial year and would rehabilitate the dwellers in houses made for economically weaker sections (EWS) of society. To this end, the Authority in its budget presented on Friday also stated that it would take …
"Violation of court orders"
Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat, writer Arundhati Roy and national secretary of the CPI, Amarjit Kaur, visited the families displaced by the Narmada dam. The displaced people are on dharna here since a week to protest the decision to raise the height of the dam in Gujarat from 110.64 metres …
Walia sets 2008 deadline for Capitals flyovers
Underlining delay in sanctions as the main reason behind non-completion of the 25 flyovers in the Capital, State Urban Development Minister, Dr A K Walia, in a high-level meeting said that monthly meetings will be held by the Department to review their construction. The monthly reviews will ensure that these …
Manmohan to evaluate Bharat Nirman
Eight months after its implementation, the performance of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's flagship programme Bharat Nirman will be evaluated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a meeting of the National Rural Infrastructure Committee. He will also examine the future plans of the ministries and departments involved in the …
Water supplies 'better with government help'
Water services are better provided by governments, or with heavy government involvement, rather than mainly by the private sector, a meeting of political leaders from around the world has concluded. The World Water Forum, which brought together representatives from nearly 150 countries to Mexico City to discuss the problems of …
12 urban projects cleared
Twelve pro jects have been cleared under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), including four from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. These projects were passed during the first meeting of the Central sanctioning and monitoring committee of the JNNURM under the Union ministry of urban development. These projects are worth approximately …
Monorail: Indias answer to never-ending traffic woes?
If the urban development ministry has its way, Lucknow, Patna and Bhopal could soon have a monorail network from Germany or metro rail systems from Japan. The ministry proposes to help state governments attract foreign companies and build capital-intensive public transport systems in cities facing severe traffic congestion and deteriorating …
Survey finds India overusing its groundwater resources
A recent survey on groundwater by the Central Groundwater Board shows that most parts of India are overusing their groundwater reserves. The Indian capital New Delhi and most northern states are mining more groundwater than is being recharged every year, according to the country's latest groundwater survey. The alarming news …
Adamant Punjab may destroy crops in Rajasthan
Adamant attitude of the Punjab Government not to release additional water from Pong dam may result in an extensive damage to the standing crop of wheat in two districts -- Sri Gangangar and Hanumangarh in western Rajasthan. The Punjab Government has taken this stand, as it was not willing to …
World support fading for private water aid
For more than a decade, the idea that private companies would be able to bring water to the world's poor has been a mantra of development policies promoted by international lending agencies and many governments. In the past decade, according to a private water suppliers' trade group, private companies have …
Question Hour 1,840 acres encroached by colonisers in Gurgaon
The Haryana Government said more than 1,840 acres in Gurgaon district had been encroached upon by colonisers and builders. More than 14 acres belonging to panchayats had been paved by various companies and used as thoroughfares by the companies as well as villagers. Besides, 143 cases regarding encroachment on panchayat …
No test for soft drinks required
In a major relief to soft drinks manufacturers, the Supreme Court made it clear that it would not order an inquiry for determining the presence of hazardous chemicals in aerated drinks. "It is not appropriate for inquiry into the matter placed before us,' a bench comprising justice Ruma Pal and …
Gujarat to release Narmada water for Rajasthan: Modi
Gujarat government will soon release Rajasthan's share of Narmada river waters through the Sardar Sarovar. This was announced by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. Modi said water from Sardar Sarovar would be made available to Rajasthan without any loss of time. Vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who was the chief guest …
