Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Towns and Cities

BMC appoints consultant for Central Park

Print PDF

The Hindu       25.05.2018  

BMC appoints consultant for Central Park

Tata Consulting Engineers to design park, secure permissions

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has selected Tata Consulting Engineers to design and oversee its ambitious Central Park project in Cuffe Parade.

The consultant will design the park, a waterway and jetty, and help secure the necessary permissions. It will also create a viability report, detailed project report and a tender document.

“The project will cost Rs. 3.87 crore. A proposal has been tabled before the standing committee, and is likely to come up for discussion next week,” said a statement issued by the BMC.

New York inspiration

The BMC plans to develop the 300-acre park in Cuffe Parade on the lines of New York’s Central Park.

The project was first mooted during the Development Plan (DP) revision process and was retained in the new DP.

The park will require reclamation of land, which will be done using debris from the Metro construction or other work in the city.

The park will have lawns, jogging tracks, a waterway and a children’s play area. The Maritime Board has also proposed a jetty for fishermen’s boats.

Green impact

The BMC had appointed the National Institute of Oceanography and the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to study the park’s environmental impact. The agencies are expected to submit a report next year.

When the park was first proposed, fisherfolk had voiced their concerns about it and even threatened to protest if it went through. Citizens had asked for the need to have the park in South Mumbai which already has a lot of open spaces. Many citizens had questioned the need to develop an open space through reclamation of land.

The BMC had maintained that the park would be a welcome addition to open spaces in the city.

 

VMC scouts for consultancy to handle commercial projects

Print PDF

The Hindu       24.05.2018 

VMC scouts for consultancy to handle commercial projects

Last date extended to May 30

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, which is looking for opportunities to generate revenue by exploring its unused properties, is going to rope in a project management consultancy which takes care of converting its open sites into the state-of-the-art commercial complexes.

The civic body has a couple of weeks ago invited proposals (Request for Proposal) from competent consultants. The consultant is expected to represent the civic body and prepare designs, conceptualise plans and provide consulting service at each and every phase of the project until construction is finished.

Also, the consultant must have experience of working for a Rs. 100-crore project or multiple projects worth the same budget. The consultant should deploy a dedicated team including a well-experienced architect, urban designer and planner, engineers and surveyors.

However, no party came forward until May 23, the day designated to open technical proposals as per the schedule of the selection process. The civic body has extended the last date for submission of the proposals till May 30.

“The consultant would conduct a thorough survey, design the projects for commercial complexes and execute them on behalf of the VMC. There are about 15 sites with a potential for commercial complexes, multi-storeyed parking lots and others to sustain,” Superintending Engineer (Projects) J. Rama Krishna told The Hindu .

 

BBMP to finally start tree survey in city

Print PDF

The Hindu       24.05.2018 

BBMP to finally start tree survey in city

The city is losing trees to various infrastructure projects.Bhagya Prakash K.Bhagya Prakash K

The city is losing trees to various infrastructure projects.Bhagya Prakash K.Bhagya Prakash K  

Decision to take it up was first taken in 2015

If all goes as per the plans of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), citizens of Bengaluru may have an accurate picture of the green cover in the city. After a delay of over three years, the civic body is finally preparing to conduct the first tree survey of Bengaluru.

As of now, there is no estimate of the number of trees in the city. With incessant, unauthorised felling of trees and loss of trees during monsoons, there has been a demand for a tree census from various quarters.

The decision to take up such a survey was taken in 2015 with the palike setting aside Rs. 4 crore for the same. However, there were several hiccups and the project never took off. Now, BBMP officials hope to make progress with the survey before the end of this year. The civic agency has already conducted one meeting with experts and will be holding another with the Forest Department in the next week, officials said.

Cholarajappa, DCFO, BBMP, said, “During monsoon, we see a lot of trees and branches falling. We are planning to identify trees that are diseased, or likely to fall, posing a risk to life and property. Every year, we are losing trees and, hence, we want to start the process immediately. We want to come up with a ready reckoner for trees in the city.”

Environmentalists like Vijay Nishant said it was ‘high time’ that the survey is conducted. However, staff shortage would be a constraint, he said, urging officials to tie up with activists willing to take part in the survey to overcome this problem. He added that the civic body also needs to set up a tree committee, which has been in the pipeline for three years.

Harini Nagendra, Professor of Sustainability, Azim Premji University, said the BBMP can also rope in students for the census. “A tree survey is essential to take up any action for conservation. It would be ideal if the BBMP can involve multiple groups. It should be done in such a way that it involves local communities. For instance, local schools or colleges can be involved. The students will have a stake in the area,” she said.

 


Page 3 of 870