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Urban Encroachment

BBMP scrambling to get drains ready before monsoon

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The Hindu         28.04.2017 

BBMP scrambling to get drains ready before monsoon

Debris is yet to be cleared from this rajakaluve in Rajarajeshwari Nagar from which encroachments were removed.K. Murali KumarK_MURALI_KUMAR  

Though encroachments have been removed from nearly 22 km ofstorm-water drains, not much has been done to strengthen the network

After the controversy around demolishing structures built on encroached storm-water drains (SWDs), the BBMP has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to reconstructing the drain network

Although monsoon is just a month away, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) seems to be under-prepared to handle rains. After several areas were inundated last monsoon owing to choked drains, the BBMP had demolished several structures and recovered nearly 22 km of SWDs.

However, the civic agency has just completed concretising 1.8 km of the drain network. Worse, BBMP has not maintained records of the extent of drains recovered in the first phase of encroachment removal from January to July 2016.

The BBMP had identified 1,953 encroachments of which 1,225 were removed in three phases starting January 2016. A 22-km stretch, spreading across 11 acres and 21 guntas, was recovered in the second and third phase of the drive, said BBMP officials. “A 1.8 km stretch of RCC drain in Bommanahalli has been reconstructed,” said BBMP chief engineer (SWD) Siddegowda. “Work is in progress in Dasarahalli, Kasavanahalli, Byatarayanapura, and Yelahanka, and is expected to be completed in three-and-a-half months,” he added.

He said work was held up due to a delay in sanctioning of funds. “Now that funds have been sanctioned and work orders given, we are hoping to finish the cementing of drains by the end of the year,” he added.

However, the date of completion of the project is April 2018. “Work on vulnerable parts of the drain network will be completed in two months,” Mr. Siddegowda said. In Kodichikkanahalli, which faced the brunt of flooding last year, the drain has been left open near the opening to the lake. As a result, waste is being dumped into the drain, which ends up in the lake. “The place has become a littering spot, and there is a lot of stench and mosquitoes,” said Meena Balu, a resident.

Another complaint is the slow pace of work.

“Work on a SWD next to a mall in Malleswaram has been going on for several months now. Every once in a while, work is re-started and the drain is left open only to be closed a few days later,” said a resident of Malleswaram.

 

NMMC files FIRs against 344 illegal structures in 3 months

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The Hindu     14.04.2017  

NMMC files FIRs against 344 illegal structures in 3 months

Officials said that if offenders do not respond to notices, then an FIR is filed and the structure can be demolished.File photo  

Action follows HC orders to initiate criminal proceedings in such cases

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has registered FIRs against 344 illegal structures in Navi Mumbai following a Bombay High Court order to initiate criminal proceedings against builders and developers responsible for illegal constructions encroachments.

The NMMC had registered 95 cases from April 2016 to January 1, 2017, while 344 case were registered in just the last three months. Of these, 174 cases were registered in the last ten days with various police stations. Deputy Municipal Commissioner (encroachment), NMMC, Amberish Patnigere, said, “Cases were registered even in the previous year, but this time, there is a clear rise in the number because of the High Court orders. We will continue to register the FIRs when we do not get a response from the respective party after we serve a notice,” Mr. Patnigere said.

The FIRs were registered as per Sections 53 (power to require removal of unauthorised development) and 54 (power to stop unauthorised development) of the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act. “As per the law, when we get to know of an illegal construction or encroachment, we inspect the place and verify the illegality. Later, we serve those responsible a notice as per which within 32 days, the party has to present themselves. They have to pay the penalty and regularise the structure if that is possible, or demolish the structure. If there is no response, after 32 days, we can demolish the structure. Demolishing the structure is one part, while registering the FIR is a procedure for the criminal offence,” Mr. Patnigere said.


“After the FIR, we arrest the respective people, and the offence being bailable, they get bailed out. We file a charge sheet within 90 days, after which the trial starts,” Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Galande from the APMC Police Station said.

The highest number of cases are against structures in Vashi ward, with 104 cases registered with the Vashi and APMC police stations. This is followed by Nerul with 56 cases, Ghansoli with 44 and and Airoli with 45 cases. Thirty cases have been registered in Koparkhairne ward, 29 in Turbhe, and 36 in Belapur.

If convicted, offenders will face imprisonment from one month to three years, and a fine of Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 5,000. In case of a continuing offence, they may face an additional daily fine up to Rs. 200.

 

Corporation to remove barricades from NH

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The Hindu        07.02.2017  

Corporation to remove barricades from NH

CAUGHT IN A ROW:Barricades have been erected by the city police along the median of Vyttila-Edappally section of National Highway 47.— Photo: Thulasi KakkatThulasi Kakkat  

The Kochi Corporation will remove barricades erected by the city police between Vyttila and Edappally along National Highway 47.

Though the civic administrators had issued a notice to the city police for their removal, the barricades remained there eight days later.

The police reportedly erected the barriers to prevent unauthorised crossing of the busy road across the median.

Display of advertisements

Deputy Mayor T. J. Vinod said the police were trying to make money by permitting advertisements on the barricades. Legally, no advertisements are permitted in the city without clearance from the civic body.

“In this case, the advertisements were displayed illegally and without the clearance of the corporation,” he said.

The civic body would complete the legal formalities and remove the boards shortly, he added.

The High Court of Kerala had prohibited the display of advertisements along the median of the national highway, he said. An attempt to allow billboards on lamp posts along the median was also rejected by the authorities. Under such circumstances, agencies such as the police should have refrained from the illegal display of advertisements, he said.

Beautification project

Meanwhile, the Cochin Bypass Beautification Society officials said they were waiting to hear from the authorities on the issue.

When the Society entered into a tripartite agreement with the corporation and the National Highways Authority of India for the beautification of the road stretch, it was agreed upon that no advertisements would be displayed there, said M.E. Muhammad, secretary of the Society.

It was also agreed that the workers engaged by the Society would be permitted to prune the branches of trees along the median. But, two months ago, the police held a worker for pruning the branches of trees, he said.

The Society would have introduced measures for preventing illegal crossing of the national highway as reported by police. If the authorities failed to settle the issue, the Society would withdraw from the project, he said.

It was nearly three years ago that the Society came forward for beautifying the stretch. “It has already spend Rs. 1.10 crore for the beautification project,” Mr. Muhammad said.

Police trying to make money by permitting advertisements on barricades, says Deputy Mayor

 


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