New Delhi, August 27
The power and water problems notwithstanding, Delhiite is in love with the city and wants to continue living here, according to a Delhi Government report.

An overwhelming 82 per cent of the respondents surveyed in the making of the report said they want to continue living in the national Capital.

“Delhi’s residents acknowledge and appreciate the many improvements in the city over the past three years,” the first Delhi development report released recently stated.

Nearly 80 per cent of the people surveyed from 14,000 households in different localities of the Capital said they were satisfied with the condition of roads.

However, nearly four out of 10 or 38 per cent of the respondents rated roads in their areas as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’.

Almost 70 per cent of the respondents felt that the extent of traffic jams had decreased after the construction of flyovers.

Two-thirds or 62 per cent of the people rated the quality of environment in the city as ‘acceptable’.

Half of the respondents felt that the quality of environment had improved over the past three years.

Around 55 per cent of the people rated DTC bus service as ‘good’ or ‘very good’ and around 39 per cent of them said public transport facilities had improved in Delhi over the past three years.

On the education front, the satisfaction levels are higher in the case of private schools.

Nearly 64 per cent of parents of private school-going children said that the infrastructure facilities were ‘good’ or ‘very good’ as against 41 per cent of parents of children who studied in government schools.

Almost 44 per cent of the people said the private health care services were ‘good’ or ‘very good’ as against 21 per cent who felt similarly about government health facilities.

“Delhi has recorded significant improvements in the quality of life over the past four years by enhancing incomes, lowering air pollution, improving transport facilities, reducing traffic congestion, and increasing tree and forest cover substantially,” the report, the first Human Development study for a Metropolitan city, Delhi, in India, said.

New Delhi, August 27
The construction of roads for high-capacity buses is likely to start from next month. A total of seven roads are to be constructed. To begin with, the government will build a road from Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate.

Sources said that tender had been finalized and work for construction will start from mid-September. It is expected to be completed within 18 months with a cost of Rs 153 crore.

The announcement for construction of this corridor was made in 2002, but it was delayed due to certain reasons. First, it was decided to construct the road till Delhi Gate. Later, it was discussed to complete it to ISBT. But it was opposed by the environmentalists as they argued that it might have negative effect on historical buildings like the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid.

Taking the environmentalists’ views in connection with the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid, the government decided to stick to its earlier decision to construct the road from Ambedkar Nagar to Delhi Gate, the sources said.

The government is studying the feasibility to construct the other roads for high-capacity buses which is to be started from November this year. The study is being done by the RITES. Other roads are to be constructed from Rajender Nagar to Pragati Maidan, Ashram to Dilshad Garden, Mool Chand to Jahangirpuri, Kondali to Gokulpuri, Shastri Park to Karawal Nagar and Jamia Nagar to Tilak Nagar. 

New Delhi, August 27
There will be a common ticket for bus and Metro soon for those visiting Connaught Place (CP), if certain new measures to restore the glory of the busy commercial area before the 2010 Commonwealth Games are accepted by the powers that be.

The measures, part of a proposal by state-run RITES, include re-routing of buses, modification of bus routes to serve them as feeders for the Metro system and a shuttle service linking the Metro entry and exit points and parking drop-off points along the inner circle of CP.

According to figures, there were 450 DTC buses plying on 88 routes currently making 11,900 trips on an average every day. This sheer volume of bus traffic causes considerable congestion and traffic conflicts in the area. With some of the Metro lines operational now, RITES has suggested that many of these bus routes could be diverted away from CP’s outer circle.

The proposal suggests that wherever multiple routes largely overlap with the Metro service, the bus routes could be modified to terminate at a Metro station to serve as feeder. The existing bus routes are diverted to roads with sufficient spare capacity to handle the additional bus traffic, the report observes.

A common bus feeder-Metro ticketing system would further ensure the complementary role of the two systems.

The RITES study-cum-proposal has also suggested plying of a shuttle service linking the Metro entry/exit points and parking drop-off points along the Inner Circle with the bus stops on the Outer Circle to decongest the inner area more.

A nominal flat fare of Rs 2 for a non-AC and Rs 5 for an AC shuttles has been recommended to make this service user-friendly.

Besides, the draft final report, to be submitted by February next year, will further include the areas like pedestrian facilities, geometric design and signal phasing at intersections, parking locations and pricing and traffic signs. 

New Delhi, August 27
It took him seven months and three days to walk the 3000-km distance between Kanyakumari and the Capital to propagate what he feels most passionately about, interlinking India’s rivers and lakes to solve water woes of the country.
The journey, which this 50-year-old bank manager from Bangalore, Mr Devaraja, began on January 12, culminated in New Delhi on August 14. He met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday to submit an appeal and draw his attention towards the importance and benefit of interlinking rivers in India.

“The Prime Minister told me that he would refer the matter to the Water Resources Minister,” says Mr Devaraja, who now wants to meet President A. P. J Abdul Kalam besides ADB consultant Kalyanaraman, whom he admires the most. He also draws inspiration from the works of Swami Vivekanand and Bhagwadgita

Having already met Leader of Opposition in Parliament L. K. Advani, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, before heading homewards, on train this time, he hopes to meet the President and the Water Resources Minister to press his point —that providing reliable water supply to perennially water starved regions should be the top priority task before the country.

Accompanying him are 68-year-old Narsimha Shetty and 20-year-old Anand, who joined him from Bangalore on his padayatra, covering nine states and 38 districts.

While all along several people joined him for short durations, these men walked with this State Bank of Mysore Manager from Bangalore, all along till New Delhi.

Braving rains, heat and dust on the way, Mr Devaraja walked on an average 10 to 20 km everyday, starting his journey around 5 am and finishing it by 11 pm after which he would rest and meet people of the area and talk about the issue. And no, food and shelter was hardly any problem as “most of the time people were nice and very cooperative,” he says.

But even after this long and arduous journey, Mr Devaraja is far from tired, saying that this seven months of walking for the cause of inter-linking of rivers has made him a happy and contended man. “ I am happy that people all along the route gave me a tremendous response on the importance of inter-linking of rivers… I am a poor farmer from Karnataka and have seen sisters and brothers fighting over water issues. This is sad because our country is gifted with abundant water resources. Despite this, a large number of areas are experiencing extreme shortage of water, because it is allowed to go waste.”

New Delhi, August 27
A religious procession to mark the 300th anniversary of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, to be celebrated next year, reached Gurdwara Majnu Ka Tilla here this afternoon.

Thousands of devotees received the nagar kirtan (religious procession) which also comprised caparisoned elephants. A large number of schoolchildren and youth displaying martial arts participated in the procession. The occasion was also marked by the recital of Gurbani.

The procession, which came from Patna and was led by Shiromani Akali Dal Punjab leader Sucha Singh Lengo, was received by Mr G. S. Virk. According to SAD Delhi general secretary Atma Singh Lubana, the procession would reach Bahadurgarh this evening on its way to the culmination point, Takht Damdama Sahib.

The anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib is being celebrated not only in India but also in many countries abroad.

New Delhi, August 27
Delhi Chief Minister Mrs Sheila Dikshit today inaugurated a multi-function gymnasium at P and T Type –1 Quarters, near Atul Grover Road in NDMC area, in collaboration with Residential Welfare Association. The gymnasium was constructed from area MLA fund in a stipulated period at the cost of Rs 2.5 lakh.

Inaugurating the gymnasium, the Chief Minister hoped that the residents of the colony, especially youth, would be benefited with this service.

She urged the gathering to avail maximum use of the gym.

Gurgaon, August 27
An NGO engaged in water management sector has claimed that the water-related issues, the essential requirement for sustained development of a mega urban complex, had been ignored in the Draft Gurgaon Manesar Urban Complex Master Plan 2021.

Filing the objection with the Director, Town and Country Planning, Punchkula, a water expert and retired Chief Engineer, Irrigation Department, Government of Haryana, Mr M S Yadav, who is also General Secretary of the NGO, Water and Energy Management and Welfare Organisation, said the underground water, which was marginally available, had already been over exploited in the region, forcing the Central Ground Water Authority to declare the entire area as dark zone. As a result, no one was now allowed to dig tube-well, he added.

Assuming that effective recharge system shall be developed over the year to augment the aquifer, the maximum availability of under-ground water cannot exceed 100 cusecs (245 MLD), added Mr Yadav.

As per the guidelines of manual on Water Supply and Treatment issued by Government of India, a projected population of 37 lakh in 2021 would need 620 cusecs (1524 MLD) water; 353 cusecs for commercial, industrial, transportation and others and 267 cusecs for residential purpose.

Neither impounding reservoir of sustainable nature existed in the region nor was it expected in near vicinity, added the water expert.

The surface water (canal water) was the only system, which presently feeded Gurgaon town through water supply channel of 100 cusecs, Mr. Yadav said, adding that the state government’s claim of expanding the existing canal and making another canal would not solve the problem.

The total availability of water in River Yamuna during lean period is around 2000 cusecs and plus additional 1800 cusecs through Bhakra system. Around 1200 cusecs is presently supplied to Delhi. The balance of 2600 cusecs available for entire WJC command area (comprising most part of Haryana), including drinking water supply system, was not even sufficient to meet the existing demand, Mr. Yadav claimed.

The state government must specify as from where it would get the water for the population of 37 lakh persons, demanded the NGO.

Gurgaon also lacks efficient drainage system to dispose off the storm water and waste water into a natural drainage system available through Nazafgarh Drain, Delhi, which ultimately falls in to river Yamuna.

“In the draft master plan area, a single water treatment plan has been earmarked which is neither sufficient nor will it be economically and technically feasible,” he claimed. The topography of the area, density of population and other technical parameters suggest that water treatment plant, STP and CETP should be earmarked in different zones, he advised strongly.

Two mega size Special Economic Zones (SEZ) of 20000 plus acres of land had already been finalised adjacent to Gurgaon Manesar Urban Complex. Their water demand shall be approximately 400 cusecs, added Mr Yadav.

The NGO’s objection further added that the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986, notification under Section 3 (1), 2 (4) clearly stipulated that it was mandatory to obtain Environment Clearance either from state or central government depending upon the magnitude of the projects. Clearance should be obtained from the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Union Government, suggests the NGO.

Gurgaon, August 27
The Haryana government and its agency, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), came under fire from the Punjab and Haryana High Court for allegedly not spending about Rs 2,000 crore collected from the property owners in Gurgaon for carrying out “external development works” in the city.

In response to affidavit in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case filed by the Society for Urban Regeneration of Gurgaon (SURGE), a non-government organisation, the High Court made critical reference to the government’s approach to the city’s solid waste management observing “it is apparent that as up to date, there has been no proper plan chalked out for disposal of solid waste.”

The single bench of the High Court further observed: “Even though it has orally been stated that some land is in the process of being earmarked where solid waste is to be disposed, no details in this respect are forthcoming. It is also not clear as to whether any blue print has been drawn up for setting up a Solid Waste Disposal Plant.”

SURGE, headed by former Chief Secretary of Haryana and former head of premier Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), Mr. M.C. Gupta, in the PIL alleged that the current levels of solid waste management exceeded 300 metric tons per day. However, no provision have been made for disposal thereof. Solid waste was being dumped in and around the city without any regard to adverse environmental impact, the society claimed.

The original PIL in the High Court was to make the government and HUDA accountable to about Rs 2,000 crore collected from the property owners in the past about 20 years. In the related HUDA affidavit, it was revealed that only 37 per cent of the funds had been spent in 20 years on infrastructure. The catch is that the impost as EDC continued to be collected at the time of purchase of land property in Gurgaon. 

Faridabad, August 27
Even as the illegal mining continues in Aravalli hills despite the Supreme Court ban in five kms region bordering the national capital, the residents of the nearby villages have taken up the arms against the activity that has been posing a danger to the ecology and environment in the area.

Charging a Congress M.P. with being involved in such mining activities, the residents of some villages of Hathin area staged a demonstration recently and submitted a memorandum to the state government to stop mining in Bajada Pahari immediately.

In the memorandum submitted to the SDM, Hathin, the villagers pointed out that blasting of the hills of Bajada Pahari had been posing danger to human and animal lives and their property. Blaming an influential politician, who had been an M.P., for the mess, they alleged that the mining mafia had been working without any hindrance due to the political cover. The villagers said their request for stopping such illegal activity had gone unheard so far.

The demonstrators, who included women and elderly residents, claimed that the hill had been providing safety and help to the villagers at the time of flood threat. Besides, it has also been a source of grazing for their animals. They claimed that the continuous blasting and mining had not only disturbed the peace in the area, but had also caused damages to their houses and injuries to several villagers, including children and domestic animals. The activity had also been causing acute air pollution in the region. The roads in the area had been damaged badly due to the round the clock plying of trucks and heavy vehicles. The water level in the area had gone down by at least 40 feet due to mining, the residents claimed. Accusing the police of taking no action in this connection, they alleged that rather than registering a case against the culprits, the department was busy in threatening the protestors booking them in false cases. Demanding withdrawal of such cases, the villagers have appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene into the matter.

Noida, August 27
A senior IAS officer wanted for being involved in a scam of Rs six crore and absconding since 1990, was arrested by the economic offences wing, Meerut, in Dehra Dun. He was remanded to judicial custody by a Noida Phase-II court.

Noida SSP R.K.S. Rathore said that 1977 batch IAS officer Verinder Singh had retired from service in January 2006 in Dehra Dun.

During 1986-90, while serving in the Steel and Mines Ministry, Government of India, Verinder Singh had favoured Agarwal Engineering Pvt. Ltd. He was accused of being involved in a scam worth Rs 6 crore along with three other colleagues.

An FIR had been filed against the IAS officer in Sector-20 police station Noida in 1990. But after this Verinder Singh had gone under ground.

When police could not trace him, the case was transferred to economic offences wing. According to SP economic offences wing, Meena, the absconding former IAS officer was arrested from Dehra Dun by economic offences wing police on the basis of a tip-off.

The retired IAS officer Verinder Singh was remanded to judicial custody till Monday by Noida Phase-II court. His bail application will come up for hearing in the court tomorrow.

The police are now trying to trace his other three colleagues who are also wanted in this case.

Noida, August 27
Thieves decamped with cash, jewellery and valuables worth Rs 3 lakh from a Rail Vihar apartment in Sector 62 here after breaking the lock of the door.

Mr Vaibhav Jain, an employee of a dotcom company in Nehru Place, is a resident of B-401, Shatabidi Rail Vihar, Sector 62. After Jain and his wife had left for their respective offices, the bandits struck at 12 noon yesterday and decamped with cash, jewellery and valuables. Ms Jain’s cousin Niloffer, who was staying with them, had gone out for two hours to Sector 18 Noida for some errand.

When Niloffer returned in the afternoon she found the doors ajar and the house ransacked. All goods from the almirahs were strewn around. — OC

Greater Noida, August 27
The police have arrested the accused who had burnt a young girl to death in Killa Mohalla in Javer three days ago.

The youth’s cousin had also reportedly helped him in the crime. The police are trying to nab her now.

The accused had called the 14-year-daughter of Rashid in Killa Mohalla to his house where he tried to rape her. As the girl threatened to inform her parents, he had tied her hands and feet with the help of his cousin and burnt the victim.