International bus terminus in Rajarhat
August 13, 2013
Suman Chakraborti, TNN |
Though Hidco has been working to set up a few bus terminuses in the township, an international bus terminus has been lacking so far. Thne 10 acre plot that has been identified in Action Area II off the Rajarhat main arterial road has a location advantage of having proximity to the Kolkata Airport and to the IT hub and central business district of Rajarhat.
Hidco authorities have been keeping in touch with the transport department to discuss ways in which the state-of-the-art designer bus terminus could be set up in New Town. The plush terminus will boast of cafes and rest rooms and services for inter-city, inter-state and international bus routes will be operated from there.
that will have a modern and international look with cafes and rest rooms. The authorities are planning to set up the bus terminus that will operate inter-city, inter-state and international bus routes all together.
At present, there is only one international bus terminus in the state which is located at Salt Lake’s Karunamoyee from where Kolkata to Dhaka bus services operate.
Last week, a meeting was held between transport department secretary Alapan Bandyopadhaya and Hidco chairman Debashis Sen, who is also the state urban development secretary, along with officials of CSTC, WBSTC and CTC to discuss the plan. Senior KMDA and Hidco officials were also present to discuss the project.
Hidco also wants to introduce an intelligent transport system (ITS) in Rajarhat New Town as a pilot scheme to develop it as a futuristic township.
There have been long standing demands from residents of the township that the transport system of the area is yet to be fully developed. The state transport department issued two new bus route permits for the township a few months ago in which Hidco will run 20 JNNURM buses in these two routes. For the buses to depart from and arrive in New Town on these two routes, two spots – one near Balaka Abasan in Action Area 1D and another behind Eco Space have been identified.
Errant road builders may have to pay fine to exit project
August 12, 2013
PTI
(“If there is any fault on…)
NEW DELHI: Road developers will not be blamed for delays in regulatory procedure but have to take responsibility for their own faults and may have to pay up to 1 per cent of total project cost as penalty for exiting, Road Minister Oscar Fernandes said.”If there is any fault on the part of the concessionaire, then there will be a penalty of a maximum of one per cent, of the total project for the developer to exit the project,” he told PTI.
The government is also of the view that the developer will not be held responsible if there is any kind of delay in regulatory procedure.
“If there is delay in land acquisition or environment and forest clearance, the concessionaire will not be held responsible…in that case they will not be penalised,” Fernandes said.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is believed to have firmed up this clause after consultation with the Law Ministry.
Last month, the government approved the proposal to facilitate harmonious exit of the concessionaire in ongoing and completed National Highway Projects, a move aimed at expediting implementation of road infrastructure in the country. This was also done to insulate the National Highway Authority (NHAI) from heavy financial claims and unnecessary disputes.
The existing concessionaires both in case of completed and on-going projects have been permitted to divest their equity in totality.
The decision was triggered by lack of interest among bidders for highway projects under the PPP (public private partnership) mode and difficulties faced in achieving financial closure for such projects.
A large number of highways projects, including 20 major projects involving investment of Rs 27,000 crore, are stalled for various clearances.
Earlier this year, infrastructure players like GMR and GVK had recently walked out of mega road contracts while a large number of projects awarded during 2011-12 are yet to achieve financial closure.
The highway developers were facing acute shortage of equity and were unable to raise the required debt which in turn resulted in poor response to the PPP projects.
Meanwhile, the newly-appointed Road Minister also said that his challenge will be to work towards getting speedy environment clearances for the projects which are at present stuck.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com
‘Zirakpur flyovers to be repaired after monsoon’
August 12, 2013
RAGHAV OHRI : Chandigarh,
Admitting that there are defects on flyovers constructed at Zirakpur and along the entire stretch, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) said it will undertake repair work after the monsoon season.
This was submitted by the NHAI, earlier this week, during the resumed hearing of a contempt petition against Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh for not implementing traffic guidelines issued by the High Court in 1998.
As the case came up for hearing, Advocate Vikram Sharda, counsel for the petitioner submitted that “the flyovers constructed at Zirarkpur and along the entire stretch of the national highway are defective as expansion joints and approach slabs cause vehicles to jump”.
On the other hand, counsel for the NHAI admitted “these defects and stated that necessary repair work would be commenced in the Ambala to Zirakpur stretch or NH-22 after the monsoon”.
With respect to the flyovers on NH-1, the NHAI has been directed to file an affidavit as to what steps it proposes to take regarding these defects.
“The covers of the drains abutting NH-21 and NH-1 are broken and in a state of despair. The NHAI is directed to ensure that the drains are cleaned and repaired,” held Justice Rajive Bhalla.
NHAI bridges hit a wall
August 12, 2013
JOHN L. PAUL
A good share of bridges built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) or maintained by it in the city are neck-deep in trouble.Traffic has been banned through three of them after they were declared unsafe, while vehicles move at a snail’s pace through the ill-maintained bridge on the north-western side of Vyttila Junction.
The latest to join the list of bridges that are out of bounds for vehicles is the Kumbalam-Aroor bridge on Edappally-Aroor NH 47 Bypass. As a result, vehicles in both directions have to cram through the parallel bridge, often resulting in accidents.
The NHAI is awaiting a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, to conduct a “full-scale probe” on how much area of the tarred surface of the bridge was damaged a few months ago and finally gave way in the rains, making commuting through it an unsafe and back-breaking experience.
On why experts from institutions within the State were not invited, the NHAI’s Kochi project director C. T. Abraham said it would have given rise to allegations that the probe team was being influenced.
Sources in the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) said they did not have a full-fledged team of experts that could handle the probe.
The bridge was resurfaced by CVCC-RDS, a joint venture firm, over two years ago. A senior official of CVCC refused to comment on the issue.
DAMAGED IN RAINS
Civil engineering experts said it was shocking that a good share of the tarred surface of the bridge was washed away in the rains, since such damage was reported only with roads that were not properly resurfaced.
Traffic is yet to be restored through the new bridge built parallel to the second Goshree bridge because of the alarming level at which its gap slab is sinking. The bridge is awaiting structural correction. It was built by Soma Constructions and was opened to traffic by the NHAI in May 2012.
To a question on how the problem could be rectified, an NHAI official said the number of spans would have to be increased by extending its via duct. This is a complex and expensive procedure, and was suggested by experts from the NIT, Kozhikode.
Similarly, the Moolampilly-Kothad bridge on the Vallarpadam-Kalamassery Container Road that was also built by Soma Constructions was declared out of bounds for vehicles within a year of it being opened to traffic. This was after a huge chunk of concrete fell off the bridge’s surface, leaving a gaping hole in the bridge.
VYTTILA BRIDGE
The NHAI is yet to rectify problems with the expansion joint pieces over the Vyttila bridge, a decade after the bridge began giving trouble.
Motorists have to endure a strenuous ride since a few expansion joints have suffered severe damage. Potholes have begun developing over the bridge on the eastern side as well, within two years of it being resurfaced.
IL&FS Rail awards Rs 5.7 bn worth contract
August 12, 2013
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IL&FS Rail (a subsidiary of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services) awarded an approximately Rs 574 crore worth of turnkey project to a consortium of Siemens, Siemens AG and Siemens, China.
Of the order, the share of Siemens is about 30 per cent or Rs 184.1 crore. However, the share of Siemens AG and Siemens, China is not known.
Siemens would deliver seven aluminium-bodied metro trains for the new section of the Gurgaon line. The trains are to run on standard-gauge track at a top speed of about 80 km/h.
The modern signalling and train control system that will ensure required service interval of 120 seconds is achieved during rush-hour traffic. This short headway will enable the metro trains to transport more than 30,000 passengers per hour.
The Gurgaon metro project is a first of its kind in India; the first phase is close to completion. The new southern line of the metro rail link from Sikanderpur station to Sector 56, Gurgaon, will bring respite to the numerous people travelling to the various office complexes and residential areas in this area.
Source –http://www.constructionworld.in
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Highway sops, but forest rules too
August 12, 2013
Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN
NAGPUR: The central government exemption from environmental clearance (EC) to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for stretches up to 100km in length and 40m in width, will have a major impact on environment in the country, but at the same time it will not be a cakewalk for projects in wildlife and forests areas.
Earlier, as the relaxation was for 30km in length and 20 metres in width, the NHAI required EC and had to go through the mandatory environmental impact assessment (EIA) by ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) through its notification of September 14, 2006, and amended on December 1, 2009.
Highways development was generally intended to improve the economic and social welfare of the people. But at the same time, EIA was to minimize adverse effects on the surrounding environment, effects on people and their properties, damage to sensitive ecosystems, soil erosion, changes to drainage pattern and thereby groundwater, loss of productive agricultural land, resettlement of people, disruption of local economic activities, demographic changes and accelerated urbanization. Now, the highways authority has been freed from the above prescriptions.
If NHAI officials are to be believed they will not have to go through the tedious process of EIA with the MoEF and even public hearings in case of soil excavation from 2-5 hectare area.
“With the new norms, over 70% of our projects won’t need green approval. In Maharashtra, the NHAI is implementing 3,000km of road projects. Although we will need permission for tree felling and subsequently wildlife and forest clearances, we will not be require to submit EIAs,” said a senior NHAI official.
He added that over 9,500km highway/road projects are to be awarded this year, which will also benefit from this decision. Similarly, in the context of excavation of earth for highways, mining of soil in less than 2 hectare and up to 2 metre deep will not require EC.
Although this is perhaps the biggest ever relief that government provided to revive the highway sector, which has been hit by economic slowdown, the move has left the greens fuming. The NHAI is not environment-conscious and hence has put pressure on PMO to get rid of environment issues, they said.
Kishor Rithe, member of standing committee, National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), the highest decision-making body on wildlife issues, says the move will have overall negative impact on environment in the entire country if project proponents do not take appropriate mitigation measures.
“The projects outside 10km of eco-sensitive zones, but within the wildlife corridors, won’t come to the NBWL for clearance. In such situation there is no EC required. I predict massive destruction as no one will ensure mitigation measures. If MoEF wants to give such relaxation, they should be very strict with mitigation measures,” said Rithe.
“However, the green sops will not change the status of NH7 and NH6, where the fate of the stalled road work in patches near sanctuaries will be decided by NBWL. On NH7 (Nagpur-Jabalpur Road), the project falls within 10km of Pench reserve and Mansinghdeo sanctuary. Similarly, on NH6 (Bhandara-Deori), it is within 10km from Navegaon. Here, NHAI will have to get forest and wildlife clearances as per the Environment Protection Act 1986,” said Prafulla Bhamburkar, manager, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
The exemption from environmental clearance granted to National Highways Authority of India for stretches up to 100km in length and 40m in width has attracted criticism from the greens.
Source-http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
NHAI seeks green nod in Ghaziabad for proposed redevelopment of national highways
August 12, 2013
Shivendra Kumar Singh, ET Bureau
(we assembled here to take…..)
GHAZIABAD: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) conducted a public hearing while seeking clearance from the Pollution Control Board (PCB) for its ambitious project for the proposed redevelopment of national highways-NH 24, NH 58 and NH 235 on August 4.
SK Mishra of NHAI and TU Khan of PCB attended the meeting along with Ghaziabad industrialists. The idea was to invite suggestions and address the grievances of industrialists, farmers and general people.
“We assembled here to take clearance from PCB, and we also wanted to address issues and get suggestions from people,” informed SK Mishra, project manager of NHAI. “The suggestions and problems have been noted and will be conveyed to higher authorities.”
Regional officer of PCB, TU Khan said, “As per the direction of the ministry of environment we conduct a public hearing where people are invited to tell their issues or give suggestions regarding the project. Our role is to forward it to the ministry.” The body is planning to build 152 kilometres of road along the aforementioned highways.
Industrialists demanded that a toll free service lane should be built along the entire stretch of 152 kilometers. On the occasion, general secretary of the RWA and vice president of Ghaziabad Industries Federation SK Maheshwari said, “If NHAI is converting an existing road into a toll road it has to construct a road of equal area alongside as per the rules laid down by the ministry of transport.”
He further added, “The body is making a 14 lane highway. We have appealed to convert it to 16 lanes.” The VP said that though the officials in the NHAI have agreed on the demands in principle, they are waiting for it in writing.
President of the Ghaziabad Industries Association Arun Kumar Sharma and the general secretary of the Sahibabad Industries Association also objected on the levy of the toll.
Maheshwari also suggested that the debris of the construction should be used to fill the roads. He opined, “There is a lot of construction activity taking place here. Instead of disposing them here and there why not make a proper use of it. This will also prevent the use of fertile soil of the land that is often used for filling the road. This is a very effective way and environment friendly too.”
Soruce-http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com
MP urges CM to expedite Nagpur projects
August 12, 2013
Ramu Bhagwat, TNN |
NAGPUR: City MP Vilas Muttemwar in a lengthy meeting with chief minister Prithvira jChavan on Wednesday took up several pending city projects. With elections round the corner, the MP made it clear to Chavan it was high time to remove the growing perception that most public projects in the second capital were languishing because of the government apathy.
“I brought to chief minister’s notice that Mihan was a dream project on which people had very high hopes. That did not take off as planned because of several constraints. I told him even at this late stage, it can be salvaged by at least activating the passenger transit hub aspect by increasing Nagpur airport’s connectivity to all state capitals,” Muttemwar told TOI. MP has also stressed on the need for dedicated and full-time officials from aviation field to be posted at Nagpur to expedite Mihan project. “Currently, UPS Madan is joint MD and vice-chairman of the project. This is his additional charge as he has to devote more time to MMRDA in Mumbai. I told Chavan he should be replaced immediately with an expert from aviation. All retired officials working as consultants with Mihan should also be replaced with young and motivated personnel,” said Muttemwar.
“If the chief minister takes it up the with all private airlines, it would not be difficult to persuade Tatas who are starting a new service in tie-up with Air Asia to use Nagpur airport for parking of their aeroplanes. Once this is done, it would automatically improve connectivity as the parked planes would fly on new routes,” said the MP. He said there is scope to connect city with 30 domestic destinations if convenient time schedules were provided for business travellers. Right now, city has only one international flight to Sharjah and there is scope to include some more destinations like Dubai, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
“On the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital whose modernization plan is gathering dust since 2000, I told the CM to take an urgent decision on whether to execute on build-operate-transfer (Bot) basis by a private developer or by a state agency. But the work on the modern hospital in the prime 49 acres of land in the heart of city should be completed in three years from now,” said Muttemwar. He also discussed the matter with guardian minister Shivajirao Moghe. “A 1000-bed hospital with several operation theatres and staff quarters can come up in place of the old dilapidated structures that now house city’s oldest medical college,” the MP said.
On the issue of Nagpur Sahkari Vinkar Society Sut Girni on Umred Road in south Nagpur, he said it was time the state textile department along with the Central government schemes bailed out the defunct unit. “The state as well as the Centre have several schemes for such units. They remain on paper. I also met state textile minister Naseem Khan and requested him to be present in the city on July 31 when Union textile minister Sambasiva Rao is visiting. In the 55 acres of land that remain with Sut Girni (weaving mill), a Common Facility Centre for value addition to handloom and textile units along with a powerloom cluster or a textile park can be started with a potential to employ 20,000 people. If this project is revived, it will give new lease of life to thousands of weavers, artisans and handloom workers living in penury in Nagpur and Kamptee,” said Muttemwar.
Source – http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Doubts over utility of foot over bridge
August 12, 2013
Proshun Chakraborty, TNN
NAGPUR: The Nagpur Municipal Corporation has started constructing a foot over bridge (FOB) at Law College Square. However, the question being asked is: Will the FOB be used by pedestrians?Citizens’ forums and some government officials say there is no need for a foot overbridge at that spot. The location was chosen more for the advantage of advertisers than pedestrians, they added.
“For whom the foot overbridge is being built,” asked Dinesh Naidu, secretary of Parivartan – The Citizens’ Forum. “There is no justification for constructing a bridge at the present site except that it is a prime location for hoardings,” he said in a memorandum submitted to municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane and commissioner of police K K Pathak, urging them to stop its construction.
These FOBs are result of arbitrary planning and lack of social engineering by NMC. Many norms have been flouted by NMC in conceptualizing, designing and awarding the work of these FOBs, citizen’s forums alleged.
“Such FOBs are not only a hotbed of criminal activities but have also been social nuisance wherever they have been constructed,” the NGO stated in the memorandum. The NGO is also planning to move high court against the construction of FOBs.
The FOB at Law College is among the 24 being built by an outdoor advertisement agency on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis for NMC in lieu of advertisement rights.
Although there is a flat scheme on one side of the road, and two colleges, the square sees hardly any pedestrian movement and hence the bridge is unnecessary, Naidu explained. To prove their claim, the NGO has pointed out lack of use of FOBs in Mumbai.
Traffic activist Vinay Kunte said, “The foot over bridge is being built on the wrong spot for pedestrians,” he says, pointing out that the current location means that college students would have to walk down a few hundred meters, climb up and over, and then walk back. “It’s unlikely they’ll use it at all.”
Many feel that besides being at a wrong spot, such a bridge would be ineffective. “In general, foot over bridges are not much used. We find that people are more likely to use subway rather than a bridge, because psychologically they are more willing to go downstairs,” said an expert.
According to NMC’s executive engineer (Project) R M Hotwani, the civic body is creating the facility for pedestrians free of cost. Referring to Indian Road Congress norms, Hotwani claimed that it is mandatory for the civic body to create facilities (like FOB or subways) for pedestrians. Construction of subways is very costly and NMC is not in a position to invest money on this. So FOB was chosen, he said. He claimed that there was a demand for a FOB at Law College Square from the educational institutions situated there. “People needed some crossover at the junction,” he said. According to him, a study conducted by the PWD had said crossovers were needed at 24 places.
Some of the residents had also demanded that a signal be provided at that junction, he said. However, Law College Square foot overbridge is not the only one which has met opposition from citizens.
Points To Ponder
* To use FOB one will have to climb 30/35 steps which is very difficult for old persons
* While taking a subway people first go down 18/20 steps which is not tiring. While using a FOB they will have to climb 30/35 steps
* Young people are generally in a hurry do not like to waste their time using a FOB
* FOB is suitable only where there is heavy pedestrian traffic, mostly consisting of middle aged people
NEEDED OR NOT
Intro: Can FOBs help solve problems for pedestrians at some of the busiest junctions of the city?
RBI Square: FOB is not needed at all as there is hardly any traffic. It is quite convenient for the pedestrians to walk
Ajni Railway Station: Not needed because people rarely take a walk from there and choose other ways to reach the places near station
LIC Square: Not needed because a zebra crossing can solve the problem of pedestrians
Mohini Complex: Resolving encroachment issue will automatically solve pedestrian problems
Chitnis Park Square: Encroachment and hawker stalls needed to be removed
Law College Square: Mostly students form the crowd and after their entry inside the college premises the mob is cleared
Shankar Nagar Square: Footpath and zebra crossing help pedestrians
Mor Bhavan: A zebra crossing can do the needful for pedestrians
Hotel Naivedyam: Clearing the mess on the footpath and a proper zebra crossing can make things easy
SFS School (Gaddigodam): A zebra crossing can help as students and their means of transport form a mob only in the noon and morning. Otherwise, the traffic situation is under control
Indora Square: Commercial complex visitors form the main crowd. A zebra crossing will help the pedestrians to walk the path
Anand Bhandar (Katol Road): Encroachment issues need some pondering which will help
Akashwani Chowk: The area is mostly crowded with two wheelers and four wheelers and there are a few pedestrians walking there. Hence there is no need of FOB
Chhatrapati Square Bus Stand: There is no need for FOB as a simple zebra crossing is enough for the pedestrians to walk
MIDAS (Janta Square): FOB construction at this square is a waste as the pedestrians prefer crossing the road using dividers
Sai Mandir: It will be a big task to remove beggars from the front side of the temple. Also, there is already a flyover on that road. Constructing FOB will create mess over there
Khamla (Sindhi Colony): There are hardly any pedestrians on Khamla Road. If required, a zebra crossing will do
Medical Square: The road near Medical Square is enough for the people to walk. Also, the relatives who come to visit patients, hardly use the road. FOB construction would be a waste
Gandhi Putla: As most of the time the road is covered with vehicles there are hardly any people who walk on this road
Agrasen Square: Footpath and dividers do the needful here. FOB is not required
City Bus Stand: Already the crowd of the buses creates havoc here and FOB will add to this.
Mayo Hospital: Relatives of patients come visiting, but they use the approach road of Mominpura. It does not affects vehicular traffic on Central Avenue.
Reshimbagh Square: This square does not have heavy pedestrian movement and hence there is no need for a FOB
Rajiv Gandhi Square: Though it a big square on Bhandara Road, the number of pedestrians is less. Hence, no need for FOB
Source_http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
New bridge on Narmada to be ready by 2016: Minister
August 12, 2013
Harish Joshi, TNN |
Addressing media persons later, Fernandes said, “The old Sardar bridge which is damaged will be repaired by October and made operational only for light vehicles. The new proposed bridge near Sardar Bridge will be ready in next three years. The tender process is in a final stage. Earlier, the contract was awarded to Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) who failed to abide the tender conditions, which necessitated inviting of fresh bids.”
Fernandes said that the entire expenditure for the new bridge will now be borne by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) instead of earlier proposed built operate and transfer (BOT). The tender process for the proposed fly over near Mandva and Jhadeshwar crossing and service road are in a final stage.
The minister along with NHAI team and district officials first visited the damaged Sardar Bridge which is closed for heavy vehicles since five years due to want of repair.
The traffic congestion has become a routine affair on the national highway 8. In July alone, the stretch remained jammed for practically eight days.
Rajendrasinh Rana, district Congress president said “We have appraised Ahmed bhai about the nagging traffic problems and he immediately intervened.”
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