“There are 20,000 hawkers who have to be settled. The civic administration does not have enough space to rehabilitate them, so various options such as cycle tracks have been considered. The officials are also looking at an option to accommodate hawkers in some parking places,” said sources at PMC’s anti- encroachment department.

The sources said there are some roads where people park their vehicles, unofficially. They will be converted into parking and some section will be given to hawkers. In some cases, the existing roadside parking space will also be used.

The civic administration has made markings on some cycle tracks which some activists and political leaders have opposed. “The administration is considering the use of cycle track space which has met with little opposition. The hawkers will be allowed to operate from the cycle tracks provided they are not a nuisance to traffic or pedestrians,” a senior PMC official said.

The PMC has developed a network of cycle tracks and footpaths from SNDT College to Prabhat Road, Fergusson College to Sant Dnyaneshwar Paduka mandir and Model Colony to University Road using JNNURM funds.

Additional commissioner Rajendra Jagtap said the civic administration has not taken any final call on these moves. “There are some options which we will consider on a pilot basis. A committee designated for this purpose will decide. A meeting of all the stake holders will be conducted before a final decision,” he told TOI.

As per the Supreme Court order on September 13, 2013, and directives of the state government’s urban development department on October 21, 2013, the civic administration has to allow all vendors to do their business. Accordingly, the PMC has planned hawkers’ zones across the city. The PMC administration had also decided to do a biometric census and provide all hawkers with UID numbers.

Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

AURANGABAD: The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) today declared that it would reconstruct four main roads in the city with the help of ‘white topping’ technology. Mayor Kala Oza said that work on roads between – Kranti Chowk and Paithan Gate; Gade Chowk and SCC Board; Lemon Tree hotel and Jalgaon Road; and the road between SBI on Jalgaon Road and Central Naka would soon begin. “We have already called tenders for the job and it will be opened in two to three days,” she said.Oza also said that the civic body would announce names of three more roads to be built with this new technology. In addition to this, under the first phase, the civic body will begin repairing of seven roads using conventional (black topping) technology. Names of these roads are yet to be finalised.

The cash-strapped AMC had recently said that it would spend Rs 30 crore on road repairing in two phases. Oza said that the second phase will begin within the next two months.

Executive engineer in the civic body, Silkander Ali, said, “White topping technology is quite common in cities like Mumbai and Pune and roads built with this technology do not develop potholes for more than 15 years after construction.”

The road is the easiest route for residents of Pimple Saudagar to reach Aundh, Baner and other areas. If closed, residents have to take a longer route to access Sangvi-Kiwale road to reach these areas. About a year ago, when the road was closed, the civic officials had to seek the intervention of the divisional commissioner to solve the impasse.

Therefore, the civic administration has planned to construct an alternative road at the stretch as well as to widen the old road, from the municipal school till Rakshak chowk, to 20 metres. The civic body has tabled a proposal before the general body.

A civic official said the alternative road will be 18-metre wide and will pass from survey no 59 to 121, adjacent to the defence land. The PCMC has possession of more than 70% of the land needed for the project. The estimated cost is Rs 8.70 crore, whereas the civic body needs Rs 1.50 crore to widen the old road.

Shirish Poreddy, spokesperson for the engineering department, said, “The department will prepare a detailed project report after approval from the GB for both projects. Bids from private contractors will be invited.”

The project report will indicate how much land is needed form private land owners and the defence authorities. “Both roads will have four lanes and footpaths,” he added.

Local NCP corporator Nana Kate said, “Earlier, there was a road from Pimple Saudgar till the post office located ahead of Rakshak Chowk along Sangvi-Kiwale road. But, the defence authorities closed the road 25 years ago, after which the existing road was built. This road also passes through the defence land.”

Kate said the development plan 14 years ago had proposed a road from Planet Millenium to Ginger society, further to Shivar chowk and ending at Jagtap Dairy on the Sangvi Kiwale road. But farmers had opposed land acquisition and the road could not be developed.

“These farmers had later sold their land to some builders, who are now willing to give it for the proposed road. However, this road cannot be a good alternative to the existing Panet Millenium-Rakshak chowk road as people will have to travel a longer distance,” Kate added.

Anita Shinde, a local resident said, “The road from Planet Millenium to Rakshak chowk is too narrow and must be widened so that the vehicles can travel faster.”

Rohit Mane, a local resident said, “The civic body has acquired land from the defence authorities for widening the Pune-Mumbai highway. Similarly it should acquire the land for widening this road that passes through defence land. The defence authorities should give the requisite land for road widening in public interest.”

LUDHIANA: The Rs 209-crore project of 8-laning of Ferozepur Road will be inaugurated on Friday. Despite strong criticism, the civic authority decided to go ahead with the project saying it would give the city a makeover.

While residents concede that the plans areimpressive, they doubt the MC’s commitment to see them through to the end. The host of projects left incomplete by the MC include rejuvenation of Buddha Nullah and four-laning of Doraha-Ferozepur Road. They are also apprehensive about the pace of the project.Kamaljeet Singh, a resident of Civil Lines, who has been living in Ludhiana for the last 20 years said, “I have seen Ludhiana changing but the corporation has taken a long time to complete its projects, which irritates residents. If they plan to start, they must not stop midway, which will be a huge disaster.”

According to Paramjeet Arora of Ghumar Mandi, “The MC should have completed old projects first but if the proposal is sanctioned and guarantees to change the look of the city completely, I don’t mind. But that does not mean the MC should stop working on other projects.”

NAGPUR: The city’s busy commercial district, Central Avenue, is also known for rampant violation of traffic rules and poor roads. One is the reasons for this is Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) decade-long neglect of road maintenance in the 9km stretch from Mayo Hospital Square to Prajapati Square connecting Ring Road.

Now, the civic administration has finally decided to relay the entire stretch. A senior civic official told TOI that the road was last tarred during the Integrated Road Development Project in early 2000. As the quality of work was good, the road lasted for over half a decade. But in the recent past, the condition of both sides of the road started deteriorating, with motorists suffering bumpy rides.

Mahesh Kulkarni, a resident of Gandhibagh, said, “When citizens are suffering due to bad roads, the civic body is wasting tax payers’ money to suit their whims and fancies. The ruling party has no control over the administration, which does not appear to be serious about the city’s development.”

The civic body’s apathy can be gauged from the fact that the then standing committee chairman Dayashankar Tiwari had on February 18 this year approved the civic administration’s Rs 6.04 crore proposal for tarring this road. Even municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane gave his nod for the works on February 26, but nothing has moved since then.

Sources, however, said that due to financial crisis the civic administration delayed the recarpeting work of the stretch.

Now, the proposal will again come up before standing committee chairman Avinash Thakre for his nod in a meeting on Friday. Sources said this time the civic administration has made some changes to the proposal. As NMC’s hotmix department is flooded with tarring works, it plans to rope in Nagpur Improvement Trust’s hotmix plant for the tarring of Central Avenue. The money will be paid to NIT through internal book adjustment between both civic agencies, said a senior official. NIT will start the work after Diwali, the proposal states.

Apart from this road proposal, the civic administration will also table proposals to tar 35 other roads at a cost of Rs 11.86 crore. Welcoming the civic administration’s decision to recarpet roads, motorists said now NMC should ensure quality works.