Latest news with #BMC
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
Changing City: By year-end, new cable-stayed Belasis Bridge likely to ease traffic between Nagpada, Tardeo
A new cable-stayed Belasis Bridge is set to become operational in November to facilitate vehicular movement between Nagpada and Tardeo in south Mumbai. Belasis Bridge is one of the oldest east-west bridges in the city and is located in a congested area in south Mumbai. One of the key road over bridges (ROB) in south Mumbai, the old bridge was built in 1893. The earlier structure was a conventional ROB that was found to be structurally unstable in 2018. Following this, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation mooted the proposal to demolish the bridge, and this was done in June last year. Once the new bridge becomes operational, it will ease traffic movement in areas like Tardeo, Mahalaxmi and Byculla, allowing seamless vehicular movement. The travel time between Nagpada and Tardeo will also come down to 5-7 minutes, which otherwise takes more than 20 minutes during peak hours. The new bridge will be cable-stayed with six vehicular lanes – three times more than the existing structure – to allow more vehicles to pass at a given time. Underneath the bridge, an additional underpass will be built to facilitate citizens' movement. At present, construction work on the new bridge is underway, and civic authorities said that civil works have reached the halfway mark. The overall cost of the bridge has been pegged at Rs 110 crore, with the BMC paying Rs 70 crore, while the balance Rs 40 crore is being paid by the railways. The BMC has completed more than 65 per cent of the foundation work and is expecting to open the structure by the end of this year. 'The primary reason why we are opting for cable-stayed bridges is to ensure that the project is completed at the earliest. The earlier deadline for this bridge was set in June 2026, however, at the start of this year, this target was preponed to November 2025, and we are eyeing to meet the target,' Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects), said.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
Pumps with IoT sensors: How BMC is planning to tackle waterlogging in Mumbai
With the May 26 flooding serving as a wake-up call, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to install Internet of Things (IoT) sensors on the dewatering pumps being set up in low-lying areas in the island city. Every year, ahead of the monsoon, the civic body identifies low-lying areas and installs dewatering pumps there. This year, the BMC has installed 514 pumps across locations in the island city as well as the suburbs. These pumps channel out the accumulated water from a particular area to the nearby drainage outlets and creeks. On May 26, following a heavy spell of rain, Mumbai almost came to a standstill due to waterlogging. Civic officials attributed this to the non-functionality of a majority of the water pumps. 'Last year, in one such incident at Mumbai's Chunabhatti, we saw that despite pumps being installed in a particular area, there was huge flooding. Later, during our investigation, we found out that the pumps were fully ready, but the contractor responsible for operating the pumps did not turn them on, and this led to severe waterlogging in the area. Therefore, as a preventive measure against such incidents, we are installing sensors in the dewatering pumps,' Abhijit Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Projects, told The Indian Express. The IoT sensors will be motion-based and will be installed on the belts of the pumps. These belts record a high-speed motion whenever a pump is turned on, and the sensors will be able to detect when a pump is switched on from the motion of the belt. Close to the pump, a receptor will be placed by the civic authorities, which will record the signals sent by the sensor. This receptor will transmit the recorded data from the sensor, which will have IoT chips in it, and transmit the data to the civic body's war room. 'The sensors are motion-based devices. They will record the time when the pump is switched on and will transmit information about the entire duration for which the pump operates. So, for example, if rainfall starts at 11 am, we can clearly identify when the operator has switched on the pump and whether he did that on time. Any delay in operation will be caught as a result…these pumps will also increase accountability amongst the contractors,' Bangar added. Officials said that by the end of this week, sensors will be installed in as many as 100 pumps and by the end of the next few weeks, the numbers will be augmented.
New Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Jaundice scare in Badagada, BMC checks ground situation
BHUBANESWAR: Amid concern over water-borne diseases in an apartment project in the state capital, reports of multiple jaundice cases have surfaced in Badagada prompting Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to dispatch a health team to the area on Thursday to assess the situation. Sources said jaundice cases have been detected in multiple residential colonies of Badagada area. 'Close to a dozen jaundice cases have detected in the locality in the recent weeks. The ongoing drainage work right above the water supply pipes could have caused leakage and contamination,' said a resident. As per a BMC official, after reports of suspected jaundice cases surfaced, a joint team of Urban Metropolitan Surveillance Unit, Rapid Response Team and ADUPHO office conducted field investigation to identify possible sources. The team visited Uparasahi, Karuna Basti and Kalinga Basti within Badagada locality. A BMC team led by mayor Sulochana Das had also visited Trident Galaxy apartment recently following reports of outbreak of diarrhoea, jaundice and other gastrointestinal diseases in the residential complex due to groundwater contamination. They had warned action against the developer for failing to comply with the sanitation norms. Meanwhile, in another development, the enforcement squad of BMC collected around Rs 11,000 towards fine from some roadside eateries in KIMS hospital area, over alleged violation of food safety norms. So far, three hotels and a packaged water unit have been sealed in the city for unhygiene practice. The crackdown will continue, said food safety officer Satyajit Patel.
Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Mithi River desilting fraud: ED questions Dino Morea again, seeks further clarifications
Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned actor Dino Morea again on Thursday as part of its money-laundering investigation related to the alleged irregularities in contracts to desilt the Mithi River, which caused a loss of over ₹65 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The 49-year-old was at the ED's office at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai for around six-and-a-half hours, during which investigators sought further information and clarifications from him, agency sources said. 'There were certain details that we needed to ascertain and verify. And for that, he was called again. The probe is still at a preliminary stage,' said an ED official, requesting anonymity. Morea arrived at the ED office around 10.30 am and left around 5 pm. The Mumbai unit of the central agency had previously summoned the actor on June 12 to record his statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED is investigating whether Morea and his brother Santino were involved in the alleged fraud or if they were linked to any part of the proceeds of crime generated by people and entities being probed in the case. The brothers have denied all allegations of their involvement in the case. Earlier, on June 6, the ED carried out searches at 18 locations across Mumbai, Kochi and Thrissur in connection with the investigation. The locations searched included the residential and/or office premises of Dino and Santino Morea, BMC engineer Prashant Ramgude, civic contractor Bhupendra Purohit, alleged intermediaries Jay Joshi and Ketan Kadam, and Matprop Technical Services Pvt Ltd, a Kochi-based company that rented machinery and equipment for the desilting work. According to the ED, the Morea brothers are allegedly close associates of Kadam. The ED's probe is based on Mumbai police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) case, which it had registered in May and had subsequently questioned the Morea brothers last month. The EOW booked 13 people and entities in the case, including three BMC officials, for allegedly causing a wrongful loss of ₹65.54 crore to the BMC. On June 7, the ED said that its investigation and search operations had prima facie indicated that the accused people and others allegedly colluded to form a cartel with the intent to manipulate BMC's tenders related to desilting the Mithi River. 'This action effectively conferred a monopoly in [the] award of desilting contracts of Mithi River and caused payments at inflated rates for desilting works, resulting in undue gains to the contractors and associated parties, thereby causing financial loss to the public exchequer,' the agency had said in a statement. These undue financial gains were concealed by layering them through certain shell companies by the accused persons and others, the agency added. During the searches, the ED seized ₹7 lakh in cash and froze 22 bank accounts/fixed deposits and a demat account. The total amount seized or frozen is more than ₹1.25 crore so far, the agency said. Certain digital devices and incriminating documents were also seized that appeared to be relevant for further proceedings under the PMLA, according to the ED.
Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
HC upholds in-situ rehab of slum dwellers on 65% of encroached open spaces
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Thursday upheld the validity of a clause in Mumbai's development plan that permits 65% of encroached land reserved for public open spaces to be utilised for in-situ rehabilitation of slum dwellers occupying the land. A bench of justices Amit Borkar and Somasekhar Sundaresan also directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to strictly ensure that the remaining 35% of the reserved land remains available as public open space. The bench was ruling on a petition filed in 2002 by NAGAR, a Mumbai-based nonprofit that had challenged Regulation 17(3)(D)(2) of the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034. The regulation allowed the use of 65% of encroached public open spaces that are not otherwise buildable and measure over 500 square metres in area for the in-situ rehabilitation of the encroachers via a slum rehabilitation scheme. The remaining 35% area is to be retained as public open space, according to the regulation. Refusing to interfere with the regulation, the bench said, 'It is a balanced policy that aims to recover a part of the land while also ensuring humane rehabilitation. This approach is neither unreasonable nor unconstitutional.' The bench added that the regulation reflects a practical solution to a difficult and long-standing issue between encroachments and the need for preserving public open spaces to protect the fundamental right of citizens to a healthy environment. Although the regulation reduces the reserved open space existing on paper, it ensures that at least 35% of the encroached land is freed and developed as a public amenity, the judges said. At the same time, it provides better housing and infrastructure to slum dwellers, they added. 'This approach does not destroy environmental values. It tries to recover some environmental benefit from already encroached lands, while also recognising the housing rights of the urban poor,' the bench said. What petitioners said NAGAR's petition, filed through its trustees Neera Punj and Nayana Kathpalia, challenged a notification issued by the state urban development department in 1992 and Regulation 17(3)(D)(2) of DCPR 2034. The petitioners contended that the notification and the regulation, in effect, legalised the diversion of 65% of the land for construction. This significantly diluted the purpose of the land's reservation and stripped the city of its much-needed green and open spaces, they said. According to the petitioners, the regulation went directly against the principles of sustainable development and the public trust doctrine, which asserts that public assets such as parks and open spaces should be preserved for collective enjoyment of the community and should not be sacrificed to accommodate encroachments or private development, even under the banner of welfare schemes. The petitioners also highlighted that the definition of a 'protected occupier' under the Slum Act has undergone considerable changes over the years. A larger pool of slum dwellers on encroached land can now get in-situ rehabilitation, they said, as the original cut-off date for determining eligibility has been extended from January 1, 1976, to January 1, 2011. This has, in turn, increased the burden on scarce urban land, including reserved open spaces, the petitioners argued. The petition further pointed out that even the basic safeguard in the 1992 notification—that at least 25% of the reserved open space must be encroached upon to trigger a slum rehabilitation scheme on it—was entirely removed in the new regulation. This opened up even slightly encroached parks, gardens, and playgrounds for slum rehabilitation, thereby completely defeating the purpose of reservation under the development plan, it said. The petition argued that open spaces are critical for the livability and ecological balance of the city. It added that there is no reason why the relocation policy adopted for infrastructure projects such as railways, roads, or metro corridors, which require the land to be cleared, should not be applied to slum dwellers on public open spaces, which are as essential for the well-being of citizens. What court ruled The high court found no 'clear legal or constitutional defect' in the policy and 'no procedural irregularity or legal flaw' in the procedure. However, it added that a proper balance between the two facets of the right to life—right to healthy environment and right to shelter and a dignified life—would be achieved only if the remaining 35% of these lands are strictly maintained as public open spaces. To achieve this balance, the court directed that the remaining 35% open space must be clearly demarcated in the final approved layout plan of the slum scheme. The plan should also reflect the precise location and dimensions of the open space, which cannot be subsequently modified or shifted, it said. The bench restrained the SRA from granting approval to any slum rehabilitation proposal unless this requirement is 'visibly and verifiably' complied with. The court added that slum rehabilitation schemes on public open spaces should be approved only if the encroachment existed prior to the date of reservation, and the collector issues a certificate that alternate land to rehabilitate the slum dwellers is not available. The BMC was directed to prepare a ward-wise action plan listing all reserved open spaces, complete GIS-based mapping and geo-tagging of all these plots in four months, and upload the data on its website, along with the plots' current usage status. The court also directed the state government to review the policy to evaluate whether the 35:65 ratio serves the goals of sustainable development and come up with a new policy framework, if necessary.
