Latest news with #Bhubaneswar-based
New Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Sambalpur begins Rs 55 crore water pipeline upgrade
SAMBALPUR: After years of recurring waterborne disease outbreaks and mounting public pressure, the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) is set to begin major infrastructure upgrade to replace 55 kilometres of outdated and damaged drinking water supply pipelines across the city. This massive project, awarded to Bhubaneswar-based Shivjyoti Conpro Pvt Ltd, will be completed within 18 months at an estimated cost of Rs 55 crore. The most critically damaged pipelines will be replaced in the first phase within six months. This step comes after five jaundice outbreaks since 2014, with the most recent occurring after Sital Sasthi last year, affecting over 150 people. The outbreaks were linked to contaminated water supply caused by pipelines running through open drains, allowing sewage to seep into drinking water lines. In 2014, the then chief minister Naveen Patnaik had announced a complete overhaul of the system, but only partial work was carried out in selected areas, leaving the system vulnerable for nearly a decade. General manager, WATCO, Brahmeshwar Das said, 'The project will be executed at an estimated cost of Rs 55 crore. In the initial phase, pipelines in the worst condition will be replaced within six months. The overall target is to complete the entire 55-kilometre stretch within 18 months.' WATCO officials said the project will also expand water supply to under-served areas like Balaji colony and Marutivihar with 18,000 new household connections planned, while 8,000 is to be done in first phase. Additionally, two new treatment plants with a combined capacity of 100 MLD are proposed at Ainthapali (65 MLD) and near Sambalpur University (35 MLD). City health officials say diarrhoea, jaundice, and hepatitis remain endemic in parts of Sambalpur during monsoon. The project is expected to significantly reduce the city's vulnerability to waterborne diseases and improve health outcomes for thousands of residents.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
HC rejects plea by IAS officer, kin seeking quashing of CBI probe into graft charge
1 2 Cuttack : The Orissa high court on Friday dismissed a writ petition filed by senior IAS officer Bishnupada Sethi, his wife and daughter seeking to quash a CBI investigation into alleged corruption. The court ruled that the petition was "premature and not maintainable", as the investigation was still at a nascent stage. The case stems from the arrest of a PSU executive on Dec 8 last year for allegedly accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe from a Bhubaneswar-based real estate firm. During interrogation, Sethi's name emerged, prompting a CBI search at his residence on Feb 18 this year. The petitioners alleged procedural violations and harassment, and sought the return of seized materials. Justice S K Panigrahi, however, rejected these claims, emphasising that the extraordinary writ jurisdiction under Article 226 of Constitution cannot be misused to derail legitimate investigations. "Higher the office, greater the responsibility," he observed, noting that Sethi, as a senior bureaucrat, is expected to uphold legal integrity, not evade scrutiny. The court stressed that no chargesheet had been filed yet, and interference at this point would undermine both investigative processes and public interest. It criticised the petitioners' approach as "forum-shopping" and warned against setting a precedent that powerful individuals can shield themselves from legal accountability. The court clarified that its refusal to intervene does not equate to a presumption of guilt, and the petitioners retain full rights to defend themselves during trial. However, it maintained that mere status or reputation cannot justify halting a probe into serious allegations of public corruption. On Feb 25, Justice Panigrahi had ordered, "As an interim measure, it is directed that no coercive action shall be taken against the petitioners till the next date." The interim restriction was extended from time to time and was in force till the petition was dismissed on Friday.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
DPRs submitted for comprehensive drainage system in Sambalpur city
SAMBALPUR: In a bid to mitigate the persistent waterlogging woes of people residing in low-lying areas of the city, the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) has submitted a series of detailed project reports (DPRs) for a comprehensive drainage system which is awaiting final approval from the Housing and Urban Development department. The proposed drainage project involves preparation of a master plan and DPRs by Bhubaneswar-based Ecometrix Consultants Pvt Ltd at an estimated cost of Rs 2.46 crore. The project aims to provide a long-term solution to the city's recurring flooding and drainage woes, especially in low-lying wards. SMC commissioner Vedbhushan said a total of six DPRs have been forwarded to H&UD department so far. 'The department has shared its observations, basing on which we've revised the DPRs. The updated reports will be submitted by the end of this week. Once approved, the tendering process will begin.' The master plan envisages a robust storm water drainage system to mitigate floods, waterlogging and urban inundation. Key watercourses identified for development include Malti Jore, Harad Jore, Dhobi Jore, Tangara nullah, Mandalia nullah, Power Channel, and all primary, secondary and tertiary drains across the 41 municipal wards of Sambalpur city. As part of its groundwork, the Bhubaneswar-based agency conducted DGPS survey covering 353 sq km across all 41 wards - home to around 3.5 lakh residents. Ward-level feedback meetings were also held to map existing drainage bottlenecks and problems. While the implementation of the master plan will take time, the SMC is ramping up short-term measures to handle waterlogging issues in the current monsoon season. 'Missing drains are being constructed and narrow ones widened. Major drains have been desilted to ensure uninterrupted water flow. The situation will be better this year,' the commissioner added. Currently, localities like Sakhipara, Chandan Nagar, Charbhati, Mandalia, Binakhandi, Balibandha, Govindtola, Hirakud Colony, Housing Board Colony, Modipara and Kumbharpara - all situated in low-lying zones - suffer the most due to outdated and undersized drainage channels. Besides, the localities near Mahanadi river often grapple with flood-like situations caused by backwater from the dam. The new drainage system is expected to resolve these issues that have persisted for over two decades.
New Indian Express
10-06-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
IOSR brings out technical glossary for engineering education in Odia
BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar-based Institute of Odia Studies & Research (IOSR) has prepared a glossary of 54,000 technical words in Odia which will be used in engineering education in the language. The first-of-its-kind glossary in a regional Indian language has been approved by the AICTE recently. Director of AICTE Sunil Kumar Luthra said the glossary would serve as a model for other states and would soon be uploaded to the e-Kumbh portal of AICTE from where students can download it. Odia researcher and chief coordinator of the translation initiative Subrat Prusty said most of the technical words used in engineering are of English, German, French and Latin origin and finding their regional translation is a difficult process. 'For example, the Hindi translation of computer is 'sanganak' and a few Odia students have started using it even if it is not an Odia word. This is why we have created a glossary of technical words which remain the same in both English and Odia languages, for easy understanding of the students. So, a computer will be written as computer in the Odia engineering book. In the absence of such a glossary, students usually use whatever translated words they pick up from search engines, which is wrong,' he said.
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Business Standard
06-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
RBI rejects Annapurna Finance's application to set up universal bank
The Reserve Bank on Friday rejected the application by Bhubaneswar-based Annapurna Finance to set up a universal bank. The company had applied for a universal banking licence in January 2023. 'The Reserve Bank has completed the examination of the application of Annapurna Finance Private Limited for setting up a universal bank. Based on the assessment of the application as per the procedure laid down under extant guidelines, the applicant was not found suitable for granting of in-principle approval to set up a universal bank,' the central bank said in a statement. Established in 2009, Annapurna Finance is among the top 10 NBFC-MFIs in the country. It provides microcredit for mostly income-generating activities to women using the group lending model. It also offers other products such as individual loans to provide financial assistance to the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) segment, home and home improvement loans, consumer durable loans, and others.
