Latest news with #VijayRawal


Hindustan Times
a day ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
GB Nagar: 10 ponds set for facelift for water recharge
The Gautam Budh Nagar administration has approved the renovation of 10 ponds across various villages in the district to promote groundwater recharge, said officials on Friday. A pond in Greater Noida's Bhola Rawal village. (Sunil Ghosh/HT photo) The initiative is being undertaken in accordance with directives issued under the 2022 National Green Tribunal (NGT). The renovation of ponds will be carried out by the Noida authority in coordination with the District Ground Water Management Council, which recently held a meeting and gave approval for the project, said officials. 'As part of efforts to conserve and replenish groundwater, 10 ponds have been identified for rejuvenation. These were selected based on feasibility and site-specific potential for recharge, in accordance with NGT guidelines and the recommendations of the District Ground Water Management Council,' said Deputy general manager (civil), Noida authority, Vijay Rawal. Officials informed that the Noida authority will soon be carrying out the required desilting, cleaning, and structural work for the rejuvenation of these water bodies. The aim is to ensure effective recharge of aquifers and to restore the ecological utility of neglected ponds. To be sure, District Ground Water Management Council is a district-level advisory and oversight body set up by the district administration to review and manage groundwater usage and recharge efforts in the district, approve plans for pond rejuvenation, borewell regulation, recharge structures, coordinate with various departments including irrigation, jal nigam, and urban development authorities among others. According to the list approved, the selected ponds are located in the villages of Satharpur, Harola (Wazidpur), Roza, Shahdara, Salarpur Khadar, Jhatta, Koudli Bangar (three ponds), Badoli Bangar, and Miyapur. 'The selected ponds have been identified based on current groundwater stress levels and their potential to serve as recharge points. The initiative is part of a long-term strategy to improve groundwater sustainability in the district, which has been facing growing water scarcity concerns due to rapid urbanisation and declining recharge capacity', said Rawal. As per official records, the area of these ponds ranges from 0.0632 hectares to 1.391 hectares. The largest among them is located in Miyapur village (1.391 hectares), while the smallest is in Roza (0.0632 hectares). Detailed information such as the village names, khasra numbers, pond areas, and designated work circles have been compiled and shared with the respective departments to begin site-level action, officials said. Officials informed that Noida authority, will oversee the physical rejuvenation work of these ponds. The respective work circles, including work circle 3, 4, 7, 8, and 10 have been informed and tasked with necessary field-level execution.


Time of India
08-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Footpath, trees near Dalit Prerna Sthal won't be harmed for e-way widening: Noida
Noida: Noida Authority clarified on Sunday that the footpath and trees along a 600-metre long and 5.5-metre wide stretch near Dalit Prerna Sthal will not be damaged during an upcoming project. This comes a day after TOI reported that Authority plans to widen Noida Expressway from Sector 95 to DND Flyway loop by adding the 600-metre long and 5.5m wide stretch. Noida Authority is yet to issue a tender to hire a contractor for this project. In a press note issued on Saturday, the Authority initially said that a consultant hired to explore options for widening the expressway recommended removing a one-metre-wide roadside track, a 1.4-metre-wide footpath and a 3.1-metre-wide paved tiled surface to expand the carriageway by 5.5 metres. Noida's clarification came after concerns were raised on social media platform X, with users questioning the widening of the road and expressing fears about possible damage to greenery and pedestrian pathways. Noida Authority deputy general manager (Civil) Vijay Rawal said that while some trees stand on the left side of the expressway and a footpath runs between the expressway and the Sthal, both will remain intact. "The trees and footpath will not be harmed. On the left side of the footpath, there are tiles which will be removed to make way for the project," Rawal explained. There are nearly 40-50 fully grown trees along the way. The footpath is also used by a number of visitors to Dalit Prerna Sthal who come to see the memorial and also to observe the birthday celebrations of Dr BR Ambedkar, Kanshi Ram, Mayawati and other Dalit stalwarts. Nearly 1,000 people visit Dalit Prerna Sthal on a normal day, while the numbers increase to 10,000 on the birthday celebrations of stalwarts. "What is the need for this widening and how many trees will be cut? If the pavement is damaged, how will commuters and visitors to the Sthal navigate?" asked Brajesh Sharma, a resident of Sector 78, in an X post. Another commuter said that the traffic pressure has immensely increased, leading to a choke point near the DND Flyway loop during peak hours. "The road widening is important, but that should not be conducted by harming the trees," he said. Nearly five lakh vehicles use the Noida Expressway daily, with around two lakh entering the city via the DND Flyway and another one lakh each from Kalindi Kunj, Chilla Border and Noida's internal sectors.