CHANDIGARH: Installation work of a water pine line caused a lot of inconveniences to thousands of commuters between Transport Light point and Railway light point on Madhya Marg on Tuesday.
The traffic flow towards Chandigarh from the side of Panchkula was diverted at Railway Light point and flow towards Panchkula from Chandigarh was diverted at Transport Light point.
The bonnet to bonnet situation was evident between Housing Board light point and Railway light point as hundreds of commuters were being diverted towards IT park roundabout and light point, and towards Industrial Area.
The situation was worst at IT park side as traffic from two directions included from Madhya Marg and Manimajra was meeting at a common point.
Sujata Sharma of sector 8 Panchkula said, "Authorities should be initiated and completed the installation work during night. Initiated such projects during days always cause inconvenience to commuters."
The situation has became nightmare during late evening hours and over 50 traffic police personnel were only deployed for controlling the situation near Grain Market and Transport Light Point, sector 26.
The main problem is being faced by VVIPs convoys and ambulances, which were coming for GMSH-16 and PGI. A traffic policeman, appointed for controlling the traffic, said, "When vehicle queue is over 1km long and ambulance stuck at the opposite side, what can we do? We are making best efforts to ease the traffic flow."
DSP (traffic) Kamaldeep Singh said the installation work will be continuing for next two days more and traffic would be diverted in the same manner. The water pipeline is being installed by water works department of Chandigarh administration. He said the contractor was requested to complete the installation work shortly.
Chandigarh administration has already intimidated traffic police about the installation work and requested to block traffic between railway light point and transport light point.
Source - TOI - timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Water-pipeline-installation-work-mars-traffic-flow-at-Madhya-Marg/articleshow/27861187.cms
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
Water pipeline project troubles people
KANPUR: The residents of Tilak Nagar area are a troubled lot these days. The Jal Nigam had been conducting the digging of roads for laying of water pipelines. For past one week, the area is in the grip of dust. The locals have started keeping their doors and windows closed to prevent dust from coming inside their houses and settling down on household articles.
The situation is so bad that mounds of mud have been placed just outside the bungalows and the apartments in the area. This has also limited the movement of the people. Traffic jams are frequent in the area.
Under JNNURM, Jal Nigam had dug up the road between Company Bagh crossing and Tilak Nagar crossing. With an expense of Rs 10 crores, 3,200 mm size pipes are being laid. For this work, five metres deep trenches have been dug up. There is a mound of mud outside the houses in the area. The road from Company Bagh crossing to Hanuman Temple near Income Tax Colony has not been made despite the completion of the work of laying of pipes. For past fortnight, the locals are facing problems.
People residing in apartments like Chitrakoot, Ratan Castle, Mona Enclave, Sukh Dham, Vijay Shri and in bungalows are facing problems.
Jal Nigam assistant engineer DN Nautiyal said that from Company Bagh crossing till a nursing home (a distance of nearly 1,150 metres), the pipes are being laid. He said so far 550 metres of pipelines had been laid. The work of laying of pipes will go on for more than a month.
Source - TOI - timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Water-pipeline-project-troubles-people/articleshow/27780799.cms
The situation is so bad that mounds of mud have been placed just outside the bungalows and the apartments in the area. This has also limited the movement of the people. Traffic jams are frequent in the area.
Under JNNURM, Jal Nigam had dug up the road between Company Bagh crossing and Tilak Nagar crossing. With an expense of Rs 10 crores, 3,200 mm size pipes are being laid. For this work, five metres deep trenches have been dug up. There is a mound of mud outside the houses in the area. The road from Company Bagh crossing to Hanuman Temple near Income Tax Colony has not been made despite the completion of the work of laying of pipes. For past fortnight, the locals are facing problems.
People residing in apartments like Chitrakoot, Ratan Castle, Mona Enclave, Sukh Dham, Vijay Shri and in bungalows are facing problems.
Jal Nigam assistant engineer DN Nautiyal said that from Company Bagh crossing till a nursing home (a distance of nearly 1,150 metres), the pipes are being laid. He said so far 550 metres of pipelines had been laid. The work of laying of pipes will go on for more than a month.
Source - TOI - timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Water-pipeline-project-troubles-people/articleshow/27780799.cms
Encroachments, sewage killing Delhi’s water bodies
NEW DELHI: A look at the list of water bodies in 10 zones uploaded recently by the Delhi government's Parks and Gardens Society points to the deplorable state of baolis and lakes in the city. Most of them have been encroached upon, dried up or concretized. Those that still hold water have sewage flowing into them.
For this report, data from four zones was considered by TOI. Out of 54 water bodies in the east zone, 18 are dry and 21 have been encroached or built up on. In the south zone, 44 out of 120 water bodies have been encroached upon and eight have sewage entering them. Only the central district boasts a high number of water bodies that have been developed and have a permanent flow.
Many water bodies are also "legally built-up", which means their land use has changed over time. For instance, the south zone has 12 such water bodies. The team that inspected these water bodies recommends rainwater harvesting at these sites. However, many have also been "illegally built-up", and the matter is either pending in court or remains in dispute. Over seven water bodies in the east district have been concretized in this way.
Delhi Parks and Gardens Society gathered lists of water bodies under various agencies over two years before holding ground survey for a precise idea of their status. "It was a tough process as we had to gather data from all agencies. But now that we have an overall idea, we can formulate a plan. For instance, those that have run dry need greening around them to rejuvenate them," S D Singh, chief executive officer, Delhi Parks and Gardens Society, said.
Strangely enough, several water bodies in all zones have simply run dry. "This is because of a low water table along with scanty and erratic rainfall. They will come alive once planting in the catchment area beings and they are freed of encroachments. We have also identified the water bodies needing sewage treatment and how many oxbow lakes have been formed," Singh said.
There are about 1,000 baolis and lakes according to the records compiled from different agencies. The northwest zone with 166 water bodies leads the pack, followed by the north at 156 and the south zone which has 120 water bodies.
TOI had earlier reported that 21 lakes had disappeared from Delhi since 1997-98. Most of these lakes, according to Ritu Singh, scientist at Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, disappeared because of encroachment by real estate projects. According to the 1997-98 data, there were 44 lakes and 355 ponds in Delhi.
Source - TOI - timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Encroachments-sewage-killing-Delhis-water-bodies/articleshow/27764637.cms
For this report, data from four zones was considered by TOI. Out of 54 water bodies in the east zone, 18 are dry and 21 have been encroached or built up on. In the south zone, 44 out of 120 water bodies have been encroached upon and eight have sewage entering them. Only the central district boasts a high number of water bodies that have been developed and have a permanent flow.
Many water bodies are also "legally built-up", which means their land use has changed over time. For instance, the south zone has 12 such water bodies. The team that inspected these water bodies recommends rainwater harvesting at these sites. However, many have also been "illegally built-up", and the matter is either pending in court or remains in dispute. Over seven water bodies in the east district have been concretized in this way.
Delhi Parks and Gardens Society gathered lists of water bodies under various agencies over two years before holding ground survey for a precise idea of their status. "It was a tough process as we had to gather data from all agencies. But now that we have an overall idea, we can formulate a plan. For instance, those that have run dry need greening around them to rejuvenate them," S D Singh, chief executive officer, Delhi Parks and Gardens Society, said.
Strangely enough, several water bodies in all zones have simply run dry. "This is because of a low water table along with scanty and erratic rainfall. They will come alive once planting in the catchment area beings and they are freed of encroachments. We have also identified the water bodies needing sewage treatment and how many oxbow lakes have been formed," Singh said.
There are about 1,000 baolis and lakes according to the records compiled from different agencies. The northwest zone with 166 water bodies leads the pack, followed by the north at 156 and the south zone which has 120 water bodies.
TOI had earlier reported that 21 lakes had disappeared from Delhi since 1997-98. Most of these lakes, according to Ritu Singh, scientist at Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, disappeared because of encroachment by real estate projects. According to the 1997-98 data, there were 44 lakes and 355 ponds in Delhi.
Source - TOI - timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Encroachments-sewage-killing-Delhis-water-bodies/articleshow/27764637.cms
Indian waters third worst for pirate attacks
MUMBAI: Merchant navy captain Sunil James may have returned home after five-and-a-half-months in Togo but International Chamber of Commerce's International Maritime Bureau (London) statistics show how waters around the Indian sub-continent are the most dangerous.
James and two Indian crew members were arrested by the Togo police on July 31 on charges of helping pirates who had attacked and looted their Marshalls Island flag vessel, MT Ocean Centurion, around 45 nautical miles southeast of Togo's coastal capital Lome in the Atlantic Ocean on July 16. James, however, said the court there was unable to prove their roles.
The bureau has reported 199 pirate attacks on vessels in the sub-continent's waters in 2006-12. It warned mariners to be extra cautious when transiting from Southeast Asia and the sub-continent (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malacca Straits, Singapore Straits and South China sea), Africa and Red Sea (Africa, Gulf of Aden/Red Sea, Somalia, Ivory Coast, Guinea, The Congo and Egypt), South and Central America and the Caribbean waters (Ecuador) and Rest of the World (Gulf of Oman).
The bureau's 2012 report stated that 2,386 ships from over 97 countries in the merchant shipping business were attacked (2006-12). The seas and oceans around Africa top the chart with 1,228 cases, and Indian waters come third after Southeast Asian waters.
The report said pirates attacked 43 Indian-flag merchant vessels, placing it 11th. Panama topped with 409 ships, Liberia 268 and Singapore 215. There has been an apparent drop in Somali piracy activity, with 297 cases in 2012, after 439 in 2011, and the Gulf of Guinea has replaced the Gulf of Aden as one of the highest-risk zones.
The report warned mariners to be extra cautious while transiting particularly the highly dangerous waters off East and West Africa. "Navies are deterring piracy off Africa's East coast, with pre-emptive strikes and robust action against mother ships of pirates," bureau assistant director Cyrus Mody told TOI in an email on November 15.
Somali pirate attacks cover a vast area, which includes the Gulf of Aden, southern Red Sea, off Yemen, off Oman/ Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, off Somalia, off Kenya, off Tanzania, off Seychelles, off Madagascar, Indian Ocean, off West and South India and off Maldives west coast, the report said. "Even though there is a welcome drop in Somali piracy, the IMB piracy reporting centre continues to monitor the situation and advises vessels to remain vigilant and adhere to latest best management practices, especially as the threat and risk of an attack remains real," the report said.
Piracy is a crime on the high seas against a ship and is for personal gain. Some of these crimes would need a degree of organization. "The apparent drop in Somali piracy activity has shifted the focus to the Gulf of Guinea, which has also been a very high risk area for many years. In the recent past, we have seen an increase in low-level opportunistic attacks at Indonesian ports," said Mody.
The world's only manned centre, which receives and disseminates reports of piracy and armed robbery 24 hours a day, urged all shipmasters and owners to report all actual, attempted and suspicious piracy and armed robbery incidents.
The directorate-general of shipping, Mumbai, in a July 7 training circular, decided to include the seafarers' piracy awareness module in the 'security training for seafarers with designated security duties' course. "The training programme will focus on seafarers getting trained on recognition of security risks and threats, knowledge of techniques used to circumvent security measures, including those used by pirates and armed robbers and handling security-related information and communications," the circular said.
Source - TOI - timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-waters-third-worst-for-pirate-attacks/articleshow/27761370.cms
James and two Indian crew members were arrested by the Togo police on July 31 on charges of helping pirates who had attacked and looted their Marshalls Island flag vessel, MT Ocean Centurion, around 45 nautical miles southeast of Togo's coastal capital Lome in the Atlantic Ocean on July 16. James, however, said the court there was unable to prove their roles.
The bureau has reported 199 pirate attacks on vessels in the sub-continent's waters in 2006-12. It warned mariners to be extra cautious when transiting from Southeast Asia and the sub-continent (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malacca Straits, Singapore Straits and South China sea), Africa and Red Sea (Africa, Gulf of Aden/Red Sea, Somalia, Ivory Coast, Guinea, The Congo and Egypt), South and Central America and the Caribbean waters (Ecuador) and Rest of the World (Gulf of Oman).
The bureau's 2012 report stated that 2,386 ships from over 97 countries in the merchant shipping business were attacked (2006-12). The seas and oceans around Africa top the chart with 1,228 cases, and Indian waters come third after Southeast Asian waters.
The report said pirates attacked 43 Indian-flag merchant vessels, placing it 11th. Panama topped with 409 ships, Liberia 268 and Singapore 215. There has been an apparent drop in Somali piracy activity, with 297 cases in 2012, after 439 in 2011, and the Gulf of Guinea has replaced the Gulf of Aden as one of the highest-risk zones.
The report warned mariners to be extra cautious while transiting particularly the highly dangerous waters off East and West Africa. "Navies are deterring piracy off Africa's East coast, with pre-emptive strikes and robust action against mother ships of pirates," bureau assistant director Cyrus Mody told TOI in an email on November 15.
Somali pirate attacks cover a vast area, which includes the Gulf of Aden, southern Red Sea, off Yemen, off Oman/ Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, off Somalia, off Kenya, off Tanzania, off Seychelles, off Madagascar, Indian Ocean, off West and South India and off Maldives west coast, the report said. "Even though there is a welcome drop in Somali piracy, the IMB piracy reporting centre continues to monitor the situation and advises vessels to remain vigilant and adhere to latest best management practices, especially as the threat and risk of an attack remains real," the report said.
Piracy is a crime on the high seas against a ship and is for personal gain. Some of these crimes would need a degree of organization. "The apparent drop in Somali piracy activity has shifted the focus to the Gulf of Guinea, which has also been a very high risk area for many years. In the recent past, we have seen an increase in low-level opportunistic attacks at Indonesian ports," said Mody.
The world's only manned centre, which receives and disseminates reports of piracy and armed robbery 24 hours a day, urged all shipmasters and owners to report all actual, attempted and suspicious piracy and armed robbery incidents.
The directorate-general of shipping, Mumbai, in a July 7 training circular, decided to include the seafarers' piracy awareness module in the 'security training for seafarers with designated security duties' course. "The training programme will focus on seafarers getting trained on recognition of security risks and threats, knowledge of techniques used to circumvent security measures, including those used by pirates and armed robbers and handling security-related information and communications," the circular said.
Source - TOI - timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Indian-waters-third-worst-for-pirate-attacks/articleshow/27761370.cms
Sunday, 15 December 2013
India among high risk nations in water stress survey
NEW DELHI: India ranks 41 among 181 countries so far as water stress is concerned and its in the bracket of second high risk nations. The first-ever global water stress rankings by World Resource Institute (WRI) reveals that 37% countries assessed by it experience high to extremely high baseline water stress.
The baseline water stress measures how much water is withdrawn every year from rivers, streams, and shallow aquifers for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses. Scores above 4 on a scale of 0-5 indicate that, for the average water user, more than 80% of the water available is withdrawn annually. The report says 37 countries including Singapore, Kuwait, Oman and Israel face "extremely high" levels of water stress.
India's baseline water stress is assessed at 3.6, which means the country uses between 40% and 80% of the water available annually. However, when it comes to seasonal variability between months of the year, the situation is worse. For example, during summer season many parts of the country overexploit both surface and ground water due to scarcity and high demand. The average score in this case is 4.2, which is in the high risk zone.
The report indicates how the water usage is very high against the availability during some months across all sectors - agriculture, domestic and industry.
The report says that stable supplies are increasingly hard to come by in many countries, as water-related risks increase. For example, recent droughts threatened GDP growth in the United States and monsoon floods killed hundreds and displaced thousands in India. In China, the increased competition for water may impact energy production, the global institute said.
WRI says that in the case of countries scoring 3-5; companies, farms, and residents are highly dependent on limited amounts of water and vulnerable to even the slightest change in supply. Such situations severely threaten national water security and economic growth - especially if a country does not have adequate water-management plans in place.
However, it says that even extremely high water stress can be managed. The report mentions that though Singapore has the highest water stress ranking of 5 and has no freshwater lakes or aquifers, it has consistently held up as an exceptional water manager. Singapore invests heavily in technology, international agreements, and responsible management, allowing it to meet its freshwater needs. Advanced rainwater capture systems contribute 20% of Singapore's water supply, 40% is imported from Malaysia, grey water reuse adds 30%, and desalination produces the remaining 10% of the supply to meet the country's total demand.
Source - TOI - timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-among-high-risk-nations-in-water-stress-survey/articleshow/27341315.cms
The baseline water stress measures how much water is withdrawn every year from rivers, streams, and shallow aquifers for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses. Scores above 4 on a scale of 0-5 indicate that, for the average water user, more than 80% of the water available is withdrawn annually. The report says 37 countries including Singapore, Kuwait, Oman and Israel face "extremely high" levels of water stress.
India's baseline water stress is assessed at 3.6, which means the country uses between 40% and 80% of the water available annually. However, when it comes to seasonal variability between months of the year, the situation is worse. For example, during summer season many parts of the country overexploit both surface and ground water due to scarcity and high demand. The average score in this case is 4.2, which is in the high risk zone.
The report indicates how the water usage is very high against the availability during some months across all sectors - agriculture, domestic and industry.
The report says that stable supplies are increasingly hard to come by in many countries, as water-related risks increase. For example, recent droughts threatened GDP growth in the United States and monsoon floods killed hundreds and displaced thousands in India. In China, the increased competition for water may impact energy production, the global institute said.
WRI says that in the case of countries scoring 3-5; companies, farms, and residents are highly dependent on limited amounts of water and vulnerable to even the slightest change in supply. Such situations severely threaten national water security and economic growth - especially if a country does not have adequate water-management plans in place.
However, it says that even extremely high water stress can be managed. The report mentions that though Singapore has the highest water stress ranking of 5 and has no freshwater lakes or aquifers, it has consistently held up as an exceptional water manager. Singapore invests heavily in technology, international agreements, and responsible management, allowing it to meet its freshwater needs. Advanced rainwater capture systems contribute 20% of Singapore's water supply, 40% is imported from Malaysia, grey water reuse adds 30%, and desalination produces the remaining 10% of the supply to meet the country's total demand.
Source - TOI - timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/India-among-high-risk-nations-in-water-stress-survey/articleshow/27341315.cms
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