NGT calls for Delhi to act on noise pollution

The National Green Tribunal termed noise pollution as a serious crime and called for authorities in Delhi to take strict action to curb it. The tribunal said that growing levels of noise pollution is a serious hazard. It directed the Delhi police to map hotspots of noise pollution in the city and evolve a surveillance mechanism to identify and act on violators. The Delhi police is to submit a report on the action taken on the issue to the NGT in a month.

The NGT was of the view that the citizens were entitled to a peaceful life under the constitution and noise pollution beyond permissible levels is an offence that violates this. The tribunal called for citizens to cooperate on the issue and for the Delhi police to join hands with educational institutions and resident welfare associations to strengthen the monitoring mechanism. The matter was taken up in response to a plea against the use of loudspeakers by places of worship in residential areas.

Source: The Times of India | The New Indian Express

BMC initiates action on dangerous foot over bridges

In the wake of the collapse of the foot over bridge near CST that left six dead and over 30 injured, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has begun a drive to demolish dangerous foot over bridges that may be considered a threat to public safety. The Marine lines foot over bridge demolition began on March 20th. Work on demolition of Powai foot over bridge was undertaken on March 19th. A total of 18 such bridges have been identified as unsafe for public use as per the structural audit.

The bridges identified as dangerous and to be demolished according to the safety audit have been cordoned off from the public. The demolition of four bridges has been completed so far. Of the 296 bridges audited, 18 required demolishing according to the report, 107 required minor repairs, 61 needed major repairs and 110 bridges were found to be in good condition.

Source: The Times of India | Times Now

Hyderabad Metro reaches HiTec City

The Ameerpet – HiTec City stretch of the Hyderabad Metro Rail was flagged off on March 20th. The stretch is 10 kilometres long with 9 stations along the route. The inauguration of the line sees the complete operationalisation of two of the three corridors of the metro rail service, spanning 72 km. The line will connect the congested IT corridor of Hyderabad, easing the woes of commuters. Madhura Nagar, Yousufguda, Jubliee Hills Road No 5, Durgam Cheruvu and Hitec City are covered by this stretch of the metro rail.

The line ran into difficulties and delays as a result of issues with land acquisition for the metro as well as the need to alter plans to suit the highly congested nature of the locality. Trains on the line will initially operate at a frequency of 9-12 minutes. Officials expect a footfall between 50,000- 1,00,000 on a daily basis on the inauguration of this line.

Source: The NewsMinute | The Hindu Business Line

Squalls see train and flight disruption as downpour lashes Kolkata

A third downpour in the last two months saw heavy rains lash Kolkata resulting in the disruption of flight and train services in the city. Winds went up to as high as 68 kms/hr resulting in the uprooting of trees along the path. Though the downpour lasted a little over an hour on March 22nd, the city reeled under its effects and traffic came to a halt.

Train services were disrupted in Howrah,Sealdah, Ballygunge, Bagbazaar, Bandel and Amta, mostly due to the falling of trees on tracks and disruption in the overhead power lines. Temperature also dropped by four degrees in the city as a result of the downpour. Meteorologists are however of the view that the impact will not last beyond the week as the city gears up to face the summer. Stray squalls and storms in the Bay of Bengal may bring some respite from the heat.

Source: The Times of India | DNA

Cleanest city grapples with swine flu

Indore has seen 41 deaths from swine flu since the start of the year with a total of 644 cases tested. 152 samples tested positive for the H1N1 virus that causes swine flu. At present 19 persons are being treated for the illness. To contain the disease and detect it early, additional clinics and treatment centres have been set up where the patients can receive primary treatment.

Indore bagged the cleanest city tag at the Swachch Sarvekshan but struggles with a mosquito menace that has led to a rise in the number of swine flu cases.  A change in weather conditions has been identified as one of the reasons for the spread of swine flu that is transmitted by contact with an infected person or by the spread of virus through the air.

Source: Business Standard

[Compiled by Aruna Natarajan]