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TOI : PUNE: Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh’s recent ruling restricting the grant of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) for the Parvati hill plot to four per cent instead of the earlier 100 per cent has sent “green plot” owners in the city into a tizzy. This move opens the door to acquisition of 978.54 hectares of privately-owned hill land in Pune at a throwaway price.

The CM’s decision overrules the state advocate general’s opinion and surprises many, particularly since a writ petition on the quantum of TDR to be granted to green plot owners is pending before the Bombay HC.

The CM’s move, however, gives Pune’s environmentalists and urban planners hope. It paves the way for the greening of 1,647 hectares of hill land by way of bio diversity parks (BDP) in the 23 villages around Pune. These villages were included in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits in 1997.

Of the 1,647 hectares, 978 hectares are privately owned while the rest is owned by government bodies. The PMC will be required to pay compensation, monetary or in the form of TDR, when acquiring the privately owned plots.

However, since the quantum of compensation to be granted to private green plot owners was a point of debate and as the estimated cost of acquisition was pegged at over Rs 1,000 crore the state, the finance ministry had questioned the financial viability of the BDP proposal itself.

So much so that except for the Baner-Balewadi sector which has 89 hectares of hill land, the DP for the other 21 villages is still pending approval as the state has yet to ascertain the financial viability of the BDP proposals in these villages.

“The CM’s ruling in the Parvati case sets a precedence. The PMC will now be in a position to acquire 978 hectares of hill land…More

TOI : PUNE: Development works such as roads and pipelines have been moving at a snail’s pace despite the PMC having Rs 1,000 crore in its kitty for the purpose. This is evident from the fact that only Rs 50 crore have been spent on such projects in the last nine months.

The civic administration has said that the standing committee approved 314 development works worth Rs 320 crore. Work orders for 260 projects were issued, out of which only 29 projects worth Rs 50 crore have been completed.

The other jobs are pending and 34 projects have not taken off as yet because the work orders have not been issued…More

TOI : PUNE: The carbon credits business is booming and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) does not want to lag behind. The corporation plans to claim ‘carbon credit’ points by treating sewage water and recovering methane from it to generate electricity.

As per the plan, the civic body will release 100 per cent treated sewage water in the river within a year by commissioning multi-crore sewage treatment plants (STPs) funded by Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

This project will place the PMC among the few municipal bodies in the country to treat 100 per cent sewage. Besides it will also set up a power generation plant to be run on methane at the two STPs – Bhairoba nullah and Naidu hospital unit.

Speaking to TOI, municipal commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi said, “We do plan to claim carbon credits from these projects. They are being commissioned right now and once they start functioning we will be able claim credit points. The PMC’s air quality management cell is preparing the plan,” informed Pardeshi.

The head of AQMC Ajay Oza confirmed that planning process is on as trapping methane from sewage for power generation is an effective way to claim carbon credits and a very few municipal bodies are doing this in the country so far.

“Untreated sewage increases the carbon content in water bodies. If the PMC treats sewage water and generates methane to generate power, the projects can claim carbon credits,” he added.

The PMC has received funds of Rs 150 crore under JNNURM for setting up four STPs in the first phase and another Rs 232 crore for five STPs in the second phase. Both the power generation plants at Bhairoba nullah STP and Naidu STP will generate 10 megawatt electricity each.

Speaking to TOI, environment activist and former mayor Vandana Chavan…More

TOI : PUNE: The rural police have arrested a sub-inspector posted at Nashik city for driving in an inebriated condition and killing a senior citizen in Manchar on Sunday. The arrest comes during an anti-drunken driving campaign initiated by the rural police.

Assistant police inspector Raghunath Jadhav of the Manchar police station said sub-inspector Balu Namdeo Potkule was drunk and driving his Scorpio on Sunday evening in Manchar market. “His vehicle hit pedestrian Vishnu Mukinda Khandagale (80) of Wadgaon. After the accident, Potkule tried to escape. However, he was caught by a traffic constable and local residents,” he said.

“We have arrested him under sections of culpable homicide not amounting to murder along with rash and negligent driving,” Jadhav said. Medical reports confirm that Potkule was drunk.

“We have informed the Nashik police regarding Potkule’s arrest. He has been absent from his job for the last three months,” Jadhav said.

Superintendent of Rural Police Vishwas Nangre-Patil said they have initiated action against people who drink and drive since December 31. “The action against erring drivers has been taking place continously,” he said…More

TOI : PUNE: A resident of Rasta Peth was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly molesting a 32-year-old woman staying at Nana Peth on Thursday evening.

The complainant, a mother of two, said the accused Ajay alias Anil Zende (57) had been troubling her for the past two years and to get rid of him, she had shifted to Nana Peth.

The wife of the accused runs a beauty parlour in Rasta Peth, where the complainant was a regular visitor. Zende met her at the parlour some time back and the trouble started since then.

“Zende has been promising the complainant to take care of her children and even get a beauty parlour certificate for her,” police inspector Bhanupratap Barge said. The complainant did not file a case fearing Zende might create trouble for her.

On Thursday, Zende molested her near his house when she was on the way to fetch her daughter from school. She then approached the crime branch police after which the accused was arrested.

The accused is a land dealer. He was earlier working at Telco and took an early separation scheme in 2001. The Samarth police station has filed a molestation complaint against Zende…More