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TOI : PUNE: The floor space index (FSI) of the Pune cantonment and other cantonments near Pune could soon be increased to 2, said member of parliament, Suresh Kalmadi, on Tuesday.

Kalmadi was speaking at the foundation ceremony of a sports complex at Golibar Maidan. General Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Command, Lt Gen N Thamburaj, president of the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) Brig R J Sharma, vice-president Prasad Kedari and chief executive officer S K Sardana were also present.

Kalmadi said that talks were on to increase the FSI within cantonment areas. “Many buildings in the cantonment areas are in a dilapidated state. If the FSI is increased, it will help in repairing these establishments. It will also be helpful for educational, medical and other institutes,” he said,

At present, FSI in civil areas in the cantonment is 1 and 0.5 in bungalow areas. Restrictions were imposed on the FSI in the 1980s with a view to keep a check on unauthorised and illegal constructions coming up in the Pune Cantonment.

Pointing out that Jawarharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) funds would be made available to cantonment areas, Kalmadi said that many development projects would be carried out in cantonment areas.

Earlier, Kalmadi and the GOC-in-C laid the foundation stone of the sports complex. According to the PCB, the complex is expected to be complete in eight months at a cost of Rs 5 crore. As per the current plan, the complex will have two covered spectator galleries, each with a seating capacity of 850 persons. The roadside gallery will have nine shops with sports-related products. There will also be a food court on the terrace.

Space has also been allotted for open games like football, javelin, discuss and hammer throw and four enclosed cricket pitches. An indoor games block is also proposed for martial arts, a shooting gallery and a table tennis…More

TOI : PUNE: The University of Pune (UoP) is all set to generate close to Rs 150 crore from various corners. According to a proposal made by the UoP to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to seek funds for the its University of Potential for Excellence (UPE) scheme, Rs 100 crore will be cleared in the coming months.

After a series of meetings this month, some important decisions in this regard were taken.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Narendra Jadhav, vice-chancellor, UoP, said, “The proposal is well considered by UGC and is due to be cleared soon. When I joined, the utilisation of UGC funds for the UPE programme was in bad shape. Of the Rs 30 crore received, only Rs 9.5 crore had been spent in four years. It was in such a state that we would have lost the remaining amount, but we made efforts to retain that amount and now more funds are coming our way.”

The UoP was one of the first universities in India to have been chosen as a university of potential for excellence. Under this scheme, various projects including restoration and grants for student development are undertaken.

Jadhav said that the funds received would be spent across all departments and that, this time, special emphasis would not be laid on science. “We will, this time, be spending a lot of these funds on social science. The UGC committee will visit us in the next few months and we hope to get the clearance soon,” Jadhav said.

Apart from this, dues worth Rs 26 crore from the state government will be given to UoP, as per a confirmation letter sent by the state government.

Under the Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window Lot 15 (EMECW15), designed to fund higher education, student and teaching staff mobility activities, funds worth Rs 20 crore, will be sought by UoP, while the science…More

TOI : PUNE: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has circulated a consultative note that stresses upon the need to give a major push to the country’s real estate sector through primary and supplementary measures.

Among other things, the industry body has asked for an extension of municipal limits of the existing cities, simplification of procedures for conversion of land use from agriculture to non-agriculture, offering infrastructure status to township projects and a complete revision of the floor space index policy.

“The prevailing high interest rate has dampened the overall demand and has severely affected the affordability, thus making housing a distant dream for the common man. The 5 per cent subsidy, approved by the cabinet for the economically weaker section (EWS) and low income group, is thus a move in the right direction which will serve the twin objective of providing much needed relief to general masses and at the same time boosting demand in the economy,” said Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, CII.

While appreciating the subsidy scheme, which is a part of the holistic approach suggested by CII for augmenting affordable housing, the confederation has called for supplementary measures to further strengthen it.

The note said that availability of land the most central issue nagging the realty sector can be eased by extending the municipal limits of the existing cities. However, this needs to be followed with a very committed, time-bound programme to upgrade the infrastructure of the expanded areas, particularly the accessibility through public transport, the note stressed.

The CII has also asked for simplification of the process of conversion of land from agricultural to residential or commercial. “The land that is available in the periphery of cities most of the time is agriculture land. For development of a residential project in such areas would require the conversion of land from agricultural to residential/ commercial. This process represents a major procedural bottleneck and…More

TOI : PUNE: An international symposium on The Neuroscientific Revolution, the Human Soul and Spirituality’ has been organised by the Indian Institute of Science and Religion (IISR) from January 1 to 5 at 5 pm at Holiday Resort Avion, Lonavla.

Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, Job Kozhamthadam, founder-director of IISR, said, “This symposium will bring together experts from the fields of science and spirituality and exchange views in order to understand the human soul and mind.”

Kozhamthadam said, “Today, science is deeply involved in understanding the human mind and soul and currently research is going on all over the world on neuroscience. Science needs to respect the age-old religious insights and religion needs to learn from discoveries in science and technology, especially with regards to brain and soul which make humans so unique.” In India there are institutes in Bangalore, Varanasi and Mumbai that are working on neuroscience, said Kozhamthadam.

“The last decade is rightly called the decade of the brain, the previous decade was dominated by biotechnology that shed new lights on the nature of life. But the study of the brain goes one step further and clarifies the human’s basic relationship with life and reality,” he said. Professors and research scholars from all over the world will discuss and debate the challenges posed by the latest neurological research to the soul and spirituality.

The symposium will be inaugurated by Meher Master Moos, president of the Zoroastrian College. The guest of honour will be Umesh Keskar from the Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth.

A Buddhist painting exhibition by an artist from South Korea has also been organised. “More than 120 people will be a part of this meet and will come from USA, UK, South Korea and various parts of India,” Kozhamthadam said.

The conference has been organised by the Indian Institute of Science and Religion in collaboration with Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, a deemed university,…More

TOI : PUNE: Year 2009 poses serious challenges for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) as it grapples to keep up the momentum of developing civic infrastructure. And the biggest task is completion of the five sewage treatment plants (STPs).

On priority, the PMC targets completion of new plants near Naidu hospital (behind Hotel Le Meridian) and the one at Mundhwa. Once all the five STPs are completed, treated water will be discharged into the river so that the river navigation project can be started. Besides, the PMC also aims to abide by its commitment of treating every drop of water before it is released in the river.

Nearly 500 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage is generated in the city, but only 300 MLD is treated. As a result, a lot of untreated waste flows into the rivers leading to pollution.

Funds for STPs were sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The city has five STPs in operation and with the funding, five more are in the offing. Out of the five proposed, work on three one at the Naidu hospital (capacity 115 MLD); Mundhwa (45 MLD) and Baner (30 MLD) has already started.

“The PMC will take a loan of Rs 76 crore and make an internal provision of Rs 25 crore to complete pending works including the STPs. The loan and internal provision will be disbursed for three works – Rs 58 crore for STPs, Rs 13 crore for water projects and Rs 26 crore for road works,” said municipal commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi.

Existing STPs and its capacities

Dr Naidu (old plant) – 90 MLD

Bhairoba – 130 MLD

Tanaji Wadi – 17 MLD

Erandwane – 50 MLD

Bopodi- 305 MLD

TOTAL – 305 MLD

Work in progress

Vitthalwadi (32 MLD)

Status-Work in progress, expected to be commissioned by January…More

TOI : PUNE: One of the biggest challenges faced by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is to clean Mula and Mutha and revive its glory, unlike the present condition where the rivers have turned into sewers thanks to the release of untreated sewage and pollutants.

There are hundreds of streams across the city which do not get diverted into sewage treatment plants (STPs) and directly release pollutants into the city’s two major rivers. The PMC had earlier mapped these streams as well as the water discharge and enforced building norms, which prohibit construction on these streams. However, there is no real mechanism in place to check the same. Hundreds of natural nullahs were blocked and, despite repeated assurances, the civic body has failed to initiate action against those who have blocked the natural nullahs.

“The civic body should be strict in this regard. As it is natural streams in city have been encroached upon, now, with the laxity of the civic body streams are altogether vanishing,” said Bharatiya Janata Party corporator Ujwal Keskar.

Moreover, the PMC is more troubled by the massive cost incurred on electricity in an STP. “The civic body pays more than Rs 100 crore annually in electricity charges for treating sewage. We are creating new STPs, but we have to ensure that the facility does not become defunct due to lack of power supply,” said a civic official. He added that completing STPs was not sufficient, enough provisions should be made to manage the operational costs of the projects.

Sewage In Pune

* The sewage system consists of collection network, conveyance lines, pumping stations and STPs. The very first sewage system for Pune was designed in 1928.

* Tilak road ward generates maximum sewage, which is 13.3 per cent of the total city’s sewage.

* Dhankawadi and Warje Karvenagar ward have low sewage and maximum drainage lines.

* Sewage…More

TOI : PUNE: Since the problem of untreated sewage seems to a problem plaguing the nation, and not just Pune, the central government on November 12 launched the National Urban Sanitation Policy (NUSP) to improve sanitation facilities and cleanliness in urban areas.

The fact file presented by the central government has some startling revelations. Around 12.04 million (7.87%) urban households do not have access to toilets and defecate in the open, 5.48 million (8.13%) urban households use community toilets and 13.4 million households (19.49%) use shared ones. Around 12.47 million (18.5%) households do not have access to a drainage network and 26.83 million (39.8%) households are connected to open drains. The percentage of notified and non-notified slums without toilets is 17% and 51% respectively. More than 37% of the total human excreta generated in urban India is disposed unsafely.

This imposes significant public health and environmental costs to urban areas, which contribute more than 60% of the country’s GDP. Impacts of poor sanitation are especially significant for the urban poor (22% of total urban population), women, children and the elderly. The loss due to diseases caused by poor sanitation for children under 14 years alone in urban areas amounts to Rs 500 crore at 2001 prices (Planning Commission-United Nations International Children Emergency Fund 2006). Inadequate discharge of untreated domestic/municipal wastewater has resulted in contamination of 75% of all surface water across India.

The Environment Status Report (ESR) 2007-08 published by the PMC states that the variability in rates of sewage generation and basic collection facilities point to the unplanned and non-uniform distribution vis-?-vis requirements.

(Source: Environment Status Report 2007-08 and National Urban Sanitation Policy)

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TOI : Rajlaxmi Bhosale, mayor

I wish that most efforts made in 2009 are towards improvement of the traffic situation and transport facilities in Pune. Also, with security becoming a major concern today, we should especially ensure that all educational institutions in the city are made safe, since they could be most vulnerable in adverse situations. Lastly, it is my wish to see that all the sewage generated in the city is treated 100 per cent and the water released in to rivers is completely treated.

Suresh Kalmadi, city MP

I wish to see a safe Pune, with good public transport in place as well as better regulated traffic.

Pravinsinh Pardeshi, Pune municipal commissioner

I wish that work on the metro rail project would begin in the New Year and a comprehensive Bus Rapid Transit System implemented. I am also hoping that reforms on the water distribution system would receive a go-ahead. But, most importantly, I wish greater trust would develop between elected representatives, the civic administration and citizens since trust among these three groups will lead to a faster development of the city and fewer delays in plans.

Pradeep Bhargava, chairman, Maharashtra Council of Confederation of Indian Industry

I feel Pune should preserve its all-inclusive character and make outsiders feel welcome. The engagement of the civic society in the affairs of the city should continue even in 2009. Among new things that I wish for, is an efficient execution of projects and a finality to the mass rapid transport system as well as the airport, which the industry has been wanting for a long time.

S B Mujumdar, chancellor, Symbiosis International University

I want the Pune Municipal Corporation and other authorities to allow more and more foreign students to come to the city to pursue education. At the same time, providing hostel facilities to these students is a must. Besides these,…More

TOI : PUNE: From 2009-10 academic year, no student will get graduation degree certificate without passing the disaster management course that will be introduced by the University of Pune (UoP).

Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, UoP vice-chancellor Narendra Jadhav said, “The disaster management course will be made compulsory for students in UoP-affiliated and recognised colleges. Unless and until the students pass this course, degree certificate will not be awarded.”

Nearly 6.5 lakh students will eventually benefit from this course. The UoP has formed a Centre for Internal Security (CIS) to look after the security initiatives and implementation of the course at every college.

“There are about 16 retired Generals from the armed forces who have settled in the city. We will take help of officials from the armed forces in training the students and teachers in this activity,” Jadhav said. These officials will conduct classes for one teacher each from every college, who will conduct the new course in their respective colleges.

“The CIS will also set up a think tank, wherein experts will figure out areas that may face danger. These experts will then prepare a policy feedback which will be submitted to the state government for recommendation.”
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TOI : PUNE: The state Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), Pune unit, on Tuesday picked up moulana Hussain Shabbir Meheruddin Gangajali (26), a native of Bhatkal village in Karnataka, from the Janwadi mosque, off Senapati Bapat road, in connection with the July 2008 serial bomb blasts in Bangalore.

The blasts killed two people and injured 20 on July 25, 2008. The ATS also picked up Hussain’s brother-in-law Nasir Shaikh, an autorickshaw driver, from his residence at Janwadi.

“The ATS has picked up Hussain to conduct an inquiry in the Bangalore blast case,” ATS chief K.P. Raghuvanshi told TOI on the telephone from Mumbai. Raghuvanshi refused to divulge details.

However, ATS sources told TOI that they are probing if Hussain had any connection with suspects Riyaz Bhatkal and Touqueer Ahmed, who are wanted in connection with the bomb blasts in Bangalore, New Delhi and Hyderabad.

“Hussain was sleeping here when the police picked him up around 3 am on Tuesday,” Mohsin Makandar, moulana of the Janwadi mosque told TOI. “We had not granted him permission to sleep here. Hussain has nothing to do with our mosque. He only comes here for namaz whenever he visits Pune.”

Members of Hussain’s family told TOI that Hussain had come to Pune to meet his sisters, one of whom is residing at Janwadi. He also has sisters staying at Nigdi and Yerawada. Hussain’s sister Harifa, who is Shaikh’s wife, said, “My brother and husband were picked by the police this morning. I do not know why and where they have been taken. The police also searched our house this afternoon. They took away some books and Hussain’s bag which had his clothes in it.”

“Hussain is an ‘aalim’ (religious scholar) and teaches Arabic at a ‘madarsa’ in Bhatkal. He studied in Lucknow and lives with my mother and brother in Bhatkal. He came to Pune 10 days ago to meet me….More