Think India Foundation

Is Sonipat-Kundli region another Gurgaon in the making?

With realty prices soaring in Delhi in recent years, action is shifting to the suburbs and the satellite towns. Affordable property prices, proximity to the metro city, enhanced infrastructure and the availability of spacious residential and commercial spaces are the key factors driving the growth of these towns and suburbs.

And one such fast-developing region is the Sonipat-Kundli region in Haryana. In fact, the Sonipat-Kundli region has developed so fast in the past few years that some industry observers have already started viewing this region as the next Gurgaon in the state. Read more

Source : articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

RAY of hope: Slum dwellers to get houses in Bangalore

BANGALORE: If everything goes as planned, the slum dwellers who are aspiring to own a house across the State will not have to wait for 15 years to get the ownership title (Occupancy certificates) as the State government is planning to reduce the waiting period to five years.

The Union Government launched Rajiv Gandhi Awaas Yojana (RAY) as part of ‘Slum free India’ campaign. In this scheme, all the slums whether declared or undeclared, will be taken up for redevelopment. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Housing conundrum: FICCI report on urban infrastructure reveals uncomfortable truths

In 2001, about 286 million persons were living in urban areas of India and it was the second largest urban population in the world. According to the Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India, the urban population in India over the next 25 years is expected to grow 38 per cent and become 534 million in 2026. Furthermore, as per the Census of India, 2001, 640 cities/towns in 26 States/Union territories have reported slum populations. 

Andhra Pradesh has the largest number of towns (77) reporting slums followed by Uttar Pradesh (69), Tamil Nadu (63) and Maharashtra (61). As many as 42.6 million people lived in slums in 2001. This constitutes 15 percent of the total urban population of the country and 22.6 percent of the urban population of the states/union territories reporting slums. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Simians fight for survival as humans encroach on their space

THE northern part of Mumbai, encompassing an area of over 100 sq km, and stretching from Borivali in the west to Thane in the east, is a sprawling national park, teeming with wild animals, and rich flora. 

The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), basically a reserve forest, includes a thousand species of plants, more than 250 species of birds, 50,000 insect species and over 40 species of mammals and an equal number of reptile species. Read more

Source : khaleejtimes.com

Bhujbal, Chavan lash out at civic administration

NASHIK: Launching a scathing attack on the saffron alliance that rules the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, while promising better civic amenities and development, hinted at administrative changes for improving civic amenities and law and order in the city.

Chavan was speaking in Nashik on Friday, a day after municipal commissioner B D Sanap and police commissioner Vinod Lokhande were transferred out of Nashik, which was described recently by the state election commission as the most sensitive place in the state after Gadchiroli in the run-up to the local polls. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Rajasthan government to provide flats to its employees

JAIPUR: The state government has decided to provide flats on concessional rates to all its employees in a move to placate their demands for independent plots for their homes. The move was made given the shortage of land for independent plots.

A decision in this regard was taken in a meeting at the urban development and housing (UDH) department chaired by additional chief secretary P K Deb here on Friday. The Rajasthan Housing Board (RHB) has also been appointed as the nodal agency to invite applications from government employees and to identify land for construction of these flats. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Houses too can be built in factories

The National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy 2007 of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, rightly recognises the massive housing shortage, pegged at around 25 million dwelling units. It is also clear that most of this shortage lies in the low- and middle-income segments, where the affordability is limited and the demand is huge. The question that has been staring at our face for the last several decades is how to address this challenge.

Recently, Kamal Nath, the Minister for Urban Development was quoted urging the Delhi Development Authority to construct 2 lakh houses every year. That is a very laudable objective, but how are we going to do it? That is the question which needs to be addressed today. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

Double shelters confuse people

Mysore, DHNS : Shelterless take refuge at old bus shelters ; turn it into makeshift homes

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) celebrated its 11th bus day in the city on Thursday with the main objective of popularising use of public transport by bringing bus travel nearer to passengers.

Waiting : Homeless turn shelters in temporary homes. DH Photo by Prashant HG

But in reality, travelling by bus especially, KSRTC, is becoming a confusing affair with almost every bus stop sporting two bus shelters. Not only this, the old bus stops are being slowly occupied by homeless people — turning it into a comfortable place to live in, leaving little place for those choosing buses as a mode of transport. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

No tax hike for next 5 yrs: Cong manifesto

Pune : The alliance of Congress, Republican Party of India (Kawade group) and Dalit Panther released its 25-point manifesto on Thursday with promise of improving public transport and traffic conditions in the city. The manifesto also promised not to increase taxes in the next five years and a plan to start a transport service in Mula-Mutha river.

The manifesto was released at Congress Bhavan by Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chairman Manikrao Thakre and general secretary of All India Congress Committee Mohan Prakash. Like the Nationalist Congress Party, the Congress too has promised to start the Metro rail. The Congress manifesto, however, is silent on whether it will be underground or elevated. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

Did builder in Punjab sell you plot he doesn't own?

Chandigarh : Here's a scam warning for those who have recently bought plots and apartments from private property developers.

The dream home you own, or the plot on which you aim to build it, may have been sold to you by people who do not even own it. Read more

Source : expressindia.com

Munda worried over tardy pace of development

Ranchi : Expressing concern over lower expenditure by the Departments, Chief Minister Arjun Munda said that the Government was worried about the pace of development and willing to expedite the efforts in this direction. A mere Rs 4,023 crore out of total plan outlay of Rs 15,300 crore, had been utilised by all the departments till December last year.

Talking to reporters after the review meeting, the CM said that apart from keeping an eye on expenditure, his Government was also committed to come down hard on corrupt officials, siphoning the money meant for development works. “We are worried about the lesser expenses. We have formulated some other ways that would be reflected in the days to come. Instructions have been passed to all the departments in this regard.” Read more

Source : dailypioneer.com

Mangalore City Corporation team returns from Gujarat tour

MANGALORE : The 46-member team studied amenities at three cities

A 46-member team of councillors and officials of Mangalore City Corporation returned from their seven-day study tour of Gujarat on Wednesday.

The team members included 27 councillors of the Bharatiya Janata Party, seven councillors of the Congress, a councillor of the Communist Party of India (Marxists) and an Independent. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Slum-free India our mission

TIRUPATI: Union minister of culture, housing and urban poverty alleviation Kumari Selja said the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is committed to making the country slum-free. She visited Gandhipuram slum here on Sunday and interacted with the locals, who complained to her about their grievances.

After inspecting the poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water and poorly maintained drainage lines, the Union minister expressed shock and was unhappy with the civic officials. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Master plan aims to make City Beautiful slum-free

In order to make Chandigarh a slum-free city, the Chandigarh Administration has proposed to make it “mandatory for all private houses and industrial plots of one kanal and above, who engage servants or labour to make available suitable accommodation for them within their premises”.

A view of the slums at Colony No. 5 in Chandigarh

This has been stated by the Chandigarh Administration in its voluminous report submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The 177 page report was submitted to the High Court last week during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to Administration to prepare a master plan for the city. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

HUD Policy Notice to Aid Preserve Homes for Public Housing Residents

In a notice issued today, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Public and Indian Housing clarified and strengthened policy guidance in an effort to curb the decades-long sale and needless destruction of the public housing stock that is affordable to the lowest income people.

Since 1983, HUD has authorized public housing agencies (PHAs) to apply for permission to demolish or dispose of (sell) public housing units. This policy was made infinitely more damaging in 1995 when Congress began suspending the requirement that housing agencies replace, on a one-for-one basis, any public housing lost through demolition or disposition. Between 2000 and 2008, more than 99,000 public housing units were demolished or disposed of, and applications for the demolition or disposition of another 16,672 units were pending at the end of that period. Read more

Source : loansafe.org

Funds for demolishing quake-damaged buildings

Gangtok: With the September 19 earthquake in Sikkim leaving many houses damaged, the Urban Development and Housing Department has suggested that funds be provided to house owners for carrying out demolition on their own. 

According to a notice by the Sikkim government, the damaged buildings were at risk of collapsing as was the case with one at Singtam, about 30 km from here, four months after the quake. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

500 mn Indians need new homes over the next decade: FICCI

New Delhi: As many as half a billion Indians would need new homes in the country's various cities over the next decade, a requirement equivalent to all of China, North America and Western Europe put together, a report on Sunday said.

There is insurmountable pressure on civic infrastructure systems, a report said.

The report -- 'Urban Infrastructure in India' -- prepared by industry body Ficci said the country's population is slated to grow to 1.7 billion by 2050 and rapid urbanisation will add nearly 900 million people to Indian cities. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Two Cidco plots sold for 123 crore

MUMBAI: Two commercial plots owned by City Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) in CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai, were sold for Rs 123 crore on Friday. Marriot Realtors emerged the highest bidder for plot no 18 & 19 measuring 7,162 sq m (almost two acres) when it quoted Rs 1.22 lakh per sq m. Its bid worked out to Rs 87 crore.

The second plot (no 74) measuring 3400 sq mts fetched Cidco Rs 1.06 lakh a sq m or about Rs 36 crore. The winning bidder was Mahadev Patel of NMS Enterprises. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Coping with disasters

Nothing tests the political will and administrative efficiency of a government like a natural disaster. More than long-term development projects and poverty-alleviating schemes, it is the response mechanisms activated in times of emergency that people remember. In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, a month after cyclone ‘Thane' made landfall, the affected communities are still struggling to put their lives back together. Given the magnitude of destruction in the coastal areas, especially Puducherry and the districts of Cuddalore and Villupuram, normality could not have been restored in a matter of days. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government in Tamil Nadu led by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa did well in the aftermath of the cyclone, clearing uprooted trees from the roads and reaching food to the victims. But with tens of thousands of electricity poles falling to the fury of the cyclone, power supply has returned only in phases, spread over a month, to the affected areas. More disconcertingly, a lot remains to be done in terms of rehabilitation for the people who lost their homes and means of livelihood. Farmlands have been ravaged, leaving farmers and workers without any means of income during harvest time. Many have resorted to taking loans or withdrawing deposits for day-to-day sustenance. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Court quashes PUDA’s housing scheme

Chandigarh : The Punjab and Haryana High Court has quashed a scheme floated by the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) wherein it had decided to allot residential plots exclusively to its own employees at a reserve price.

A division bench, comprising Justices M M Kumar and Rajiv Narain Raina, quashed an order issued by the PUDA office on September 24, 2010 to allot residential plots to its staff in Ludhiana, Mohali. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

No room for poor on government land

HYDERABAD : Luxurious quarters for IAS officers to come up on 113 acres of land across four prime areas

Demolished Governments Quarters at Erramanzil Colony, where the state government, proposed to construct a multi-storied residential complex for IAS and IPS Officers, in Hyderabad on Friday. Photo: Nagara Gopal

While the government has been claiming paucity of land within the city to rehabilitate its poor; it has decided to construct luxurious quarters for IAS officers on its 113 acres of land across four prime areas in the city. The poor, however, have found no place on them yet. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Heritage Committee report puts UT in a fix over approving building plans in Chandigarh

Chandigarh : For the past six months, building plans of several houses in city’s upscale sectors are on hold for the want of approval from the UT Administration’s department of Urban Planning. In fact, the Upper Committee of the Plan Approval Committee of the Administration which approves building plans of the houses above two kanal, has not sanctioned even a single building plan starting from July 2011.

While the officials of the UT Administration say that the delay is due to the fact that the Heritage Committee has recently in its report recommended not to disturb the layout plan of the city and the given FAR (Floor Area Ratio) was set to disturb the same. This was holding up all building plans. On the contrary, the applicants who have been waiting for an approval of the building plan say that since the recommendations had only come in December, why did the authorities did not approve these earlier. The UT Estate office’s building byelaws clearly mention that any building plan has to be approved within a period of 60 days or else it is deemed to be approved. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

More cities, cheaper land needed for affordable housing

NEW DELHI : Though affordable housing is the need of the hour for a developing country with a large population such as India, several roadblocks need to be first removed to achieve this dream.

At a meet organised by the National Housing Bank titled ‘Growth with Stability in Affordable Housing Markets,' challenges such as poor accessibility of finance and shortage of land in urban spaces were highlighted. Other factors necessary are a transparent and supportive legal system and innovation in the sector. Read more

Source : thehindubusinessline.com

Dalit union demands house allotment under BSUP scheme

GUWAHATI: Disappointed with inordinate delay in the distribution of houses constructed for the urban poor, the Harijan Mazdoor Union of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) on Monday staged a dharna in front of the GMC office at Panbazar in the city. The protesters demanded immediate allotment of houses to the members of the union as per the Basic Services for the Urban Poor (BSUP) scheme, which falls under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

The union members submitted a memorandum to the GMC commissioner demanding allotment of houses constructed for the poor under the BSUP scheme. "In the last three years, seven people from our community have died due to the unhygienic condition of the sheds in which they are living in Fatasil, Morakhali and Adabari areas of the city. The houses they used to live in earlier, in Fatasil and Morakhali, were demolished in 2009 for the construction of apartments by the GMC for the urban poor. The GMC authorities assured us that those displaced would get possession of the new apartments within 18 months. Construction is now complete under the BSUP scheme, but the house allotment process has been delayed," said general secretary of the union TB Demudu Rao. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

A RAY of hope for slum dwellers

VISAKHAPATNAM : 10,000 housing units to be built in the first phase

A total of 10,000 housing units are proposed to be constructed under the Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) in 131 slums during the first year.

Under RAY, unlike in the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, there is no need for contribution from the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Pinjore-Kalka Urban Complex plan in final stages

Haryana Urban Development Authority’s (HUDA) much awaited Pinjore-Kalka Urban Complex project is likely to see the light of the day shortly as the layout plan for the ambitious project is almost ready.

HUDA had acquired the land for the project and are waiting for an approval from director of town and country planning. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

VMC to finish 5 projects

Vijayawada : The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) hastened development works under the JNNURM as the project tenure will conclude by March 2012. The VMC so far spent Rs.904 crore for the development of infrastructure and construction of houses in the city since 2004. The VMC has designed 20 projects at a cost of Rs.1,422.67 crore from 2004 to 2012 March. The civic body completed nine projects and is trying to complete another five projects by the end of March 2012. Two housing projects are unlikely to be grounded due to land acquisition problem.

In all, 12 projects were taken up under the Urban Infrastructure Governance (UIG) at a cost of Rs. 679 crore and eight projects planned at a cost of Rs. 743.31 crore under the Basic Services for Urban Poor (BSUP) for the development of slums. JNNURM works started in 2004-05. Government of India’s share is Rs. 414 crore and state government’s share is Rs. 158 crore of the total cost. Read more

Source : deccanchronicle.com

Housing project for cyclone-hit districts in Chennai

CHENNAI : DMK legislators led by Stalin stage a walkout

A Rs.1,000-crore project of building one lakh concrete houses in cyclone-hit districts such as Cuddalore and Villupuram was the highlight of Governor K. Rosaiah's address to the Assembly on Monday.

Mr. Rosaiah, who delivered his first address as Governor since assumption of office in August, said the State would take up the construction immediately to replace the damaged huts in the districts. A detailed memorandum, spelling out the quantum of damage and seeking a special package of Rs.5,248 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund, had been submitted to the Centre. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Time ripe for financial institutions to invest in housing: Selja

New Delhi: Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja Monday said time was appropriate for the banking sector and other financial institutions to play a greater role, along with the government, to provide affordable housing to the poor.

Delivering the keynote address here at an international seminar on "Growth and stability in Affordable Housing Markets", Selja said there has been a steady growth in the housing finance companies in India who are serving as dedicated outlets for the housing credit delivery. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Next generation will not see animals, plants: Builder

Mysore : ‘Hassle-free system will reduce cost of building houses’

“We have destroyed what is priceless. It would be no surprise if the next generation inherits a earth sans birds, animals or plants. It is the legacy what we leave to our children. Children should become ambassadors for any movement and adopt what is right, only then can Earth be preserved,” said founder of Spectral Service Consultants Prem C Jain after releasing a technical volume of Buildtech at NIE indoor stadium here on Saturday. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

Luxury housing staging a comeback on the realty market

Spurred by new product offerings, greater influx of end-user demand and an increasing upwardly-mobile segment, luxury and ultraluxury housing projects, with prices ranging between Rs 1 crore and Rs 15 crore, again seem to be making a comeback.

Mahagun Marvella, Raheja Revanta, Lodha Fiorenza, Lodha Aurum Grande, Oberoi Exquisite, Unitech's Nirvana Country2 Espace Premiere and Orris Aster Court are some of the premium projects, some ready, others under construction. In fact, dozens of luxury projects are coming up in the NCR alone, with Gurgaon and Noida being the hub of such projects. Read more

Source : articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

‘Nurm in Mysore not up to mark’

Mysore : Assertion: State govt deliberately hindering Central schemes 

Union minister for corporate affairs M Veerappa Moily on Saturday accused the state government of failing to utilise the funds provided by the Centre under various schemes.

Addressing media in the city, Moily — also ex-chief minister of the state — alleged that the projects taken up under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) in Mysore was going on in snail’s pace, owing to lackadaisical attitude of the government. “The progress of housing scheme under JnNURM in Mysore is very poor,” said Moily putting the rate of achievement at 13.3 per cent. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

Patkar rally for urban poor

PATNA: Social activist Medha Patkar has said the urban poor and homeless would be forced to launch a larger movement if the Bihar government does not pay heed to their pleas.

Addressing a gathering of the city's urban poor and homeless people at Kargil Chowk on Friday, Patkar said these people came to cities after they faced problems in villages. "But if they continue to face problems in the city, where will they go?" she asked. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Tamil Nadu Slum board plans houses in new areas

COIMBATORE: In a significant move, Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) has dropped its earlier plan to build 9,600 houses at Ukkadam to rehabilitate urban poor and those living in slums. 

As per the new plan, the board has identified fifteen locations in various parts of the city to build houses for them. The aim is to protect their livelihood as well, while undertaking rehabilitation. Though tenders were floated for the construction of houses, they were cancelled later, considering the initial areas identified were not suitable for the project, a senior official source at TNSCB said. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Maharashtra govt issues notification for affordable homes in state

The state government has issued a notification making it mandatory for all projects on more than 2,000 sq m land to reserve 20 per cent of the plot or constructed space for smaller sized affordable housing.

The rule would be applicable to the 26 municipal corporations and all municipal councils in Maharashtra. The notification issued by the state urban development department is meant to promote the concept of inclusive housing at a time when most developers, especially in Mumbai, are in the business of creating luxury housing. In a bid to prevent any misuse of the policy, the notification states that developers will not be allowed to amalgamate the smaller flats or land under any circumstances. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

44% of housing units under Rs 35 lakh unsold in major Indian cities

NEW DELHI: Around 44% of apartments under Rs 35 lakh are lying unsold across the top seven cities in India. According to the research conducted by Knight Frank Research and Indicus Analytics under the product name eyestate, 28% of the total residential properties under construction in the seven urban centres- Mumbai, the national capital region, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai-are under the Rs 35 lakh price bracket, catering to almost 80% of urban households.

" Contemporary market belief would lead us to assume that all or most of this product would be absorbed as it is within the affordability criteria, but this is not the case," says the report. Read more

Source : articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Rental housing: Only 15% of houses should be on rent, says Maharashtra state committee

Mumbai : Mumbaiites hoping to benefit from the state government's rental housing scheme may be in for some disappointment. A state-appointed committee reworking the rental housing plan has recommended only 15% of the houses built under the scheme be given on rent.

The committee has said the remaining houses should be given to urban local bodies for housing project affected people, some to the state government for housing their employees while the rest sold in the open market as affordable houses. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

Some home truths

Urban homeless people lead hard lives with no shelter or social protection even while sustaining cities with their cheap labour. Inhabiting city footpaths, public parks, hume pipes, or the courtyards of shrines, they are invisible to the State, because they lack a formal address, and also even the elementary markers of citizenship of poor people in India, like ration cards and voters’ identity cards. We estimate that at least 1% of the population of cities is homeless, making the numbers of urban homeless persons at least around 3 million.

My colleagues and I studied for the Planning Commission the social, economic and nutritional situation of urban homeless people in four cities — Delhi, Chennai, Madurai and Patna. We found that life on the streets involves surviving continuously and precariously at the edge, in a physically brutalised and challenging environment. Elementary public services and healthy food are denied. The challenges of this bleak and often lonely existence are aggravated by a hostile State, which illegalises and even criminalises their self-help efforts for shelter and livelihoods. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

Bombay High Court seeks details on Bombay Dyeing new construction

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked Bombay Dyeing to give details regarding the status of its construction on over 10 hectares of mill land in Naigaum, Dadar (E) and Lower Parel.

A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Roshan Dalvi was hearing a petition by Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company Limited, seeking to differ handing over one-third of its mill land to BMC and another one-third to Mhada for construction of recreation grounds and housing for mill workers and transit accommodation. To submissions by its counsel, Navroze Seervai, stating the the firm would anyway hand over the land after completing 30% of the proposed construction, the court asked what good it would do to differ transfer of land. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Crumbling homes, dreams on hold in Parel,Mumbai

Mumbai : For more than a decade, residents of BIT (Bombay Improvement Trust) chawls in Parel have been waiting to shift out of their rickety matchbox-sized homes into more spacious and convenient flats. But all they have got so far are repeated assurances prior to every election. The civic polls are no different. 

Most buildings in the F-south ward are in precarious condition, and redevelopment is expected to be on the top of every political party’s agenda as they woo the locals. “Every other day, our pipelines break and there is sewage water all over the place,” said John Silva, a resident of BIT chawls in Parel. “Our chawls are beyond repair.” Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

How do you plan to accommodate migrants, Mr Chidambaram?

New Delhi: Cities test your resilience. Surrender is oblivion. Courage is life.

The Economic Survey of Delhi 2007-2008 put the annual migrant influx into Delhi at 2.5 lakh. Almost an equal number is added by birth per year, says the survey. Reuters

It is courage which makes Shabnam, 49, carry on with her life at Lal Bagh area in East Delhi. Bulldozers have razed her shanty, thrice, in the last eight years. On all three occasions, she claims, the occupants of 200 odd slums were given two hours to evict. The first demolition taught her a lesson. She never made a pukka structure again. Her shanty, around five feet in height, is made of straw, tin, raxene and asbestos. Read more

Source : firstpost.com

Delhi ignores own quake peril warnings

NEW DELHI, India (AP) -- The ramshackle neighborhoods of northeast Delhi are home to 2.2 million people packed along narrow alleys. Buildings are made from a single layer of brick. Extra floors are added to dilapidated buildings not meant to handle their weight. Tangles of electrical cables hang precariously everywhere.

In this Dec. 20, 2011 photo, commuters move past congested houses built close to each other in India's most crowded northeast district of New Delhi, India.

If a major earthquake were to strike India's seismically vulnerable capital, these neighborhoods — India's most crowded — would collapse into an apocalyptic nightmare. Waters from the nearby Yamuna River would turn the water-soaked subsoil to jelly, which would intensify the shaking. Read more

Source : sfgate.com

Republic Day: A tale for many cities

In just eight years, 2020 will be upon us. By then, our cities will be either areas of more chaos or meaningfully planned. The choice is ours. We are at a crucial junction as far as urbanism goes. The need to work vigorously on our cities and improve them is urgent and critical. Their populations have surged tremendously in the last few decades . Delhi's population increased from 12.8 m in 2001 to 16.3 m in 2011. Bangalore grew from 5.7 m to 8.5 m during the same period.

Our urban planners have perhaps not understood the nature of the modern city, what it takes not just to run them but to make them livable. The two key requirements of a city are: provision of basic services and social infrastructure. These need to be developed together. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Experts discuss urban poverty

PATNA: Bihar urban development minister Prem Kumar has said the government is on the job to address the issue of urban poverty in the state.

Speaking at a UGC-sponsored national seminar on "Urban poverty: issues and challenges" at Patna Women's College on Tuesday, Kumar said the state government has approved Bihar State Slum Policy-2011 which would help it ensure empowerment of the urban poor. It would also address the issues concerning housing, water supply, sewerage and toilets for the poor. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

Mumbai slum makeover finally comes

THE Dharavi slum, a dense sprawl of ramshackle shanties and sweatshops in the heart of Mumbai, presents a stark contrast with the better-off bits of India's richest city and its growing number of swanky business centres and luxury residences.

Asia's biggest slum, made famous by the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, is a bustling town in itself where more than one million people live and work to generate annual turnover of about $1 billion. Read more

Source : main.omanobserver.om

Night shelter a fundamental right, says SC

NEW DELHI: People sleeping under open sky pavements in the night even after 64 years of Independence was in breach of right to life guaranteed under the Constitution, said the Supreme Court on Monday while directing northern Indian states to provide night shelter facilities, even if temporary, to help protect them from the biting cold during this year's prolonged winter. 

Referring to a TOI report that this winter may sting till March, a bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Dipak Misra said right to shelter was part of right to life guaranteed under Article 21 and that it was obligatory on the part of the states to "protect and preserve" human lives during the cold wave conditions prevailing in the northern states. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Tamil Nadu to get 1.8 lakh housing units in the next five years

1.43 lakh units for economically weaker sections: R.Vaithilingam

One of the stalls at the exhibition at Municipalika that got under way on Monday in Chennai. Photo: S.S.Kumar.

The State will get an additional 1.85 lakh housing units in the next five years at a cost of Rs.17,230 crore. Of these, 1.43 lakh units would be for the economically weaker sections, R.Vaithilingam, Minister for Housing and Urban Development said on Monday.

Speaking at the inauguration of Municipalika, ‘10 international conference and exhibition on good urban governance for safe, healthy, green, inclusive and smart cities', he said 39,000 units were for other income groups divided into low, medium and high. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

UDH may levy charges for developing PRN

Jaipur: To meet the development cost of Prithviraj Nagar Scheme, the Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department might impose additional development charges on residents. The proposal is being discussed among the department officials and a decision could be arrived soon.

Sources said the department could not ‘settle’ the regularisation rates of the scheme. Initially, the rates had been proposed from minimum Rs 100 to Rs 200 per sqm. This rate was proposed for up to 300 sqm houses only while the rate would be increased as the plot area increases. Read more

Source : daily.bhaskar.com

High-tech townships being promoted as dream destinations by builders

Construction of two high-tech cities (over 2,500-4 ,500 acres) is underway near Ghaziabad and Greater Noida, within the NCR, after the clearance from the government.

High rise township

With facilities like schools, playgrounds, a golf course, hospitals, internal roads, shopping centres, malls, etc, under one roof, these projects have caught the attention of homebuyers. In the first phase, slated to be complete in 4-5 years, more than 10,000 flats will be available in these high-tech city projects. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

A RAY of hope for Vizhinjam slum-dwellers

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre has approved a Rs 76.35-crore Rajiv Awas Yojana(RAY) project proposal submitted by the corporation. With the central government nod, the capital has become one among the first four cities in the country to be brought under the RAY pilot project. 

RAY aims at legalizing existing slums and thus help them avail of the same level of basic amenities that the rest of the town gets. The project envisages a 'slum-free India' by encouraging States/Union Territories to tackle the problem of slums in a definitive manner. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com