RESIDENT SPEAK: 'Corporation officials get salary perks on time, for what!'

Burning leaves and garbage has come to pose a severe threat to the environment in the area. And the authorities are well aware of the practise.

In summer, things are worse! Even before the season started, I ran from pillar to post, asking concerned officials in civic positions to do something about the situation. I asked them to add extra vehicles and labour force to manage the waste, so that burning could be stopped — but all in vain.

The contract for existing Tata 407 tuck expired two months back, and the SDMC didn’t think it was important enough to float the tender on time — such is their callousness! But corporation officials get their salary perks on time — for what!

Recently, I took pictures of open burning of garbage near airport.  I took pictures and sent them to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). I also shared the pictures through Twitter and Facebook, but no action happened on the ground. 

This is really unfortunate!

Shahdara interceptor project delayed by over an year, yet again!

Residents living in the vicinity of Shahdara drain will have to live out the horror for some more time. Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) much-hyped interceptor project along the drain — meant to stop the mixing of sewerage of nearly 180 sewer lines of unauthorised colonies into the drain — will take at least a year-and-a-half more to complete.

A senior official with DJB confirmed to City Spidey that the project would be completed by 2019-end or by mid-2020.

Why this delay?

To this, the official, requesting anonymity, answered, “When there are multiple authorities involved in projects, delays are inevitable.”

He added, “We will clean up the drain and implement a comprehensive strategy for sludge management. The whole idea is to clean out maximum sewerage before the water reaches Yamuna. Through this interceptor project, the sewerage of unauthorised colonies would be diverted towards sewer treatment plants (STPs).”

This mega project was announced in 2012 by Congress-led Delhi government under the scheme Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

It was meant to be completed by 2015.

A press note available on DJB’s official website issued by former Delhi chief minister, Sheila Dixit, also chairperson of the DJB, read: “I am very happy with the progress. Major drains and the rivers are expected to be sewage-pollution free within three years, which is a major step towards cleaning the Yamuna. This project will also provide sewage facilities to many rural villages, un-urbanised colonies and JJ clusters.”

However, the deadline for the project’s completion got extended with every passing year.

Another senior official with the DJB, who handles DJB’s judicial matters, said: “About 80 per cent work on the interceptor project had been completed in 2017, but the project had stalled about a year back due to a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, prohibiting any expenditure on drainage projects.”

The main aim of the Rs 3,000-crore mega interceptor project was to revive Delhi’s only river, Yamuna, which receives around 75 per cent of the city’s sewerage.

The Shahdara drain starts from GT road near Seelampur in East Delhi and ends at New Ashok Nagar, bordering Noida. It the carries the sewerage of areas such as Ghazipur, Mandawali, Kondli, Kalyanpuri, New Ashok Nagar, Karawal Nagar and others.

Toxic gases emanating from the drain has badly impacted the life of residents of Mayur Vihar Extension, including East End Apartment which is close to the drain. It has also made life difficult for residents of Noida Sectors 14 and 15.

To overcome this civic challenge, a system of interceptors is to be laid out at various points along the main drain 18 m below ground level, with the pipe diameter of the interceptors varying from 600-2400 mm.

“A number of chambers would set up along the drain and subsidiary drain (nallas) carrying sewage of colonies would be directly connected with these chambers. The sewage would then be directly sent to the nearest STP. So, the whole purpose is to ensure that only treated water is released into the Shahadra drain.”

Ghaziabad: Change in weather causes sudden upsurge of patients at hospitals

The number of patients in the hospital has increased significantly with the change in weather. A large number of people complaining of fever, common cold, bad throat and flu can be easily seen in hospitals these days. People are queuing up at government hospitals as cases have increased.

Normally, the number of patients at OPDs of MMG hospital in Ghaziabad ranges from 200 to 275 in a day. But, in the last two days, the number of patients at OPDs has increased to 300-375 in a day. The patients are also facing a lot of difficulties while standing at long queues at the hospital.

There has been sudden spike in temperature in Delhi. People are struggling with the rising heat and also falling prey to different kinds of infections. The diseases like viral fever, irregular blood pressure, bad throat, flu, skin infection, malaria etc. are mainly caused due to shortage of water in the body and contact with infected persons. Ghaziabad News

A long queue was seen at the MMG hospital on Saturday morning. Most ladies were seen at the queue. People were either standing for them or for some other close ones.

A lady, Rajendri, while standing in the queue said that she was standing in the queue for last one hour but still her turn has not come.

Ramesh, who had come to take consultation for his daughter, said that he was standing for the last two hours but there is no sign of doctors yet.

People were frustrated as doctors were not found at their seats. Long queues were spotted outside the doctor’s rooms. Many people were constantly enquiring about the arrival of doctors but no one had answers for it.

A physician of MMG hospital, Dr R P Singh said that people should be careful and take precautions during summer. He added that people should take extra care of their food intake during summer.

Singh said that people should avoid contact with infected person’s utensils and clothes and one must contact the doctor immediately after their infection. He emphasised that people should only take drugs after recommendation of doctors.

The CMS of hospital, Dr J K Tyagi, said that the change in weather is the main cause behind sudden rise in number of patients. He said that doctors have been instructed to be present in the OPDs all the time. He added that doctors are present in the OPDs and treating the patients.

Ghaziabad: Parents protest against delay in passage of Fee Regulatory Act

Irked over delay in passage of Fee Regulatory Act by Uttar Pradesh government, parents of children studying in Ghaziabad schools staged a protest on the streets on Saturday. Ghaziabad News

Members of Ghaziabad Parents Association (GPA) alleged that the proposed regulatory bill prepared by the Uttar Pradesh government is flawed. They said that the proposed bill was not drafted keeping welfare of students in mind and it directly benefits the private schools.

They also said that the draft of this bill is an insult to the constitution and the judiciary.

Here are the few points which were raised by parents:

- There is no provision of monthly fees in the bill.

- No transparent provision for formation of the Parents Teachers Association in schools.

- There is no provision to follow the transportation guidelines.

- The provision for child safety and security not mentioned in the bill.

- Parents demand creation of an Education Dispute Redressal Committee at the district level.

On December 8, the state department of secondary education released a draft of Uttar Pradesh SeIf-Financed Independent Schools (Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2017 on its website.

It was followed by a second copy of the proposed bill on December 18. Parents also alleged that there were many differences in the Hindi and the English copies of the draft.

Parents had earlier raised a host of issues like collection and usage of development charges, school’s freedom to decide fees, formation of fee committees at district level etc.

“We have also raised demands from local councillors to properly run municipal schools in their respective wards so that the monopoly of private schools could be destroyed,” said Seema Tyagi, president of GPA.

Noida: MLA pays visit to residents, assures eradication of civic woes

The MLA of Dadri, Tejpal Nagar, on Saturday assured the residents of four gated societies in Sector 168 that all of their civic woes will be addressed soon. He met the residents of Paras Seasons, Golden Palm, Lotus Zinc and Urbtech Xavier during the visit. noida news

Nagar said that he will talk to officials of Noida authority regarding the civic issues of these societies.

Chetan Chauhan, a resident of Paras Seasons told City Spidey that mosquitoes have increased leaps and bounds due to blockage in all the drains in the area and it has become very difficult for people to go for a night walk.

“CCTV cameras should be installed on the sector’s road to track the movement of unknown people. Robbery has become very common after dark in the sectors,” Chauhan said.

Residents also demanded cleaning of drains, repair of traffic lights, maintenance of parks, cleaning of choked sewers and maintaining hygiene in and around garbage dump yards in the sectors.

“Bus connectivity to the nearest metro station should be started inside the sector. Presently, due to absence of bus service, auto drivers demand huge money,” Chauhan added.

Nagar had already talked to the transport department of the district and he got assurance that bus service will be started inside the sectors adjacent to expressway.

The residents informed that there are more than 1,500 residents who are presently living the sectors and more residents will shift here in the coming months. They said that the number of the residents will cross 15,000 by the next year.

People also emphasised that there are many projects which are also under construction and hence officials of all the concerned authorities should take care of the amenities.

Noida: Police nab security guard for attempting rape on maid at Exotica Fresco

A 30-year-old security guard on Saturday arrested for attempting rape on a maid in the basement of residential society in Sector-137 of Noida.

The victim was successful in escaping from the clutches of the accused and raised an alarm.

Police said that the whole act was captured on the CCTV cameras installed at the basement. They said that the man was trying to force himself on her. Noida News

The accused has been identified as Dal Chand who was working as the security in-charge in Exotica Fresco, a residential society in sector 137.

“According to the complainant, the full-time maid working in his house had gone to the basement of the tower to fetch something from the car on Friday night. When she was taking out things from the car, Chand came from behind and forced him on her,” said Pankaj Rai, Station House Officer (Surajpur).

“When the victim raised the alarm, the accused tried to escape but he was nabbed by the other security guards of the society. The victim narrated the ordeal to her owner who then raised the issue with the society committee. When the CCTV footages were checked, the entire act was captured in it,” said Rai.

A police control room call was made at around 2 am on Saturday and the accused was handed over to the police with the CCTV footage of the act.

“We have booked Chand under sections 376 (rape) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code. He was produced in the court on Saturday and have been sent to jail,” said Rai.

Chand was working at the Exotica Fresco society in sector 137 Noida from the last 2 years.

Bal Bharti School protests: Parents allege discrimination against children

Complaining about discrimination in behavior against their children, parents along with All Noida School Parents Association (ANSPA) staged a demonstration against principal and management of Bal Bharti School on Saturday.

People alleged that the behaviour of principal and teachers is not good against the children whose parents protested against fee hike earlier.

K Arunachalam, ANSPA secretary told City Spidey that school staffs changed their behaviour towards some children.

“School staffs said to the children that their parents always create a nuisance in front of the school by protesting and they will throw their notebooks into the dustbin without any reason,” Arunachalam said.

Parents also demanded rollback of the fee hike and also wanted the school management to implement the recent Fee Regulatory Act 2018-19.

“It has been more than 20 days since Uttar Pradesh government passed the ordinance but all the school managements have not implemented the Act, we want schools to implement this soon,” Arunachalam added.

On April 13, members of ANSPA and parents of the Bal Bharti School handed over a letter to the city magistrate, Mahendra Kumar Singh, demanding a rollback of the fee hike and implementation of the Fee Regulatory Act 2018-19.

“The school principal, Asha Prabhakar always give the threat to parents that if they will not pay the school fees, she will lodge an FIR against the parents,” Arunachalam said.

Earlier on April 9, Asha Prabhakar, school principal, sent a notice to parents of six students claiming that it was indeed very painful that on the pretext of seeking an appointment with the principal on fee-related issues, parents made a video footage of the talks without consent and released it on various WhatsApp groups.

The notice further said that the school had CCTV footage for the incident, and if parents didn’t delete the video, the school will lodge a police complaint against them. But she has not lodged any complaint to police yet.

City Spidey made several calls to Prabhakar but found her mobile phone switched off every time.

Noida: Home buyers shout slogans against builder over delay in possession

Dejected home buyers of Today Homes Ridge Residency, a residential society in Sector-135, on Saturday protested against the builder over delay in possession.

The home buyers marched around the society and raised the slogans against builder. They also alleged lack of basic amenities at the society. Noida News

According to residents, the police had served a notice on April 23 to the builder asking him to be present at the police station for a meeting with buyers on April 28 but he did not attend and sent his representative to the meeting instead.

At that time, the home buyers and residents denied to talk to the representative of the builder and demanded arrest of the builder.

Kranvir Singh, a resident told City Spidey that two FIRs have been lodged by them against the builder.

“First one was lodged by the residents for the ill-maintenance of lifts. Residents often get stuck into the lift. Six months ago, when a resident was stuck into the lift for more than 50 minutes, we lodged the first FIR,” said Singh.

“Second FIR was lodged by the flat buyers when builder failed to give possession in time and this was lodged in September last year,” Singh added.

According to home buyers, the project was launched in 2009-10 and its completion was scheduled in 2013-14.

“Since the past three years, the construction work at the site has been stalled and there are no signs of early completion of the project,” alleged the home buyers.

Residents said that common facilities like Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), gym, clubhouse have also not been provided by the builder. They alleged that only few security guards are present at the society and they are there just for the eye wash only.

"The builder is making eighteen towers and there are more than 1500 flats in the society. They only gave possession in 7 towers. He got the temporary occupancy certificate from Noida authority for 4 towers but he gave possession of flats illegally in 3 other towers. Now, the registry of flats is also stuck because the builder has not cleared the authorities’ dues,” Singh said.

VS Pundir, station officer of police station of Sector 135 told City Spidey that an FIR was filed in the case against the firm on September 1, 2017, by 42 complainants.

"Now we are going to file charge sheet against the builder within a week and after that we will take suitable action against him,” Pundir said.

Noida: Two buses collide head-on at traffic signal; 1 dead, 20 injured

A Volvo bus and a DTC bus collided head-on with each other at Sector 21/25 circle in Noida leaving one dead and more than twenty injured on Sunday morning. The accident happened at around 6 am in the morning. noida news

The deceased was identified as Ashutosh who was travelling in the Volvo bus. The Volvo bus had 50 passengers in it whereas DTC bus had 20 passengers.

All the injured passengers were admitted in nearby private hospital and district hospital of the city.

According to police, both the buses were trying to cross the red light signal at the circle at a very high speed and that’s when the huge collision of both the buses happened.

The police said that the Volvo bus was on its way from Farrukhabad (UP) to Delhi. The DTC bus was on its way from Noida to Shahdara.

Both the drivers of buses were safe and they were putting accusations on each other. Vipin, driver of the DTC bus, alleged that he was driving normally and suddenly the Volvo bus came in front of his bus. Vipin said that that he tried his best to avoid collision but it did not happen.

On the other hand, Laxman, driver of Volvo bus, said that the speed of DTC bus was too high.

Both the buses were damaged but the Volvo’s front was completely damaged which is also seen in the video.

Ashutosh, sitting next to the driver, was seriously injured. He was rushed to district hospital where he succumbed to injuries. Other injured patients were sent to Prakash Hospital in Sector-33 and other private hospitals.

Manish Saxena, station officer of Sector-20 police station, said that police rushed to the spot immediately after the accident and took the injured passengers to the hospitals. He added that both the buses have been seized and further investigation is going on.

Dwarka: MLA assures help in water scarcity problem, de-sealing of bore wells

The residents along with Residents Welfare Associations (RWAs) and Managing Committees (MCs) on Sunday raised their voice against the sealing of bore wells in Sector-9 in a meeting with MLA Col Devender Sehrawat. The meeting was conducted at Paradise Apartments.

People from various societies put forward their points related to water crisis in the societies after the sealing of those bore wells. They said that about 17 Cooperative Group Housing Societies were facing water scarcity after the sealing of bore wells by the SDM office and Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

Along with the MLA, executive engineer of Delhi Jal Board, Anil Sharma was also present in the meeting. After listening to the points, MLA assured that he would discuss the matter with deputy commissioner for de-sealing of bore wells and find a solution to the water problem as soon as possible. Dwarka News

President of Paradise Apartments, Amit Arora said, “MLA has assured us about solution and suggested us to meet the DC with the representatives of the societies so that the subject would effectively be raised and put in front of the administration. We are hopeful as he confidently addressed the issue.”

MLA visited other societies too to get hold of the issue closely. He visited Gayatri Apartments, Manzil Apartments, Royal Residency Apartments and met the residents.

Treasurer of Federation of RWAs of Sector-9 (FORWAS), YR Arya said, “We are hopeful about what MLA had said. He suggested us to meet DC with the representatives of each society. Two persons from each society would be in the team to meet the DC.”

Earlier this month, the process of sealing carried out in Sector 9 on the order of NGT (National Green Tribunal).  According to an official of DJB, the bore wells are being sealed in the area when it is illegal or dug up without permission.

According to officials, DJB has been directed to submit a list of all the tube wells, bore wells, wells in the area with contamination of groundwater in Delhi. Also, legal bore wells or tube wells are being checked to check contamination and it would be marked red if found unfit for consumption.

Gurgaon: Water pipeline at Signature Towers junction develops leaks once again

At a time when parts of Gurgaon are already reeling under water shortage, leakage of a master pipeline at the Signature Towers junction on Monday added to the ongoing crisis.

Although this site had suffered from leakage issues even in the past, no concrete solutions have been found to fix the problem once and for all. gurgaon news

When the issue was raised before officials of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), they just passed the buck on each other.

“Owing to the construction of an underpass at the junction, the pipelines at the spot have been regularly experiencing leakages. The NHAI is fixing the pipeline,” Sandeep Dahiya, executive engineer, GMDA, said.

NHAI officials said that the pipeline suffers from frequent leakages owing to an inherent defect in it.

“The NHAI is fixing the pipeline. Leakages have been occurring due to the construction of the underpass at Signature Towers. The GMDA has also installed a sub-standard pipeline,” Saurabh Singhal, traffic transportation expert and head of the underpasses built by the NHAI on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, said. “We will fix the pipeline by either tonight or by tomorrow (Saturday) morning,” Singhal added.

On November 26, 2017, a water pipeline at the same point had allegedly burst after the pipe had developed cracks due to the ongoing construction of an underpass, which leads commuters towards Atul Kataria Chowk and Huda City Centre Metro station.

Incidents of pipelines bursting at Hero Honda Chowk, Signature Towers, Rajiv Chowk and IFFCO Chowk were fairly frequent throughout 2017 owing to the construction of underpasses at these junctions.

Last week, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), had even issued a warning to the contractor hired by NHAI that they will file a police complaint in the event of any further damage to their master pipelines.

Civic bodies find it hard to stop constructions in Delhi's unauthorised colonies

The three municipal corporations of the national capital - NDMC, SDMC and EDMC have claimed that they face various hurdles while trying to comply with the Supreme Court’s directive to stop constructions in unauthorised colonies of Delhi as the locals and law enforcement agencies do not support the sealing activities.

The apex court had put a stay on all kinds of construction activities in unauthorised colonies on Tuesday. When City Spidey sought response from the EDMC regarding the issue, an official replied, “ I have heard about the court’s directive to stop constructions in unauthorised colonies but we haven’t received a copy of the order so far.” Delhi News

While there has been rampant illegal construction in East Delhi’s unauthorised residential colonies such as Laxmi Nagar, Pandav Nagar, Ganesh Nagar, Vinod Nagar and Trilokpuri among others, none of the agencies have failed to stop it so far.

“The central government had appointed a special task force (STF) in order to provide us security during sealing drives against illegal constructions. However, even that force hasn't approached us thus far,” said a senior official of EDMC.

Officials, not wishing to be named, said, while the civic body does issue notices to such constructions, serious action cannot be taken most of the time because of a strong builder-politician nexus.

“Many times when we visit the site for demolition, locals get violent. We can’t go there without proper police security ,” an official added.

Gzb: Shipra Neo dwellers protest delay of deed of declaration, poor maintenance

Residents of Shipra Neo, an Indirapuram high rise, carried out a protest at the society premises on Sunday. They said that the protest was against the builder for the delay in issuing the Deed of Declaration (DOD) of the society.

Ghaziabad News

Further, residents said that despite getting possession of the society in 2011, the completion certificate and the deed of declaration of the society were yet to be issued.

“We had a tri-party meeting between residents, the builder and Ghaziabad Development Authority GDA) officials on April 12. We were assured that the DOD and other documents will be issued within a week. We have received nothing so far,” said Rohit Gupta, secretary of the society’s residents’ association.

“The builder is yet to complete the society’s painting, provide two generators, complete the clubhouse and swimming pool among other issues. We can find the lapses once we have the DOD as the document contains details of the society,” Gupta further said.

Residents also maintained that there were lapses in the society’s maintenance including its security service.

City Spidey took up the issue with representatives of Shipra Estates Limited. “We are working on the Deed of Declaration (DOD) of the society and it is almost ready. The documents should be prepared and handed over by this coming week,” said Durgesh Jha, representative of Shipra Estates Limited.

Spellbinding classical music, poetry recitation enthral Dwarka residents

Delhi Sangeet Samkalp, an organisation that provides a platform for budding classical artists, singers and instrumentalists, organised a musical programme for Dwarka residents on Sunday.

Spellbinding classical songs, music and sitar mesmerised the audience at Sur Mandir, Sector 12 market. On the other hand, poets of the sub-city enthralled the residents at Sector 11, DDA park.

A beautiful rendition of raga Sudh Klyan by Antara Chakroborty Shah of Dwarka followed by a performance of raga Shri on sitar by her husband Gopal Krishna Shah were the main attractions of the evening. Further, both the performances were accompanied by Hitendra Srivastava on tabla and Ashwani Kumar on harmonium.

Shikha Ganguli, director of Sur Mandir told City Spidey, “This event was organised for promoting classical music in Dwarka. We will be conducting more such events in future.”

Moreover, it was the first of its kind event organised by Delhi Sangeet Samkalp (DSS) in Dwarka this year. Secretary of DSS, Richa Jain said, “ We have been promoting classical musiSc and classical artists from the sub-city. DSS wants to support budding artists or those who are in crisis. Last year couple of programmes were organised in Dwarka but this year it was our first programme. We will be organising more such events in the area as they bring artists of the community closer to the residents. On the other hand, these events also help artists to earn recognition amongst a wider audience.”

The DDA park at Sector 11 was witness to an amazing poetry recitation programme. It was organised by Dwarka collective, a group of intellectuals promoting intellectual discourse in the community. Poets such as Prem Bihari Mishra from Chitrakoot apartments Sector 22, Dr Dhananjay Joshi from IP University and Taish Potwari from East Delhi recited their poetry to a wide audience.

Ramesh Mumukshu from Dwarka Collective said, “Dwarka Collective has organised such an informal poetry recitation programme for the first time. We have been conducting such events from many years on various subjects like art, culture, music , politics ,science, environment, theatre etc. We are trying to develop a strong bond among the residents through such programs.”

Gurgaon: Uneven concrete road causes traffic chaos, exposes poor planning

People are finding it really hard to commute on a newly-laid uneven concrete road near Sheetla Mata Temple in Gurgaon. The two-kilometre carriageway from Atul Kataria Chowk to Sector 4/5 via Sheetla Mata Temple is also witnessing a lot of traffic chaos because of odd levelling.

The said carriageway caters to Sectors 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, Ashok Vihar, Palam Vihar and many other localities. People travelling towards Dwarka Expressway also use this road.

The concrete road is one foot high and it also has a steep edge as compared to the old bituminous layer.

“As soon as you cross Sheetla Mata (if coming from Atul Kataria Chowk) you have to drive carefully. If you keep yourself on the bituminous road, you will not have a choice to take left towards Sector 3, 5, and 6 due to steep edge of the concrete road,” said Mange Ram Sharma, an elderly resident of Sector 5. gurgaon news

 “Similarly, if you want to go towards Atul Kataria Chowk from these sectors you will have to take the long diversion of three kilometres. The authority should have made crossing provision at places. Now, I believe, thousands of commuters are forced to suffer difficulties due to wrong planning,” added Sharma.

Sharma also said that he has also contacted Dr Narhari Bangar, additional commissioner Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), and asked him to inspect and take necessary steps.

“I have asked engineering department to expedite the road construction and complete the stretch at earliest,” said Dr Bangar.

The MCG started the construction of concrete roads in a phased manner about six months ago. The idea behind the construction of the high concrete road was to eliminate the problem of water-logging and potholes.

The Sheetla Mata Road is one of the busiest roads in Gurgaon because it connects Huda City Centre with Dwarka Expressway. Moreover, tens of thousands of people visit Sheetla Mata Temple daily.

“MCG should keep in mind people do not face commuting problem during the construction. There should be at least signboards at places to facilitate better movement of traffic,” said Vijay Kumar, another resident.

Rao Narbir Singh, Public Works Department (PWD) Minister in Haryana Government, said, “I will inspect the road and get the problem fixed. I will ask MCG to look into the matter.”

Shocking! Woman BPO employee raped by OLA cab driver's friend in Greater Noida

In yet another shocking incident of sexual assault, a 25-year-old BPO executive was allegedly raped by an OLA cab driver’s friend in Jarcha area of Greater Noida on Thursday Night. The police arrested the cab driver and his friend in the early hours of Friday morning. 

noida news

However, the cab was not booked through the Ola app as the cab driver and the victim were known to each other. According to the police, the accused have been identified as Ashok, the cab driver and Praveen, the alleged rapist.

“The complainant has stated that she called the cab driver at around 4:30 pm on Thursday evening Sector 126, Noida and told him that she needed to travel to Surajpur (Greater Noida). However, when she boarded the cab another passenger (Praveen) was already sitting there,” said Nishank Sharma, Circle Officer (Dadri area).

Police said that the three first went to sector 18, Noida where the victim met a friend. Later on, they left for Surajpur. On the way, the three took soft drinks which the girl alleged were spiked with sedatives.  The driver told the victim that he had to drop Praveen nearby at Jarcha and requested her permission regarding it. Unaware of their devious plans, she gave the nod. 

“Ashok took the car to a secluded spot in Daya Nagar forest area in Jharcha at around 8:30 pm and asked her and Praveen to get down. He requested her to wait there as he needed to finish some work and would return soon. The woman called Ashok when he didn’t return in half an hour, but his phone was switched off. Suddenly, Praveen started to force himself on her. He forcefully dragged the victim into the bushes and allegedly raped her,” said Sharma.

The woman somehow managed to escape from the clutches of the accused at around 12 am and made a call to the police control room. However, when the police reached the spot the accused had already fled from there. The victim was taken to the district hospital where her medical examination was conducted. A search operation was launched and around four-five people were detained during the initial investigation.

“The ola driver and his friend were traced and nabbed. Police have booked them under sections 120B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy), 376 (Punishment of Rape) and 328 (Causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence) of the Indian Penal code,” added Sharma.

An OLA spokesperson stated stating that the company regrets the unfortunate incident. However, he clarified that the ride was not booked on their platform.

Step by Step: Lab results on food samples still awaited

Students of Step by Step school in Sector 132, Noida, had fallen victim to food poisoning after having lunch on the school premises on April 6. The students soon fell sick as they ate the food and suffered from stomach ache and vomiting. But despite the initial brouhaha over the case, investigation into the incident seems to have paced down. Noida News

After that, the food department had collected samples of the ajwain paratha and oil used for breakfast and sent them to Lucknow lab for testing. The reports were expected to be out in two weeks, but it has been more than 20 days now, GB Nagar district administration is still waiting for the results.

Sanjay Sharma, designated officer of Food and Drug Administration, told City Spidey, “We wrote to Lucknow lab to send the reports as soon as possible. The testing of oil takes time and this is the only reason that the reports have not come yet. We are hoping the reports will come by Tuesday.”

In the wake of the shocking incident, which left 190 individuals, including students and school staff sick, the Food and Safety Department had carried out inspection of school canteens and took food samples for testing.

Immediately after the incident, the school’s administration had prevented officials from inspecting the premises and held them at the gate for hours before letting them in.

That led the district administration to lodge an FIR under Sections 328 (Causing hurt by means of poison), 341(Punishment for wrongful restraint) and 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) against the school management.

However, the school authorities later wrote to the district administration offering full cooperation in the investigation. They also extended their apologies for the mishap.

Noida announces budget of Rs 4,350 crore; new elevated road to be constructed

The Noida authority on Thursday announced a budget of Rs 4,350 crore for 2018-19 which is staggering Rs 3,720 crore less than the last year’s allocation of Rs 8,070 crore.

The drastic reduction in the budget was announced by Alok Tandon who was chairman and chief executive officer of the 194th board meeting. Noida News

The budget allocation has been decreasing in the last three years. It was Rs 9,024 crore in 2016-17. The budget of 2017-18 saw a decrease of Rs 954 crore to Rs 8,070 crore.

The decision to reduce budget might have been influenced by the curtailed spending in last two years.

While Rs 3,900 crore was spent in 2016-17 against the allocated Rs 9,024 crore in 2016-17, only Rs 3,500 crore was spent against the allocated Rs 8,070 crore in 2017-18.

On the other hand, the Noida authority has increased the one-time lease rent by 15 per cent. This new lease rent will be applied on August 1, 2018. Before this date, the applicant can deposit their lease rent at the previous rate which is 11 per cent.

Among the other announcements, the Noida authority will construct an elevated road over Shahdara drain starting from the Chilla regulator near Sector-14A to the master plan road-III near Mahamaya flyover.

The length of this elevated road will be 5.54 km and the cost to build this elevated road is Rs 650 crore.

“Once complete, the elevated road will serve as a dedicated fast-access, a signal-free corridor for vehicles moving between Noida and Kalindi Kunj. It will reduce the travel time between Delhi and Noida significantly. The road will be constructed on stilts and each of the carriageways will be of three lanes on either side,” an official of Noida authority said.

Commercial land (non IT/ITES) can be rented out to two tenants from 500 sqm to 2,000 sqm. After the first 2000 sqm, land can be rented out to only one tenant per 500 sqm.

The Noida authority also set the guidelines for the paying guest policy. On this policy, the authority will take feedback from the residents. After that, Noida authority will implement the new policy soon.

School van accident: Shell-shocked children recount horrific experience

In a heart-wrenching incident, one girl student died and 17 others got injured when their school van got rammed by a tanker on Thursday morning. The injured students were admitted to hospital immediately.

Now, the injured students recounted their horror of the accident. While lying on the bed at the hospital, 12-year-old Rishika Parcha said that she was under the school van’s seat and was crying when someone came to rescue her.

“I was in absolute shock when the accident happened. I was stuck under the seat of the vehicle and was crying when an uncle rescued me,” said Parcha.

Two other children, John and Vinay, were also lying on the hospital bed while getting treatment for head injury. Their shirt was blood-stained. They were still in their school dresses.

They informed that their van turned upside down three times after getting hit by a tanker. Three other students, Tanya, Tina and Vinni, were lying on another bed.

All these six students who were admitted to LNJP hospital were completely shell-shocked after the accident. Delhi News

Parents of these children were very relieved when a doctor informed that their injuries are not serious. But, they wanted to be sure that injuries on the head or other parts were not so serious.

Prem Kumar, father of Vinay said, “Incident happened within 10 minutes after his son boarded the van. It was around 6:50 am, I got to know about the accident.”

Children confirmed that their van was running at a high speed when it collided with a milk tanker. The incident happened at the point where three roads join at round circle.

Unfortunately, a 7-year-old girl, Sakshi, died on the spot. Police said that drivers of both the vehicles have been arrested and they are investigating the matter.

Six other school children were admitted in AIIMS and five in Deepchand hospital.

The school van carrying many students badly got rammed from a tanker near Kanhaiya Nagar metro station in north-west Delhi.

The school van was taking students from Wazirpur JJ colony to Keshavpuram’s Kendriya Vidyalaya. A total of 18 students were there in the van.

Hero Honda flyover to remain closed till certified by experts

Much to their horror, commuters on Monday discovered a two-square-feet pothole on the Hero Honda Chowk flyover in the early morning hours. There were cracks as well at the base of the flyover. These developments led authorities to make the entire carriageway to inaccessible to commuters till quality checks were carried out and repairs completed.

The diversions due to the ongoing repair work have, as expected, led to snarls, especially during peak hours. Gurgaon News

The 1.4-km-long flyover was inaugurated by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar just in July last year.

Ashish Kapoor, a resident of Pataudi, opined, “It has just been nine months since the flyover’s inception. Such developments indicate terrible quality of construction. I would rather use the arterial roads even if it takes more time.”   

Shalini Sareen, a resident of Manesar, who avails the flyover, complained, “It wasn’t until just a few metres before the earthmover that commuters were alerted to an obstacle on the flyover. The authorities should have placed warning signs or notices about route diversions well in advance.”

“Repairs are under way and a team from IIT Bombay will come down soon for inspection. It will assess and check the flyover’s structural strength before pronouncing the repaired portion fit for motor use. The team will also hand over the completion certificate of the flyover,” confirmed Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI.

A day after the incident, most of the repair work had been carried out and the bucket of an earthmover was placed at the site of the pothole and traffic cones were positioned around the area to create diversions.

But the carriageway would be opened completely to the public only sometime next week, once NHAI completes its checks and officials declare the flyover safe for motor use on the repaired stretch.

Pothole, cracks, gaps... will NHAI please explain what's happening!

A few days after a concrete slab fell from the Hero Honda Chowk flyover, leading to a pothole in the structure, cracks were noticed on two elevated U-turns and an elevated road at Iffco Chowk.

Widening gaps between the slabs have posed serious question marks on the quality of construction and the engineering soundness of the structures. Gurgaon News

The cracks appeared near two slab joints on an elevated U-turn from MG Road towards New Delhi that had been opened on a trial basis in November last year.

Similar cracks have appeared on an elevated U-turn constructed for commuters travelling from Sukhrali towards MG Road; this stretch has not been opened for trial yet.

“These structures are located on an expressway where speed limits are high. Under such circumstances, if a pothole or crack appears on the surface, it’s dangerous for two-wheelers as well as four-wheelers. They should be inspected on a daily or weekly basis by NHAI,” said Gurpreet Singh Thakur, road safety associate with Haryana Vision Zero, a programme to reduce road accidents.

However, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said these were not cracks at all, but gaps in slabs that needed to be filled.

Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI, explained, “These are gaps between construction joints. A road-safety audit has been carried out, but the structures have not been issued completion certificates yet.”

Commuters, on the other hand, say the cracks are so wide that the road below is visible through them — and this happens just four months after inauguration!

A visit to the site revealed that these cracks were perpendicular to the construction joints, and were not, as NHAI explained “gaps between construction joints”.

Here’s what another NHAI engineer, who requested anonymity, had to say on the matter, “The cracks have appeared owing to a difference in temperature. The structure is absolutely safe.”

He explained, “The contractor had been directed to provide the best treatment possible to control the expansion and contraction of the bituminous concrete so that the aesthetic and riding quality of the structure were maintained.”

Getting into technical details, he said, “The two separate slabs on the flyover had different piers and pier caps. Keeping in mind the contraction and expansion of the material, a mandatory longitudinal joint had already been put in place. However, to maintain the riding quality of the road, a wearing coat [top bitumen layer] had been laid on the whole width of the deck, which did not fare well as the temperature rose.”

However, experts have their doubts.

Sewa Ram, professor, transport planning, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, said, “The size, length and width of the cracks indicate a failure in both design and construction. The damaged area needs to be broken and recast. Other areas of the flyover must be tested as well. The flyover should be opened to the public only after it is tested for load capacity, quality of construction and design. Any heavy vehicle passing over the flyover right now will further widen the crack and turn the entire structure into a death trap.”

The structures were opened for traffic in November and December last year. The elevated flyover at Iffco Chowk has not officially been opened to the public yet, commuters have started using it.

In the words of Ram, “Sometimes, the structures are opened to traffic before time, and this premature opening can lead to cracks. Deflection tests are required to check the structures’ strength, so that weak portions can be repaired at the earliest.”

Do residents expect any different from the new EDMC mayor?

During the last MCD polls in April 2017, one of the main campaign planks was ‘Swachh Bharat’. Elections were won and lost, promises were made and forgotten — and a garbage-lined city remains the only consistent reality.

This year too, the new mayor of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), BJP candidate Vipin Bihari Singh, has made the same promises, but the question is will he deliver?

Cash-strapped EDMC is dependent on annual grants provided by the Delhi government for carrying out its initiatives. In the past one year, there have been several petitions from the EDMC in Delhi High Court, seeking a release of the annual fund to the tune of Rs 21,000 crore.

Will things look up for the EDMC this year? Residents are sceptical.

Purusottam Bhatt, president of United India Apartment in Mayur Vihar Extension, said, “During the last MCD elections, they had promised to make Delhi garbage free. A year has passed, and there’s no improvement in civic services. Their tall promises remain far away from the reality.”

Bhatt further argued that whenever the EDMC needs to shore up its revenue, it targets property taxes in posh colonies. “Why has EDMC has given free hand to properties in unauthorised colonies? By doing so MCDs are encouraging people to purchase properties in unauthorised colonies and remain out of the tax slab,” he argued.

Delhi News

To this, BS Vohra, president of RWA joint front East Delh, added, “Residents of East Delhi are awarded with lowest civic facilities for paying taxes. But just EDMC can’t be held responsible. Delhi government is doing the same as well. If garbage is dumped on the road side, its MCD’s fault, but if sewer water is flowing in residential colonies, it’s the fault of the Delhi government. These problems cannot be solved unless RWAs are involved.”

The Ghazipur landfill issue, too, continues to weigh down on the minds of East Delhi residents.  

A resident in Mayur Vihar Phase I, who requested anonymity, said “What has the outgoing mayor, Neema Bhagat, done in the last one year. Ghazipur landfill site collapsed in September last year, killing two lives. But waste continues to be dumped there. Is EDMC waiting for more fatalities to happen? Witnessing civic services from the last several years in the city, I don’t believe any changes can be expected from our leaders — things will be as they always have been!”  

Noida authority unveils new list of proposed guidelines for PG accommodations In the residential sectors

The Noida Authority unveiled a list of specific norms and conditions in its 194th board meeting on Thursday to curb the menace of crammed PG (paying guest) accommodations in the city.    Noida News

The proposed guidelines are now open for review and objection from city residents.

Let’s have a look at the guidelines:

1. In the residential sectors, PGs can only be set up in buildings situated on the corner plots. The width of road running along the building must not be less than 18 metres.

2. Fifty percent of the house can be used to set up PGs.

3. To run PGs in any house, the owner should pay the mixed land usage tax to the authority.

4. In order to run a PG, the owner should be registered under the Sarai Act 1867.

NK Singh, Project Engineer of Noida Authority told City Spidey that in the initial stage we have made a proposal regarding a policy for PG accomodations in the city. However, once we receive a review of the proposal from the residents, we will make the final draft for this policy. 

"We are preparing this policy to benefit all kinds of people. Once the final draft of the guidelines is prepared, we will implement it in the city," Singh said.

PG owners in Noida said that said that tenants contribute to the city's economy. They claimed that apart from the landlords, local shop owners, grocers, auto-rickshaw drivers, etc. too benefit from them. 

Ashish Sharma, who runs a PG in Sector 20, Noida, says, "Over half of the PGs are operating illegally and without any proper documentation in Noida. However, this is due to the fact that there is a high demand for PGs in the city. There are over one lakh out-station students in Noida who are constantly on the look-out for accommodations. The hostels can only take in a limited number. Where will the remaining students go? The PGs are part of a simple demand and supply model. More PGs mean more people living here, which in turn leads to more consumption of the city's services - everyone, from auto drivers to grocers and shop-owners benefit from this."

On the other hand, the District Magistrate of Gautam Budh Nagar has decided to launch a crack down on hotels, guest houses and paying guest accommodations (PGs) operating in the city without registration after April 30.

NP Singh, President of Federation of Noida RWAs, told City Spidey that the authority should clarify how much amount will have to be paid as the mixed land usage tax by the PG owners. 

“The Noida Authority should also conduct a survey to check out what sorts of problems local residents face due to the abundance of PGs,’ Singh further added.

Narender Chawla elected as mayor of SDMC, Satyapal Malik becomes deputy mayor (Clean India Mission)

Narender Chawla from BJP was elected as the new mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Thursday whereas Satyapal Malik was chosen as the civic body’s deputy mayor. Former mayor of SDMC Kamaljeet Sehrawat (BJP) and Narender Kumar (AAP) were elected as members of the civic body’s standing committee. 

The new mayor and deputy mayor were welcomed by the outgoing team of councillors, the commissioner of SDMC, Dr Puneet Kumar Goel and senior officials. 

After being elected and taking an oath, Chawla conducted the first meeting of the house.

While speaking on the occasion, Chawla stated that he would focus on issues such as cleanliness, health, education, parking and water conservation. 

He further added that the SDMC would display amazing commitment while participating in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), launched by PM Narendra Modi.

Chawla said that he was focused on increasing the participation of common people in the development of the society.

He described parking as a major problem in the areas under the jurisdiction of SDMC and said that the civic body would request DDA to sanction them land. 

He further added that SDMC would develop a stack parking system on the basis of consultations with RWAs and Market Associations. 

As far as health issues are concerned, Chawla said that serious efforts would be made to commission dispensaries in those wards which lack proper health facilities.  

On questions regarding education he said, “I will discuss new policies with the education department so that every kid receives due attention in schools. I am committed to improving education at the primary level.”

The new mayor also said that water conservation would be the top priority for SDMC. He mentioned that the whole world was facing a severe water crisis and river systems across some of the cities around the globe had completely dried up. 

“To avoid such a situation in Delhi the people will be exhorted to conserve water. An action plan will be prepared after discussions with experts and technocrats of the water sector.”

Chawla said that SDMC would make it easier for residents' to approach officials. He further announced that a new helpline would be launched and an updated data base maintained for addressing people's grievances. Delhi News

Chawla further added that he would make surprise visits and inspections to all the 104 wards under the jurisdiction of SDMC.  “I will soon start surprise inspections to ensure proper development and presence of amenities in all 104 wards.  There will be no discrimination with the wards represented by the members of opposition parties as well,” he said.

School van accident near Kanhaiya Nagar metro station in north-west Delhi.: #Shell-shocked children recount horrific experience

@By Praveen Dwivedi

In a heart-wrenching incident, one girl student died and 17 others got injured when their school van got rammed by a tanker on Thursday morning. The injured students were admitted to hospital immediately.

Now, the injured students recounted their horror of the accident. While lying on the bed at the hospital, 12-year-old Rishika Parcha said that she was under the school van’s seat and was crying when someone came to rescue her.

“I was in absolute shock when the accident happened. I was stuck under the seat of the vehicle and was crying when an uncle rescued me,” said Parcha.

Two other children, John and Vinay, were also lying on the hospital bed while getting treatment for head injury. Their shirt was blood-stained. They were still in their school dresses.

They informed that their van turned upside down three times after getting hit by a tanker. Three other students, Tanya, Tina and Vinni, were lying on another bed.

All these six students who were admitted to LNJP hospital were completely shell-shocked after the accident.

Parents of these children were very relieved when a doctor informed that their injuries are not serious. But, they wanted to be sure that injuries on the head or other parts were not so serious.

Prem Kumar, father of Vinay said, “Incident happened within 10 minutes after his son boarded the van. It was around 6:50 am, I got to know about the accident.”

Children confirmed that their van was running at a high speed when it collided with a milk tanker. The incident happened at the point where three roads join at round circle.

Unfortunately, a 7-year-old girl, Sakshi, died on the spot. Police said that drivers of both the vehicles have been arrested and they are investigating the matter.

Six other school children were admitted in AIIMS and five in Deepchand hospital.

The school van carrying many students badly got rammed from a tanker near Kanhaiya Nagar metro station in north-west Delhi.

The school van was taking students from Wazirpur JJ colony to Keshavpuram’s Kendriya Vidyalaya. A total of 18 students were there in the van.

TAGS: School van accident in Delhi / School student die in accident in Delhi / Delhi road accidents / Delhi news / Injured students of van in Delhi