Dwarka: Park in Sector 10 lies in utter neglect

The park in front of Suruchi and Rohit Apartments in Sector 10, Dwarka, is in a state of neglect.

The iron gate, which was recently installed, has been broken making it easier for stray animals to enter the park. Footpaths are badly damaged. No steps have been taken to stop littering in the park.

The park, which is situated adjacent to Prabhavi Apartments and Venkateshwar International School in Sector 10, used to be a favourite of the residents earlier. But now it lies in a dilapidated condition.  

Former president of Prabhavi Apartments, Suresh Rituparna, said, “The park is in a deplorable condition as no steps are being taken for its maintenance. The authority should take requisite steps for its cleanliness.”

Dwarka News

Although the park has several swings, slides, parallel bars, and an open gym installed inside, people still do not want to use it because of the lack of cleanliness. The park is full of wild grass as no gardening work has been done in the recent past.

The open gym equipment installed inside the park still have their plastics covers on, as no one wants to exercise there. “The disturbing part is that the authorities did not even bother to clean the park before installing the new equipment. We urge SDMC to maintain the park so that people can exercise in the lap of nature,” said Ritika Singh, a resident of the area.

The park comes under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and according to residents, the corporation is not at all serious about its upkeep. Former president of Rohit Apartments, Sector 10, YC Rishi, said, “We have complained to the corporation several times about the sorry state of the park but they are yet to take any action.  Nobody wants to enter this park anymore. The least they can do is clean up the grass and repair the damaged equipment.”

Speaking to City Spidey, Director, Press Information, SDMC, Radha Krishan, said that the maintenance work would be carried out soon at the park.

Dwarka: ANHLGT aims women empowerment with yoga, digital literacy sessions

The Association of Neighbourhood Ladies Get-together (ANHLGT) is promoting yoga and digital literacy among women these days in Dwarka. They are actively organising sessions of yoga and digital literacy to make women fit and make them aware of the digital world respectively.

Through digital literacy sessions, they aim to equip women in handling basic things on computers and smartphones. Dwarka News

The volunteers of ANHLGT are giving training sessions to women at the library hall at the community centre of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) in Sector-23.

A resident of Sector-23, Lakshmi Natrajan, who is also vice president of ANHLGT, has been taking yoga classes twice a day for the community women. She gives training in the morning from 5.45 am to 6.45 am every day. She also gives training from 11 am to 12 pm five days in a week except for Saturday and Sunday.

Natrajan said, “Women are interested in yoga and we are there to train them. There are about 22 to 25 women from different societies in the area. They are mostly in the 45 to 50 years age group. I am happy that our small step is now an effective tool to sensitise them about good health.”

Natrajan said that there are other women as well who help her out with the sessions when she is not in Delhi.

A resident of New Millennium Apartments, Usha, said, “I joined yoga here about six months back. My legs were not flexible and there was a pain in them at the time of joining. But, I am fine now. This is a satisfactory result and I am happy being part of this yoga group of neighbourhood ladies.”

“The yoga has become an integral part. Women participate in it without any break. If I am not there then Chandra Joshi from Prabha Apartments in Sector-23 and Anjali Agrawal from New Millennium Apartments in Sector-23 take classes. We help each other,” Natrajan added.

Besides yoga, the association has been carrying out a digital literacy programme for the elderly women in the area. Under the programme, the elderly women are trained to use smartphone emails and other such basic things.

President of ANHLGT, Cicily Kodiyan, said, “We teach the elderly women about how to use smartphones and internet at our office. We teach them how to use banking and do payment of bills digitally. The whole thing is to make elderly women empowered with digital literacy.”

Cicily said that workshops are also organised as part of such training time to time. She added that women learn such things in groups.

Little ones with big hearts collect Rs 35,000 for Kerala flood victims

A flat in Tower A in Saya Zenith, Indirapuram, was buzzing with loud cheers and giggles of children on Thursday. The kids' happiness knew no bounds. A peek inside the flat gave you an idea of a party going on with pizzas, burgers and soft drinks being exchanged happily. But these kids were not celebrating yet another birthday. Instead, they were celebrating their small steps to salute humanity and understand the true essence of helping someone in distress.

Five children from Saya have not only made their parents but the entire society proud by collecting Rs 35,050 within a short span of four days to be contributed to the relief of Kerala flood victims. Sambhav (10), Manasvi (13), Suhaani (13), Ahaana (10) and Aaliya (9) have spent the past four days knocking on every door in the society and urging people to contribute generously. The money collected has already been given to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund Kerala. Indirapuram News

A week back, Sambhav and Manasvi started discussing the plight of Kerala flood victims in their playroom. The mere thought of children their age unable to play and surviving without food and water in open relief shelters gave them shivers. The brother-sister duo was deeply moved by the devastation done by water in the area.  The discussion moved from playing room to the playground and interested their playmates Suhaani, Ahaana and Aaliya. They came up with a plan to collect money by going door to door and help in whatever little way they can.

How to start was the discussion going on when one of them suggested taking help of an elder and the group reached out to one of their neighbours, Pritam Kothadya. Pritam joined the brainstorming session and warned them that it’s not going to be an easy task to cover around 445 flats in 3-4 days. Some houses would be locked and many have already contributed directly. With all the briefings they set their target to collect at least Rs 35,000 from Saya.

Collection started from their respective homes and proceeded to the nearby flats, friend’s house, favourite aunties and uncles. Within four days, the kids were able to cover 4 towers and about 445 flats. They were greeted by both encouragement as well as disappointment, but they were able to reach their target.

Illegal parking creates traffic chaos on Dwarka roads

Illegal and haphazard parking of vehicles along the bylanes of Sector 12, Dwarka, have turned commuting through the place a nightmare for residents and passersby.

Traffic snarls have become a common sight in the area. The stretches from Vidyut Chowk leading to KM Chowk and from Shubham Apartments to Indrapastha Apartments are a scene of chaos owing to rows of vehicles parked illegally along the road. Dwarka News

Pedestrians often complain that moving through the area has become really difficult because of illegal parking of vehicles even on the footpaths.

T Sampat Kumar, a resident of Shivam Apartments (Vikram Nagar CGHS) said, “The road in front of our apartment also houses a hospital, a community centre and a government school. People visiting these places park their vehicles anywhere, even on footpaths. The situation turns chaotic during school closing hours.”

It is a similar scene at Vidyut Chowk, which houses a number of schools, markets and banks in the area. The area has no dedicated public parking space and people leave their vehicles anywhere they want.

With two big school located in close vicinity – Bal Bharati Public School and Adarsh World School – traffic snarls have become a common sight for the residents. “During the morning and afternoon hours, school vans and buses are parked along the entire road. As it is, this is a very narrow lane and these vehicles parked illegally have made our life miserable. We are scared to even go for a walk here,” said Nirmala Sharma, a resident of Sector 12.

According to traffic experts, most of the sectors in Dwarka do not have a dedicated public parking space. With so many institutions and commercial establishments situated in Sector 12, the area has been worst affected.

The subject has been discussed many times in public forums but the authorities are yet to do anything about it. “Traffic police should be strict with people parking their vehicles illegally. They can impound their cars or impose fine. That is the only way to avoid jams in the area,” opined Madhu Verma, a resident of Sector 12.

Speaking to City Spidey on the subject, Traffic Inspector of the area, Rajender Singh said the authority will take necessary action to resolve the issue. He added that the DDA’s civil department should also look into the matter and create public parking spaces.

Environmentalist knocks NGT’s door against felling of trees for park in Noida

Environmentalists along with Noida residents are trying hard to save the forest area in Sector-91 from being converted into a Biodiversity park. Now, an environmentalist Vikrant Tongad has appealed in National Green Tribunal (NGT) to save the forest. Dwarka News

Tongad approached the NGT after being dissatisfied with the action of the authority and the forest department.

“We have no option but to go to NGT as the authority has turned a deaf ear towards our concerns and pleas. To save the environment, we are left with no other option,” said petitioner Tongad.

The application seeks to bring in notice the blatant violation of the environmental laws particularly felling of approximately 3,000 old grown trees and imminent threat of further felling of additional 10,000 trees for development of a bio-diversity park.

The application highlights that the felling of trees by Noida Authority is in complete violation of Environment Protection Act, 1986 (EPA), the Biodiversity Act, 2002 and the orders of NGT.

The hearing in the case will happen on Friday.

Environmentalists and nearby residents are angry and protesting against the authority’s decision to make a bio-diversity park with amenities like amphitheatre, swimming pool and food court in Sector-91. The authority has already felled 2,888 eucalyptus trees for the same.

More than Rs 30 lakhs in forest dept coffers for trees felled at Sec 91 park

The felled trees from the proposed bio-diversity park in Sector 91, Noida, are being sent to a Delhi-based construction company, Rudra Construction. It is also carrying out the felling.

The company won a bid by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department held in Khurja, UP.   

PK Srivastava, District Forest Officer of Gautam Budh Nagar, confirmed the same to City Spidey. The bid was for felling of 3,000 standing trees.

Stayavir Singh, the company’s site in-charge officer, said, “We won the auction,  and paid Rs 33 lakh plus 18% GST and Rs 60,000 of stamp duty and some other transaction fees to the government. This is the first time we have undertaken such type of work.” Noida News

But the contract has led to losses for us, Singh said.

“The trees are being sold in the mandi [wholesale market]. The weight of the eucalyptus trees is usually less than 10 kg. The average weight from one tree is around 3 to 4 quintal, and we are selling at Rs 211 per quintal. So, for 3,000 trees [12,000 quintal], we are making Rs 25,32,000. So, as you can see, the company is losing out,” explained Singh.

According to Rajender Kumar, Deputy Director of Horticulture of Noida Authority, said, “We want the approval for 3,909 trees, but only 3,000 trees have been allowed to be cut down. We’ll only take down eucalyptus trees.”

However, the company admitted to felling five babool trees as well.

Also, the letter in which the forest department gives permission mentions "standing trees of different types". 

Ghaziabad: Outgoing SP city felicitated at Cloud 9 Auditorium

The Federation of Apartments Owners Association (FedAOA) and Citizen Volunteer Force organised a farewell ceremony to felicitate outgoing SP city Akash Tomar on Thursday. Tomar was promoted to take up the charge as SSP Sant Kabir Nagar in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

The event was held in Cloud 9 auditorium at NH 58.

FedAOA felicitated him with a certificate of excellence in community policing.

“It was our honour to felicitate an honest, dedicated and innovative police officer. We congratulate and extend our heartiest wishes for his new role as SSP Sant Kabir Nagar,” said Ravindra Saini, General Secretary of FedAOA.

ADM city Himanshu Gautam was also present at the ceremony.

Ghaziabad News

Gautam said that he is proud of his friend Tomar. “He has been a very good friend and more than that he is a great officer. I am proud of his work here and I am sure he will do his best to help the citizens of Sant Kabir Nagar just like he did in Ghaziabad,” he said.

Tomar has a great rapport with the active residents of Trans-Hindon Area.

Lipika Bhushan, a resident of ATS Advantage in Indirapuram, said, “Tomar Sir has been a strong support for women on issues of their safety and security. He was very prompt to respond and take action. Under his administration, the crime rate dropped significantly especially chain snatching and general safety of women.”

Recently, Tomar was in news regarding a scuffle between lawyers and Police in Ghaziabad District Court on August 3. It was followed by a 22-day long hunger strike by the members of Ghaziabad Bar Association to mount the pressure on the government to take action against Tomar.

The 2014 batch IPS officer Shlok Kumar will take charge of SP city from Akash Tomar.

HUDA's temporary measures to prevent waterlogging fail to make impact

The tall claims made by HUDA regarding widening of Badshahpur drain in Gurgaon before the monsoon to ensure smooth drainage of rainwater fell flat on Tuesday when the city received 128mm of rain. Gurgaon News

Waterlogged roads, chaos and confusion prevailed everywhere with office-goers stranded for hours in traffic jams. Pedestrians had to wade through knee-length water at certain places.

Many underpasses and subways built across the city were rendered unusable as they were inundated with water. “It usually takes me 40 minutes to reach my office in Cyber City from Sohna Road, but today it took me 2 hours 40 minutes. One day of rain, and the entire city turns into a mess,” said Amit Gupta, an IT executive and a resident.

To ensure minimum waterlogging, HUDA had made temporary arrangements at Khandsa in June this year. HUDA had installed additional pipelines in a 600-metre portion of the Badshahpur drain at Khandsa village after it failed to remove structures encroaching the space. It was to build a concrete drain there. 

The drain’s width in the 600-metre portion is 10 metres and the plan was to widen it by an additional 10 metres on each side.

The authority had identified 72 fully built and occupied houses on both sides of the drain, but could remove only 33 of them on one side by June.

So, with the monsoon’s arrival, it installed two pipelines and put six motors at sump well near the National Highway to pump out rainwater in case the sump overflows.

HUDA administrator Chander Shekhar Khare said, “We had no time to construct a concrete drain in the village as the monsoon arrived. Hence, we had to make do with temporary arrangements.”

Vasundhara's Vartalok now has a new AOA

Vartalok society in Vasundhara Sector 4C held its annual AOA election on Sunday, August 26.

Ten members have been elected in the AOA board, which will constitute the new AOA.

The AOA will be headed by its new president, Chandra Singh Harihar.

Interestingly, all the contenders got elected to the AOA board without voting, as there were no other contenders.

The elected board comprises three old and seven new members. 

The election was held under the observation of Alok Kumar, President of Federation of Apartments Owners Association President (FedAOA).

Alok Kumar said that it is actually a positive sign that elected members did not face opposition.

"Uncontested victory of nominated candidates shows that people had faith in the candidates. It is an imperative for an AOA to function properly," Kumar said.

Noida bio-diversity park row: Residents protest at authority’s plantation drive

To quell the anger of residents who are against the proposed bio-diversity park in Sector 91, the Noida Authority organised a plantation drive today at the site, wherein 800 saplings of various varieties were planted.

Noida News

But the drive wasn’t received well by a section of residents who staged a protest to show their anger at the authority’s decision to cut a part of the forest.

“This is the only forest area left in the city, which provides oxygen to us. It is also the habitat of several wild animals. They can’t take it away from us. We are not against the plantation drive but we are not supporting the decision to make a park out of a forest,” said Nikhat Tyagi, a resident participating in the protest.

Residents say that the city already has enough parks and most of them are not well maintained by the authorities. “They should work on maintaining those parks first, rather than making a new one,” said another resident.

Meanwhile, speaking to City Spidey, Rajender Kumar, Deputy Director of Horticulture Department of Noida Authority, said, “We planted more than 800 saplings today of 14 different varieties, including neem, sheesham, sirus, jamun. Our plan is to plant more than 150 varieties of plants in the area."

A small group of residents supporting the construction of the bio-diversity park also turned up at the drive today. They were seen telling the protesters to leave the place.

According to the supporters, cutting down of eucalyptus trees from the area — the predominant vegetation there — is a good move, since this particular species absorbs a lot of water.

People from adjacent villages are also supporting the construction of the park. “There is no park for villagers. Most of the societies have a park built by the builder whereas every sector has a dedicated park made by the Noida Authority. This park will be a good addition for us,” said, Rameshwar Chaudhary, a villager.

GMDA plans to constitute committee to brainstorm reasons for flooding

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has decided to constitute a five-member committee including civil engineers, environmentalists and other experts to look into the reasons behind severe water logging which happened on Tuesday.

Not only the situation was worse on Tuesday but it was also the same on Wednesday as well. Many areas of the city were inundated after five hours of rain on Tuesday.

After the 128 mm rainfall, the underpasses at Hero Honda Chowk and parts of MG Road, Sohna Road, Golf Course Extension Road, and internal sector roads were severely water logged.

Lalit Arora, in-charge, water-sewer, as well as the superintending engineer of the GMDA, said that the panel will have officials from GMDA, Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and independent experts.

Arora said that the objective of having members from different areas is to look into the drainage faults from all angles. He added that the officials will work towards finding a sustainable solution to the problem. Gurgaon News

“The proposal to constitute committee will be finalised within a day or two. After the heavy rains, we were busy in draining out water from Hero Honda Chowk, Khandsa and Subhash Chowk. It is now a challenge to overcome the current situation,” Arora added.

In 2012, the HSVP, which was then known as Haryana urban development authority (Huda), had zeroed down on 27 locations which were highly prone to water logging. These locations included Subhash Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk.

Arora said that they were successful in sorting out the problem of water logging at these locations. “We de-silted all our stormwater drains in May and June. However, we did not anticipate such heavy rain,” said Arora.

Arora also stressed on the need to revive rainwater harvesting in the city to prevent the rain run-off from flooding streets.

After the massing water logging of 2016 which resulted in 20-hour "Gurujam," many measures were proposed to keep the city free from water logging.

V Umashankar, chief executive officer (CEO), GMDA, said, “We have to find out the reason for the waterlogging at the Hero Honda Chowk underpass. We need to hold talks with the NHAI and find a lasting solution.”

Female guards step into a male territory

When women take charge, they mean business. This is no feminist rant — this is what most society managements in Dwarka feel now. And they have been hiring female security guards to beef up security and also keep a check on the activities of domestic helps.

Cooperative Group Housing Societies (CGHS) like United Apartments and DPS apartments in Sector 4, and Sanmati Apartments in Sector 6 already have a female security guard working with them during the day time.

According to the management of these societies, female guards have been deployed to keep an eye on maids and female workers entering the societies. Dwarka News

Secretary of Sanmati Apartments, SK Mishra, said, “On a daily basis, about 20 domestic helps entire our premises. The presence of a female guard has helped us a lot in handling them. They are also very tactful and polite in handling difficult situations.

Another female guard has been working efficiently at United Apartments for the past two months. Speaking to City Spidey, DV Sardana, President of the society, said, “It was getting extremely difficult for us to manage 30-odd maids working here on a daily basis. The addition of the female guard has not only strengthened our security system but also decreased the incidence of thefts.”

These female security guards are fully trained and experienced, and have been working in the field for some time.

Geeta Kumari, a female guard presently working at Sanmati Apartments, was earlier working at the airport. She has been working in the field of security service for three years now. “Working in a society is a totally different experience and I am enjoying it thoroughly. It feels good to be appreciated,” said Geeta.

Geeta Kumari

The Federation of Cooperative Group Housing Societies is also promoting the concept of hiring female guards. Secretary of Federation and a resident of Diamond Square Apartments, Sector 6, V Selvarajan said, “This is a very good move. We totally support such initiatives. In fact, we advise that all the societies should at least employ one female guard during the day time.”

Noida: Snakes enter societies in search of habitat after felling of forest trees

The wildlife at the forest of Sector-91 has taken a big hit after the chopping of trees for development of a biodiversity park. Residents of nearby societies are complaining that animals are now searching for new habitat. Noida News

They are reporting repeated cases of snakes entering into their societies.

“The lives of many residents are at stake after the chopping of trees for development of the park. The animals are now looking for their new homes. It is the main reason behind snakes entering the society premises,” a resident said.  

The nearby residents are constantly protesting against the felling of trees for the park. They have already said that the forest area should be kept intact. “The authority should first maintain the other parks instead of developing new ones,” residents said.

The residents also questioned the authority’s decision to plant Eucalyptus trees in 1986-87. They said that there was no point in planting Eucalyptus trees when it has been scientifically proved that the tree absorbs more water than any other tree.

When we put forward these questions to the officials of Noida Authority, they remain silent or try to divert the question.

Nikhat Tyagi, a resident of ATS Greens Village, a residential society in Sector-93A told City Spidey that residents of any society or sectors prefer to visit the parks located within the society or within the sectors because they feel safe there. There is no sense in developing a park instead of the forest. Who is going to visit and why?

“In the master plan of 2021, the land is dedicated for the forest. In the draft of the master plan 2031, the land is chosen for the park but it has not been approved as of now. So, the question is that how the authority is making the park instead of the forest without any approval. NCR planning department is yet to give approval,” Tyagi said.

Tyagi also said that the authority has chopped the trees during the night. The remaining part of trees like stem, roots are also sent to other places during the night.

“The authority first issued the tender for cutting the trees. The second tender was for taking plant saplings. The third was for the maintenance of the plant and many more. It is only a money making exercise,” Tyagi said.

The Noida Authority was apathetic to animals. They did not think about the animals. They did not bother to think about their lost habitat when they cut trees. Now, it is a real worry whether those animals will return back to the forests or not.

Dwarka ACP assures action in the back-to-back puppy murders

The community of dog lovers in Dwarka finally have the assurance of the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Dwarka), Rajender Singh. In a meeting held today at his office he promised prompt action against the merciless killings of strays in the last one week.

Concerned SHOs and investigating officers were also present during the meeting.

The ACP said security guards and RWA members would also be questioned on the events that transpired. Dwarka News

Within a span of one week since last Monday, 13 dogs have been killed, and one is in a critical condition. Six dogs were poisoned at Akshardham Apartments in two separate incidents, while seven puppies were stabbed to death at Kargil Apartments.

During the meeting, residents expressed their anxiety about the killings. Most felt the gruesome murders were the handiwork of a “psychopath”, hence a matter of grave concern. Most agreed that they felt unsafe now.

Pratibha Singh from Kargil Apartments requested the ACP to send out a strong message to those who think inflicting violence on animals is acceptable — they should be made to understand that such killings would invite consequences.   

Another dog lover from Crescent Apartments in Sector 18, Madhu Dagar, said, “I hope we’ll see results now. The assurance from the ACP has made us feel a bit positive.”

I'puram: AOA, temple committee of ATS Advantage clash over 'keertan' hall

A clash occurred between the temple committee and AOA of ATS Advantage, Ahinsa Khand I, Indirapuram, on Sunday afternoon after the AOA locked the “keertan” hall of the temple located in the society. The AOA alleged its unregulated use by the committee.

Sources told City Spidey that a group of residents, led by a few AOA members, locked the hall which was opposed by the temple committee members. This led to a verbal spat and later the police was also called to the scene.

 Indirapuram News

The arguing members of both the parties were later called to the police station and advised to arrive on a solution amicably.

When contacted, the police confirmed that such an incident happened but refused to divulge any details. Police also did not give any official statement. “The matter is between residents and GDA. I can’t comment on it,” said Sachin Malik, SHO, Indirapuram.

However, the case has attracted the attention of higher authorities as ATS Advantage is home to many ex-bureaucrats and retired IAS officers. Today, Himanshu Gautam, ADM (city), asked Malik to facilitate a peaceful solution between both the parties.

Meanwhile, sources say that the dispute has been going on for several months now. The AOA wants to take control of the hall and implement a pay-per-use model, but the committee is against any such action.

According to the AOA, the hall should come under their control, but the committee says it is not possible as builder has directly given them the hall.

A resident on the condition of anonymity said that the AOA is playing the politics of domination. “The AOA wants to prove its domination and are resorting to these actions without taking the consent of other residents.”

The resident further added that the AOA should have called a general body meeting to take everybody’s opinion into account.

City Spidey got to know that the disputed property was earlier used as sales and marketing office for the project (ATS Advantage). Later, a temple was built adjacent to the office. But once the office got vacated, the temple committee started using it as a place to hold prayers and religious gatherings. For the past two years, the hall is also used by the committee members to organise functions.

City Spidey tried to reach the AOA, but they refused to give any official statement.

Fire breaks out in a restaurant of Jaipuria Sunrise Greens, Indirapuram

Yet again pointing to lapses in fire-safety measures adopted by eateries in residential complexes, a fire broke out yesterday evening in the kitchen area of a restaurant, Cuisines of Hyderabad, in the commercial area of Jaipuria Sunrise Greens in Indirapuram.

No casualties have been reported. 

The incident was reported at around 6.30 pm, when the flames started. The reason for the fire is still unknown.

Security guards rushed to the scene and brought the situation under control with fire extinguishers.

“More than 50 extinguishers were employed to control the fire. The situation was in control before the arrival of the fire brigade,” confirmed Suman Pal, AOA President of Jaipuria Sunrise Greens.

The restaurant is located on the ground floor of M Block. Indirapuram News

The tower contains 17 floors and the fire could have jeopardized the lives of hundreds of residents living in it, Pal said.

The society, which has 1,100 flats in its 16 towers, has more than 50 such restaurants operating without a fire NOC in its commercial complex, said Pal.

More than 300 shops operate illegally on the ground floor and basement area of the residential towers, Pal added.

He blamed the GDA for the situation.

“How can restaurants be allowed to run in basements — that too without a fire NOC!” he retaliated.

To bring focus on the matter, the AOA has lodged a complaint on the chief minister's Jansunwai portal.

Gurgaon: 26-year-old IIM graduate found hanging from ceiling fan at DLF 5

A 26-year-old IIT and IIM graduate committed suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan at his apartment in DLF-5 on Tuesday.

Mehul Priyadarshni hailed from Ranchi in Jharakhand. He did his engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, and did his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow. He was working as a strategist at Accenture.

As per the police, he joined Accenture two months and he was living in a rented apartment at Princeton Estate, DLF 5 with two of his batch mates from IIM.

The roommates belonged to Nagpur and Bhatinda. They were out of the city for Raksha Bandhan celebrations and returned on Monday evening. Gurgaon News

“They knocked the door but he did not respond, following which they went to their respective rooms and fell asleep. On Tuesday morning, they once again knocked on his door. When he did not respond, they became suspicious. They alerted the security guards, who broke open the gate and found him hanging from the ceiling fan with the help of a bedsheet,” Vikas Kaushik, inspector, Sector 53 police station said.

The police said that the security supervisor had informed them about the suicide. After that, a team including the station house officer (SHO) reached the spot.

The police also said that it looked like a suicide case prima facie but as there was no suicide note, they will continue with the probe. They added that his mobile phone and laptop were found to be locked.

“We are interacting with Priyadarshi’s roommates, and have also seized his laptop and mobile phone for clues. The parents might also share some details which would give some clarity regarding the suicide,” Kaushik said.

The family of the victim has been informed about the incident. His elder brother is working with a bank and is posted in Aligarh.

The police have sent the body for post-mortem which will happen on Wednesday.

Noida: Work at JM Orchid held up as sacked AOA president refuses to budge

The maintenance work at JM Orchid, a residential society in Sector 76, Noida, have been on hold for more than 20 days now, after the president and treasurer of their AOA were sacked on the charges of corruption.

Noida News

Though the new president and the treasurer have been selected in a general body meeting, the ex-president has refused to change his signing authority with bank. Because of which all payments to vendors have been put on hold, and maintenance work has come to a standstill.

Anurag Dhandha, Secretary of AOA, said, “On August 5, an audio proof was presented to us alleging corruption charges against Jitendra Pratap Singh, ex-president and P Sasi, ex-treasurer of the AOA. The majority of the people in the meeting had decided to sack them.”

Anurag further added that Singh refused to change his signing authority with bank even after the incident. “All the maintenance work is stuck because of non-payment to vendors.”

“We had received two audio clips. In the first one, Sasi could be heard talking to someone from our security agency about kickback payments of Rs 15,000 per month to reduce penalty amounts. In the second clip, Singh was heard talking to a security agency person about one-time payment of Rs 1 lakh on the award of a contract and a monthly kickback of Rs 20,000,” elaborated Anurag.

He also added that a forensic test of the audio was done to confirm its authenticity.

A board meeting was conducted on August 9, where SC Bhalla was selected as the new president and Rahul Bhandari as the new treasurer. “On August 10, we also sent a letter to the Meerut Registrar informing about the newly elected members,” Anurag said.

Vikrant Safe Guard India Pvt Ltd is the security vendor of JM Orchid since July 2017. On August 5, the security company had also complained to police about Singh and Sasi asking for bribe. According to the complaint, “From the past 6-7 months, the security agency staff are facing extreme humiliation by AOA President Jitendra in the form of threats, unethical debits, withholding of payments."

When contacted, Singh told City Spidey that the audio clip was fake. “It is a conspiracy theory hatched by the security agency and Anurag to defame me. In April 2018, I had imposed a penalty Rs 1.8 lakh on the security agency following which I started getting threats,” he said.

Singh also added that the Meerut Registrar has not given any order to remove him from the AOA. “They have only asked me for an explanation on the issue within 15 days, which I have already submitted. The society is not on hold, I am signing all the cheques. Just a couple of days back, I signed a cheque for Rs 1.5 lakh to purchase diesel,” said Singh.

He further opined that according to the building bylaws, a new president needs to be elected the same day the present one is expelled. “They selected new president and treasurer on another date, which is against the law.”

Noida Authority accepts felling of 2,888 eucalyptus trees to create eco-park

Amidst all the protests against chopping of trees, a top officer of the Noida Authority on Tuesday accepted that they have felled 2,888 eucalyptus trees for the purpose of making bio-diversity park at Sector-91 in Noida. Noida News

He said that the authority had already taken permission from forest department to cut 3,000 eucalyptus trees within the 75 acres of the forest area. The budget for making this park is Rs 50 crore.

Rajender Kumar, Deputy Director of Horticulture told City Spidey after they stopped cutting trees from the time of Eid and Raksha Bandhan as the labours went on leave.

Out of 3,000 eucalyptus trees, only 2888 trees were cut in the area of Sector-91. “On August 29, the Noida Authority will conduct a plantation drive at the Sector-91 and also requested the surrounding residents to join this movement,” Kumar said.

The authority is going to plant 5,000 saplings of traditional trees including Neem, Jamun, Banyan and many more. They will also plant 19,625 ornamental trees to make this park the most beautiful in the city.

The facilities like long cycle tracks, walkways, water bodies, and amphitheatre etc. will be made available to the public.

In the plantation drive, the authority has planned to plant over 180 species of trees; 90 species of shrubs and grasses; and 20 species of Bamboos and Palms. The Noida Authority aims to plant 4,500 trees, 99,000 shrubs, 1,000 climbers, 4.27 lakh ground covers and native grasses at the park.

The residents and environmentalist staged the protest last Saturday against this cutting of trees.

Aakash Vashistha, an environmentalist in Noida said that they are planning to take the legal route over cutting of trees and the decision to change a forest into bio-diversity park.

“The plantation drive is just an eyewash by the Noida Authority. The authority rakes big money by issuing tenders for plantation and its maintenance,” Vashistha said.

Chhavi Methi, Media Coordinator for Chipko Delhi-NCR and also an environmentalist, said that the authority just doing replacement of lost forest. “We did not want bio-diversity park and the authority should leave this place as it is,” Methi said.

I’puram: Non-payment of IFMS remains bone of contention between AOAs, builders

The AOA of Sunrise Greens is in a legal battle with its builder Jaipuria as the latter has not paid Interest Free Maintenance Security (IFMS) amounting Rs 4 crore. The AOAs of Gaur Valerio and Amrapali Village had earlier approached Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) against their builders as both the societies have also not received IFMS after the maintenance was handed over to them. Indirapuram News

This situation is almost the same in most of the societies in Indirapuram. The residents have approached either GDA or court in hope to receive IFMS from their builders. But, there has been no headway.

Suman Pal, President of Sunrise Greens, said that they had to move to the court because their builder went at large even before completing the project.

“We had approached GDA several times but they only assured us to resolve the matter in a face to face meeting with the builder which never happened,” he said.

“Our society collected around Rs 4.5 crore and spent on the infrastructure so that we can live without the fear of any mishap,” he added.

Maheshwaran Nair, Secretary of Amrapali Village RWA, said that the GDA’s power to deal with such cases is very limited. “In our case, the builder has not transferred Rs 2.5 crore of IFMS fund. We approached GDA. They directed the builder to pay the amount several times but we are yet waiting for it,” he said.

On the other hand, the AOA of Gaur Valerio is planning to file a case against its builder Gaursons India Limited. “Over Rs 1 crore of IFMS fund has not been transferred by the builder. We have sent notices and will soon file a legal suit against him” said Rajiv Munshi, Secretary of Gaur Valerio.

It is a thing to wonder that even after approaching GDA, the cases have not been solved.

VK Singh, Officer on Special Duty in GDA said that they can merely mediate between the parties. “We don’t have the power to take action against the builder,” he said.

Alok Kumar, FedAOA President, said that the problem is with the act. It doesn’t specify the redressal avenue for most of the conflicts which crop up between the builder and the buyer.

“UP Apartment Act 2010 only prescribes and regulates the real estate sphere but provides no remedy in case of the violation of the majority of the sections and provisions. It is also not clear from the Act as to whom or which authority is to be approached in case of the violations of the sections,” he said.

Kumar said that IFMS is the backbone of any society as it is used at the time of emergency. He also suggested that to discourage the builder from holding IFMS, an interest should be levied on it. “It should be made Interest Bearing Maintenance Security (IBMS),” he said.

Kumar further said that the matters related to IFMS should be covered in the RERA court to speed up the justice delivery.

“RERA has the obligation to solve matter within 60 days. It will speed up the IFMS matter pending for many years,” Alok said.

Federation of Apartments Owners Association wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh requesting the necessary amendment in the Act.

“I would request you to insert some sections in the UP Apartment (Promotion of Construction, Ownership & Maintenance) Act, 2010 for providing a remedy to its stakeholders by way of filing complaints before the Real Estate Regulatory Authority itself,” read the letter.

Half an hour of rain leaves Sector 28, Gurgaon, waterlogged

Just half an hour spell of rain on Monday afternoon brought more misery than joy to the residents of Sector 28 and Palam Vihar in Gurgaon. The residents had to wade through waterlogged streets as the entire Sector 28 was submerged. Gurgaon News

The residents complained that their vehicles parked outside were submerged in water and, at some places, water even entered inside the houses.

The residents have complained to Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) to clear the water and make movement easier. “It rained heavily between 1:30 pm and 2 pm and the entire sector was waterlogged,” said Ruchira Garg, a resident of Sector 28.

The GMDA officials said they will pump out the water soon.

“We couldn’t even open the doors of our cars. Our entire routine was thrown out of gear,” complained Anubha Tiwari, another resident.

Meanwhile, the residents say that the area has been dealing with this mess every year as the sector has no drainage system.

The residents of sectors 27 and 28, which are located along the Golf Course Road, have long been demanding a stormwater drain as the areas get completely waterlogged in the monsoons. Two weeks back, the residents, led by area councillor RS Rathee, had held a protest at the Mini Secretariat, demanding the construction of a stormwater drain.

“If the GMDA doesn’t take any action soon, then we will stage a much bigger protest next time,” said Abhinav Saxena, a resident of Sector 27.

The GMDA says it has been trying to acquire a 1,750 square yard-plot at Chakkarpur to construct a stormwater drain for sectors 27, 28 and other areas.

 “As a temporary arrangement, we have installed motors so that residents do not suffer. We are in the process of fixing the problem permanently,” said Lalit Arora, superintending engineer, GMDA.

Areas such as Palam Vihar, and Sectors 21, 22, 9, and 10 also reported waterlogging.

Now, four more puppies poisoned in Dwarka; one survivor in critical condition

Four more puppies were poisoned today at Akshardham Apartments in Sector 19, Dwarka. While three died, one is in critical condition. These latest killings have brought the toll to 13 in a week.

Residents also shared photographs of the dead puppies with City Spidey.

 Deeppak Verma, an animal-welfare activist, said, “I will file an FIR. This is turning into a serious problem. We’ll need to keep a vigil. Everybody who works in the society — sweepers, mali — will have to be immediately interrogated. Dwarka police should take this matter up urgently. Would appreciate it if the DCP personally takes it up.”

Last week, two more incidents were reported from Kargil Apartments in Sector 18, where seven puppies were stabbed to death, and Akshardham Apartments, where three puppies were poisoned.

Hema Meel, a dog lover, and a resident of Kargil Apartments in Sector 18, has been continually raising her voice against such mindless violence inflicted on strays.

She said, “This must be stopped urgently, as the situation is going out of control.”

These back-to-back episodes of killings have raised several questions on the efficacy of the administration. Residents feel the perpetrators no longer fear consequences because nothing concrete has been done so far.

Madhu Dagar, a social activist from Sector 18, retaliated, “How ineffective can the police be! Despite a previous FIR for poisoning of three strays at Akshardham Apartments, again four puppies have been killed. I mean, seriously, this can’t go on!”

When City Spidey confronted Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Narender Chawala, he said, “I will look into it immediately.”

Former member of Animal Welfare Board of India, Sonia Ghosh, admitted, “This is ineffective policing, as they couldn't do anything to stop a repeat.”

Why Noida is divided over the biodiversity park in Sector 91...

Noida has had mixed reactions to Noida Authority’s decision to fell 3,000 trees spread across 75 acres to make way for a bio-diversity park in Sector 91.  

While some residents are protesting over the felling of trees, others say that cutting down of eucalyptus trees from the area — the predominant vegetation there — is indeed a good move, since this particular species absorbs a lot of water.

Balendu Singh, RWA president of Sector 92, says, “We welcome this decision of Noida Authority. The park will change the entire geography of the area — this place will get a new look and can be home to several new varieties of birds.” Noida News

He continues, “There’s no wildlife here, just some nilgais and rabbits. I don’t know who has seen deer in this area — it’s fake information spread by some people. Strangely, people living in the vicinity — Sectors 92,93B and other high-rises — are not protesting, but those who don’t live here are more bothered!”

Amit Gupta, a resident of Prateek Wisteria in Sector 77, adds, “It's quite clear eucalyptus is not good for groundwater and must be removed. But people wanted the whole thing to happen in a phased manner. Seventy percent of the trees have already been cut — they want some planting activities done before the rest are felled.”

“...A few of neem and babool trees have been cut and we are worried about it. One way out is to mark/number the trees that are not meant to be felled. They can raise an alarm if these trees are cut. Also, if possible, we should reduce concrete work there to keep the greenery intact,” explains Gupta.

There are some RWAs that have welcomed the decision, and have written as much to Noida Authority. City Spidey, in fact, has access to four such letters.

On the other hand, some residents are opposed to the park — and the cutting down of trees. Their collective demand: “We want a forest and not park because there are a lot of parks, but there’s only one forest for the people of this city.”

Birdwatcher PR Chandna, a resident of Sector 62, opines, “The authority is wasting Rs 50 crore here! There are several parks made by Noida Authority, but they have failed to maintain them. There is D-Park in Sector 62, which is currently the second largest park in the city. It has a musical fountain and an amphitheatre, but both are not functional.”

Rajendra Kumar, Deputy Director of Horticulture, told City Spidey that the proposed park is not a whimsical decision, and it’s the people of the city who have demanded such a park.

“We are only felling eucalyptus trees. Had it been other trees, we wouldn’t have proposed felling,” he adds.

Noida Authority has decided to plant about 5,000 native varieties, and about one lakh shrubs and plants. Noida Authority also plans to plant 19,625 ornamental trees in the park. The authority has handed over the task to Uttar Pradesh Forest Corporation.

Residents of Panchsheel Greens in GreNo refuse to pay maintenance charges

Residents of Panchsheel Greens, a residential society in Noida Extension, are refusing to give the maintenance charges (MC) to the builder. They claim at the time of booking they paid the MC at the rate of Rs 2.05 per sq ft in advance for a period of two years, but no amenities have been developed by the builder so far.

The two years for which the residents paid advance payments ends on August 31. A meeting is on the anvil to decide the new rates. noida news

A resident said, “We have been living in this society for more than two years now, and till date, the builder has not provided even the basic facilities — people get stuck in the lifts regularly; construction work yet to be completed.”

Another resident, Vikas Kumar, added, “There’s no arrangement for security; the condition of the generator for power backup is bad — why then should we pay MC to the builder? The builder is yet to decide the new charges, and it is to be decided in a meeting with residents. The date is not fixed yet.”

“According to Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) guidelines, the builder or the developer is responsible for providing maintenance for the sold property on a regular basis, the charges of which has to be borne by the resident. These charges are to be reasonable. RERA has also made a maintenance agreement between the developer and the buyer mandatory, which must provide a break-down of the costs involved in the maintenance of the society,” said Kumar.

But the developer is yet to provide the maintenance agreement.

Residents also said that they requested the General Manager of Noida Power Corporation Limited (NPCL) for a meeting. “We want to meet the officials of NPCL and ensure that the developer does not start deducting maintenance charges from the prepaid electricity meter,” Kumar explained.

According to an official of the NPCL, the builder has the permission to deduct only the electric charges from the prepaid meter.

Zafar Hussain, general manager of Panchsheel Greens, told City Spidey that he has no idea about the maintenance agreement, as these things are dealt by the higher management alone. “We will continue to take the old rates till the meeting happens,” he added.

Severe waterlogging plagues traffic; residents fear repeat of 2016 ‘Gurujam’

The rains on Tuesday caused severe waterlogging at most of the places including the Hero Honda Chowk in Gurgaon. After seeing the water logging, the residents feared that the city may see a repeat of 20-hour jam which happened in 2016.

The traffic police had blocked all the entry and exit points as there was severe waterlogging around Hero Honda Chowk. gurgaon news

A senior official with the highway operator, Skylark Pvt Ltd, Devender Chahar, said that they are keeping a close vigil at the situation. “Pumps have been installed to take out the water. The service lanes at Hero Honda Chowk have been blocked because of severe waterlogging,” he added.  

As per the Meteorological Department, Palam Vihar recorded around 27.3mm rain on Tuesday.

All the important intersections including the Iffco Chowk and IMT Chowk which are on the Jaipur-Delhi Highway have been inundated.

The accumulated water can also be seen at two carriageways and a service lane of the Expressway near Narsinghpura.

The waterlogging at Haldiram underpass was also confirmed by the highway operator. They said that the people have been restricted to go towards the underpass.

Most parts of the city, including the MDI Chowk, the sector4-7 dividing road, sectors 9 and 22, Hans Enclave near Rajiv Chowk and Sohna Road, among others, were also waterlogged as drizzling continued in the city.

The current situation is definitely not consistent with the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s claims of cleaning all the drains ahead of the monsoon.

A resident of Malibue Towne in Sector 49, Nakul Dhiman, said that it took him 45 minutes to cover the distance of 2-km from Nirvana Country to Good Earth Mall. He said that the traffic police was also struggling to streamline the vehicular movements.

“Teams have been deployed and are taking control of the situation in places from where they have received complaints, such as the Golf Course Road, Sector 56 roundabout, HUDA Metro station and Sector 17/18 diving road. The situation is under control but traffic diversion is planned and there are traffic congestions at several parts,” Gurugram commissioner of police, KK Rao said.

“MCG officers are on the ground to deal with the waterlogged spots. Water has started to recede in most areas,” MCG commissioner Yashpal Yadav said.

Jersey barriers kept at Golf Course Road in Gurgaon get fresh paint

In a move that should have come a long way back, jersey barriers kept at the Golf Course Road have been given a fresh coat of paint, highlighting black and yellow stripes, to make them more visible to the commuters.

Last week, two young executives had died in a high-speed crash at the Genpact Crossing when their bike crashed into the jersey barrier kept at the crossing, close to the turn towards Gurgaon-Faridabad road.

Apart from the paint, caution signs, light beacons, reflective tapes, radium signs and yellow drums mentioning the speed limit have also been placed to warn commuters that the road work is in progress. According to the officials, once monsoon ends, the potholes on the road will also be fixed.

The roads become slippery in monsoons and any barriers can seriously harm commuters. On Tuesday night, after a party in DLF 4, two friends, Kelvin Martin and Anvita Kant had left together on a Royal Enfield bike and met with an accident on Golf Course Road. Their bike crashed with a concrete jersey barrier kept near Genpact crossing. Gurgaon News

According to the regular commuters, the barriers are kept abruptly in the middle of the road and do not even have caution signs making them extremely difficult to spot. Such barriers are kept throughout the city.

Gurugram Police, however, said that it is taking necessary measures to alert commuters from a distance about the placement of concrete jersey barriers on the roads.

Golf Course road is one of the main roads of the city connecting prime offices in Cyber City to the rest of Gurgaon. However, the ongoing construction and maintenance work often pose problem to commuters, especially at night.

Golf Course Road houses some of the most expensive and high-end real estate projects in Gurgaon. According to the officials, the road is designed using the most sough-after infrastructure and modern techniques. But the residents often complain that the planning lacks focus on pedestrians and cyclists.