NEFOWA requests NGT to reconsider its order to dump waste at Sector-123

The Noida Extension Flat Owners Welfare Association (NEFOWA) has knocked the doors of National Green Tribunal (NGT) over the disputed landfill at Sector-123 by filing to applications on Thursday.

The first application sought to make a party in the case on behalf of the residents of Noida who have been affected by the shifting of the dumping site to Sector-123.

The second application requested reconsideration of the NGT order dated on May 29 and also sought a direction to the Noida Authority to dump the garbage at the dumping site in Astoli village in Greater Noida instead of Sector-123.

According to the residents, they were left with no other option rather than moving to the court to restrict the Authority from dumping the city’s waste at the newly built dump yard in Sector-123.

“As per the first application, we want a party in the case which will be speaking on behalf of us. We request the NGT to reconsider the orders dated on May 29 and want them to issue direction regarding the construction of the landfill in Astoli village of Greater Noida instead of Sector-123,” said Abhishek Kumar, President of NEFOWA. Noida News

On May 29, the NGT had ordered to stop dumping of waste at Sector-54 after hearing a petition filed by resident welfare associations of sectors 22, 23, 53, 55 and 56. The order also stated that the waste should now be dumped at the Sector-123 site. When the dumping started in Sector-123, people started protesting against it.

NEFOWA in its application has urged that since Noida has already taken environmental clearance for the municipal solid waste management and processing facility at Astoli way back in May 2016, there is no point in making a temporary dumping site in Sector-123 in violation of the provisions of the solid waste management rules, 2016.

According to the solid waste management rules, 2016, a landfill site should be situated at a distance of 100 meters from a riverbed, and 200 meters from water bodies, highways, habitations, public parks and water wells.

However, Rajesh Singh, the officer on special duty of Noida Authority, said that they have always followed the NGT order and rules. “The contempt of court case filed by the residents is not the reason behind the start of dumping at Sector-123. We already had plans to start dumping at Sector-123.”

The NGT had issued contempt of court notice against the Noida Authority for continuing dumping at Sector-54. The next hearing is scheduled for July 19.

International Yoga Day: Here's what it looked like in Noida and I'puram

On the occasion of International Yoga Day today, Noida's parks, clubhouses, community centres and open spaces located across sectors — 20,21, 26, 34, 39, 44, 45, 47, 50, 53, 55, 71, 74, 77 and 100 — turned into sites of bustling morning activity.

Residents thronged the venues to participate in the day that has gained particular prominence under the aegis of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  

Though events were held at various sectors, the one held at Noida Stadium witnessed the largest attendance. Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, too, was seen at the stadium striking yoga poses.

Children and youngsters from various government schools and colleges too joined in, lending the place a youthful energy. noida news

Akash Singh, a resident of Sector 50, said, “It was great to see so many people during the morning —usually only senior citizens are seen doing yoga, but today a large number of youngsters joined in. But it’s not just about a day — it should be turned into a lifestyle.” 

The scene was the same at Indirapuram, with societies organizing early-morning events to mark the day. 

Dwarka: Borewells de-sealed to handle water crisis

In response to application sent by the RWAs to DM’s office, de-sealing of borewells has started in Sector 9, Dwarka.

The RWAs sought DM Abhishek Dev’s permission to start using the sealed borewells once again, as a water crisis has left the societies in panic. The matter was discussed by managements of eight societies in a meeting with the area MLA, Devender Sehrawat.

The de-sealing will benefit societies such as Paradise Apartments, Royale Residency and Manzil Apartments. Dwarka News

President of FORWAS (Federation of RWAs of Sector 9) Advocate KS Bhati said, “This is good news, and we are thankful to the authority for taking the matter seriously. This time, three societies have been picked for de-sealing —the same would be done for the remaining societies soon.”

On June 4, a meeting of RWA representatives and the NGT advisory committee, headed by the DM, was held to discuss the matter.   

Jayant Mandol, a resident of Manzil Apartments, said, “The advisory committee took the decision in favour of the people, as we were facing a water crisis. Moreover, the quality of water we got from the borewells was also good. So, de-sealing them made perfect sense.”

Earlier, in April, on the orders of National Green Tribunal a borewell sealing drive by the DJB began in Dwarka.

Eight societies began facing water crisis and people were compelled to buy water from private tankers.

The RWAs and managements were thus prompted to action, and went to NGT court, seeking a de-sealing of the borewells.

MCG cancels auctioning of tax defaulters’ properties due to poor bids

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Wednesday cancelled the auctioning process for properties of tax defaulters due to poor bidding. The auction was going on at Huda Gymkhana Club in Sector-29.

As per the officials, the properties will now be sold through the e-auctioning process.

The officials said, “Auctioning process started with a 638 square yard space at Ansal Corporate Plaza in Palam Vihar which was valued to be around Rs 20 lakh. The MCG had reserved a bidding price of ₹1.25 lakh for the property. But, the price only reached Rs 1.56 lakh even after three bids. Seeing the poor bidding, the officials then called off the auction process.”

“A total of six properties were scheduled to be put under the hammer. However, these will now be sold through an e-auction,” MCG spokesperson SS Rohilla said.

It was the second occasion when MCG had to terminate an auction. They had also cancelled an auction on August 28, 2017. gurugram news

MCG commissioner Yashpal Yadav informed that properties of tax defaulters will now be sold through the e-auctioning process.

Yadav had also reminded the defaulters about the MCG rebate scheme which will expire on July 31.  He said, “The defaulters should take advantage of MCG rebate scheme which offers 10 per cent amnesty on property tax dues else they will be sold through e-auction.”

As of now, the MCG has been successful in auctioning 10 of the properties by garnering Rs 8 crore in two auctions held in the past.

Gurgaon: DHBVN starts work to address long power cuts in DLF Phase-III

To address the problem of long power cuts in DLF Phase-III, the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has begun putting extra electricity cables, replacement of old transformers and installation of new ones.

Gurgaon News

DLF Phase-III witnessed power cuts as long as 12-20 hours in the month of May and June. After many protests by residents, the DHBVN was forced to take action. The residents had blocked the Moulsari Avenue Road on June 10 for about an hour.

The DHBVN is carrying out the works from last week. So far, four old transformers have been replaced by the discom. Four new transformers have also been installed. The work is expected to complete in a month’s time.

“To provide uninterrupted electricity to residents, we have started installing transformers and replacing cables. The work will continue for a month to complete the installation,” KC Aggarwal, superintending engineer DHBVN, said.

Vijay Pal Yadav, a resident of DLF Phase-III, said, “We appreciate that the DHBVN began work after our protest. The area now has eight new transformers, which are good enough to ensure uninterrupted supply to the area. For years, we have been demanding replacement of damaged and old, low-capacity transformers. We held several protests in the past two months.”

The illegal constructions in U block and commercial activities were the main reason behind the frequent power cuts in DLF Phase-III. The illegal construction activities had caused serious damages to the infrastructure.

The power load in the area has also been high because of illegal constructions in the area.

International Yoga Day: Number of participants goes up from last year in Dwarka

The International Yoga Day was celebrated on Thursday with zeal and passion all across Dwarka. People were seen doing yoga at many parks and societies. The parks witnessed hundreds of people walking in early in the morning to take part in yoga sessions.

Emphasising the importance of yoga in terms of health and overall well-being, the residents said that they were very enthusiastic about attending yoga session when the world was celebrating it.

Mega yoga events were organised at Sector-17 and Sector-11 parks. Pravaesh Verma, MP, also participated in the yoga sessions. He did yoga with hundreds of people of the area and also addressed the gathering. Dwarka News

Verma said that yoga is constantly gaining popularity as yoga sessions were held at 70 places in Dwarka this year. “Last year, yoga sessions were organised at 40 places in the area and this year the number is 70. It shows that yoga has become more popular.”

Yoga expert Hardeep Siwach said, “On International Yoga Day, people participate in the yoga sessions to celebrate the day. And, it helps them to understand benefits of yoga. As a result, the number of people attending yoga sessions is increasing year after year.”

“Now, the corporate professionals, housewives and children have also incorporated yoga in their lifestyle which is a good sign for a healthy society,” said Siwach.

Delhi: Response to roof-top solar projects bleak despite ample promotions

Despite much-publicised roof-top solar projects, only 85 MW of solar system has been installed against the target of 312 MW in the national capital as of now. Out of the total solar system installed, nearly 95 per cent are on government buildings. The work in the residential sector has been almost negligible. Delhi News

As per the data accessed by City Spidey, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is in top position with the installation of 16 MW of solar system on its buildings. The Airports Authority of India has installed 8 MW. IIT-Delhi has installed 2 MW whereas the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has installed 8 MW. Railway has installed 5 MW while the Delhi Secretariat has installed 2 MW.

The response in the residential sector has been almost negligible despite the efforts of the Delhi government’s power department and offer of extra subsidy. Only two residential societies including Milan Vihar Apartments in East Delhi and Shiv Bhole Apartments in Dwarka have given their roof-tops for the purpose of installing solar panels in the association of private firms.

Delhi Latest News

To encourage residential sector for the solar system, the Delhi government had introduced a generation-based incentive (GBI) of Rs 2 per unit and it was given after the offer of 30 per cent subsidy on solar system by the central government.

A senior official told City Spidey that the Delhi government has offered GBI for a period of three years on a first-come-first-serve basis. According to the official, for that purpose, the government has allocated Rs 10 crore for the first year(2016-17), Rs 20 crore for the second year (2017-18) and Rs 30 crore for the third year (2018-19).

“We wrote many letters to housing societies and RWAs and also held several meetings with them on different occasions. But, their decision-making process was very slow. Societies were also concerned about solar panels occupying the space of roof-tops for 25 years,” a senior official said.

However, RWAs and representatives of Co-operative Group Housing Societies (CGHS) blamed the government for not reaching out to them with the proper proposal. “The government is expecting a good response without reaching out to the RWAs,” said Atul Goel, President of United Residents Joint Action (URJA) who is leading over 2,500 RWAs in the city.

People in residential sector have their own reasons for hesitating to install a solar system on roof-top of the buildings.

“Investment of Rs 60-70 lakh is an issue in some of the housing societies but it is not an issue in other societies. The main concern is lack of trust in government policy. Installing solar panels through a private firm is a big concern for societies. The expected time for the payment of subsidy (30%) is not clear. This was the main reason for people to hesitate in accepting the policy,” P D Bhatt, President of United India Apartments in East Delhi said.

Landfill update: Now, over to yoga to get the PM's attention

It was an unusual sight — thousands, including women, children, senior citizens, villagers, residents, could be seen in yoga positions in the early morning hours at Sector 123. Most of them were wearing masks to be able to bear the terrible stench of the garbage.

It’s the International Day of Yoga, and this is what the residents did to draw attention of the prime minister towards their plight.   Noida News

Their challenge on this day to both the PM and the CM? If you could, do yoga with us in Sector 123 — try and breathe through the stench!

The dumping at the site has just begun, but with no rains, things have become unbearable.

Residents, reiterating their demand, appealed to the CM to keep his word, and ensure that a 2-km distance is maintained between the landfill site and any human habitation. 

They also want the site to be turned into a sports complex.  

HUDA cancels liquor-vend contract in Sector 43

In response to complaints from local residents, HUDA today cancelled the permission for a liquor vend in Sector 43, Gurgaon.

The vend was to open in the parking area adjacent to Gold Souk mall in Sector 43. There are six large housing societies located close to the vend site, including Sanskriti, Powergrid, Sarika, Jeevan, Tara, Navyug and Cameroon Court, with around 3,000 families.

Residents met HUDA administrator today and handed over a petition demanding withdrawal of permission. They cited security reasons for the demand.

gurgaon news

Bharat Bhushan Gogia, estate officer, HUDA said, “The authority has decided to revoke the permission granted for the opening of a liquor vend, as a large number of residents filed objections, and also met the administrator — their objections were found to be genuine.”

The location also has a number of schools and temples.

“The safety and security of women, children and senior citizens would have been greatly jeopardised had the vend opened there. We also cited the Bombay High Court decision, which has stated that local residents have a right to oppose the setting up of liquor vends. No consent was sought from any of the management committees of the societies,” explained Subodh Kumar Mishra, a resident, who also met the HUDA officials.

Traffic police halt repair work of service lanes on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway

The traffic police on Wednesday forced the highway concessionaire to stop the repair work on services lanes on both the sides of Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway near Narsinghpur village. They detained men and machinery from the site saying that they have not been informed about the work.

However, the officials of the Millennium City Expressway Private Limited (MCEPL) said that the traffic police forced them to stop the work near the Sona Steering Company despite the prior intimation which was sent on Tuesday. gurgaon news

The highway concessionaire claimed that the repair works on service lanes were required there is a high chance of water logging during the time of monsoon. They were carrying out the installation of pipes, the concretisation of service lane and repair of potholes.

 “During monsoons, there’s heavy water logging on the service roads. We need to repair potholes and install water pipes so rainwater can be diverted. However, the traffic police officials refused to allow the work to happen,” MCEPL chief executive officer S Raguraman said.

The traffic police halted the work just after half an hour on Wednesday. The work was started at around 11 am. “When asked for the reason, the traffic cops told us they had not been informed about the work. This, however, is not correct as we had given information on Tuesday,” MCEPL engineer Saikrishna Madiri said.

However, many traffic police officers of the concerned police station denied about having information about traffic police officers halting the repair work. They also said that they have not received any information from the MCEPL regarding this.

“I am not aware of any such incident,” said inspector Jaiprakash, SHO of the concerned traffic police station where MCEPL’s seized machinery was kept for four hours.

The MCEPL officials, on the condition of anonymity, said that the machinery and workers were only released when the concessionaire came into action.

Landfill update: Agitators carry out shirtless protests at Parthala Chowk

Hundreds of protesters gathered Parthala Chowk in Noida today and removed their shirts to express ire against Noida Authority for its move to set up the waste-to-energy plant at Sector 123 on National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders.  

Women protestors, too, joined in and sat down in the middle of the road, throwing traffic out of gear at the chowk.   noida news

In the meantime, a group of protesters met Akhilesh Yadav, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, and also the president of Samajwadi Party, on the issue.

The protestors are feeling let down by current Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who had said that any landfill site should be at least 2 km from any from an area of habitation, but Noida Authority is seen not to be relenting on the matter.

On June 19, a meeting was held between Noida Authority and the protesters in front of union minister and local MP Dr Mahesh Sharma and MLA Pankaj Singh, but it yielded no fruits.

Noida Authority wants protesters to make an 11-member committee — comprising representatives from villages and high-rises — to hold talks on this issue, but protesters rejected this demand, saying the issue is not about urban and rural and every meeting should be held in public, in front of all.

Anupam Oberoi, a resident of Sector 122, told City Spidey, “Akhilesh Yadav extended his support to us and asked us to move court and take legal action.”

Oberoi also said, “We are waiting for the court to end its summer vacation on July 2, so can file a petition with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against Noida Authority’s decision.”

Electrical safety norms a joke in Dwarka; people highly vulnerable to shocks

People in Dwarka are highly vulnerable to electric shocks as naked wires, open fuse boxes and supply junctions can be spotted at the premises in the area. They are posing serious threats to the people at roads, parks and DDA’s residential and commercial buildings.

The residents said that all the authorities including the DDA, BSES and Municipal Corporation are ignorant about this problem. There are many places where these boxes have been placed at a very low height. Hence, people are more vulnerable to electric shocks. dwarka news

“The fuse boxes are located at a very low height in Sector-12. What worsens the situation is that most of the fuse boxes are open with naked wires jutting out of it. Sometimes, it is also difficult to spot these wires as they are hidden due to the big grasses around it. Hence, pedestrians are highly vulnerable,” says Pankaj Sharma, a resident of Sector-12.

People highlighted the problem by mentioning some of the incidents which happened due to naked wires and boxes. The situation is also bad in parks of DDA and SDMC. At most of the parks, the electrical panels are open and wires are lying on the ground. Recently, a boy from Sector-3 got electric shocks from the wire hidden in bushes.

Similarly, in the DDA housing pockets which are under the jurisdiction of SDMC, the street poles are having open boxes. The supply junctions and the panels in the blocks which are under BSES are also in bad condition. Those panels and points are unlocked and in open state.

General Secretary of Radhika Apartments of Sector-14, Anupam Yashovardhan, said, “The electrical infrastructure is ill-maintained. SDMC and BSES should take it into concern. They should close the boxes and manage the supply junctions and points under the stairs.”

The condition of markets is worse as the electric panels and junctions are placed on the walls alongside the stairs. These wires and open boxes have caused several short circuit incidents and fire in the staircases of the markets.

Vishal Gupta, a shop owner at Sector-5 market, said, “The condition is serious and the department must act on that. We are frightened to use the stairs. Though no serious incidents have happened but it can cause fatality to anyone.”

The matter was raised many times during the meetings with the electrical department and other civic agencies. Some initiatives were also taken. But, nothing substantial was done in this direction and the condition is worsening day by day. In Sector-8, the situation is so alarming that the residents have covered the panels with plastic sheets or papers.

Ex-General Secretary of RWA of Sector-8, Arvinder Singh, said, “Not a single box is perfect. This situation is very bad in our sector. We have written several times but nothing has happened.”

Dwarka: SDMC plans action against RWAs for mismanagement of horticulture waste

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has planned to take action against the Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) for throwing horticulture waste in open areas such as footpaths. The officials, who are careless about keeping the area clean, are also on the radar of SDMC.

The SDMC Deputy Commissioner of Najafgarh Zone, Vishwendra Singh said that the officials have already been given directions on the subject. He has also circulated his message on social media.

“I have asked the Horticulture Department to remove tree cutting waste from all places in Dwarka in a programmed manner. They have their wherewithal and they will do the job. If they fail to do so then they will face the music. Strict action will be taken against them,” said Singh.

According to the officials, no one will be spared from penalty or prosecution under the law of the Municipal Corporation for mismanagement of waste. “It has been said by the higher officials that the RWAs are being sent the letter regarding the management of solid waste and horticulture waste,” officials added. Dwarka News

The leader of the House, SDMC, Kamaljeet Sehrawat said that the entire Dwarka would be cleaned from horticulture waste and then the societies will be asked not to throw such waste on footpaths otherwise a penalty will be imposed.

President of Dwarka Forum, Rejimon CK said, “This is an excellent move from SDMC. After these instructions, I request to RWAs to carry out the pruning of shrubs or trees on a fixed schedule and call SDMC to collect it afterwards. I request people not to throw waste on lanes. Let the SDMC share the contact details of officials who will be contacted for collection of green waste.”

Dwarka has been facing the problem of horticulture waste for a long time and SDMC has been a failure in managing it. Now with the directives and assurances by SDMC people, there is a hope that things will change soon. RK Singh, a resident of Sector-12 said, “I hope that something will happen this time otherwise the SDMC has been a failure in managing horticulture waste.”