Latest news with #AtalMissionforRejuvenationandUrbanTransformation
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Thiruvananthapuram corporation rolls out high-tech drain cleaner
Thiruvananthapuram: In a major push to modernize urban sanitation, the city corporation has added two state-of-the-art jetting-suction machines to its cleaning fleet. The G-Mammoth Four-in-One machines are aimed at improving the cleaning of open drains, septic tanks, sewage pits, and manholes with enhanced efficiency and safety. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The civic body purchased the machines developed by Thiruvananthapuram-based startup Genrobotics Innovations Pvt Ltd. Funded under the Union govt's Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme, the machines have already been deployed to provide quick and effective results, while a third unit is currently in development. Vimal Govind MK, co-founder of Genrobotics Innovations, said it took one and a half years to develop this equipment customized for the city. "The technology is based on our flagship product Bandicoot, which is used for cleaning manholes without depending on manual labour. This upgraded version integrates four key functions to make the cleaning process faster and safer," he said. A senior corporation official said the machines would be especially useful during the monsoon to clear clogged canals and drains. "This is a milestone in our mission for a cleaner, healthier Thiruvananthapuram. The machines are proving to be highly effective in removing clogged waste quickly," the official added. Each G-Mammoth unit is equipped with a high-pressure jetting system that uses powerful water streams to dislodge blockages in drainage systems. The automatic grabber simplifies the removal of solid waste from narrow or congested areas, reducing the need for manual intervention in hazardous environments. The machines also feature a robust suction system to extract sludge and transfer it into a 6,000-litre storage tank, ensuring safe disposal. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now An integrated inspection unit with a camera enables real-time internal monitoring, especially within manholes, improving operational oversight and worker safety. Similar machines were tested successfully in Kochi, known for severe waterlogging and proved effective in tackling the issue. Each unit costs between Rs 70 lakh and Rs 80 lakh and is operated by two trained personnel from Genrobotics. Cleaning operations typically take between 15 to 45 minutes, depending on the site.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
NMC's 300cr water supply infra project gets state nod
Nashik: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has received technical approval from state govt's apex committee for its Rs300 crore water supply improvement project. With this approval, the civic body will now finalize the tender process and appoint a contractor to commence the work. This project, which aims to enhance Nashik's water distribution network, is being implemented under central govt's Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. The NMC will receive 50% of the funding from the Centre and will self-finance the remaining amount. The initiative involves six distinct works to improve the city's water infrastructure. A key objective of this project is to significantly reduce Non-Revenue Water (NRW) from the current 45% to less than 20% upon completion. An NMC official, while talking to TOI, said the tender process for the project was carried out and a contractor was finalised for the project. "But after the technical approval of state govt, the work order is now to be given to the contractor concerned following the approval of the standing committee of the NMC. The proposal in this connection is soon to be tabled during the meeting of the standing committee that is to be held next week," the official said. The six works include Rs95.20 crore project for replacing existing water distribution pipelines that supply water from pumping stations to the filtration plants, and also the purified water from filtration plants to the elevated tanks. The existing old water distribution pipelines are also to be replaced with new ones in various parts of the city at a cost of Rs90.30 crore. "We will replace the old water distribution pipelines in all the six divisions, including 70% works to be carried out in four divisions — Panchavati, Cidco, Satpur, and Nashik East divisions — where water distribution pipelines were laid down around 20-30 years ago," the official said. Apart from this, the NMC will be laying new water distribution pipelines in various developing areas of the city like Adgaon, Makhmalabad, Pathardi, New Indira Nagar, among others. Around Rs89 crore is to be spent on laying the water distribution pipelines in the developing areas.
Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Centre approves Rs 800 crore for Delhi Jal Board under AMRUT scheme
In a major financial boost, the Central government has recently approved Rs 800 crore for the Delhi Jal Board under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme to provide sewer connections in slums and unauthorised colonies across the city. A meeting was held earlier this month between the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials and the apex committee on the AMRUT scheme under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs where funds were approved under the Yamuna cleaning project. According to the proposal, around 13,000 new sewer connections in the slum areas will be provided under the AMRUT scheme for holistic improvement of the Yamuna river. 'The Union Territory (Delhi) was also advised to work holistically for Yamuna rejuvenation and sewerage management and to have a clear sludge processing strategy to work out its reuse,' an official document said. Currently, the DJB is unable to treat the entire amount of sewage generated by the city to increase its overall sewage treatment capacity by connecting all households to sewerage treatment infrastructure. In the first budget of the new BJP government, water and sewerage sector has been given one of the biggest shares of Rs of Rs 9,000 crore. Delhi Chief minister Rekha Gupta has allocated Rs 500 crore for repair of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in the budget, this covers the two projects. The DJB currently has 37 STPs and out of these 18 are under upgradation projects to increase the overall treatment capacity of sewerage treatment in the city, said officials. For the past few years, the DJB has been working on the Interceptor Sewer Project, which entails trapping all drains and diverting the wastewater flowing in them to the nearby STP. However, there are some drains where trapping is not possible like the Najafgarh drain, eventually the wastewater enters Yamuna. 'Through this fund we plan to increase our overall sewerage capacity in the next few years. For the past few years, the department has been trying to provide sewer connections in all areas so that there is no untreated sewage flowing openly in the drains and eventually landing in Yamuna,' said a DJB official. The Centre has also directed the DJB to come up with ways of proper and complete utlisation of treated wastewater for non-drinking purposes. The Jal Shakti Ministry has asked the board to carry out a party audit of all existing sewage treatment plants.
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Vizag metro works to start in October: Andhra Pradesh urban development minister
VISAKHAPATNAM : The state govt is taking measures to launch the Vizag metro works in October, said municipal administration and urban development minister P Narayana. The minister conducted a review meeting with ministers, MLAs, and officials of north coastal Andhra Pradesh districts here at the VMRDA office on Wednesday. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Narayana said that a detailed project report (DPR) for Vizag metro project has been submitted for a double-decker model. "Just as Hyderabad has a ring road to support its population of over one crore, similar plans are being prepared to construct a semi-ring road in Visakhapatnam. Bhogapuram airport would be completed by next year. To avoid congestion and ensure smooth transport facilities to the airport, 22 roads have been proposed for connectivity. Of these, 15 have already received govt approval, while plans are currently being drawn up for the remaining roads. "Regarding TIDCO housing, between 2014 and 2019, seven lakh houses were proposed, but the previous govt failed to complete even two lakh of them. About Rs 7,000 crore would be required to complete the TIDCO housing project and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is committed to providing these homes to women beneficiaries, regardless of the cost. The houses would be handed over to beneficiaries by the upcoming Dasara festival," added the minister. Speaking on the AMRUT scheme (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation), the minister noted that in 2021, the Union govt allocated funds to provide drinking water to every household. "However, due to the previous govt's failure to provide the required matching grant, the funds were returned. Chief minister N Chandrababu subsequently negotiated with the Centre to secure the reallocation of these funds. Projects worth Rs 834 crore are now being undertaken under the AMRUT scheme, and surface water supply will be made available in the coming months," said Narayana. During the meeting, the minister also discussed a range of urban development initiatives, including VMRDA infrastructure; Visakhapatnam-Kakinada Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region Urban Development Authority; revisions to the VMRDA master plan 2041; key issues in extended areas; the status of the KPCPIR UDA master plan 2041; middle income group layouts; proposed new VMRDA layouts; priority roads in the master plan; coastal erosion mitigation projects; comprehensive development of Kailasagiri and Rushikonda; and the implementation of a 4/6/8-lane axis semi-ring road from Bhogapuram to Rambilli through value capture finance. Several MLAs raised concerns during the meeting, urging the minister to ensure the completion of GVMC water pipeline works to avoid drinking water shortages, to install additional water tanks, and to provide more waste collection vehicles and pushcarts in the hilly area due to current sanitation challenges. They also requested that land deeds collected from the poor in 2014 for housing plots be honoured and land allocated accordingly. Furthermore, the MLAs appealed to the minister to support development programmes aimed at delivering basic amenities to the people of north coastal AP.
Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
PMC to construct new water treatment plan at Vadgaon Budruk under AMRUT 2.0 to meet increased demand
To cater to the increasing demand for treated water in Pune city, which is witnessing rapid urbanisation, the civic body will construct a new water treatment plant at Vadgaon Budruk under the AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation ) 2.0 programme. 'The Union government has approved the proposed 125-MLD water treatment plant of the Pune Municipal Corporation at Vadgaon Budruk. The project will be funded by the Union government under the AMRUT 2.0 programme,' said Nandkishor Jagtap, in charge of the PMC's water supply department. The project is estimated to cost Rs 188 crore. Jagtap said the PMC also wanted to construct a water treatment plant at Khadakwasla to meet the demand in villages that were added to the civic body's limits recently. Incidentally, a few of these villages were provided untreated water from the dam, resulting in the spread of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in parts of Pune city later this year. 'The land for the water treatment plant was available at Vadgaon Budruk, so a proposal was sent to the Union government for including it in AMRUT 2.0, which has been done now,' said Jagtap. As per the equitable water supply plan, the old part of Pune city has been divided into five parts, considering the capacity of the water treatment plants (WTP) and the potential population they will serve in 2047. These five parts are Parvati WTP, Bhama Askhed WTP, Warje and Holkar WTP, Lashkar WTP, and Vadgaon WTP. At present in Vadgaon, there are two water treatment plants with a total capacity of 250 MLD, catering to the needs of some parts of the proposed 32 zones and five newly added villages–Yewalieadi, Ambegaon Budruk, Ambegaon Khurd, Dhayari and Undri. The newly merged villages have increased the overall water demand in the city. The Parvati water treatment plant caters to six of the 33 zones. It has completed 53 years of service. As per central government guidelines for 24×7 projects, the service life of a water treatment plant is 30 years. There is also a large amount of leakage in the Parvati plant. 'The new WTP at Vadgaon will enable handling increased water needs and meet the requirements if the Parvati WTP's operation is scaled down. The total raw water available at Vadgaon will be 125 MLD out of 380 MLD. The remaining 255 MLD will be treated at the Parvati WTP,' said a civic officer of the water supply department. The PMC will demolish the pump house in Vadgaon, which is 17 years old and has been unused for a long time. It has insufficient pumping capacity and a dilapidated and sinking sump well with heavy leakages. Thus, the civic body will construct a raw water pumping station, raw water rising main pipe system, water treatment plant, pure water pumping station, and a pure water pumping main pipe system. Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, Pune. He writes on Infrastructure, Politics, Civic issues, Sustainable Development and related stuff. He is a trekker and a sports enthusiast. Ajay has written research articles on the Conservancy staff that created a nationwide impact in framing policy to improve the condition of workers handling waste. Ajay has been consistently writing on politics and infrastructure. He brought to light the lack of basic infrastructure of school and hospital in the hometown of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde even as two private helipads were developed by the leader who mostly commutes from Mumbai to Satara in helicopter. Ajay has been reporting on sustainable development initiatives that protects the environment while ensuring infrastructure development. ... Read More
