Latest news with #Covid-19-related
Hindustan Times
26-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Contractor found using subpar steel in Chilla elevated road: Noida authority
The contractor building the Chilla Elevated Road, a key link between Mayur Vihar in Delhi and the Mahamaya Flyover on the Noida Expressway, is using substandard steel for the pillars, the Noida authority said on Friday. The authority expressed strong dissatisfaction with the contractor and issued a notice for violating approved construction norms. The construction site of the Chilla elevated road in Noida in March 2025. (HT Archive) The discovery was made during a site inspection on Friday by Noida authority's chief executive officer Lokesh M, who was accompanied by officer on special duty Mahendra Prasad, general manager AK Arora, SP Singh, and other officials. The inspection revealed that the UP Bridge Corporation (UPBC), responsible for building the elevated road, was using steel that did not meet the authority's standards. 'We found that UPBCL is using substandard steel in the construction against the approved norms. We have strictly directed the agency to use the steel approved by the authority. We have also issued a notice to UPBCL seeking their reply against this anomaly,' said Lokesh M. The CEO also instructed the civil department to impose a penalty on the agency for project delays and for failing to complete work on time. Despite seeking more time, the agency has made unsatisfactory progress on the ground, officials said. The 5.6km Chilla Elevated Road project was launched in March 2025 to reduce daily congestion on the Delhi-Noida Link Road. The ₹893 crore project is expected to be completed in three years and will offer direct connectivity between Mayur Vihar and Greater Noida, Noida Sector 37, Kalindi Kunj, and Faridabad, among other locations. The road aims to ease chronic traffic bottlenecks between Noida Sector 14A and the Mahamaya Flyover, offering relief to thousands of commuters during peak hours. The project was first conceptualised in 2012, but faced delays due to funding issues from the Public Works Department (PWD), realignment around a GAIL gas pipeline, and Covid-19-related disruptions. After Delhi government approval in 2018, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation stone in January 2019. In addition to this project, the CEO also reviewed the golf course in Sector 151A, a new building in Sector 96, the approach road for a new bridge across the Hindon between Sectors 145 and 146, the nearly finished Bhangel elevated road, and roads in Sector 18, officials said. He also directed the water works department to involve IIT Delhi in a detailed city survey to find solutions for recurring waterlogging, which causes trouble for residents during rains, according to officials.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Tech professors turn startup founders, VCs take note
ETtech Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills For years, India's leading research institutions engaged in cutting-edge research and development, much of which remained confined to labs. That's beginning to change as faculty members are turning entrepreneurs, and investors are taking Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) and BITS Pilani, professor-founded startups have seen a 20-30% year-onyear increase. Venture capitalists (VCs) are viewing these ventures as fertile ground for intellectual property (IP)-heavy, globally competitive deep tech innovation 'We've invested in about eight or nine professor-led startups across our two funds from IITs, IISc and even global institutions like MIT, Harvard and Caltech. It's not yet the norm, but it's definitely a growing pattern,' said Ashwin Raghuraman, co-founder of Bharat Innovation Fund, an early-stage venture told ET that earlier, professors faced peer pressure and felt they were 'selling out' by focusing on commercialisation, caught in the classic 'Lakshmi versus Saraswati", or wealth versus knowledge, dilemma. But that mindset is now starting to change. 'With founders now raising series B and C in deep tech, it's giving academics more confidence that this isn't just an experiment, it can scale,' said Manu Iyer, co-founder of BlueHill watchers said success stories such as Ather Energy , where IIT Madras' incubation centre earned Rs 50 crore, and other startups, such as Agnikul Cosmos, ePlane and Pure EV, scaling up are prompting more professors to consider entrepreneurship.'Simply writing papers wasn't satisfying because the traditional way by which science is taken forward isn't inclusive. It started to feel more attractive to explore something on the entrepreneurial side,' said Manoj Gopalkrishnan, founder of Algorithmic who served as a professor at IIT Bombay for more than a decade, launched the molecular diagnostics startup in 2021 after his Covid-19-related research paper went viral and drew VC interest. Satya Chakravarthy, professor of aerospace engineering from IIT Madras, has co-founded six deep tech Invest, which has invested in six professor-led startups, said incubation centres are playing a big role. They provide a framework for professors and startups to collaborate, encouraging faculty entrepreneurship, and professors are seen as people who know their domains inside out.'Today's professors, especially those in their 40s and 50s, are incredibly well-informed. They've seenthe practical side of business and understand the soul of their technology. For deep tech startups, they often make the best founders,' said Rajaram
IOL News
25-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Hammarsdale wastewater treatment works delays cost Durban ratepayers R60 million
The Hammarsdale Wastewater Treatment Works' completion date has been delayed over the years, and it is now expected to be completed in November 2026. This has resulted in an additional R60 million cost to the municipality. Image: eThekwini Municipality Ongoing delays by a contractor to improve the infrastructure at Hammarsdale Wastewater Treatment Works have cost eThekwini ratepayers R60 million. The contract for improvements to liquid and solids treatment facilities could be amended again pending approval by a full council committee on Thursday. The completion date was delayed over the years, and the completion is expected in November 2026. The original contract was R200 million, and the revised contract was estimated at R260 million. At an eThekwini Executive Committee (Exco) meeting on Tuesday, a report from the Trading Services committee noted reasons to amend the contract for the completion of engineering design work and construction supervision for the functional upgrade of the treatment works. In its motivation for the amendment to be approved, the committee stated that the treatment works, located in an industrial zone, are critical to improving plant capacity and supporting further industrial and commercial development. It also said this project has experienced ongoing process compliance issues due to ageing infrastructure, thus requiring critical improvements. The project was originally scheduled to be finalised in February 2020, but various delays were experienced, resulting in extensions being granted: February 25, 2020, revised to January 9, 2023, due to Covid-19-related days. January 9, 2023, to June 21, 2025, due to delays in the Supply Chain Management (SCM) process and an insufficient budget allocation for this project. June 21, 2025, to May 6, 2026. Completion date revised due to unforeseen technical challenges encountered during construction. June 21, 2025, to November 6, 2026. The committee noted that delays necessitated major amendments to the contract for its completion of construction and commissioning. It placed a public notice advertising the amendment in a local newspaper, stating that no views or comments were received in response. Asad Gaffar, the eThekwini Ratepayers Protest Movement (ERPM), said these contracts are costing the ratepayers dearly and that this was a clear indication that the municipality did not have the right calibre of personnel in its departments. He said the ERPM will continue to fight for oversight and accountability of infrastructure projects so that ratepayers get value for money.
New Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Health
- New Straits Times
Five admitted for Covid-19 in Kelantan over the past week, all recovered
KOTA BARU: Five individuals, including two children, were hospitalised for Covid-19 in Kelantan during Epidemiological Week (EW) 25, which ran from June 15 to 21. Kelantan Health Department director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin said all five patients have since made a full recovery. He added that no Covid-19-related intensive care unit (ICU) admissions or fatalities have been recorded in the state so far this year. "As of EW25, Kelantan has recorded a cumulative total of 303 Covid-19 cases, with an average of 12 new cases reported weekly. "In EW24, the state logged 34 cases, showing a slight decrease from 35 the previous week," he said in a statement. Zaini said the Covid-19 situation in Kelantan remains under control and is still below the alert threshold. As a precautionary measure, he urged high-risk groups, including senior citizens, individuals with comorbidities, immunocompromised adolescents, pregnant women, and healthcare workers, to receive an additional dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. He added that individuals aged 18 and above are also eligible to receive the vaccine voluntarily, subject to medical advice. "I urge all Kelantanese, regardless of age, to get vaccinated in line with the recommendations under the National Covid-19 Immunisation programme. "Free immunisation and vaccination services are available at selected government health clinics," he said. Zaini reminded the public that although the country is now in the endemic phase of managing Covid-19, it remains important to practise preventive measures. "These include frequent handwashing with soap and water or using hand sanitiser, as well as wearing face masks in crowded places," he said. He added that the department would continue to monitor the situation and provide updates via the official portal at
Sinar Daily
20-06-2025
- Health
- Sinar Daily
Malaysia reports first Covid-19 death in 2025
Covid-19 cases rose to 3,379 during ME24, up from 2,011 cases the previous week. 20 Jun 2025 08:35am The Health Ministry urges continued vigilance and adherence to vaccination schedules to keep the situation under control. - Bernama file photo PUTRAJAYA - Malaysia recorded its first Covid-19-related death of the year during Epidemiological Week 24 (ME24), according to the Health Ministry (MOH). The fatality involved a patient with serious comorbidities, including heart disease and diabetes, who had not received a second booster dose. The Health Ministry urges continued vigilance and adherence to vaccination schedules to keep the situation under control. - 123RF photo "This marks a significant decline compared to 57 Covid-19 deaths reported in 2024, with the last fatality recorded on May 26 last year,' it said in a statement yesterday. The decline, it added, reflects the effectiveness of ongoing control measures. However, Covid-19 cases rose to 3,379 during ME24, up from 2,011 cases the previous week. Despite the increase, the national situation remains under control and below the alert threshold, due to ongoing surveillance and public health interventions. To date, a total of 21,738 cases have been reported this year, with the weekly average holding steady at around 900. Six patients were admitted to intensive care during ME24, all with underlying health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and Down syndrome. All received intensive care, with four discharged home and two transferred to general wards. MOH continues to encourage all Malaysians, from unborn babies to the elderly, to stay protected by following appropriate vaccination schedules under the National Immunisation Programme. - BERNAMA
