Latest news with #PHE
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Contractors Give Two Hoots To Civic Chiefs' Road Digging Ban
1 2 Nagpur: Days after municipal commissioner and administrator Abhijeet Chaudhari issued a strict diktat banning all road excavation from June 1 and mandating full restoration of dug-up roads by May 31, violations continue to be glaringly visible across Nagpur. On Monday, TOI found fresh excavation underway near the busy Old Katol Road square in Mangalwari zone, where a private telecom company was laying underground cables. The digging was in direct defiance of the civic chief's May 27 order. Following a TOI query, chief engineer Manoj Talewar directed the Mangalwari zone office to initiate immediate checks and action. A similar case of unauthorised road work was observed near the State CID office in west Nagpur. Even in the Narendra Nagar area, TOI found road digging was under way. The May 27 high-level review meeting chaired by Chaudhari laid out clear consequences: failure to restore roads dug up for civic works by May 31 would result in steep fines and possible criminal prosecution. He also imposed a blanket ban on fresh road digging during the monsoon across all departments and private utility agencies, warning that violations would trigger police complaints and penalties for negligent engineers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Quedas no banheiro: Como evitar? (Saiba mais) Evite quedas e escorregões Saiba Mais Undo Yet, ongoing utility and pipeline-related activities continue to mar key areas. Under the Pora River Pollution Abatement Project, the NMC's public health engineering (PHE) department dug up over 500km of roads in South-West, South, and Kamptee assembly segments for laying sewer lines. However, only 100km of work was completed so far, and in light of the June 1 ban, PHE superintendent engineer Shweta Banerjee confirmed the department halted fresh digging. "The focus is now on restoring previously dug-up stretches. Around 80% of the restoration was completed, and work is ongoing to finish the remaining 20%," she said, adding that most incomplete sections lie in the South and Kamptee constituencies. Banerjee clarified that only emergency works, such as water pipeline repairs and strengthening interconnections under AMRUT 1.0, will be permitted during the monsoon. Chaudhari also stressed that no debris or rubble should remain unattended, especially in slum pockets where sewer works are underway. Contractors were warned to clear sites thoroughly or face penalties. The sanitation department has been tasked with monitoring compliance. With monsoon approaching, Chaudhari's ultimatum sends a clear message: incomplete roads and public inconvenience will no longer be tolerated. Yet, as the latest findings show, enforcement remains a challenge on the ground.
Time of India
a day ago
- General
- Time of India
Road Caves In, Compound Wall Crashes, House Saved By Metres
Nagpur: A 100m stretch of road in Subhan Nagar, Pardi, once again caved in due to the failure of a massive, British-era trunk sewer line running beneath it. This has created a major safety hazard, filling local residents with uncertainty. The latest cave-in also brought down the compound wall and main gate of a bungalow owned by the Khemnani family, with residents narrowly escaping harm. The collapse, which occurred two days ago, is just the latest in a series of infrastructure failures in the area. Locals say the signs were evident: over a period of three years, two breaches in the same 1,200mm diameter trunk sewer line have been reported. However, only superficial patchwork was carried out by Nagpur Municipal Corporation's (NMC) public health engineering (PHE) department. With the arrival of the monsoon, rainwater began seeping into the soil, weakening the already fragile ground and accelerating the collapse. "This is a British-era pipeline. Its joints deteriorated over time, and internal settlement of the pipe causes repeated collapses," said Sanjay Mate, executive engineer of NMC's Lakadganj zone, who confirmed that excavation is underway to access the damaged section. "We earlier replaced two pipes here, but the stretch behind them has now given way. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Making history: These 5 timepieces set world records at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025 CNA Read More Undo The compound wall that collapsed was sitting on a friction pile, which became unstable during the excavation," he added. According to Mate, the situation is being treated as an emergency. Work is going on to lay new pipes adjacent to the damaged line, and the area around the affected property is being secured. He reassured that the Khemnani bungalow itself, located around 10–15 feet from the damaged zone, is currently not at risk, and access routes for the residents are being maintained. "We carried out major repairs in 2022 and some five months ago too. This marks the third such collapse in the same zone," Mate admitted. "The end pressure on the tail end of this line is very high, and without an alternative sewer line in place, we're unable to fully replace it at once. We do have a long-term plan to overhaul the entire stretch, but it can't be executed until an alternative line is commissioned." Former corporator Pradip Pohane, who visited the site, expressed concern over the repeated collapses. "This is not an isolated issue. Cracks and subsidence have been reported multiple times, and the authorities failed to take preventive action. Now, even the soil beneath homes and parking areas is giving way," he said. Sources in the PHE department identified at least five vulnerable points along the same sewer line in the Subhan Nagar area, indicating that the problem may be far more widespread than currently visible. Residents are demanding immediate, permanent repairs and a complete overhaul of the century-old sewer infrastructure. They fear that continued reliance on ad-hoc solutions — especially during the monsoon — may soon lead to catastrophic damage. "This is not just about inconvenience. Our lives and homes are at stake," a local resident said. "We need action before another collapse puts lives in danger."
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
J&K govt staffer dismissed for drug case links
JAMMU: Jammu and govt has dismissed a suspended employee of Jal Shakti Public Health Engineering (PHE) department from service for his involvement in a narcotics case. Shabir Hussain, working as a PHE khalasi in Poonch, was named in an FIR under NDPS Act for possession of 4-6 grams of a heroin-like substance. He was remanded in judicial custody from Sept 14 to Oct 28 last year. 'Hussain is also disqualified from any future employment with the govt,' reads the order issued by the department.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
First rain spell exposes unfinished sewer work, bad roads in Hudkeshwar-Narsala
Nagpur: The first monsoon rain has exposed the poor state of road restoration in Hudkeshwar-Narsala area, where major sewer line work is underway under the Rs900 crore Amrut 2.0 Pora River Pollution Abatement Project. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is laying and strengthening over 500km sewerage pipelines across south and south-west Nagpur assembly constituencies. However, despite public health engineering (PHE) department claims that road restoration was on schedule and up to standards, residents find themselves struggling on muddy, damaged roads months after pipe-laying was completed. Contractors dug up several internal roads in Hudkeshwar-Narsala around 3-4 months ago to lay sewer pipelines. While the pipeline work was finished, the PHE department assured that all roads would be restored immediately using proper cement concrete or tar patches. However, these assurances have proved hollow. The roads remain unrepaired with loose soil filling the trenches, which the recent rains have turned into slippery mud traps. Pedestrians face difficulties walking, and vehicles, especially two-wheelers, are at risk of slipping. Several accidents and vehicle breakdowns have already been reported. Local residents accused the contractor of abandoning the road restoration midway and shifting focus to new work elsewhere. The residents' committee, led by chairman Dhanraj Valukar and secretary Satish Kasare, issued a warning of agitation if the roads are not repaired immediately. "Despite repeated complaints, the PHE department and contractors have ignored our plight. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Their tall claims of timely restoration are exposed by the current state of the roads," said Valukar. Other committee members, including Dattraj Hanvate, Sunita Damle, Kiran Ramteke, and activist Mangesh Charde, added that the negligence is causing serious inconvenience and safety hazards. Municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari has issued an ultimatum to the PHE, its public works departments and contractors to ensure all dug-up roads are restored to their original condition. The NMC sought technical guidance from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), which recommended two standard methods for restoring tar and cement concrete roads after pipeline work. However, these guidelines are reportedly being ignored.
Irish Independent
23-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
Louth vape shop owner wants strict licensing laws and heavy penalties for selling to under-18s
Eoin O'Boyle, who owns OB Vape in Drogheda, says Ireland has the chance to lead the world in progressive harm reduction policies, but only if regulations are shaped by science, not sensationalism. He emphasises the need to protect young people while also supporting adult smokers in their efforts to quit cigarettes. O'Boyle expressed concern over recent media coverage that he believes focuses predominantly on youth vaping, potentially overshadowing the benefits of vaping to adult smokers looking to quit the habit. While he agrees that youth access is a serious concern, he warns that reactionary policies such as flavour bans or blanket restrictions will do more harm than good by pushing adult vapers back towards smoking cigarettes. In response, he has outlined a five-step framework he believes would safeguard public health and protect young people. His proposal includes a formal licensing system for all vape retailers, both in-store and online, with strict penalties for selling to under-18s. He also calls for better enforcement of age restrictions through targeted checks and sting operations. Importantly, O'Boyle says that vape flavours – often blamed for attracting younger users – should not be banned outright. Instead, he proposes that flavoured products be sold through regulated, licensed shops where staff are trained to enforce age laws. He is also calling for robust age verification systems and specific licensing. Finally, he would like to see a national public education campaign to inform people about the difference between adult-focused harm reduction products and those that may appeal to teenagers. O'Boyle cites Public Health England (PHE) research claiming that vaping is 95pc less harmful than smoking, however in more recent 2022 research, the Office for Improvement and Disparities (OHID) which succeeded the PHE, published an update which changed the statement to 'vaping poses only a small fraction of the risks of smoking and is not risk free, particularly for people who have never smoked,' given the evolving evidence base. Many of his Drogheda customers, he says, have successfully quit thanks to access to flavoured vape products and responsible advice. 'Flavours are a crucial part of the smoking cessation journey and Irish adults who successfully quit smoking often cite flavours as a key reason that they stayed off cigarettes. Removing flavours will simply force many back to smoking,' he said. 'Ireland can set the standard for progressive, effective vaping regulation globally. With the right framework we can reduce out national smoking rate and prevent young people from taking up vaping, while empowering adult smokers to quit smoking permanently, but this does requite balance and not panic,' O'Boyle stated.
