Latest news with #Residents'WelfareAssociation
Time of India
4 days ago
- General
- Time of India
GCC is yet to remove encroachments, debris
Chennai: Madras high court has ordered removal of encroachments and debris that block water flow during the monsoon near the six-vent culvert at Velachery by June 12, but Greater Chennai Corporation is yet to begin work. Residents are opposing the proposed eco-park project near the culvert, fearing it will block the flow of excess rainwater from residential areas and cause waterlogging on streets. Earlier, GCC removed some of the encroachments that disrupted the free flow of water during the northeast monsoon. However, it failed to remove the debris, and many encroachments reappeared in recent years. During the 2024 monsoon, nearby residential areas received 7cm of rain that formed a pond in front of the culvert and caused flooding. In response to a petition filed by the Residents' Welfare Association, the court in April directed GCC to remove the encroachments and submit a report on the number identified and notices issued to them. "It has been two months. Neither the local body nor the tahsildar inspected the site or took steps to clear the dumped debris and encroachments. Instead, the civic body deposited a huge pile of sand to prepare for the eco-park," says Velachery-based Tansi Nagar Residents' Welfare Association general secretary M Balakrishnan. "The beautification will obstruct the free flow of excess rainwater from residential areas during the monsoon season." Residents say the proposed eco-park near the six-vent culvert will not benefit them. "Instead of spending a large sum on this project, GCC should construct another six-vent culvert here to prevent flooding," says J Kamalanathan, another resident of Velachery. Adyar zonal officer Haritn Rosario says the tahsildar is identifying encroachments near the culvert. GCC will work to remove the illegal structures, he said. The official also noted that penalties and legal action have been initiated against those dumping construction debris and waste."
Time of India
24-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Restored Ernavoor pond still faces sewage threat, residents alarmed
Chennai: Residents of Ernavoor are raising alarms over the pollution of a local pond once a vital groundwater source due to untreated sewage and rampant trash dumping. The Residents' Welfare Association has complained that effluents from nearby commercial and residential buildings flow into the pond via underground pipes, compounded by residents now discarding rubbish directly into the water body. The Ernavoor pond, owned by the railways, has suffered from a lack of maintenance for a long period. It saw a brief respite after a restoration effort by an NGO through a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. However, those efforts have gone in vain. Residents say the escalating pollution has led to contamination of groundwater sources in the area. Despite repeated attempts to bring the issue to the attention of corporation authorities, no action was taken to address the issue, they said. "The pond bund was strengthened and desilted. This led to increased water capacity. But illegal sewage discharge from nearby residential and commercial complexes has persisted for a decade. If authorities fail to stop this, groundwater sources could be completely affected within a few years," said Kamarajar Nagar Residents' Welfare Association president B Niranjan Patnaik. Despite repeated warnings from the Greater Chennai Corporation, some residents continue to dump rubbish into and near the pond. The residents' association urges the civic body to impose on-the-spot penalties on violators to deter such activities. "If the corporation stops the discharge of untreated sewage, water hyacinth will no longer grow in the pond, and groundwater contamination can be reduced," said G Arun Kumar, project manager of Hand in Hand, a city-based NGO, which maintained the pond for the last three years. A senior official in Tiruvottiyur Zone (Zone 1) said, "Penalties will also be imposed on those dumping rubbish and construction or demolition waste near the water body," the official said.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Mohali: GMADA bulldozers get rolling in Jhampur village, Sector 122
Launching a crackdown on illegal colonies, the enforcement team of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) carried out a demolition drive in Jhampur village and 39 West housing society in Sector 122 on Friday, razing around 30 illegal structures. The action came days after HT reported on May 19 how nearly 15 illegal colonies had mushroomed in Mohali right under the nose of GMADA despite the Punjab government's repeated claims of clampdown on such settlements. In Jhampur village, around 25 under-construction houses and other illegal structures were brought down. The GMADA team, led by officer Arvind Pannu, reached the site around 11.30 am and the drive concluded by 4 pm. The drive was also conducted in Phase 3 of the 39 West society, located in Sector 122, Mohali. According to members of the Residents' Welfare Association (RWA), certain colonisers were attempting to illegally extend the colony by carving out additional plots beyond the approved site boundaries, despite the cancellation of their licence. These colonisers had also connected the new plots to water, sewerage and electricity connections from the existing infrastructure. GMADA officials dismantled around seven such structures on Friday. Hirdesh Madan, secretary of the Residents' Welfare Association, 39 West housing society, said, 'We had raised this issue with GMADA several times in the past. We welcome this action against the illegal construction by the builder.' Harinder Pal Singh, district town planner (Regulatory), GMADA, said the demolition drive will continue to remove other illegal settlements. HT had earlier reported that these unauthorised colonies—spread across nearly 50 acres in Sectors 120 to 123 and covering villages such as Daun, Raipur, Behlolpur, Barmajra, Tarauli, and Jhampur—had been carved out of agricultural land without following the mandatory Change of Land Use (CLU) process, which requires significant fees and official permissions. Property dealers have bought fertile agricultural land and divided it into plots ranging from 100 to 150 square yards, selling them to home hopefuls. Following the HT report, the GMADA chief administrator directed the officers concerned to submit a report within two days, after which appropriate action will be taken against the officials responsible. According to a senior GMADA officer, the responsibility did not lie solely with GMADA but also with the district administration. 'Why is land being registered without a no-objection certificate (NOC) from GMADA and why is PSPCL installing power meters in these illegal colonies?' the officer questioned. In August last year, while scrapping the requirement of a no-objection certificate (NOC) for registration of land and property, the Punjab housing and urban development department had directed the chief administrators of regional development authorities across the state to ensure that no illegal colonies are allowed to come up. The authorities were further directed to utilise recent Google satellite imagery to identify illegal constructions and initiate prompt legal action against violators.
Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
‘Complaints going unheard': Water crisis in Gurgaon's Sectors 40, 57; residents hire tankers by the dozen
As temperatures soared, tankers are becoming the order of the day across Gurgaon's Sector 57, as there has been no water supply for five days now. The arrangement is costing the Residents' Welfare Association (RWA) up to Rs 1,500 per tanker. Around 40-50 tankers have been coming each day to cater to over 4,000 homes in the area since the issue arose. 'For days now, the Municipal Corporation has not been able to supply any water. We have sent many representations, went to meet the Deputy Commissioner, the Municipal Commissioner too, but to no avail,' said RWA president Roshan Lal Yadav. As an exigency, the RWA is having to use submersible pumps, with its tube wells largely having dried up. 'The fault partly lies with the boosting station at Sector 51 not working optimally, which is affecting us. But we are still meeting people daily in the hope of a solution,' said Yadav. Sector 40 is also facing a water crisis. Here, the issue is of leaks in mains pipes laid along the roads. 'Since May 12, there have been significant leaks in the mains pipes that we have already complained about. No repair work or tender has been allocated. The officials we have interacted with make it seem like we are demanding a special request… The leaks are affecting water pressure and supply,' said Abhimanyu Yadav, RWA president. The leaks are not the kind that a private plumber can fix, he stressed. 'It is the civic body that has to fix this. There is no awareness among them of how water wastage is affecting us. They cannot disconnect it either.' Tired of complaining, he pointed out that just two days ago, their area's pump booster (for water) burnt up again. 'For the last several years, it keeps burning every two weeks… we have raised this,' he said. Both RWA presidents met the civic body's officials collectively, as well as along with other RWAs, but there was no change to their society's woes.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Foot overbridge at Taramani beset by misuse, neglect
Chennai: The foot over-bridge on Taramani Link Road in Velachery has turned into a hub for illegal activity and is hardly used to cross the main road, residents say. Opened to the public in 2014, the overbridge near Baby Nagar was aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety and serving as a link for those navigating the busy road, especially near IT hubs and residential areas. The bridge, spanning almost 50 metres, connects Baby Nagar on both sides of the road and also provides access to Perungudi MRTS railway station. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai However, only about 5% of residents use it. Many cross the main road directly to reach the railway station. "Initially, when the overbridge was constructed, it was well utilised. Now, many just walk across the main road. At night, men consume alcohol and narcotics on the bridge," said M Balakrishnan, general secretary of the Residents' Welfare Association at Tansi Nagar, Velachery. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Google Brain Co-Founder Breaks His Silence: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List People have stopped using it even during the daytime. Since it is one of the least crowded areas, locals asked authorities to remove the foot overbridge and instead construct one near Vijayanagar Junction. "There are commercial buildings and residential areas near Vijayanagar bus stand. An overbridge there has been a long-pending request. We have got no response from govt so far. A bridge will help residents of Ram Nagar, Vijaya Nagar, and Tansi Nagar," said Punitha Rajesh of Ram Nagar in Velachery. Haritn Rosario, Adyar Zonal Officer, said the zonal committee chairman raised a request to renovate the foot overbridge under the Mayor's Development Fund. However, since the bridge falls under the jurisdiction of the state highways department, the corporation cannot carry out the work, he said.
