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Time of India
8 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
DDA's first international-level ice skating rink in Dwarka likely to open by October 2025
The Delhi Development Authority 's (DDA) first international-level ice skating rink is likely to be ready by October this year at its sports complex in Dwarka Sector 23, officials said on Saturday. The DDA is developing a sports complex spread across 17 acres with multiple facilities, including a football ground, hockey ground, and the ice skating rink. It has issued a tender seeking professional sports agencies to operate and maintain the facility. "In Dwarka Sector 23, the ice skating rink is being specially designed, and the work is likely to be completed soon. We have issued a tender for professionals to operate this and other facilities," a DDA official said. The authority is also working on two other sports complexes in Dwarka -- in Sector 8 spread across 23 acres and in Sector 19 which covers 19 acres. "The vision is to focus on inclusivity, excellence, sustainability, and long-term development of sports. The DDA aims to establish specialised Centres of Excellence (CoE) for different sports at selected facilities, providing high-performance training environments for athletes," the official said. Live Events According to the plan, the Sector 8 complex will host a CoE for wrestling , boxing , judo, and karate, while Sector 19 will focus on tennis and shooting. The Sector 23 complex will have facilities for hockey and football. The company will be responsible for developing hostel facilities at the Sector 8 complex as per prevailing FAR norms and procuring necessary sports and non-sports equipment. The DDA has already procured part of the equipment, and the remaining will be provided by the concessionaire, the tender reads. In its budget announced in April, the DDA allocated Rs 250 crore for the construction of new sports complexes -- one each in Dwarka, Rohini, and at the Golf Course in Dwarka. The CoE at Dwarka Sector 8 was inaugurated by Lt Governor VK Saxena on May 8. The deadline for Sector 19 is July and for Sector 23, October 2025. "To ensure that sports enthusiasts can fully benefit from these facilities and to encourage budding talent capable of competing at the highest levels, professional coaching will also be provided for boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, and taekwondo ," Saxena said at the inauguration. Currently, the DDA manages 17 sports complexes and three golf courses in the national capital, with more such facilities being developed. PTI
Time of India
19 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
Restoration of Kamla Nehru Ridge to check waterlogging
New Delhi: Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has initiated plans to restore the depression at Kamla Nehru Ridge by converting it into a water body, complementing ongoing restoration efforts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The project involves channelling rainwater from adjacent areas through a network of pipelines. This initiative was approved following a site visit by lieutenant governor VK Saxena. The inspection primarily focused on revitalising the open green lungs of Kamla Nehru Ridge, which serve thousands of residents from densely populated neighbourhoods such as Kamla Nagar, Malka Ganj, Delhi University, Shakti Nagar, Civil Lines, and Mall Road. "Upon noticing a large dry depression within the ridge, the LG instructed officials to connect it with channels and pipelines from nearby waterlogged areas like Malka Ganj and Civil Lines. This will ensure excess rainwater is directed into the depression, creating a new water body. A similar project in Roshanara Bagh successfully replenished its lake and mitigated waterlogging," said an official. Saxena also noted the poor condition of the kachha paths, gym equipment, boundary walls, and historical monuments like 'Bonta' within the ridge. He reviewed recent works and expressed satisfaction with the laying of porous jute carpeting on pathways and walking tracks, urging that the remaining restoration be completed swiftly. The inspection also addressed persistent waterlogging on Delhi roads, with Public Works Department (PWD) officials present. The LG directed accelerated remedial actions. A key directive was to implement a robust rainwater harvesting system. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Three-foot diameter pipelines should be laid from footpaths directly into the Kamla Nehru Ridge forest, channelling excess rainwater into the Ridge ecosystem for conservation and groundwater recharge. These pipes should extend about four feet inside the Ridge's boundary to effectively divert surface water," an official said. Footpaths on Rajpur Road are to be repaired to a uniform width of two metres, with similar repairs planned along the Delhi University routes. Additional instructions included pruning trees, fixing manhole covers, adding secondary covers to water tapping pits, and relocating electric poles obstructing roads. All work is to be completed within seven days. Beyond monsoon preparedness, directions were issued to clear excess foliage, hanging wires, redundant cables, dead wood, and other encumbrances along the Ridge's boundary wall. The LG had earlier visited the Ridge on March 21, directing ecological improvements such as covering walking tracks with biodegradable jute mats.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Delhi floats tender for 12K plantations to beautify SP Marg
New Delhi Around 12,000 flowering trees and shrubs, including amaltas and bougainvillaea, will be planted along the Sardar Patel Marg to beautify it and a tender has been floated for the same, officials of the Delhi forest and wildlife department said on Wednesday. A similar drive in June 2023—wherein Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena asked the forest department for a five-layered plantation of around six flowering species at the ridge, including chinar and cherry blossoms, in the run-up to the G20 Summit—did not yield desired results, a senior forest department official said on condition of anonymity. The drive focused on the side facing SP Marg as it provided access to visitors and dignitaries commuting between central Delhi and the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. The forest department official said the plantation drive is likely to commence in monsoon season, and fully grown saplings—around 10 to 12 feet high—will be planted. 'The aim is to beautify the initial part of the stretch adjacent to the forest with flowering trees and shrubs. This will make the approach aesthetically pleasing and we are focusing on native species,' the official said. They said over 1,000 each of amaltas, Lagerstroemia speciosa (Queen's crepe myrtle), and Tabebuia rosea (rosy trumpet tree) will be planted, and around 8,400 bougainvillea will be planted, according to the tender. The last date for submitting bids is June 2, as per the tender dated May 26. The forest official said that while the species are not expected to flower this year, there is a possibility some species may flower by next year. Experts, however, questioned the choice of species selected. Environmentalist Pradip Krishen said that barring amaltas, the remaining three species were not native to the ridge. 'Even bougainvillaea may survive in the ridge, but that does not mean it is a good reason to plant it there. Just because a species is able to grow on thin rocky soils, you cannot let ornamental exotic plants be introduced there. On one hand, the forest department says is ecologically restoring the ridge, but at the same time, it is opting for such species which are not native at all,' he said. Delhi has four prominent ridge areas, with a total area of around 7,784 hectares. The largest—the Southern Ridge—is spread over 6,200 hectares. Central Ridge is the next largest, with an area of 864 hectares. The South-Central Ridge in Mehrauli is spread across 626 hectares and the Northern Ridge is spread across 87 hectares. The Nanakpura south-central ridge is spread across seven hectares.
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Delhi body officials fined for tree felling in Ridge area, relief for Lt Governor
The Supreme Court on Wednesday held Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials accountable for contempt over felling trees in the Delhi Ridge area, while closing contempt proceedings against the DDA Vice-Chairman Subhasish Panda, observing that he was not holding the post any bench further ordered the DDA officials -- found guilty of initiating a road-widening project in an ecologically sensitive area meant to ease access to the CAPFIMS Paramilitary Hospital -- to pay a hefty fine of Rs 25,000 court held that the actions of the DDA officials clearly amounted to contempt, as it was against an earlier 1996 ruling wherein a clearance from the Supreme Court was required for tree-felling activities. However, while holding the DDA accountable for contempt, the court decided to close the case against errant officers by ordering a fine, noting that it was more of a lapse in judgement on the part of the officials. It further opined that the tree-felling was done for a good purpose, stating that there was no malafide bench ordered afforestation, with the cost to be borne by the DDA, and directed the formation of a three-member committee to safeguard Delhi's green corridor."This is a case of institutional missteps and administrative overreach. It raises strong questions on accountability," the bench order came as a major relief to Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena, who was earlier pulled up by a bench led by Justice AS while the LG was not a party to the contempt case, a bench led by then-Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud subsequently demanded an explanation from LG an affidavit, Saxena stated that he was not informed that court clearance was required for the tree felling until after the process had already the air, the bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, in today's order, directed that any activity connected to tree felling, road construction or with a potential ecological effect "must explicitly mention the pendency of the relevant proceedings before this court." "This is directed so that ignorance is not taken as a defence in future," the bench further observed.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Delhi tree felling case: SC raps DDA over road-widening bid, orders massive afforestation
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday rapped the Delhi Development Authority for illegal felling of trees in southern ridge of the national capital ordering a massive afforestation drive. It also asked each DDA official, except chairperson and vice-chairperson, responsible for felling trees without prior permission of SC to deposit a fine of Rs 25,000. Additionally, it asked the DDA to levy one-time fee on affluent residents of the area who were beneficiaries of widening of road. A bench led by Justice Surya Kant observed that while the case reflected gross contempt—with even the LG VK Saxena named as a contemnor over alleged illegal tree felling—the act was carried out with good intentions. As a result, the DDA has been directed to carry out extensive afforestation. In January, DDA had admitted to the SC that it had committed contempt by permitting the felling of over 600 trees in South Delhi's Ridge area to widen a road to a hospital. Seeking closure of the proceedings, it pledged to plant 70,000 trees over 185 acres in the city. However, the petitioner opposed the move, insisting on accountability, prompting the court to advocate for a pragmatic resolution. Contempt proceedings were launched against the DDA vice-chairman for breaching a Supreme Court order by permitting tree felling without approval. While the DDA admitted to cutting around 600 trees, a forest survey of India report pegged the number at 1,600. Records submitted to the court showed that multiple authorities, including the chief minister and the LG, acted in violation of legal procedures. In response to the contempt notice, the DDA vice-chairman admitted under oath to the unauthorized felling of 174 trees on non-forest land and 468 on forest land.
