Latest news with #VMC
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Litter in public, land on VMC's LED screens
Vadodara: In a unique move to tackle public littering, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) has begun flashing photos of people caught dumping garbage in public spaces on large LED screens installed at key city crossroads. These screens, usually used for advertisements and civic messages, now double up as a public awareness tool. Over the past month alone, the civic body displayed images of 70 people caught littering across the city. The initiative is part of VMC's intensified crackdown on public nuisance, including open garbage disposal, urination, and spitting. Using its extensive CCTV network and City Command and Control Center (CCCC), the corporation has identified nearly 500 such offenders since Jan this year. "We forward these images to the respective ward offices for further action," said Manish Bhatt, director of VMC's IT department. "We have high-resolution cameras and a robust surveillance system that supports our cleanliness efforts." The campaign gained momentum after new municipal commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu assumed office. Under his leadership, VMC adopted a stricter policy, including the imposition of maximum fines and other measures to improve sanitation standards. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Victoria Residents Born 1945-1985 With No Life Insurance Could Be Eligible For This Golden Insurance Undo "Displaying these images is part of our broader initiative to instill civic responsibility," Bhatt explained. "It's not meant to shame individuals, but to raise awareness about the consequences of littering." Despite concerns over public exposure, VMC officials said that most faces in the images are unclear. So far, no individual has approached the corporation objecting to their photo being shown on screens or posted on social media. Vadodara's inconsistent performance in the national Swachh Survekshan rankings has also pushed the civic body to adopt more visible and aggressive steps. Once among the top 10 cleanest cities, Vadodara had dropped to the 33rd position in recent years before making a modest recovery.
The Hindu
11 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
VMC Commissioner calls for stricter ban on single-use plastic
Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) Commissioner Dhyanachandra H.M. on Saturday said that it is a matter of pride that Vijayawada secured fourth place in the 10 lakh+ population category as the Swachh Super League city, out of 4,589 cities that participated in the Swachh Survekshan-2024 survey. Speaking at 'Swachh Andhra – Swarna Andhra' programme in Satyanarayanapuram on Saturday (July 19), he said that the award belongs to people, sanitation workers, officials who contributed to maintain cleanliness in the city. He also called for a ban on single-use plastics of less than 120 microns. 'Starting from government offices, schools, colleges, a mandatory plastic ban should be implemented with the cooperation of the people and business organisations. There should also be awareness among people about ill-effects of plastic,' he said. Explaining the effects of single-use plastic, the Commissioner said that it causes health problems for not only human beings but also for aquatic animals. It takes about 400 years for a plastic cover to decompose. He encouraged people to use jute or cloth bags instead. About 1,170 kg of seized plastic was displayed during the programme. Fines have been introduced for a stricter implementation of the ban, the Commissioner said. Later, the Commissioner handed over cloth bags to those who gave away plastic at a counter specially set up for this programme. Later, school students participated in a rally to plant saplings to reduce pollution and create awareness among the people about the ban on single-use plastic. Meanwhile, at a press conference, Mayor Rayana Bhagyalakshmi lauded the efforts of people and sanitation workers in getting an award for the city. She said that it was a first time that the city received an award in the category of cities having population of more than 10 lakh. The first three spots went to Indore, Surat and Navi Mumbai, and Vijayawada has secured the fourth, she said, expressing happiness. Ms. Bhagyalakshmi recalled that this is the second time, first being in 2021, that she received an award from the President. The city has also received an award in the 'Garbage Free City' category. Deputy Mayor Bellam Durga, Sailaja Reddy and YSRCP Floor Leader Venkata Satyanarayana were also present at the press meeting.
Indian Express
a day ago
- General
- Indian Express
Crocodile on Vadodara road: Why cleaning of Vishwamitri canals has some from the species looking for new territories
On Friday, the video of a small crocodile making its way through a road in Vadodara, as some people stopped their vehicles to take a closer look while others took out their mobile phones to record the spectacle, went viral. This was not the first such sighting in the last few weeks, though. In the last three weeks, as many as nine crocodiles have been rescued from various parts of the city and handed over to the forest department. Officials said Vadodara Municipal Corporation's (VMC) extensive project of cleaning culverts and canals linked to the Vishwamitri as part of the flood-mitigation plan has resulted in some baby and sub-adult crocodiles emerging in city areas close to the river and its network of canals in search of new territories. The incident captured in the viral video is from Wednesday, they said. Vadodara Range Forest Officer Karansinh Rajput told The Indian Express: 'About eight or nine crocodiles have been rescued so far since mid-June…They are all about two feet long and have mostly emerged from the nallahs in the nearby areas. They were rescued by animal activists and brought to the forest department. According to the procedure, we keep them under observation for two days and if there are no injuries that need treatment, they are released back into the Vishwamitri.' Rajput said unlike these baby and sub-adult crocodiles, the larger species get trapped in residential areas only when river water floods the city. Dr Pratyush Patankar, curator of the VMC-run Sayajibaug zoo, who was on the panel of the Vishwamitri project to supervise the shifting of crocodiles if needed, told The Indian Express that the cleaning of the culverts has meant that the agencies have 'realised for the first time' that the crocodiles also reside and mark territories in the canals. Patankar said, 'After the desilting and dredging, Vishwamitri has taken the shape of a river… The culverts are now being cleaned and it is likely that these crocodiles were inhabiting the culverts. No one paid attention to this. Now that the river is being cleaned to remove obstructions in its flow, we are seeing baby crocodiles and even adults in the kaans (a kind of canal).' He further said, 'On Friday morning, an adult crocodile was found in the Ruparel kaans… We are noticing them now because we are entering these areas to clean them up. If you speak of Bhukhi kaans that passes through the MS University campus, sub-adult crocodiles have been spotted there very often. As the vegetation is being removed, their hideouts are disappearing, making them look for new territory.' Since March last year, VMC and the state irrigation department have been carrying out desilting and dredging of Vishwamitri river along its approximately 50-km course. Patankar said that being territorial in nature and also recorded cannibals, baby crocodiles prefer to 'move to safe places' when adults of the species establish their territory. 'Crocodiles stay with their mothers for about a year… Parental care as a character is well documented in mammals and birds, but in reptiles, it has not been (the case)… Reptiles are self-sufficient since birth. Once they separate from their mothers, they keep moving to find their territory. They are driven away from areas where adult crocodiles have established their territories,' he said. 'Size matters among reptiles especially in fierce territorial fights; cannibalism is well documented, too. So, the babies and sub-adults try to move away from the territory of adult crocodiles,' he added. Patankar said that the crocodiles prefer to migrate during night hours, which explains why most of the rescues are made at night or in the wee hours. 'They travel between water bodies. They can walk long distances and they prefer to move at night,' he said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Man complains about broken drain cover, receives threat
Vadodara: What would happen if a citizen complained about a damaged storm drain cover that was posing a hazard on a road? The complaint would either be ignored, attended to or possibly attended to after a delay. In Vadodara, a man received a threat over the phone for raising the issue. Hitesh Sangathiya, a resident of Karelibaug, almost fell into a storm drain on Thursday morning as the drain cover was damaged. A barricade near the drain had also been moved. Sangathiya positioned the barricade properly and complained about the damaged cover to a Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) official over WhatsApp, sending a photograph of the broken cover. Sangathiya also mentioned the name of the contractor concerned and wrote that he was going to file a formal complaint. In an hour, he got a WhatsApp call from an unknown number. The caller threatened Sangathiya with dire consequences after trying to persuade him to drop the matter. Sangathiya said he had complained about the contractor earlier as well. "The same cover was damaged earlier and I had complained about it. I commute by this road and see the situation regularly," he said. Sangathiya alleged that the caller was an aide of the contractor. He said the contractor had been fined recently for damaged roads. Sangathiya said while he was planning to complain only about the shoddy work earlier, he had to go to the police as he was threatened. "Calling over WhatsApp makes it evident that the person did not want the call to be recorded as he was going to threaten me," he said. An official at Karelibaug police station said that they were looking into the complaint.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
No good nights for Vijayawada residents as mosquitoes wage all out war
1 2 Vijayawada: Residents of Vijayawada are grappling with a severe mosquito problem, which has worsened with the ongoing heat and high humidity. While daytime temperatures are making life difficult, nights are proving equally uncomfortable as mosquito bites keep citizens awake across many areas of the city. Though the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has intensified efforts to tackle the mosquito menace, relief remains elusive. The civic body has launched several innovative measures, including drone spraying to destroy larvae in stagnant water bodies, fogging operations under culverts, and drainage maintenance to prevent water stagnation. Yet, the mosquito population continues to rise, especially in low-lying residential areas and near canals. Despite routine anti-larval activities and public announcements, many residents complain that mosquitoes have become resistant to fogging, and the impact is short-lived. Citizens in areas like Patamata, Bhavanipuram, and Krishnalanka report severe mosquito bites every evening, making it nearly impossible to sleep without repellents or nets. Health officials warn that if the situation persists, it may lead to an increase in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria, and chikungunya, especially during the upcoming monsoon months. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The malaria wing of the VMC stated that mosquito density is being monitored and larvicide usage is being intensified in high-risk zones. However, VMC urged public cooperation and asked them to ensure that their homes and surroundings are free from stagnant water. Meanwhile, VMC officials assured that night fogging schedules are being ramped up and new equipment is being deployed for wider coverage. "Special drives are in progress to kill mosquito larvae in stagnant water. Drones were used to spray anti-larvicide in remote locations. Gambuji fish will be left in stagnant water to kill larvae," said a senior official at the health wing of VMC. As mosquito nuisance continues to disrupt daily life, the demand for a more aggressive city-wide vector control campaign is growing among residents and health experts alike.
