| 2009-05-30 | Water supply to get better in Ulhasnagar
Soon you can expect better water supply in your top-floor flat or ground-level shop in Ulhasnagar. According to the executive engineer, water supply, UMC, a new 127-crore project has been sanctioned recently by the nodal agency - Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for the 13-Km-long township with broad crisscrossing road network of 352 Km in the congested lanes and by lanes.
"The scheme will cover the entire town and make water supply better throughout the year. The losses presently caused by leakages will be almost nil, as the entire brand new supply system is going to be made foolproof against any possible pollution or leakages," says Subash Khartare, the executive engineer in the corporation.
For effective distribution, a zoning system is to be introduced whereby existing four-five wards will be merged into one water zone and the pipelines will be laid there as per the revamped zonal plan. The water supply and distribution will follow the demands of the zone.
The additional ESR (Elevated Source Reservoirs) will be erected in the designated areas to store water for the growing population of the township. As per rough estimate, post-2002 census, there are more than six lakh residents living in this small territory.
"Already 12 water tanks have been sanctioned under this scheme. This means augmentation of the existing water storage capacity and its critical supply.
The scheme, once finished, will ensure equal distribution of water as the pressure will be equal at different levels, at all the hours. The flow will also be very fast. It will save energy for the corporation, as the pumping of the supply will be very speedy and quick for the consumers and save the power," says Khartare.
Presently, UMC is getting 110 MLD but the supply is erratic in many localities because of old and rusted pipelines, frequent leakages and bursting of water pipes due to poor maintenance.
Summers, power cuts and lean supply from the sources complicate the problem further. The new water scheme, to be implemented in two years' time, is the only hope to put a stop to all water woes. |  | | 2009-05-23 | Food poisoning in Ulhasnagar; 34 hospitalised
An engagement party turned into a ghastly nightmare when 34 attendees of the party suffered from food poisoning after consuming gulab jamun served there. The incident took place at Subhash Tekadi vicinity of Ulhasnagar.
Saibaba Nagar in Subhash Tekdi in Ulhasnagar-(E)
The police have arrested a shop owner from where the sweet s were bought. According to information received from the police sources, Bhagwan Khandagale, a resident of Ulhasnagar had organised an engagement party for his daughter but little did he know that the gulab jamun served to the guests would result in food poisoning.
After consuming the affected sweets, guests suffered from vomiting and headache. Consequently, they were rushed to central hospital in Ulhasnagar and other nearby hospitals.
Informing about it S L Rokde, WPSI from Vithalwadi police station and an investigating officer of the case, said "The guests who kept themselves away from the gulab jamun for any reason were alright and those who ate the sweets suffered from food poisoning. Hence, the initial investigations revealed that all this happened only because of the consumption of gulab jamun."
The police have arrested Parakram Choudhary (47), a shop owner of Siddhivinayak Farsan shop from where the sweet was bought for the occasion. Rokde informed that all the guests are in a better condition and have been discharged from the hospital.
She further informed that samples of the sweet were sent for chemical testing in a laboratory. The case has been registered with the Vithalwadi police station by Vijay Khandagale, Bhagwan's son and its CR No is I/72/09.
At the time of going to press the victims were out of danger and had been released from the hospital. |  | | 2009-05-23 | UMC okays 3.5 per cent cut in Octroi on LPG, fails
It seems that the Ulhasnagar municipal corporation (UMC) has decided to make life difficult for its residents. Despite approving a 3.5 per cent cut in the price of domestic LPG cylinders in the budget for the next financial year, the UMC has reportedly still not passed over the benefits to the citizens.
It may be recalled that DK Plus highlighted the fact that residents of Ulhasnagar were paying high rates for the domestic LPG cylinders, courtesy a steep octroi charge.
While the neighbouring civic bodies either charge a small amount or nothing towards octroi on cylinders, the UMC charges an exorbitant 4 per cent per unit. Resultantly, the cylinder is approximately costlier by Rs 13-15 here as compared to others.
DK Plus highlighted this issue prompting the UMC to lower the LPG rates in its area in the budget financial year for 2009-10.
Accordingly, it also passed a resolution in the GB in Feb 2009, declaring that the Octroi duty on domestic cylinders would hereby be 0.5 per cent for Ulhasnagar. Along with LPG, the UMC also lowered the duty charges on sugar, jaggery, and tea-coffee.
Officials inform that by the decrease the corporation will suffer a loss in revenue but has implemented it for the benefit of the residents. According to the figures made available by DMC Milind Sawant, the UMC earned Rs 1.64 cr in the financial year 2008-09 while this year it has shown a proposed deficit of Rs 1.15 cr. The decrease however hasn't come into effect as the UMC has failed to implement the orders.
When contacted, a UMC official requesting anonymity informed that the effect to the GB sanction is awaiting a State approval. Sources informed that the Octroi collection in Ulhasnagar was done through the allotment system after issuing a tender and would require a state approval.
"The rates are fixed in a tender and are mentioned in a clause. So to allow any increase or decrease in the approved tender amount needs State's approval," informed the official.
The official further informed that the UMC sent a letter to the State on March 25 regarding the change but is yet to hear from the urban development department. Furthermore the code of conduct that came into force from March 2, added to the delay, inform sources.
Residents are clearly not happy with this. "Once the budget is passed then how can the UMC say that they are awaiting state approval? It seems that they are pretending.
If they are 'over-charging' the consumers how will they reimburse the amount? This is a clear case of the common man being cheated," laments Chatur Singh Khalsa, a resident of Ulhasnagar. Not to take things lying down, Singh informs that he plans to personally contact the Mantralaya babus under the RTI. |  | | 2009-05-23 | Are suburbs rain-ready?
The weatherman has hinted at an early monsoon this year. But silt still clogs the city's nallahs. The first pre-monsoon showers were already here this week, but work on de-silting of suburbs city's important nallah networks is still behind schedule.
The municipal corporations are responsible to see to it that the nallahs and the drainage systems are unclogged before the rains. They claim that most of the work will be completed before May 31. However a look at the civic body's own data reveals de-silting is far from complete and it is yet to start at several chronic water logging spots.
"We had already experienced 26/7, but the gutters that lead to flooding in our area have still not been cleaned. A few days back some conservancy workers came to clean the gutter but left without cleaning the major ones," complains Rajpal Yadhav of Tiwari flour mill from Rambaug.
"Gutters in our area are never cleaned for months together and that leads to overflowing of dirty water all over the roads. Around thousands of students from three schools and several classes here have to pass through dirty water throughout the monsoon," says Mukhtadar Rushdi from Chikanghar.
"Floods are a common sight in our area," say residents of Swami Nagar in Ambernath. Things are similar in Ulhasnagar adds Vassu Khureja. "I have to pass through several flooded areas from Ulhasnahgar 4 to reach Kalyan, my work place, he says.
And residents of Bhiwandi claim, "We are worst hit by waterlogging in monsoon."
The Municipal authorities throughout the suburbs claim that they have been ready with the pre- monsoon drive and are ready to face any natural calamities during monsoon.
ULHASNAGAR
"We have already started our pre- monsoon activities and planned in advance for any natural disaster," claims Deepak Sawant, deputy commissioner, Ulhasnagar.
He adds, "We have 76 wards with 10 workers in each and a special budget of Rs 55 lakhs for cleaning of nallahs. There are in all 41 nallahs and work on de-silting has already started and will be completed by May 31 and will continue throughout the monsoon. We have a separate budget of Rs 27 lakhs for de-silting of nallahs with poclaine machines."
For disaster management UMC have specially trained staff 24x7 hours on duty, comprising fire brigade, PWD, sanitation department, city engineers and PRO with sub squads at all the wards. "We assure flood-free Ulhasnagar this year," says Sawant.
AMBERNATH
"We have appointed four departments Health, Fire brigade, PWD and Water supply for pre-monsoon activities and rescue work during any natural calamities," informs Ashok Bokil, sectional engineer, water supply with regard to resolution passed by Davle, Chief Officer of AMC.
They have strictly warned their conservancy workers to check the choke-up regularly and clean the drainage daily throughout the monsoon to avoid flooding. The covers on the damaged manholes have totally changed or been repaired. People have been served notices to repair their connections or replace them if rusted to avoid contamination of drinking water. Tankers are being cleaned and kept ready to supply clean water in case of flooding in the affected areas. "Work on de-silting nallahs and cleaning of clogged gutters has already started and will be complete before May 31," says Davle, Chief Officer, AMC.
BHIWANDI
Residents of Jabbar compound, Azmi compound, Khadi par and Teen batti are the worst affected every year. "We have to shift all our materials and all the goods to safer places as we are in the weaving industries. We suffer huge losses due to negligence of the Bhiwandi Nizampur City Muncipal Corporation as our area is flooded if it rains successively even for two to three," complains Saad Ansari from Jabbar compound.
"Teen Batti is one of the land mark areas of Bhiwandi with major markets, the nallah here is never cleaned and is always clogged and this causes flooding in Bhiwandi as well as in Nizampur. The BNCMC must act now before it's too late as we have suffered losses every year due to flooding," laments shopkeepers and residents from Teen Batti.
Sanitary inspector JS Khatib of BNCMC said, "We don't have any special instructions as such on pre-monsoon activities; as of now we clean all the gutters as usual. As for the cleaning of nallahs the work has already started and will be completed before the onset of monsoon."
When DK Plus surveyed the area it was found most of the major gutters have still not been cleaned and are clogged. Subash Jhalke, head of the department of health and sanitation was unavailable for comments.
KALYAN
"Our commissioner Govind Rathod has worked out a systemic plan and involved all the executive engineers to see that there is no flooding in KDMC area this year. We have formed different committees to tackle the situation in case of natural calamities," claims executive engineer CG Kolte of KDMC.
* Control Room: For pre- intimation and to tackle all the complaints, information and to deliver the information to concerned authorities. Headed by Exec Engg Puranik.
* Rehabilitation to shift the affected to safer places. Headed by Exec Engg Ashok Baile.
* Help centre: Five fire brigade vans will give instant help and help in rescue work. Headed by Exec Engg YD Sonowne.
* Rehabilitation Centre: Temporary shelters along food and all the safety amenities. Headed by Exec Engg CG Kolte.
* Medical help: 12 medical centres, two main hospitals fully equipped with all the medicines and staff. Headed by Health officer Dr Bhise.
* Food and Water supply: Headed by Exec Engg PG Kulkarni.
* To see that the affected are resettled at their own places with ll the facilities and help. Headed by Exec Engg RK.Jaoras.
* Fire brigade is also fully equipped with three power boats, 10 tyre boats, rescue vans and ambulances well-equipped for any natural calamity, assures Commissioner Govind Rathod of KDMC.
"We have already started cleaning of all the nallahs and drainage for which we have a special budget of Rs 53.58 lakhs and the work will be completed before May 31," promises Kolte. |  | | 2009-05-23 | DK Plus was the first to highlight the issue
Courtesy a steep octroi charge, consumers from KDMC and even the UMC areas are paying more for a single unit of domestic LPG cylinder and the consumers are hit harder than their neighbours who pay less money towards a cylinder. DK Plus exposed the apathy in the issue dated August 30, 2008.
In October, we highlighted as cylinder rates to consumers in Ulhasnagar was around Rs 13-15 costlier than what it was in neighbouring areas like Ambernath, Bhiwandi and Badlapur. The octroi charge in KDMC and UMC areas is 4 per cent while that in BNCMC is 2 per cent. AMC however has abolished the octroi system completely.
A sales executive of a gas company requesting anonymity had then confirmed that octroi charges were responsible for the increase in rates. According to civic laws, every vehicle carrying goods has to pay toll charges and octroi or escort fees to the civic body.
In most of the neighbouring civic bodies, the cost of LPG cylinders has increased by 0.5 - 2 per cent because of higher Octroi levied. However, the hike is very steep in Ulhasnagar and Kalyan-Dombivli and resultantly, the cylinders are costlier here by around Rs 15 as compared to other cities.
Residents then voiced their grievances saying that it was unfair on the part of the corporations to levy different charges for cylinders. "The corporations must look into this issue at the earliest and come out with an amicable solution so that the common man isn't harassed further," said Ashish K, a reader of DK Plus and resident of Ulhasnagar.
"The 4 per cent Octroi for cylinders it making it difficult for us to manage the finances," said Anjali S, a housewife. After DK Plus highlighted this issue, the UMC promptly decided to lower the LPG rates in its area.
Accordingly it also passed a resolution in the General Body in February 2009 declaring that the Octroi duty on domestic cylinders would hereby be 0.5 per cent for Ulhasnagar.DMC Milind Sawant confirmed the decrease in the LPG rates but refused to comment further stating that it was up to the state to take the final call. | | 2009-05-17 | Commuters to breathe easy soon
The heavy daily traffic snarls caused by the ongoing work of the Rs 55 crore SATIS (Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme), Kalyan west, could soon be a thing of the past within two weeks, thanks to the ‘'Temporary traffic channelisation during the execution of the work of SATIS', as per a February 17 notification issued by the commissioner of police, Thane police commissionerate.
"Due to long jams and haphazard parking of buses and private vehicles on the station road, our work often goes slow," remarks Mulchand, a senior executive officer with the Ulhasnagar-based Konark Infrastructure Ltd, the contractors entrusted with the completion of the one-and-a-half km long skywalk and allied work of SATIS, financed by the MMRDA (Mumbai Metro Region Development Authority) and overseen by a team of engineers from the local urban body.
"The new traffic changes will tentatively start in a fortnight. State public transport buses and heavy trucks will not be allowed to enter the Gurudev - Mahalxmi hotel side of the station road but will be made to take the right turn from the Shivaji Chowk signal onto the 60-ft wide Mohammed Ali Chowk road, and, from that road to the Mahatma Phule Chowk and stop there only or go to the Murbad side.
This will decongest the traffic on the main railway station road to a great extent," explains Mahesh Gupte, junior engineer, supervising the work at ground zero. Vashi bus depot will be shifted to Saagar Hotel or the nearby Bail Bazaar, thus removing another bottleneck for the almost six lakh commuters accessing the railway junction daily.
The buses from the state road transport will be asked to park near the Rambaugh Lane -2, on the side of the road itself, says Gupte. The hawkers are also to be removed by KDMC in the Mohammed Ali road, or, station road, as it is popularly known. This will free the occupied road space for the incoming vehicles. The Deepak Hotel section of the road will be soon made one-way only for the light traffic.
"These and other minor changes will effectively reduce the density of vehicular traffic and make things easy for the workers to do their work, thus expediting the entire lengthy process," expresses Gupte.
This time, KDMC seems to be delivering almost on time. "This fact was appreciated by Ratnakar Gaikwad, chief of MMRDA, on his recent site visit on the sixth of this month. He praised the commissioner of KDMC and his team for sticking to the timetable," says Gupte. |  | | 2009-05-15 | ACB arrests two cops for accepting bribe
The state Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) unit of Thane recently arrested two cops attached to the crime branch of the city police on Tuesday for
allegedly demanding and accepting bribe from a businessman. The cops have been remanded to police custody when produced before the court on Wednesday.
According to ACB sources some person had lodged a written complaint with the Kalyan unit of the Thane police crime branch against one Harishanker Bechanram Yadav, a small businessman from Ulhasnagar. The written complaint alleged that Yadav was using narcotics in the production of his goods and demanded his arrest under the Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
PSI Vilas Jadhav who investigated the written complaint summoned the businessman to his office and demanded Rs one lakh from him for not registering an FIR against him. The businessman, however, bargained the amount to Rs 50000 and paid Rs 20000 as the first installment of the sum on the spot to evade arrest. He promised to pay the balance later on.
Yadav approached the ACB, Thane and lodged a complaint of demand of bribe against the PSI. Kishore Jadhav, the Superintendent of Police (SP), ACB took the complaint seriously and directed his men to arrest the cop red-handed.
According a team of ACB sleuths laid a trap for the PSI near Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC)-run Rukminibai Hospital some distance away from the crime branch office late on Tuesday evening. PSI Jadhav was arrested along with his subordinate police constable Suresh Gore while accepting a sum of Rs 10000 from the complainant.
Notably this is the second criminal case of bribery registered by the ACB against city cops in the past one month. Earlier the ACB registered an offence of demand of bribe against DA Darade, a Police Inspector (PI) and police constable Krishna Modak both attached to Mumbra police station. The case was lodged in Mumbra police station.
| | 2009-05-09 | Sadhus roughed up by mob
Four sadhus were roughed up by locals at the vegetable market at camp-4 in Ulhasnagar-(E). These sadhus were beaten up after they were suspected of kidnapping three-year-old Shubhangi Jhalte on Tuesday evening.
Shubhangi and her mother Radhabai were purchasing vegetables. Shubhangi was carrying her father's mobile phone with her and had let go of her mother's hand.
The wandering sadhus spotted the girl and picked her up. The child started bawling and that led to a mob of around 200 people gather at the spot and beat up the sadhus. Later the mob took them to the police station.
"These sadhus are from Madhya Pradesh. They visit temples and make their livelihood by begging. We are registering an offence of mobile phone theft and not kidnapping," said Bhimrao Jadhav, senior PI with the Vithalvadi police station.
Sachin Chauhan who was among the people who beat up the sadhus said, "It is surprising that the offence of kidnapping was not registered.”
This is the second incident in Ulhasnagar where sadhus were beated up by a mob after suspecting child abduction. In December last year, a group six sadhus were beaten by a mob outside Khemani High School in Ulhasnagar in Camp-1 and an offence was registered at the Ulhasnagar police station.
|  | | 2009-05-02 | 80 prank calls proposing marriage upsets UMC firem
80 prank calls proposing marriage upsets UMC firemen
Posted On Saturday, May 02, 2009 at 12:26:29 PM
Unknown woman proposes marriage to fire brigade officials of Ulhasnagar- 3. For full three hours, she keeps the emergency number 101 engaged by making 80 successive calls
Dr Sangeeta Sharma
It is usual to hear women being harassed by men proposing marriage but on 23rd April, it was the other way round. It were the men receiving persistent proposal from an unknown woman.
Harassed fire brigade official looks at the phone
These were a few second shift firemen doing their beat at the Ulhasnagar -3 office behind UMC when this telephonic proposal was made to them. BA Patil, shift incharge and leading fireman, was at his desk when he got the first buzz at 3: 00 pm.
"I was surprised to hear a female voice from the other end, asking him to marry her. I took it as a prank call and hung up without replying," says the 50 year old officer. But that was just the beginning of the problem.
After that numerous calls followed. Dharampal Chaudhary, Partap Sardar and Pandu Kokam were the other firemen doing their duty at that time. Out of curiosity, each took the receiver to hear what the woman was saying.
"And she went on inquiring about my personal details: my age, my marital status, and whether I had kids. Harassed, I shouted at her saying that I am a father of grown-up kids and am nearing retirement.
She said that age and retirement don't matter and went on proposing for marriage," informs the harassed fireman. Unable to take it any more, the firemen finally reported the incident to police control and asked the BSNL officials to trace her number.
When Bhaskar Timirpagar, fire station in-charge was contacted, he rued, "Prank calls have become a real problem these days.
It reached its extreme on Thursday. We got no less than 80 calls within three hours. Such pranksters should understand that real complaints will not reach us,
if the number is kept engaged in this manner." |  | | 2009-05-01 | Missing kids cases to get priority
Mumbai: Alarmed at the number of cases involving missing children, justice Ranjana Desai and justice RG Ketkar of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the court staff to prepare a separate list of such cases, which will be heard on priority basis on Monday.
The two-judge bench is hearing several habeas corpus petitions where a parent has sought the courts help to trace a missing child. Most of the cases involve matrimonial disputes where one parent has taken the child away to frustrate custody proceedings.
Among the cases is the petition filed by an Australian lady claiming that her ex-husband, who is an Indian, has "kidnapped" her minor son and brought him to Mumbai despite orders to the contrary from the Australian courts.
In another case, Ulhasnagar resident Preeti Chugh said that her estranged husband has "run away" with her four-year-old son and one Manpreet Biji alleged that her son has been "kidnapped" by her father-in-law.
Alarmed at the number of cases involving missing children, Justice Ranjana Desai and Justice RG Ketkar of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday directed the court staff to prepare a separate list of such cases, which will be heard on a priority basis on Monday. |
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