News Analysis India

Tag: NCR

  • UP govt to form panel to probe why NCR builders are going bankrupt, leaving buyers in the lurch

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Noticing the repeated claims of insolvency and bankruptcy by private builders, the UP government will be setting up a high-level committee soon to find out the reasons for it. UP CM Yogi Adityanath has ordered the Industrial Development Department to set up the committee with the mandate to look into the conditions which are compelling private builders to file for bankruptcy leaving thousands of flat buyers in the lurch.

    In fact, since the Yogi cabinet 2.0 assumed charge, two prominent builders —  Supertech Limited and Logix City — have filed for bankruptcy voluntarily before NCLT. Prior to them, Wave real estate group had filed for bankruptcy voluntarily in March 2021.

    Prior to this, several big names of the real estate industry such as Amrapali, Jaypee Group, Three C Homes, Unitech and Sahara have faced insolvency proceedings in the past.

    Significantly, a number of well-known firms have declared themselves bankrupt urging the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to liquidate their assets so that they could arrange funds and deliver the incomplete projects. Buyers have been a harried lot due to non-deliverance of their units despite having paid the money. The sources claimed that NCLT has issued orders to declare at least a dozen small and big real estate firm owners bankrupt.

    In the National Capital Region (NCR), especially Noida and Greater Noida, scores of homebuyers have no clarity as to when will they get possession of their flats booked under various projects of these builders even after making the payments to the developers. “Things are not streamlined. Uncertainty looms large even after the establishment of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). Why the developers are declaring themselves bankrupt needs to be probed,” said an officer. RERA came into force from May 1, 2017.

    In Noida and Greater Noida, the status of the majority of projects, which were launched between 2009-2014, is incomplete. The system under RERA became effective three years after that. According to official sources, after extracting money forthe promised units from the buyers and banks, developers have made hay.

    “It is convenient to exit from the project instead of fulfilling the obligations. Insolvency proceedings and liquidation is a complex process and takes a lot of time. Before taking any adverse action against the developers, the authorities need to ensure protection of the buyers’ interest,” said a senior official.

  • Ready to impose complete lockdown to control air pollution: AAP government to SC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has informed the Supreme Court that it is ready to take steps like complete lockdown to control pollution if it is mandated for the entire NCR area.

    “GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) is ready to take steps like complete lockdown to control the local emissions. However, such a step would be meaningful if it is implemented across the NCR areas in neighbouring states.

    Given Delhi’s compact size, a lockdown would have limited impact on the air quality regime,” the Delhi government said in an affidavit. “This issue would need to be addressed at the level of airshed involving NCR areas. In view of the above, we are ready to consider this step if the same is mandated for the entire NCR areas by the government of India or by the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and adjoining areas,” it said.

    The affidavit was submitted in response to a plea filed by environmental activist Aditya Dubey and law student Aman Banka, who sought directions to provide stubble-removing machines to small and marginal farmers for free.

    The Delhi government apprised the top court that keeping in view the deteriorating ambient air quality all Schools, Colleges, Educational and Coaching Institutes, Skill Development & Training Institutes, Other Training Institutes, Libraries (except where exams are being conducted) have been closed till November 20, 2021.

    “All private offices, establishments are advised to allow their staff to work from home, so as to ensure least vehicular movement on the roads till November 17, 2021, the Delhi government said.

    The AAP government also told the top court that all private offices and establishments have been advised to allow their staff to work from home, so as to ensure least vehicular movement on the roads till November 17, 2021.

    It submitted that over the past several years, the Air Quality Index does not go in to ‘severe’ category from February till September.

    “In fact, October, 2021 has been the cleanest month in the last six years with better air quality and no severe days were witnessed and also saw less stubble burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana averaging around 675 incidents per day.

    “At the same time, November 2021 saw seven severe days in the first 13 days of the month and corresponded with an increased number of stubble burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana averaging around 4,300 incidents per day,” the Delhi government said.

    In compliance with the order of the top court, a smog tower at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, has been installed and commissioned on August 23, 2021, the AAP government said.

    “Thirteen Hotspots namely Narela, Bawana, Mundka, Wazirpur, Rohini, R K Puram, Okhla, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Punjabi Bagh, Mayapuri, Vivek Vihar and Dwarka were identified on the basis of annual concentration of PM 2.5 and PM 10 in Delhi and action is being taken on specific mitigation measures to control air pollution,” it said.

    Enumerating several steps taken it, the Delhi government told the apex court that action is being taken against petrol and diesel vehicles older than 15 years, construction and demolition sites are being rigorously inspected and industries are being monitored for compliance on use of only approved fuels.

    “Delhi Pollution Control Committee had initiated steps to convert all identified 1,636 industrial units to switch over to PNG to curb air pollution due to industrial emissions. Regular inspections were carried out to check the use of PNG in the industries identified. All identified 1,636 industries have converted to PNG. All these units have been re-inspected in October, 2021 and have been found to be compliant,” it said. Highlighting steps taken by it to augmentation public transport, the Delhi government said presently, the city bus fleet consists of 6,767 buses (3,760 DTC + 3,007 Cluster buses).

    “In addition, public transport services are being provided through about 800 mini buses and 174 metro feeder buses. Orders have been placed for 300 Low Floor Electric buses to be inducted under Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India (FAME-II) scheme. Till date, 2,246 Delhi Metro coaches are in service, and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is planning to induct 120 coaches by March 2022. Further, additional 312 coaches are planned to be inducted,” it said. It said Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy was approved vide Cabinet which aims to encourage rapid adoption of Electric vehicles in Delhi and establishing the necessary charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

    The policy provides for “creation of an enabling environment for the provision of private as well as public charging Infrastructure. In this regard, Delhi Transco Ltd., an enterprise of Power Department, GNCTD has floated a tender for the installation of 100 charging stations across Delhi, for which the locations/ sites have been identified. It is planned to provide a capital subsidy of Rs 10 Crores as one-time expense for electrical infrastructure augmentation up to 100 kW across these,” the AAP government said.

    It said that E-rickshaws are being widely used by the commuters for last mile connectivity in Delhi. “Number of registered e-rickshaws has increased to 1,14,782 as on October 31, 2021, due to grant of fiscal incentive Rs 30,000 towards registration of e-rickshaws by the GNCTD.

    Further, DMRC is in the process of inducting electric buses for providing last mile connectivity services on metro feeder routes,” it said.

    More than 250 teams have been set-up across Delhi for day and night patrolling to monitor garbage burning in colonies, it said adding that effective control and management of road dust is being looked into.

    In fight against pollution, Delhi Government has launched the campaign “Yudh, Pradushan ke Virudh”, with citizen engagement (Jan Bhagidari) i.e., with RWA members , environmental NGOs, youth organizations etc.in coordination with government machinery.

    Terming the rise in air pollution in Delhi-NCR an “emergency” situation, the apex court on Saturday suggested clamping a lockdown in the national capital as it asked the Centre and the Delhi government to take immediate measures to improve the air quality.

    The court had said the situation of pollution is so bad that people are wearing masks inside their houses.

    It had said there are other reasons for pollution such as vehicular emissions, firecrackers and dust, and singling out stubble burning is not the solution.

    The apex court had also expressed concern that schools in the city have opened and children are being exposed to severe pollution conditions.

  • Union Minister Bhupender Yadav holds meeting with NCR states on action plan to mitigate air pollution

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday held a key meeting with the governments of Delhi and its neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on the action plan to mitigate air pollution caused by stubble burning.

    Briefing the media about the meeting, the minister said discussions were held over implementation of action plans by states to mitigate pollution due to agriculture stubble burning, dust, construction and demolition waste, biomass burning and vehicular pollution.

    The minister said coordination and synergy reflected in the action plan by each state under the overall framework prepared by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

    “Outcome of action plan will significantly depend on the efficacy of the enforcement and implementation by the states,” Yadav said.

    Tweeting about the meeting later, the minister said, “Chaired a meeting with Haryana CM Shri @mlkhattar ji and Environment Ministers and senior officials from neighbouring states on the preparedness and taking ahead the multi-pronged action plan on air quality. Addressed issues requiring inter-state & inter-inisterial coordination.”

    “It was heartening to note that the spirit with which the Commission for Air Quality Management was conceived is reflected in the action plan of states. The outcome of the action plan will significantly depend on the efficacy of the enforcement and implementation by states,” he said.

    Sharing the plan for utilisation of PUSA’s bio-decomposer technology, the minister said that it will be given to farmers in Haryana free of cost for one lakh acre of land and in Delhi, it will be used in more than 4,000 acres of area under paddy, out of the total area 14,600 acres.

    He said that Uttar Pradesh will be given 10 lakh capsules of the bio-decomposer free of cost for 6.1 lakh acre land and Punjab to get it for approximately 7,413 acres of land.

    Farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue left behind after harvesting and before cultivating wheat and potato.

    It is one of the main reasons for the spike in pollution in Delhi-NCR at the onset of winters.

    The paddy harvesting season is between October 15 and November 15.

  • When world grappled with pandemic, UP’s NCR got huge investments: Adityanath

    The chief minister said the people who earlier moved to Delhi for medical treatment were seen rushing to hospitals in UP #39;s NCR areas for assistance during the pandemic.

  • NGT refuses to allow brick kilns in NCR during monsoon months

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has junked a plea seeking a review of its order banning operation of coal-fired brick kilns in the NCR beyond June during the monsoon months.

    A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said that under the garb of a review, a party cannot be permitted to re-open the case and to gain a full-fledged inning for making submissions.

    It said the review of an order does lie merely on the grounds that it may be possible for the court to take a view contrary to what had been taken earlier.

    “Even the judgment given subsequent to the decision in a case can be no ground for entertaining the review.

    Review lies only when there is error apparent on the face of the record and that fallibility is by the over-sight of the court.

    “If a counsel has argued a case to his satisfaction and he had not raised the particular point for any reason whatsoever, it cannot be a ground of review,” the bench said.

    The green panel said that if a case has been decided after full consideration of arguments made by a counsel, he cannot be permitted, even under the garb of doing justice or substantial justice, to engage the court again to decide the controversy already decided.

    “If a party is aggrieved of a judgment, it must approach the higher court but entertaining a review to re-consider the case would amount to exceeding its jurisdiction, conferred under the limited jurisdiction for the purpose of review,” the bench said.

    “Accordingly, we do not think it proper to interfere in this matter.

    The review application is devoid of any merit and not maintainable,” the tribunal said.

    The tribunal was hearing a plea by some brick kiln owners contending that they can be allowed to operate during July-September (Monsoon Months) and there is no ground to exclude this period.

    They argued that if the air quality is within the norms and there is carrying capacity, the “zig-zag” type brick kilns can be permitted as there is the assimilative or supportive capacity to support these operations as suggested by the Central Pollution Control Board.

    “This exercise ought to have been directed for all the months, including the monsoon months (July-September), as it had been assumed and presumed that the brick kilns are not operational during this period, which is not entirely true as the brick kilns that have requisite infrastructure can operate in monsoon months (July-September),” the plea said.

    Earlier, the NGT in February had said that coal-fired brick kilns cannot be allowed to operate in the NCR even if zig-zag technology is used and improved procedures are followed during “severe” pollution.

    Unless there is a change to a cleaner fuel (PNG), brick kilns beyond the number specified cannot be allowed in the NCR, the green panel had said.

    “Those brick kilns which switch over to PNG will be entitled to operate even beyond months of March to June and even beyond limited number mentioned, subject to compliance with the law,” the bench had said.

    The tribunal had said that a distance of at least 500 metres is required to be maintained in the location of brick kilns.

    “When brick kilns start, they should not be allowed to start simultaneously but their firing should be staggered to avoid adverse impact on the environment.

    Other safeguards of fugitive dust emission management need to be adopted,” the bench had said.

    The NGT said since there is the variance of figures given during March to June, only such number can be allowed which can be sustained throughout the period i.e.

    the minimum figure of a particular month out of the four months which comes to 444 in Haryana (in May) and 200 in UP (in June).

    Such short-listing may be done applying suitable siting criteria taking into account inter se distance and distance from sensitive locations and compliance of consent conditions for which the CPCB and the state PCB may work out an appropriate mechanism.

    Further, the location of brick kilns be scattered on pro-rata basis, in different directions of the concerned area, having regard to background and carrying capacity parameters.

    The tribunal had earlier rejected a plea to allow brick kilns running on “zig-zag” technology in the NCR, saying their operation will have a disastrous effect on the air quality.

    It had directed the CPCB to constitute a committee of five experts to suggest ways and means, if any, by which sustenance of brick kilns activities may be viable.

    In zig-zag kilns, bricks are arranged to allow hot air to travel in a zigzag path which results in better mixing of air and fuel, allows complete combustion, reducing coal consumption by about 20 per cent.

    Other brick kilns (FCBTK) have already been prohibited by the order of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority to enforce Graded Response Action Plan, stipulating shutting of Brick kilns in the NCR under severe conditions when particulate matter level is high in the air.

     

  • About half of Haryana cases in Gurugram, Faridabad

    Express News Service
    CHANDIGARH: Gurugram and Faridabad account for more than 48% of total active cases in Haryana and are in a critical category for having a positivity rate of over 6%. The two districts in the NCR region border Delhi. Besides these two, the other six districts in the critical category are Panipat, Sonepat, Rewari, Karnal, Amabala and Panchkula.

    Sources said as per the analysis of data by the state health department, around 15% of total cases need oxygen, about 20% hospitalisation and 3% ventilator support. All ICU beds are occupied in the state. Medical infrastructure in Gurugram is under severe pressure and won’t be able to cope with a significant addition of patients.

    Besides, there is shortage of paramedical staff in private hospitals and doctors are overworked, said sources. On April 1, there were 108 cases in Faridabad. On April 8 the figure went up to 378 and on April 15, there were 810 cases, which rose to 1,342 and 1,545 on April 26. As many as 1,330 cases were reported on April 27.

    Total number of Covid patients across the state was 67,348 between April 19-25 and 40,090 between April 12-18. Active cases were 79,466 on April 26 with 6.07% positivity rate. Number of cases reported on April 27 was 11,931. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said: “In the difficult situation, we don’t have to play with data. Our focus should be on recovery providing relief. Those who have died will not return by creating a furore. We will do everything to save lives. The question is whether we are able to set the system right. From our side, we are setting the systems in place.”

  • Centre’s panel for air quality management in NCR shuts down within 5 months of formation

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The central government’s Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas has been shut down within five months of its constitution.

    The commission, which was established by the Centre in October last year, has shut down as the ordinance under which it was set up has lapsed.

    Talking to PTI, Union Environment Secretary R P Gupta said since the ordinance was not introduced in Parliament within six weeks of its convention, it has lapsed and consequently, the commission also stands shut.

    “The ordinance never became an Act. Any ordinance has to be introduced within six weeks of the convening of Parliament. It did not happen, so the ordinance has lapsed and hence, the commission is dissolved,” he said.

    The commission was headed by M M Kutty, a former secretary in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas.

  • Rains increase with rain in Delhi, visibility also reduced, NCR wind improves

    Many areas of Delhi received rain on Saturday morning. Due to which there was an increase in cold. This is the first rain of the winter season. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the cold will increase further. The Meteorological Department has forecast that there may also be rains around South Delhi, South West Delhi, Dwarka and Indira Gandhi International Airport for the next few hours.

    Along with this, there is a possibility of rains in North East Delhi, East Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Chapraula, Modinagar, Pilkhuwa, Narela, Loni-Dehat, Hindon Air Force Station, Chandpur, Bijnor, Naziabad and Saharanpur.

  • Hero Electric introduced exchange program, get new electric scooter in place of old two wheeler

    Hero Electric has partnered with CredR to attract customers in this festive season. Now customers can exchange their old petrol powered scooter for a new electric scooter from Hero Electric showroom. The company says that a convenient and hassle-free exchange will be offered to consumers.

    For this exchange process, consumers will have to bring their old two-wheeler to Hero Electric showroom for physical inspection and evaluation. Here the employees of CredR will determine the approximate price through an application of the customer’s old scooter. Currently, the company has introduced this program in Delhi NCR, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Pune.

    Hero Electric has told that soon this program will be expanded to other centers across India. The company says that during the Corona period, the demand for electric scooters is now increasing.