Making it safe for pedestrians to cross busy roads

Making it safe for pedestrians to cross busy roads
The Hindu


HUBLI: Hubli will soon have three pedestrian over-bridges at places where pedestrians have a difficult time crossing busy roads.

The important thing is that these over-bridges will come up without causing any burden to the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation, as the cost of construction will be borne by private companies.

Being built on BOOT (build, operate, own and transfer) basis, these over-bridges will come up near the Old Bus Stand, Kittur Channamma Circle and near the railway station.

The pedestrian over-bridge near the Old Bus Stand will help the commuters to cross the busy Old National Highway, the other one between Prapancha Office and Ganesh Vilas Hotel will help people cross KC Circle.

The third one, which will be built across the Station Road from Railway Station to Kamat Hotel, is meant to help railway passengers, sources in the corporation said.

These places, which have high traffic density, have been identified by the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation with the assistance of the Hubli-Dharwad Police Commissionerate.

Each pedestrian over-bridge is expected to cost around Rs. 15 to Rs. 20 lakhs, according to an estimate.

These over-bridges will be of fabricated structure and the company or the person bearing the expenses will have to maintain it for 15 years.

They will also be given the hoarding/advertisement rights as per the specifications laid down by the corporation, the sources said.

Fabricated structures

These bridges will have a roof of plastic sheets. And another important thing is that as these will be of fabricated structure they can be easily dismantled, they said.

Bhoomi puja

Bhoomi Puja for the first of these over-bridges near the Old Bus Stand was performed by Vijayanand Hoskoti, former Mayor and Council member, on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Corporation has sent two designs of the over-bridges submitted by the sponsors to the BVB College of Engineering and Technology for technical comments, the sources said.

Corporation confers Dheemantha awards on 73

Corporation confers Dheemantha awards on 73
Thursday November 3 2005 09:30 IST

HUBLI: Hubli-Dharwad Muncipal Corporation has conferred Dheemantha award on 73 people as part of Suvarna Karnataka Rajyotsava here on Tuesday.

Minister for Muncipal Administration and District Minister S R More inaugurated the colourful ceremony held at Indira glasshouse.

He spoke on the preservation, protection and promotion of Kannada and culture. Veeranna Mattikatti, MLC, Hanumanthappa Betageri, Mayor, HDMC, Santhosh Hirekerur, Deputy Mayor, P Manivannan, Commissioner, HDMC and councillors were present on the occasion.

Following are the awardees and their field of exellency:

Dr Dekha (medical), Arur Laxman Set (literature), Dr Jagadish Hiremath (medical), N K Jogalekar (astrology), V G Mokashi (administration), Sandya Dixit (literature), V G Nadagowda (medical), Keshav Guram (Hindustani music);

Arun Kumar Habbu (journalism), Suresh Kshatri (photography), Ganapathi Gangolli (journalism), T H Chouvan (advocate), K S Ramanagoudar (medical), K T Patil (education);

S L Hiremath (Kannada activist), Venkanagowda Patil (social service), Professor Sheeda (education), Kiran Shinde (architect), Lata S Mallur (education), Mahananda Hullur (education), Prakash T Kanakapur (art);

Y D Madhurkar (business), Sunil Barade (technical), M P More (sportsmen), S F Mallad (sports), Gnaneshwar D Varang (music), Pandit Munji (environmentalist), Y B Mathad (social service);

D D Nelachnnavar (service for disabled), Amaresh Hippargi (social service), Prakash Bendigeri (rifles association), K E Miskin (technical), S A katawe (Freedom fighter), Sathyannavar (education);

Ravi Gaovankar (sports), F B Nagammanavar (artist), Dr Umesh B hallikeri (medical), Pradeep Desai (ayurveda), Madhukar Devdas (medical), Raviraj Raikar (medical), K R Patil (medical);

Ratna F Kulkarni (education), T B Chouwan (yoga), Dr M Ishwar (Reiki treatment), Dr Mutalik Desai B N (medical), Salomi Janumala (disabled sportswoman), N K Nalavadi (social service);

Vijay D Kamath (cricket), T M Kambar (sculpture), Shivaputrappa Chabbi (social service), B B Balabatti (social service), Kotresh Angadi (artist), Dr S P Hiremath (education);

P Raghvendra (karate), Sumathishri Navali Hiremath (theatre), P L Patil (folk), Devaraj Bhajantri (artist), C S Patil Kulkarni (artist), K Shantibabu (technical), Shashikala Joshi (TV artiste);

Tukaram Chitta (Vedic mathematics), V S Pujar (science), Shivaraj Ahmmed Kuduchivaale (sports), R G Nalavdi (social service), Gangadhar Kamaladdinni (social service), Rajesh Hongal (technical);

T N Guggari (social service), Veena Belgauvankar (special achievement), Sugnan Dani (music), Sushma Kelkar (sports), Pratik Shadambi (sports), Hami Dharmashri (swimming) and Veerabhadrappa Kanyal (special achievement).

HDMC prepares disaster management plan

HDMC prepares disaster management plan
Thursday November 3 2005 09:36 IST

HUBLI: Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation seems to have learnt a lesson from devastation caused by the heavy rains in Mumbai and Bangalore as it has come out with a comprehensive disaster management plan for Hubli-Dharwad.

The Corporation has devised a disaster management plan, first of its kind in the State to deal with the flood like situation in twin cities of in future.

Twin cities are located at a distance of around 420 km north of Bangalore and 550 km south of Mumbai. Dharwad is east of the famous Western Ghats and is surrouned by hills and lakes.

If rains lash the twin cities continusouly for one or two days most parts of city would be inundated.

With a view to keep the city safe and to protect the people from any natural calamities HDMC, under the able leadership of its Commissioner P Manivannan, has come out with a plan.

As per the plan, emergency situation has been classified into three categories –– emergency 1, 2, and 3. Flooding of the city and earthquake will come under emergency level 3.

The emergency levels would be delcared by the Commisisoner, in his absence the Joint Commisisoner and in his absence, Head of the Planning Cell, in his absence the Revenue Officer and in his absence, the Health Officer and in his absence the executive engineers.

The Head of the operations of the emergency is the Commisioner who is the City Emergency Officer (CEO).

The Joint Commsisoner and the Superintending Engineer are the Deputy City Emergency Officers (Dy CEOs) and all the other five offerencers (Revenue officers, Health and executive engineers are empowered to declare emergency, who will be called as Assistant Emergency Officers (AEOs).

Once emergency is declared, it will be informed to the control room and the control room will flash this by announcing in the wireless.

In case of emergency, the staff involved in the disaster management plan shall assemble at three sets of locations in the order of priority.

Staff to assemble at Kalabhavan ground, inspection bungalow - PWD, JSS college ground, S P Office and premises of M G Bank in Dharwad.

HDMC office premises, Keshwapur reservior, Unkal lake garden, Nehru nagar reservior and Ambedkar Bhavan, Navanagar in Hubli North and Lamington high school ground, HDMC cattle shed, P B road, Old Hubli reservior, Nehru college ground in Hubli South.

After assembling in the above said points, team members of the plan as per the instruction of their heads will swing into action to rescue the lives and property of the people immediately.

Since there is shortage of some equipment including ambulances, first aid kits, search lights, fire brigade etc to deal with situation, HDMC has requested the State government to provide other necessary equipments to deal with any disasters immediately in twin cities.

According to the plan, the emergency period is declared as normal after the joint supervision by the Deputy Commissioner, the Comissioner of Police and the Commissioner of HDMC.

Work on footpath, drains delayed in Hubli-Dharwad

Work on footpath, drains delayed in Hubli-Dharwad
The Hindu

HUBLI: The construction of footpaths and drains, which the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation had begun immediately after the demolition drive, is being delayed because of an alleged nexus among some contractors.

The corporation, after the demolition drive, chalked out an action plan involving an expenditure of Rs. 5 crores for the construction of footpaths, drains and widening of roads.

It even had mobilised funds for the work covering 24 roads in the twin cities.

The action plan included footpath and other related works which were taken up by some contractors on request by the corporation immediately after the demolition drive.

But now except the works that started immediately after the demolition drive, most of which have been completed, no other beautification work has been taken up so far because of the alleged nexus among some contractors.

As works worth Rs. 1.5 crores have begun, the corporation has called for tenders for the remaining works under the action plan and the tendering process is to have been completed by the end of this month.

Immediately after the tenders were finalised, the corporation planned to issue work orders with a condition that it should be completed within one and half month. But that has been ruled out with the corporation officials smelling a rat in the tendering process. Although the contractors submitted their bids in time, the high rates quoted by some and the lack of requisite documents and other related issues have made the officials suspect foul play.

Under the circumstances, the corporation either has to finalise the bids with high rates or call for fresh tenders.

"Going by what has happened it seems that there is some sort of secret understanding between the contractors. The corporation will not give any scope for anybody to indulge in unfair practices in the works involving public money. If it is found that there has been foul play, we will call for fresh tenders," said P. Manivannan, corporation Commissioner.

Now it appears that the corporation may call for fresh tenders in connection with the remaining works under the action plan. And, in that case the process of the roads getting a facelift will be delayed. But there are not many who are complaining.