Some interesting insights into what citizens think of the Delhi Master Plan-2021(MPD-2021) and how it impacts them, its errors and failures, and ways to improve and streamline it can be gleaned from the 500 suggestions received from the public that have now been uploaded on the Delhi Development Authority's website as part of the ongoing review of the Master Plan.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Wednesday announced budget estimates for the year 2012-13, significantly increasing the councillors' funds in all the wards and focusing on improvement and development of roads and existing infrastructure. With the MCD headed for a split this coming April, Leader of the House Subhash Arya presented the budget saying that future corporations will abide by the allocations.

New Delhi: The Delhi high court has asked the Delhi Jal Board to place before it the rules relating to installation fee and rent payable for water meters. Justice Hima Kohli, in a recent order, asked the board to place the rules and regulations before it and in case DJB hasn’t made the rules, to frame it in eight weeks’ time and inform the high court.

New Delhi: Delhi’s solar mission is in trouble. The Delhi government had formulated a roof-top solar policy under which consumers would set up solar panels on their roof-tops and feed extra power generated into the main grid. Government officials, however, felt the scheme could be exploited on several grounds, a major violation being production of power through cheaper means and selling it to discoms at higher rates.

The shortage of ambulances in the city is likely to end soon as the government has approved the purchase of 70 new vehicles. The decision was taken in a meeting chaired by health minister AK Walia on Wednesday. The minister told TOI that the new ambulances are being purchased from funds released by the Central government under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

State-owned NTPC Ltd’s capacity addition target of 66,000 mega watt for the Twelfth Plan period could take a knocking as legal hurdles hold up the placement of equipment orders for key projects slated to come up over the next five years. The company has been unable to go ahead with the placement of equipment orders for four super-critical projects in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar as its bulk tender floated in 2009 for the supply of 11 boilers and 11 turbines of 660 MW each has been stuck in court.

New Delhi: Union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan on Monday said, “I shall reject any project recommended for clearing without adhering to the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and the ministry’s order.” This was in response to a TOI story on the Forest Advisory Committee violating ministry directive while clearing projects.

New Delhi: There is a difference of opinion on whether there is a decrease in bird species in Delhi; but birdwatchers are unanimous on one count —the total number of birds has come down. During Sunday’s marathon bird watching session, most teams were disappointed with what they saw, or rather what they did not see.

Only 226 bird species spotted on Big Bird Day, stirring up a debate among nature lovers if Delhi is being abandoned by avians. It was a day that began with much anticipation but ended in disappointment for the city’s birdwatchers. The annual Big Bird Day on Sunday recorded just 226 species of the winged visitors unlike last year’s 240.
Bikram Grewal, the official score keeper, said it is an ill omen as the drop in count indicates a drop in the number species along the Yamuna.

Guwahati, Feb. 5: The Union power ministry has called a meeting on Wednesday in Delhi to break the impasse over the 2,000-MW Lower Subansiri hydroelectric project. There has been no work at the project site since December 16 — the longest halt to the project — thanks to the continuing agitation in Assam by the anti-dam brigade led by the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti.

“The revenue loss in terms of delay per day is Rs 6 crore, apart from claims of contractors and additional establishment and warehouse expenditure,” a top NHPC official told The Telegraph.