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The first round of the bitter confrontation between Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik and municipal commissioner R A Rajeev has gone to the bureaucrat: An illegal gymnasium in the refuge area of the floor on which the politician lives was demolished after the municipal corporation served a notice. But the flamboyant MLA has now levelled fresh charges against Rajeev, alleging that he unlawfully diverted water from an adjoining river to his 12-acre farmhouse at Badlapur. The municipal commissioner had sought the removal of the treadmills, indoor cycling machines and weights occupying on the eighth floor of Vasant Lawns complex, adjoining Sarnaik's five-BHK apartment, with immediate effect. Civic officials said Rajeev, who had withheld the Occupation Certificate of the building citing illegal use of refuge space, finally granted the OC to the builders after the area was cleared of the exercise machines, wooden floor panels and glass walls last Wednesday. They said the OC was granted after ver

The Shramik Mukti Sangathana, Murbad, and project-affected persons have slammed the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) for its 'short-sighted' decision to clear Kalu dam in Thane district involving 1,000 hectares of forests in the Western Ghats. The FAC under the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has gone back on its April 2, 2012 decision of rejecting forest clearance to Kalu dam. It reconsidered the project and in its last meeting on April 3-4, 2013, and recommended the project for forest clearance (FC). "The FAC has done it when all the illegalities and irregularities from the project proponent still stand entirely unaddressed today," said Parineeta Dandekar, co-convener of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRAP). The project falls within 10 km from Kalsubai sanctuary. The project proponent states that only 89,177 trees will be felled, but this is a big number in Western Ghats. In a submission to union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan

River Tapi stinks because of release of untreated sewage water into it by many government and other offices. Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had found Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), income tax department, government circuit house and police among those responsible for releasing sewage waters directly into Tapi.Of the 6,411 locations inspected by SMC, at least 1,543 illegal sewage drainage connections were found connected to storm water drainage which pollutes Tapi. Of the 1,543 illegal connections, 190 are of government offices, senior SMC officials told TOI.These details came to light during a study done by SMC in 2012. The survey cost SMC Rs 33 lakh, but the civic body is yet to stop the sewage flow into the river.This has affected the quality of water. The dissolved oxygen is reported 'zero' in Tapi near Ginger Hotel, Sardar Bridge and Ved Road. The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) level is 315 milligram per litre as against the standard limit of 30 mg per litre. The

Instead of finding a solution to the incessant re-carpeting of roads, Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has started raising the height of the guard stones and divider blocks between the roads which had disappeared under the layers and layers of tar. report in TOI dated May 1, 2013, had highlighted the problem created by layers and layers of tar. It has said that re-carpeting has raised the level of city roads in the walled city and other areas leading to waterlogging in low-lying houses and commercial establishments.Sources said ideally the re-carpeting of the city roads should be done after removing the guard stones and then placing them again as per the height of the road. But, the traffic department of the civic body has found an easy way out. The department has given orders to construct guard stones on the old ones. "The guard stones dividing the road were not serving traffic purpose as they were almost submerged in the layers of tar. Commuters were finding it easy to drive t

The state electricity regulatory commission on Tuesday spared domestic consumers using up to 40 units of power per month from the tariff hike. Over 25 lakh families are expected to benefit from this decision.The tariff hike in the domestic category is up to 12%. While the commission made no changes in the tariff for power to traditional agriculture sector, it hiked the rates for industrial and commercial consumers by an average 7%. It also introduced a new tariff category for the IT and ITES sector, including Akshaya centres.Of the projected revenue gap of Rs 2,759 crore for 2013-'14, the commission approved a revenue gap of Rs 1,050 crore. With the changes in tariff, the board is expected to rake in an additional Rs 650 crore. The commission did not accept the board's demand for increase in fixed charges.Under the non-telescopic tariff, if the monthly power consumption of domestic consumers crosses 300 units, they will have to pay Rs 5 for every unit of power consumed. The ra

The state electricity regulatory commission on Tuesday spared domestic consumers using up to 40 units of power per month from the tariff hike. Over 25 lakh families are expected to benefit from this decision.The tariff hike in the domestic category is up to 12%. While the commission made no changes in the tariff for power to traditional agriculture sector, it hiked the rates for industrial and commercial consumers by an average 7%. It also introduced a new tariff category for the IT and ITES sector, including Akshaya centres.Of the projected revenue gap of Rs 2,759 crore for 2013-'14, the commission approved a revenue gap of Rs 1,050 crore. With the changes in tariff, the board is expected to rake in an additional Rs 650 crore. The commission did not accept the board's demand for increase in fixed charges.Under the non-telescopic tariff, if the monthly power consumption of domestic consumers crosses 300 units, they will have to pay Rs 5 for every unit of power consumed. The ra

The architect of Western Ghats Expert Ecology Panel (WGEEP) report, Madhav Gadgil, on Tuesdaysaid Kerala needs to take a lead in developing publicly accessible information on India's environment.He urged the Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) to involve school and college students to collect data and prepare a comprehensive directory of different aspects of environment in Kerala."The state should prepare a comprehensive database of forest, streams, rivers, quarries, orchards and variety species in the state. Kerala should take advantage of the fact that it has been made mandatory for class XI and XII students to undertake a major project on environment as part of their curriculum,''' he said.He was speaking after inaugurating a two-day seminar organized by KSSP to commemorate the golden jubilee year in the state capital through video conferencing."The government should strictly enforce laws such as air and water acts to control pollution and provide teeth