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Hindustan Times
13 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Haryana govt fines 3 firms ₹10.30 lakh for dumping waste in Aravallis in Nuh
The Haryana forest department has imposed penalties of ₹ 10.30 lakh on three companies for illegally dumping construction debris and industrial waste across protected forest areas in Nuh district. It has also lodged police complaints against the three firms seeking action under the Forest Conservation Act. Police have registered FIRs in the case. Garbage in Aravallis in Khori village in Nuh on June 25. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo) According to officials, the first major violation surfaced on June 27 near Khori Kalan village, located along the foothills of the Aravallis in Nuh. Forest patrolling teams, acting on a tip-off, intercepted a truck laden with waste material attempting to illegally dump debris inside designated forest land. Sensing trouble, the driver fled the spot, abandoning the vehicle. However, forest officials managed to seize photographic and video evidence, capturing the scale of damage already inflicted on nearly 1,000sqm of pristine Aravalli terrain. Investigation revealed that a private electronics and contract manufacturing unit was allegedly responsible for orchestrating the waste dumping operation, officials said. The forest department slapped a ₹ 5 lakh penalty on the company and lodged a formal complaint with Taoru Sadar Police Station, demanding immediate registration of an FIR under stringent environmental and forest protection laws. Forest teams uncovered another major dumping site near Silakhon hills, an area already battling illegal encroachments and quarrying. Here, two companies operating from IMT Sohna—were allegedly found guilty of illegally offloading construction debris and hazardous industrial waste into the ecologically fragile forest zone, officials said. HT tried reaching out to the companies but they did not respond to calls and messages seeking a comment. Collectively, both firms were penalised ₹ 5.30 lakh, while complaints were again filed with Taoru Sadar Police Station to initiate criminal proceedings. Speaking on the matter, forest ranger Anup Singh confirmed that complaints against all three companies have been submitted to the police, urging strict legal action. 'We have followed due process—collected evidence, geo-tagged sites, and documented violations to ensure accountability,' Singh said, adding that further investigations are ongoing. Forester Manoj Kumar, who led the patrolling teams, warned that such illegal dumping not only destroys natural habitats but also severely contaminates groundwater reserves. 'The Aravalli ecosystem is under siege. Dumping industrial waste in these hills is equivalent to poisoning the lungs of the region,' Kumar added. Two separate cases were registered on Saturday at Sadar Tauru police station under sections 223(b) and 324(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with provisions of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, based on complaints filed by forest official Anup Singh. In the first case, one firm, based in Bhiwadi, was accused of dumping nearly 800sqm of industrial waste near Khori Kalan, causing an environmental loss of ₹ 4 lakh. In the second case, a firm of Jaipur allegedly dumped debris over 60sqm of forest land near Silakhon, leading to ecological damage and a recovery demand of ₹ 1.3 lakh. Police said both incidents are being investigated, and strict legal action will be taken against the violators. Why the Aravallis matter The Aravalli hills, stretching across southern Haryana, play a critical role in controlling air pollution, replenishing groundwater, and preventing desertification. Recognised as an ecologically sensitive zone, these ancient hills fall under the purview of the Forest Conservation Act and are protected by strict Supreme Court orders that explicitly ban construction, mining, and waste disposal activities. Despite these protections, multiple reports—including a recent Hindustan Times investigation—have exposed how illegal encroachments, unauthorised waste dumping, and mining groups continue to degrade the Aravallis, aided by weak enforcement and administrative apathy. Senior forest officials confirmed that the latest violations have been escalated to the state-level monitoring committee, which is expected to coordinate stricter legal proceedings and ensure recovery of imposed penalties. Notices have been served to the companies involved, and patrolling has been stepped up along identified vulnerable spots. 'We cannot allow the Aravallis to be turned into a dumping ground for industrial waste,' said a senior forest official on condition of anonymity. 'Our teams will continue monitoring operations, and we urge citizens to report any suspicious activity immediately.' Environmental activists and local residents have expressed outrage over the repeated violations. 'The Aravallis are already battling illegal mining and land grabbing. Now, waste mafias are adding to the destruction,' said Vaishali Rana, an environmentalist in Nuh and Gurugram. She urged stricter penalties, real-time surveillance, and visible police action to deter offenders. 'Companies responsible for such environmental crimes should face not just fines but criminal prosecution,' she added.
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Gurugram: GMRL to seek land along metro corridor for commercial space
Jun 30, 2025 06:08 AM IST The Gurugram Metro Rail Ltd (GMRL) has decided to seek parcels of land along the metro alignment for commercial development of property to ensure financial viability of the project. As per a GMRL official aware of the matter, the corporation has also decided to seek a share in the (transit oriented development) TOD benefits arising out of the metro project. As per the GMRL, the metro corporation has not been allocated any land for property development presently but it was crucial to develop commerical projects along the alignment to improve and ensure the financial viability of the project through multiple revenue streams. (Parveen Kumar/HT photo) As per the GMRL, the metro corporation has not been allocated any land for property development presently but it was crucial to develop commerical projects along the alignment to improve and ensure the financial viability of the project through multiple revenue streams. 'It has been decided that GMRL will reach out to the Haryana government and request for allocation of suitable land parcels along the metro corridor for property development and commercial utilisation to support the long-term sustainability of the project. It has also been decided to seek a share in the transit-orented development (TOD) benefits, arising from increased land value and development potential along the metro corridor,' said the GMRL official. Earlier in March this year, the metro corporation had held a detailed meeting with real estate developers and consultants to seek their views point regarding commercial development of properties and to understand how transit oriented developed had worked out for existing real estate projects in the city. During the meeting, the metro authorities had sought inputs on how to maximise the alternative revenue sources of Gurugram metro theough property development opportunities at stations, station naming rights, advertising or land based fiscal tools such as land value capture. 'We also wanted to know from the developers regarding the TOD projects in Gurugram by the stakeholders and how they have enhanced project/ property value by catalysing the TOD Zone and enhanced revenue generation,' a senior GMRL official said. GMRL is the special purpose vehicle of the Haryana government which is executing the Gurugram metro extension project form Millennium City Centre metro station to Cyber Hub. The ₹ 5,452 crore metro project will cover a total distance of 28.5 kilometres and have 27 elevated stations.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Bengaluru commuters brace for toll hikes on elevated expressway starting July 2025: Report
Starting July 1, 2025, commuters on the Bengaluru Elevated Expressway, which runs from Central Silk Board to Electronics City and further toward Attibele near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, will need to pay higher tolls. The revised rates are based on inflation-linked adjustments using the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) as of March 31, 2025, The News Minute reported. Bengaluru elevated expressway toll hike: At the Attibele toll plaza, charges apply only to four-wheelers and larger vehicles. (Parveen Kumar/ HT Photo)((Representative image)) The hike affects both the elevated portion (8.765 km to 18.750 km) and the ground-level stretch extending 33.130 km up to Attibele, the report stated. Under the new toll structure, cars, jeeps, and vans will now pay ₹ 65 for a one-way trip, ₹ 95 for a same-day return, and ₹ 1,885 for a monthly pass, according to the report. ALSO READ | BESCOM announces 7-hour power outage across Bengaluru on Sunday. Check areas list: Report Two-wheelers, allowed only on certain stretches, will be charged ₹ 25 per single trip. Buses and trucks face a sharper hike, with charges of ₹ 175 for a single journey and ₹ 5,275 for a monthly pass. Multi-axle vehicles (MAVs) must pay ₹ 350 per trip and ₹ 10,550 monthly. At the Attibele toll plaza, located at the 32.7 km mark, charges apply only to four-wheelers and larger vehicles. Cars will be billed ₹ 40 per trip and ₹ 1,130 monthly. MAVs will need to pay ₹ 265 per trip and ₹ 7,915 for a monthly pass. Meanwhile, two-wheelers continue to be exempt at this toll point. ALSO READ | Bengaluru to get new stadium with 60,000 seating capacity, says DK Shivakumar. More details These revised tolls have been released by Bangalore Elevated Tollway Pvt Ltd (BETPL), the agency overseeing the operation and upkeep of this section of National Highway 44 under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the report added.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Monitoring tech live on Dwarka, Delhi-Ggn e-ways; violators to face fines soon
Commuters using both Dwarka Expressway and Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway will start receiving challans for traffic violations detected by cameras installed under the advanced traffic management system (ATMS) within the next 15 days, with the integrated traffic command and control centre of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Dwarka Expressway now operational, officials said. Testing of the system has been underway for the past month and a half, and challan issuance is expected to begin in the next 15 days, officials added. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo) A senior NHAI official said on Tuesday that 190 cameras have been installed along the 56.46-km stretch — covering 28.46 km of Dwarka Expressway and 28 km of the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway from Shiv Murti (Mahipalpur) to Kherki Daula toll plaza. These cameras will be used for both real-time surveillance and traffic enforcement. Testing of the system has been underway for the past month and a half, and challan issuance is expected to begin in the next 15 days, officials added. According to a highway project contractor, the officials are coordinating with both Gurugram and Delhi traffic police, who will issue challans after violations are flagged by the command and control centre located at Bijwasan. Around 600 violations are currently being recorded daily, the official added. The ATMS monitors 11 types of violations, including overspeeding, two-wheeler movement on expressways (which is prohibited), not wearing seat belts or helmets, triple riding, wrong lane or side driving, stopping on the carriageway, and illegal parking. Speeding and two-wheeler access were cited as the most common violations so far, according to officials. To implement and operate this ₹ 17-crore ATMS project, the highway authority appointed the project contractor for five years. 'A team of 50 operators works in three shifts at the traffic control centre to flag violations using the automated system,' said Anshuman Singh, managing director of Superwave Communication, the contractor. Officials said that in order to ensure comprehensive coverage, Indian Highways Management Company Ltd (IHMCL) has installed 110 high-resolution PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) cameras at every kilometre. 'Ten AI-enabled Video Incident Detection and Enforcement Systems (VIDES) have also been deployed,' said AR Chitranshi, chief operating officer, IHMCL. He said VIDES can detect 14 types of violations and incidents with high accuracy using advanced sensors, including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), radar units, and overview cameras.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
HSVP panel to clear land disputes on SPR, Dwarka E-way
The Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) has formed a committee to look into the ownership of land along developing sectors, its revenue details and the legal aspects related to these specific stretches, which have either not been acquired by government agencies or remain disputed, HSVP officials said. The town planning department, when asked about the issue, said that they will mark all the locations given by the land acquisition department on the map as required by the HSVP (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo) Based on the data found, HSVP will reach out to the owners individually and take steps to acquire the land either through land pooling or through transfer of development rights (TDR). In case the matter is in court, the cases will be pursued so that these bottlenecks are resolved, the officials said. To be sure, the government agency has decided to form the committee in an attempt to clear bottlenecks in the construction of sectors roads in developing sectors along the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and the Dwarka Expressway. HSVP (Gurugram) administrator, Vaishali Singh, said that in cases where land has not been acquired, the land acquisition officer has been asked to identify the exact revenue details, and to share information on how much land has been acquired and also submit the reasons for non-acquisition of land. The district town planner, Gurugram, has been told to mark the location on a layout plan, she added. 'We are working with GMDA, the district administration and other stakeholders to identify these land patches so that these issues can be resolved. These issues have been categorised and the committee has even asked for a database,' said Singh. According to the HSVP, land has not been acquired for construction of 380 metres of Sector 72/72A road, for construction of 400 metres of the Sector 73/74 road, for construction of 50 metres of the outer Sector 70A road, 80 metres of Sector 81/81A road, 70 metres of Sector 102 and Sector 103 road, and 1,713 metres of Sector 107 and Sector 108 road. According to the authority, four more master sectors roads are affected due to litigation issues, and directions have been issued to either take steps to get a stay on cases vacated and file latest legal status of the court cases, so that these can be pursued aggressively in courts. 'We will be pursuing the land owners to acquire this land through either TDR or through e-bhoomi portal. Construction and completion of these roads is crucial for connecting old and new Gurugram,' Singh said. She added that in the last six months they had managed to remove hindrances and bottlenecks from 11 points across the city, and the land has been handed over to GMDA for construction of roads and building other infrastructure. The locations included master sector roads of Sector 82/82A, Sector 70-71 Rambir ki Dhani, Sector 85/86, outer road of Sector 79, Sector 79/79A, Sector 78/79, Sector 9B/37C, Sector 78/80, Sector 88/89 Sector 81/82 and Sector 71/73, she said. The town planning department, when asked about the issue, said that they will mark all the locations given by the land acquisition department on the map as required by the HSVP. 'We will work with the authority to resolve these land issues. All locations will be marked on layout plans,' said Praveen Chauhan, district town planner, Gurugram.
