Central Vista project: Construction of PM's residence to be completed by Dec 2022, says CPWD
New Delhi, May 3: The construction of the prime minister's residence under the ambitious Central Vista project will be completed by December 2022, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has informed a government-appointed expert panel, which has given its nod to the project.
The CPWD, which is the project developer, informed the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) that the expansion of the Parliament building and the construction of a new Parliament building will be done by November 2022 and the prime minister's residence will be constructed by December 2022.
The Ministry of Environment has already granted the clearance for the expansion and renovation of the existing Parliament building, which is part of the Rs-13,450 crore Central Vista Redevelopment Project.
At a meeting held last month, the EAC recommended for the environmental clearance for the redevelopment of the Common Central Secretariat buildings and the prime minister's residence.
"The EAC, based on the information submitted and clarifications provided by the project proponent and detailed discussions held on all the issues, recommended granting environmental clearance to the project," the minutes of the meeting said.
The panel took note of the CPWD's submission that the Common Central Secretariat will consolidate all ministries and improve the productivity and the efficiency of the administration. According to the CPWD, the Common Central Secretariat buildings will be constructed by May 2023.
It informed that the Central Conference Centre, which is expected to be ready by December 2026, will cater to the conferencing needs and will also be connected by a people mover to the Delhi Metro.
"Modern and secure residential facilities for the Vice President and the Prime Minister will be equipped with all necessary spaces and infrastructure, including the Special Protection Group; Environmental: Landscape/greenbelt development, traffic decongestion, provision of STP, OWC, safety aspects including fire-fighting system, maximum use of treated waste water, well-designed network of storm water drains, rain water harvesting system etc.," the EAC noted.
While giving its nod, the panel directed the CPWD to ensure that an area for greenery is provided according to the details in the project document, which say the area under plantation or greenery will be 81,220 square metres.
"As proposed, at least 4,918 trees will be maintained within the project site during the operation phase of the project," it said.
It also directed the CPWD to install two continuous online ambient air quality (AAQ) monitoring stations in the project area in consultation with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) before the demolition work starts.
"Online monitoring should cover parameters e.g. PM10, PM2.5 along with NOx, SOx, covering upwind and downwind directions during the construction period," it said.
The committee also directed the project developer to draw a detailed traffic management-and-decongestion plan to ensure that the service of the roads near the project site may not get adversely impacted during the implementation of the project.
"The plan should stipulate, inter alia, the path and appropriate time for the movement of vehicles to and from site. The plan shall be vetted by a concerned agency in the state government," it said.
It directed the CPWD to ensure that noise barriers or acoustics of adequate efficiency are provided at each construction site during the construction phase and at least 50 anti-smog guns and an equal number of anti-smog towers are installed to curb air pollution during the construction phase. The anti-smog towers shall be installed during the operation phase as proposed, it said.
The redevelopment project of the Central Vista -- the power corridor of the country -- envisages a new triangular Parliament building, a Common Central Secretariat and the revamping of the three-km-long Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate and new residences for the prime minister and the vice president.
The CPWD, which is executing the project, had revised its estimated cost from Rs 11,794 crore to Rs 13,450 crore.
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Navi Mumbai sees 654 drug cases in 2024 compared to 475 last year; 939 persons held
Thane (PTI): Maharashtra's Navi Mumbai township has seen a rise in drug related crimes with 654 such cases being registered this year compared to 475 in 2023, a senior police official said on Thursday.
The total value of contraband seized in these cases was Rs 33.27 crore against Rs 22.97 crore last year, according the official said citing the Navi Mumbai police's annual report.
As many as 939 persons were arrested in 2024 for offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, compared to 811 last year, he said.
Among those arrested, 58 were foreign nationals, predominantly Africans, marking a rise from 37 in 2023, the official said.
The contraband seized from foreign nationals this year was valued at Rs 25.70 crore, an increase from Rs 11.61 crore in 2023.
Among the seized drugs, cocaine accounted for the highest value at Rs 16.70 crore, a staggering increase from Rs 1.25 crore in 2023, the official said.
The police seized mephedrone (MD) valued at Rs 12.67 crore, up from Rs 9.33 crore last year, while the MDMA seizure rose to Rs 29.98 lakh from Rs 22.10 lakh in 2023, he said.
The seizures of ganja and brown sugar were also high, with the values increasing to Rs 67.83 lakh and Rs 30.10 lakh, respectively, compared to Rs 8.46 lakh and Rs 1.78 lakh last year.
Besides, LSD blots valued at Rs 33.55 lakh were also seized, an increase from Rs 19.80 lakh in 2023, while charas seizure of Rs 67.81 lakh and methadone of Rs 55,000 were newly recorded in 2024, the official said.
Conversely, some substances, such as methaqualone and tramadol, which recorded seizures valued at Rs 5.96 crore and Rs 3.64 crore, respectively, in 2023, were not confiscated this year, he said.
Similarly, no heroin was seized in 2024, compared to the contraband of Rs 33,160 seized last year, the police added.
