BBMP warns NGOs over illegal fundraising for lakes: Report
Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued a stern warning to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other private groups for allegedly engaging in fundraising activities for lake ‘development’ and related projects, asserting that there is a court stay in place against such collections.
The BBMP clarified that NGOs and associations reportedly raising funds for lake conservation and development are acting outside the law. A senior engineer, quoted by The New Indian Express, revealed that a well-known group in the Bengaluru South Parliament segment has been collecting funds by displaying a QR code for UPI payments aimed at lake development.
“The private association appointed guards who even prevented BBMP maintenance team and engineers during a visit. Since the lake is a municipal property, NGOs and private organisations which indulge in fund collection will be discouraged,” said a lake engineer.
These organisations, the engineer added, must enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the BBMP, agreeing not to engage in fundraising or any commercial activities related to the lakes.
A notice is reportedly issued a notice to one NGO, seeking clarification about its involvement in fund collection activities.
Development and Conservation Authority (KTDCA) has also weighed in on the matter and stated that it can also issue notices if it becomes aware of such fund collection activities.
“The KTDCA is very clear, until the matter gets resolved in terms of funds collection for waterbody development from the public from the court, collections are considered illegal. Our teams have been alerted and are cross-checking with NGOs and associations involved in lake management, if we find them involved in fund collection, we will cancel the permission given to them for lake development and other activities," TNIE quoted a senior KTDCA official as saying.
The KTDCA official also noted that the judge overseeing the case concerning the mobilisation of funds by a private organisation has been elevated to the Supreme Court, and as a result, the judgement remained as it is. A fresh hearing will be scheduled to address the issue.
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Pune airport runway restored after IAF aircraft snag; ops resume
Pune (PTI): The runway at Pune airport, which was temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, has now been restored and declared operational, the Air Force said on Saturday.
The authorities at the Pune International Airport had earlier said that around 10.25 pm on Friday, a fighter aircraft experienced an undercarriage failure during landing, causing the runway to be blocked.
As many as 91 flights of airlines, including IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa, and Air India Express, were affected due to the incident, they said.
Earlier on Friday night, the Air Force had stated that the runway at Pune airport was temporarily unavailable following an incident involving one of its fighter aircraft. The aircrew are safe, and there is no damage to civil property, it had said.
"The runway at Pune Airport, which was temporarily unavailable due to an incident involving an Indian Air Force aircraft, has now been restored and declared operational. All necessary safety inspections and clearances have been completed. Operations are resuming in a phased manner," it said in a post on X.
Flight operations at Pune airport are being gradually restored. The situation has been brought under control with the highest priority given to the safety of citizens, a Defence PRO said.
