Discos, pubs to shut down after midnight
Mohali deputy commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra has ordered that discotheques, pubs, restaurants and clubs cannot operate after midnight. The orders will be in effect from May 14 to July 13. No road side vendors or ‘rehriwallahs’ (carts) will be allowed to operate from 12 midnight till 6 am. At present, discos, pubs, restaurants next to the highways operate overnight. Many cases of fights and brawls have been reported from such places, leading to this order.
Land merger may become easier
The Chandigarh Administration plans to allow merger of two adjoining residential plots if they belong to same owner. A proposal in this regard has been prepared by the UT administration after it received a number of representations. The administration will have to amend the Chandigarh Building Rules (Urban), 2017. At present, merger of two or more adjoining plots with the same owner is allowed in the case of commercial and industrial properties if the plans are approved by the competent authority. Land merger is also allowed under the Haryana Urban Rules notified in 2017.
Roundabouts to remain
The Chandigarh Administration has decided not to remove any roundabout, including the one in Sector32-33, in the city. The Chief Architect wrote to the Chief Engineer, Municipal Corporation asking him about the report of the Chandigarh Police. The report had found 15 accident-prone spots and of these, 13 are light points and two are roundabouts. Two Class X students - Siddhant Sapra and Abhay Mohan of Strawberry Fields High School -had written to Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore requesting him not to demolish roundabouts following which he gave such instruction.
Deadline over, notices on way
The UT Administration will take action on city residents who failed to install solar plants on rooftop of their houses. Notices will be issued by the Estate Office as the two-year deadline expires this week. On May 2016, the administration had issued a notification making it mandatory to install rooftop solar power panels in residential houses measuring 500 square yard and above and group housing societies. It was made mandatory for new houses - owners of the existing houses were given two years to comply with the directives. Around 900 residents have so far applied for installing rooftop solar plants.
End to water-logging on arterial road?
The Chandigarh Administration has started a study with help of experts from the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to assess whether it would be possible to re-carpet Madhya Marg without having any effect on level of the road. Water-logging takes place in monsoon is due to repeated re-carpeting over the last few years. The experts will also suggest the right level of the road so that water-logging is done away with.
Harpreet Bajwa
Our correspondent in Chandigarh
hsbajwa73@gmail.com