Page 7 - Construction

Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Laying of 12-metre pipeline still left

The workers have been trapped since November 12, when the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot got blocked due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side

U'khand tunnel collapse exposes callous attitude towards safety: Unions

Central trade unions said the Silkyara Tunnel collapse in Uttarakashi in which 41 workers remain trapped "exposes the callous attitude" of the government towards the occupational safety and health of the workers. "The Platform of Central Trade Unions and Sectoral Federations/Associations express their anguish at the failure of the authorities to take responsibility for the Silkyara Tunnel collapse in Uttarakashi, Uttarakhand," said a joint statement issued by eleven trade unions and sectoral federations. The signatories include Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), United Trade Union Congress (UTUC), and independent Sectoral Federations and ...

Tunnel collapse: Big news expected in next 24 hours, says official

Drilling with the American auger machine resumed at the Silkyara tunnel overnight to prepare an escape passage for the 41 workers trapped inside for more than 10 days, officials said on Wednesday. According to officials, 800 mm diameter steel pipes have been inserted up to 39 metres through the rubble, with another 14 metres to go before the rescuers reach the trapped labourers. Once the drilling is complete, the passage will be used to evacuate the labourers from the tunnel. "We have pushed in the pipes up to 39 metres by now. Everything is fine. I have spoken to them (trapped workers). Their morale is high," former advisor to the PMO Bhaskar Khulbe told reporters in Silkyara. Asked to spell out a timeline for the evacuation, he said, "We hope to celebrate Igas with them". Igas is a festival celebrated in the Garhwal region after Diwali. It will take place on Thursday. The drilling was suspended since Friday when the auger machine hit a hard object. But the resumption is likely

Uttarkashi tunnel: Location for drilling identified to evacuate 41 trapped

Road work for vertical drilling on the hill above the tunnel is almost complete, says Anshu Manish Khulko, Director, NHIDCL

U'khand tunnel collapse: Rescuers drill halfway towards 41 trapped workers

The men have been stuck in the 4.5-km (3-mile) tunnel in Uttarakhand state since it caved in early on Nov. 12 and are safe, said authorities

Unchecked construction

Himalayan projects need better regulation

Green buildings can reduce emissions by 35%, maintenance costs by 20%

KPMG in India and Colliers' 'Sustainable real estate: An opportunity to leverage' report finds developers moving towards sustainable real estate despite costs increasing by 5-15%

As AQI turns 'serve' in Delhi, Centre bans non-essential construction work

The Centre's pollution control panel on Thursday issued directions to ban non-essential construction work in Delhi-NCR and the entry of diesel-guzzling trucks into the capital as the air quality in the city entered the 'severe' category. This action comes as part of Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) -- the Centre's air pollution control plan that is implemented in the region during the winter season. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 402 at 5 pm. At a meeting to review the air quality situation in Delhi-NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), a statutory body responsible for developing strategies to combat pollution in the region, said that the pollution levels are only "expected to increase further" owing to unfavourable meteorological and climatic conditions. GRAP categorises actions into four stages: Stage I - 'Poor' (AQI 201-300); Stage II - 'Very Poor' (AQI 301-400); Stage III - 'Severe' (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV - 'Severe Plus' (AQI .

Will ban construction work in areas with severe air quality: Delhi govt

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Wednesday said the city government will ban construction work in areas recording an air quality index (AQI) above the 400 mark for five consecutive days. During a press conference, he said Delhi's AQI has remained around 350 for the past few days and meteorologists attribute this to a drop in temperatures and calm winds. "These conditions are expected to persist for the next few days, making the next fortnight crucial for Delhi," Rai said. Despite the implementation of preventive measures under Stage 2 of the Central government's air pollution control plan, pollution levels in the city continue to rise. Therefore, the Delhi government will halt construction work within a one-kilometer radius where the AQI exceeds the 400-mark for five consecutive days, Rai said. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe" The ministe

L&T Q2 results: Consolidated profit rises 45% to Rs 3,222.63 crore

Engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Tuesday reported a 44.5 per cent increase in its consolidated net profit to Rs 3,222.63 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 2,228.97 crore in the year-ago period, L&T said in a regulatory filing. The consolidated income of the company during July-September 2023 increased to Rs 52,157.02 crore from Rs 43,501.14 crore in the year-ago period. "The company for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, posted a consolidated Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 3,223 crore, registering a significant growth of 45 per cent compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year," the company said in a statement. Larsen & Toubro is a USD 23 billion Indian multinational engaged in engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects, hi-tech manufacturing and services. It operates in over 50 countries worldwide.

Five sectors fuel emissions, half fumble on renewable energy in FY23

The data also revealed a concentration of other critical environmental factors, such as water withdrawal and waste generation

NGT forms panel, seeks report on construction of highway in HP floodplains

The National Green Tribunal has formed a panel and sought a report from it on the construction of a highway by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) allegedly in the floodplains of the Beas river in Himachal Pradesh. The tribunal was hearing a petition which alleged the NHAI is constructing a four-lane highway from Kiratpur to Manali and Pathankot to Mandi in a flood-prone area near the river. A bench of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said it was "proper" to "call for a report" from the authorities concerned on the issue. The bench then formed a joint committee comprising the executive engineer, (in-charge) of NHAI, an officer deputed by the member secretary of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the member secretary of Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board( HPPCB). "Member Secretary, HPPCB will act as a nodal agency. The committee will examine the issue and submit the report before the tribunal within eight weeks,"

Part of under construction bridge collapses in Bihar, no casualties

The District Magistrate said that the bridge being built by the Setu Nigam on the Magai River between Katharia and Firozpur at a cost of over Rs 8 crore

Rs 900 crore spent on Ram temple construction till March 2023: Trust

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust has spent Rs 900 crore on the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya between February 5, 2020 and March 31 this year, and still possesses Rs 3,000 crore in bank accounts, trust officials said on Saturday. After a three-hour meeting of trust officials on Saturday morning, its secretary Champat Rai said 18 points were discussed, including the legal process to take donations in foreign currency, and that the trust has applied for the permission under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. "Rs 900 crore has been spent on the construction of temple from February 5, 2020 to March 31, 2023, and more than Rs 3,000 crore still remain in the bank accounts of the trust," Rai said. He said the Ram Katha Museum located on the banks of the Saryu river will be a legal trust and 500 years of history of Ram Mandir and 50 years of legal documents will be kept there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and nearly 10,000 dignitaries from across the country

Nitin Gadakri approves Rs 154 crore to build bridges in Himachal Pradesh

The Minister said with this approval, two bridges will be constructed on the Swan River at a cost of Rs 50.60 crore and Pong Dam on the Beas River at a cost of Rs 103.65 crore

CREDAI asks developers to focus on green construction, seeks ITC in GST

The real estate sector has been growing phenomenally in the past two years on strong consumer demand and there is a need for developers to focus on green construction, realtors' body CREDAI President Boman Irani said on Friday. Irani was addressing the 21st CREDAI NATCON conference being held here. Around 1,400 real estate developers are participating in this event. "Real estate has been growing phenomenally," Irani said. Housing sales have risen sharply in the last two years as consumer demand revived strongly post-COVID pandemic. CREDAI Chairmam Manoj Gaur said it is the best time for the real estate sector and the momentum would continue if developers do not commit past mistakes. Irani highlighted the importance of the real estate sector, which is contributing 7-8 per cent to India's GDP. The CREDAI president pointed out that the construction sector contributes 26 per cent to global pollution and asked its developer members to focus on green development. "We have to be ...

Morainic foundation, building pressure behind Joshimath subsidence: Report

Scientific and technical institutions studying land subsidence in Joshimath have attributed the crisis to the hill town's location on a slope over morainic deposits or loose sediments, population pressure, construction of multi-storeyed buildings and the absence of a system for proper disposal of water coming from the upper reaches. Though the reports are separate and approach the problem from different angles, they are largely in concurrence with each other on the combination of factors that may have led to the aggravation of the situation in Joshimath early this year. Joshimath's susceptibility to land subsidence because of being located on a foundation of loose sediments coupled with increasing population pressure and multi-storeyed buildings, including hotels, in the town are some of the factors cited in nearly all the reports submitted by eight different institutions. The Central Building Research Institute, Central Ground Water Board, Geological Survey of India, Indian ...

BRO DG inspects construction of 'world's largest 3D concrete campus'

Inspecting the ongoing construction work of an air dispatch unit of the BRO here, which is also touted to be the world's largest 3D concrete printed campus, Director General, Border Roads (BR), Lt General Rajeev Chaudhry Sunday said it was a major breakthrough in the building construction domain. Lt Gen Chaudhry said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and construction company L&T joined hands to make the Himank Air Dispatch Unit in Chandigarh, which features state-of-the art 3D printing technology, a world class facility. India is the frontrunner to adopt this technology, the DG said, adding that he was really delighted to witness the development. Chaudhry said such a building complex will take nothing less than 18 months or two years to complete through conventional construction methods. But 60 per cent of the construction work on the air dispatch unit, which began in April, is already done and will be finished by the end of December, he said. It is a major breakthrough in the ..

NHAI arm to develop logistics park in Bengaluru at Rs 1,770 crore

National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML), an NHAI subsidiary, has signed an agreement for the development of Multi Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) in Bengaluru at an estimated cost of Rs 1,770 crore. The project -- to be developed under the public private partnership model -- is poised to become the first and largest MMLP to be implemented in the country under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, according to an official statement on Monday. The agreement has been signed between Bengaluru MMLP Pvt Ltd -- a government Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) -- and concessionaire SPV M/s PATH Bengaluru Logistics Park Pvt Ltd. A government SPV was incorporated between NHLML, Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd and Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board, the statement said. The MMLP, to be developed in three phases, will be built on an area of 400 acres at Muddalinganahalli in Bengaluru rural district, as per the statement. The first phase is expected to be completed in two years, it said, addi

L-G directs mandatory geo-tagging of all civil work projects of Delhi govt

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has directed mandatory geo-tagging of all civil work-related projects of Delhi government departments to curb corruption, cost escalation and delay in execution, according to a note of the Raj Niwas. It will also be mandatory for contractors to upload pictures of project sites before and after completion on the IT department's portal for evaluation. Payments will be made to them following verification by authorities, it said. "The LG (lieutenant governor) has made it mandatory to geo-tag each and every project on the IT department portal to curb corruption, cost escalation and inordinate delays in execution of civil works by various Delhi government departments," the note issued on Monday said. The directions were issued by the LG while approving a proposal of the Directorate of Vigilance, it said. Besides geo-tagging, he also directed heads of the departments to ensure uploading of progress report with photographs of projects and works, mandatorily on