FM targets ToD plans for 14 cities; Chennai on the verge of having its own

CHENNAI:
The union Government on Tuesday said that it is planning to come out with Transit Oriented Development plans for 14 large cities with a population above 30 lakh along with an implementation and financing strategy.  

This comes in the wake of the state government working out a ToD policy for the city which promotes compact urban growth with mixed-use development; pedestrian and bicycle-friendly mobility closely integrated with mass transit by clustering jobs, housing, services, and amenities around public transport stations.

It is learnt that the modification of floor Space index in station area zones and Transit oriented zones involve multiple stakeholders. The state wants broader consultation to firm up the proposed FSI as it plans a maximum floor space index of 6.5 in the Transit Oriented Development (ToD) area. Currently. the maximum permissible FSI limit across the state is 4.87.

The policy is being framed following a study carried out by Gujarat based Centre for Urban Planning and Policy (CUPP), Centre for Research on Architecture and Urbanism (CAU) and CEPT Research and Development Foundation, which has divided the influential zones along the metro rail and MRTS corridor into three ---influence zone, transition zone and catchment zone, said sources.

TOD integrates land use and transport planning and aims to develop planned sustainable urban growth centers, having walkable and liveable communities with high-density mixed land use. Successful TODs ensure that transit facilities are efficiently utilized while at the same time making the areas around transit stations more accessible and equitable for all.

This will apply to all urban areas in Tamil Nadu to encourage compact development and densification along the transit corridors and mass rapid transit systems. It also includes potential areas in and around present and future public transit modes such as Metro rail, MRTS, and other transit corridors.

The Finance minister also said that Centre will facilitate development of ‘Cities as Growth Hubs’. This will be achieved through economic and transit planning, and orderly development of peri-urban areas utilising town planning schemes. The specific measures to introduce technological reforms within the regulatory framework for land, such as the digitization of land records and cadastral maps via GIS mapping, will vastly improve transparency in the sector, says Srinivas Anikipatti, Senior Director- Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Knight Frank India.

The interest subsidy for home loans under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) scheme will benefit middle-class and lower-middle-class people. We also appreciate the initiative encouraging states to lower stamp duties for properties purchased by women or in their names, but we need clarity on how it’s getting implemented in the states, Credai Chennai said in a statement.

"The Union government's announcement to introduce a unique land parcel identification number for lands is a commendable move because it will help avoid litigations in land dealings," Credai said. However, one of the real disappointments is the change in the long-term capital gain tax from 20% with indexation benefit to a flat 12.5% without indexation benefit. This is a setback for investors. If someone sells a property after 10 or 15 years, indexation helps offset the inflation cost, and its removal is a significant setback. We urge the union government to consider providing a 12.5% tax rate with the indexation benefit to motivate investors to invest in real estate, Credai added.

writingonblog uncensored: Lohum to invest Rs 2000 crore to build largest bat...

writingonblog uncensored: Lohum to invest Rs 2000 crore to build largest bat...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Energy transition materials maker Lohum will be investing more than Rs 2,000 crore to build largest battery recycl...

Lohum to invest Rs 2000 crore to build largest battery recycler plant at Krishnagiri

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Energy transition materials maker Lohum will be investing more than Rs 2,000 crore to build largest battery recycler plants in the country at the future mobility park at Krishnagiri district.

Speaking to The New Indian Express on the sidelines of Investopia Global here on Wednesday, Lohum's head of Corporate Development Sachin Maheshwari said that the facility will be set up on 65 acres of land and the investment will be made over a period of six years.

"We are looking at a capacity of 20 gigawatt hour of cathode active materials (CAMs) production which is used for cell manufacturing and later it goes into the battery," he said. "We are now setting up the plant and the factory will be set up in the next 18 months," said Sachin Maheshwari. He said the goal of setting the plan is to have consumption at the local level. However, he did not rule out exports.

Sachin said that the battery recycler will not only cater to used batteries but also electricals and rare earth magnets. We want to be playing a role in the critical minerals identified by the Union government which include cobalt, Lithium, platinum among others. "Our goal is to sustainably produce this metals," he said.

"Recycling and reuse is our first goal and at the same time our operation should be Net Zero in the usage of energy. We do a little bit of research on rare earth metals and we are planning to scale it up," said Sachin.The energy transition from fossil fuel energy to low-carbon energy is mineral intensive. Rare earth elements are core components of clean energy technologies such as wind turbines and electric vehicles.

Though India is exploring the possibility of tapping critical minerals, including lithium and cobalt, by looking to acquire mines in Zimbabwe or Australia, it is not viable, said Sachin. He said people think lithium and batteries are all the same but in reality lithium is only 3% of the battery. "The world is moving towards Lithium  Ferro Phosphate. Lithium is the only valuable material. When you move towards that you can't source lithium from the mines as it is unviable. As such recycling plays a key role," he said.

Sachin said that the company is also setting up a plant in the United Arab Emirates. The company already has eight plants -- seven in Greater Noida and one in Gujarat with a capacity of 150MW hour.

India anticipates a substantial influx of retired lithium-ion batteries in the coming years. Projections estimate that by 2030, the country will have approximately 128 GWh of lithium-ion batteries available for recycling, with 46% originating from electric vehicles alone.

writingonblog uncensored: Indigo ATR aircraft quality operating to Trichy de...

writingonblog uncensored: Indigo ATR aircraft quality operating to Trichy de...: CHENNAI: Industry Minister TRB Rajaa, who had a bitter experience while travelling at low cost carrier Indigo's ATR aircraft from Che...

Indigo ATR aircraft quality operating to Trichy deficient, says Industry minister Rajaa

CHENNAI:
Industry Minister TRB Rajaa, who had a bitter experience while travelling at low cost carrier Indigo's ATR aircraft from Chennai to Trichy, hit out at the airlines and termed the services provided by the airlines to passengers travelling to Trichy as defiecient under the Consumer protection Act.

Urging the Ministry of Civil Aviation to intervene and ensure safety, security and efficiency of low cost carriers, the minister in a social media post stated that.
"Each and every passenger on the 6E7028 today was sweating and suffocating because the air conditioning system was not working properly ! Add to this the turbulence of July weather, and these aircrafts will challenge the best roller coasters in the world."

"This should qualify as deficient service under the Consumer Protection Act ! Travel by a low-cost carrier does not mean that the passengers are to be treated with any less care, attention, respect or courtesy, or that there can be dilution in the minimum standards of safety, security or efficiency!," the minister stated.

"Several passengers were seen praying and holding on to their seats and many cursing the poor pilot, who actually pulled off a perfect landing even in this extremely turbulent weather," Rajaa said.

"Regular passengers like me have given up on the possibility of IndiGo ever giving Trichy some A320s, even though many of us including me have repeatedly requested the the Ministry of Civil Aviation  to step in and help. The monopoly IndiGo has over Trichy skies needs to be revisited too," the minister stated. "Trichy is probably the fastest-growing airport in India but the airline is simply not interested in improving passenger safety and experience and is focusing only on profits ! Wonder why making profits is more important than ensuring passengers have a safe, peaceful and enjoyable flight." he said.

He said the state government is pushing hard to make Trichy the next big destination for Industries and connectivity is key for Industrial growth, the minister added.

writingonblog uncensored: Rs 285 crore rope car project linking Marina with ...

writingonblog uncensored: Rs 285 crore rope car project linking Marina with ...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Chennai is likely to have an added tourist attraction. The city is likely to implement ropeway project for a dista...

Rs 285 crore rope car project linking Marina with Beasant Nagar likely to be implemented; Feasibility report after MCC

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Chennai is likely to have an added tourist attraction. The city is likely to implement ropeway project for a distance of 4.6km which would promote beach tourism.

National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) will be preparing a detailed feasibility report for the implementation of Rs 285 crore ropeway project linking Marina Beach with Beasant Nagar after the phasing out of model code of conduct (MCC) for Lok Sabha Elections.

"We have got the in-principle clearance from the state government for the project which has also cleared the alignment," a NHLML official told TNIE. He said the detailed feasibility report could not be done due to the model code of conduct.

Once the detailed feasibility report is finalised we will call for bids for the project. It is learnt that the project would require CRZ clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests. The official also said that the project would acquisition of few parcels of land, The official, however, refused to give a timeline stating that the implementation is likely to take time.

Interestingly, the project is considered to be one of the core projects to be implemented, according to Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Board. State government sources said that the ropeway project will provide urban decongestion and boost tourism from Marina Beach to Elliot's Beach with three stations.

It is learnt that Monocable Detachable Gondola Ropeway systems will be used with a cabin capacity of 10 persons and maximum capacity of 4500 passengers per hour per direction (PPHD). The project which is also being jointly implemented by Department of Highways andf minor Ports would be done through hybrid annuity mode and would take two years to finish providing all clearances are there and land being acquired for the project.

It is learnt that 60% of construction support will be provided by NHLML under the hybrid annuity mode for ropeways as compared to 40% support provided under national highways to attract more private players for the development of ropeways. The concession period is for 20 years.