News

The Hindu : Hyderabad shows the wayThe new building permit order will help buyers know the details of constructionsThe locality is good, and the builder appears quite friendly. The price is steep but not outrageous as in some ‘glamorous’ parts of the twin cities. The deal is fixed even before the first floor slab is laid because “the price increases at stage of the construction”, as pitched in by the “helpful” builder.You have seen the cleared building plan and papers giving the necessary permissions. Alas, the fine print is missed and more so, the building site plan is not displayed on the board outside as is mandatory. The miss could be costly as the construction might not be following all the rules and could be attracting penal action even if the municipal authorities seem to look at the other way in the beginning.Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) finally seems to have listened to the clamour of citizens to help them buy a flat conforming to all the rules rather than initiate action after the residential units are purchased. The new building permit order to be issued to all new constructions contains details of the number of floors permitted, height, setbacks, road affected, parking space, licence of builder, architect, fees paid, etc.Chief City Planner B. Purushothama Reddy, while admitting that display of the site map and building plan is followed more in the breach, feels that the new permit order would enable citizens (they should insist!) to easily comprehend the kind of construction coming up. It is being given to buildings that are stilt plus four storeys high and more and will soon be extended to other structures.WebsitePreviously, most of these details were “hidden” in different set of documents and on the plan itself that is not easily accessible and difficult to comprehend. Mr. Reddy also urges citizens to access the building plans cleared on the GHMC website (…More

The Hindu : Factors behind safeelectric wiringThe design and planning involve consideration of envisaged load, earthing arrangements and energy conservationThe function of wiring safety codes is to give technical, performance and material standards that would allow proper use of the electrical energy. Materials required for wiring a building depend on factors such as rating of the circuit, type of occupancy of the building, type of electrical system, national and local regulations and conditions in which the wiring must operate. The design and planning of an electrical wiring installation involve consideration of all prevailing conditions such as the type of supply, envisaged load, earthing arrangements, safety aspects and energy conservation. It is essential that adequate provision is made for all services such as lighting, power requirement for A/C, fridge and kitchen heating. Proper planning will avoid the householder to rely on use of long flexible cables and multi-plug adopters which are dangerous and not recommended.Estimation of load requirementAll conductors and switches and other accessories should be having a rating such that they are not exceeded under any circumstance of use. This may be calculated knowing the rating (W) of the lights, fans and equipment connected. The size of the conductor of the circuit should be chosen so as to permit only minimum voltage drop form the inlet to any point in the installation. In each circuit or sub-circuit the fuse shall be such as to match the cable rating to ensure desired protection.InstallationIn the case of concealed wiring,installation should begin immediately on completion of the main structural work and before finishing works such as plastering.In the case of surface wiring, it can be carried out after plastering.Generally, installation should not start before the building is reasonably weatherproof.However, where electrical wiring is to be concealed within the structure as in a RCC building, the necessary conduits or ducts shall be positioned firmly and tied to the reinforcement before concreting. When…More

The Hindu : India’s richest State has scrapped a law that controls urban land holdings, potentially freeing large tracts of prime real estate in the financial hub of Mumbai, a move which sent shares of property firms up sharply.Analysts and property developers said the Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Act, which has been in place for three decades, has hampered construction of homes and offices and contributed to soaring property prices, and scrapping it may bring thousands of acres of prime land to the market.“Physically, it will make available a lot of land for development. Our estimate is that it could offer 15,000-17,000 acres (6,100-6,900 hectares),” said Pranay Vakil, chairman of real estate consultancy Knight Frank.“Admittedly, a lot of this land is embroiled in legal issues, so it’s not like tomorrow hundreds of acres of land will be available. It will take time.”Developers said the move could free up to 25,000 hectares of land in Mumbai, where property prices match, or in many cases overtake, prices in New York and Tokyo.HDIL gains 8 p.c.Shares of real estate firms soared on the news, with Housing Development & Infrastructure Ltd gaining more than eight per cent, while the main share index – BSESN - was up 1.5 per cent.Some analysts said the move would primarily help companies which have land to sell but could not previously because of the restrictions.The analysts also say that the potential buyers may not gain much as property prices are already high.Thousands of hectares of land will also be available for development in Maharashtra’s other crowded cities such as Pune and Nagpur, where there is a high demand for houses and office spaces.Critics of the land ceiling law say freeing land will make way for commercial redevelopment and creation of crucial infrastructure. But supporters of the lawsay the move will help builders, not the common man. – Reuters…More

The Hindu : Threading the past with the futureD. MURALICephalus, in Greek mythology, is a lover of the dawn goddess Eos. Named after him is Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian Islands in western Greece, with an area of nearly 700 square kilometres.In August 1953, Kefalonia was devastated by a series of earthquakes. “People on the islands were left homeless and their economy was shattered.” This tale is about one of the villages in Kefalonia: Farsa. Its surviving residents abandonedtheir mountainside village for a new settlement located down the slope.Decades passed by…**“The faculty programme director from Huxley College of Environment at Western Washington University, Bellingham WA, U.S., asked the Kefalonia Governor whether the island would benefit from an American university-sponsored, applied research programme to address the island’s most pressing priorities,” narrates one of the essays in the latest issue of ‘Journal of Education for Sustainable Development’ ( www.sagepublications.com).Farsa was chosen as a pilot project. The village had remained uninhabited for 50 years, and the remnants of the 160 former structures were intact, when students from a university decided to apply their learning to the rebuilding work.“Thefaculty met with the Farsa village leadership to devise a research programme based on the community service learning model. Village leaders emphasised the importance of respecting the village’s past while planning a sustainable future.”New curriculumTherefore, an interdisciplinary curriculum was drawn up, involving “urban design and planning, environmental resource management, historic preservation, sustainable technology, agro-ecology, transportation planning, and social anthropology.”Introduced in 2005, the curriculum evolves each year based on the progress accomplished.Using GIS (geographic information system), CAD (computer-aided design) and so on, the students could accurately develop baseline site plans of the 400-year-old historic village design, because the skeletal template was undisturbed post-quake.“Surrounding the village lie extensive olive orchards, abandoned bee hives and vineyards, which comprised its agricultural economy,” the essay’s author Nicholas C. Zaferatos describes.Right features“With the assistance of the former villagers now…More

The Hindu : It is a tightrope walkon Kochi roadsImagine yourself stranded in the heart of Kochi without a mode of transport on a sunny day and you decide to walk from Kaloor to the north end of M.G. Road where you expect a friend in about 45 minutes.The distance is roughly a kilometre-and-half. The weather is fine. The roads are congested. The sidewalk looks quite promising until you get to it. You soon confront loose slabs and gaping holes on the sidewalk.Then it disappears completely from view on North Railway Overbridge.The bridge does not have a place for pedestrians and you realise how risky it is to walk this way. However, you make it through the rush of two-wheelers and autorickshaws. Once you are past the bridge, the hurdles you face are a little different from crossing the rail overbridge.TiringThe level differences make the sidewalk difficult to negotiate. Chances are that while you keep watching your steps you also keep bump into people and you will be exhausted by the time you meet your friend.You would most probably be late and tell your friend that it was no walk in the garden, that you crossed the roads where there were no zebra lines, that the level differences of the sidewalks tested your concentration and that it would be better not to walk about at all in the city.That is a lesson learnt the hard way. For the thousands of walkers and would-be walkers, Kochi offers no solace of any sort.And that should be a cause for offence for a city that is poised to ride the big wave of economic growth over the coming decades. The volume of investments, the type of international attention it is getting and people’s expectations from its planners make it imperative that Kochi, like several other modern-day urban centres, becomes a walkable city, encouraging pedestrians and simply those who love to walk.WalkabilityContrast…More

The Hindu : Do traditional bell-metal lamps adorn your house? They might have come from Nadavarambu, in Thrissur district of Kerala, where making bell-metal ware is more an act of devotion than work.Not many people outside Thrissur district may have heard of Nadavarambu. But the metal lamp you have at home might very well have been made there. Nadavarambu in Irinjalakkuda is a small village which works overtime to produce the “Nilavilakku,” lamps of various sizes made of bell-metal.The lamps are in great demand all over India, especially during the Deepavali season. Apart from their use on religious and other occasions, the big and small lamps lend a grand look to the interiors of a house. They are used in places ranging from hotel lobbies to drawing rooms in homes to give that Kerala touch to the interiors.The processThe making of the lamps involves a cumbersome process. The core shape of a lamp, according to size, is made in clay. Then it is given a wax covering and again a coating of clay. When heated in high temperature, the wax melts away and the shape of the object remains intact between the clay layers.Bell-metal, boiled at a very high temperature, is poured into the mould and within three hours it sets into the desired shape.Metal work is an ancient art of Kerala. The production of temple bells and lamps has been in existence from very early times. Gleaming bell-metal alloy, made from a mixture of brass, tin and copper, constitutes the raw material for making the tower-like lamps. Different types of cooking vessels, such as the magnificent ‘Varpu’ tumblers, are some other bell-metal items. Idol making is another area in which the craftsmen of Nadavarambu are experts.Some years ago, utensils made of bell-metal were extensively used in our homes. But, with urbanisation and other changes, families started preferring steel utensils. The kitchen ware and plates made of bell-metal…More

The Hindu : Restricted powers of attorneyN.C.S. RAGHAVANARVIND RAGHAVANIn view of the heavy stamp duty payable on powers of attorney given to persons (other than close relatives) where power to sell is given, various forms of restricted powers of attorney have come into vogue which are discussed below.General Power of Attorney is only for a limited purpose of appearing and representing the principal before statutory authorities in respect of statutory formalities and compliances relating to rights and interest and transactions in immovable property. The stamp duty payable is only a nominal sum of Rs.100 as no power to sell is given.Where a General Power of Attorney is also given only for the restricted purposes of entering into agreements for sale or transfer without the right or authority to finally effect the sale or transfer, such restricted powers of attorney will attract the nominal stamp duty of Rs.100 only.In this regard, it is useful to note that the above types of restricted powers of attorney can also be given to a promoter or a developer provided the same are given separately apart from the execution of a formal development agreement.Hence, it is to be noted that when even a restricted power is given to a promoter or a developer as above, the following stamp duty discussed in the earlier issues is leviable.Where the market value of property• 1) Does not exceed Rs. 1 crore — Rs. 10,000.• 2) Exceeds Rs. 1 crore and does not exceed Rs. 2 crore — Rs. 20,000.• 3) Exceeds Rs. 2 crore and does not exceed Rs. 5 crore — Rs. 50,000.• 4) Exceeds Rs. 5 crore and does not exceed Rs. 10 crore — Rs.1,00,000.• 5) Exceeds Rs. 10 crore — Rs.1,50,000.When a Comprehensive Power of Attorney is given for consideration, such a power of attorney becomes an irrevocable power of attorney constituting an agency coupled with interest and hence the stamp duty…More

The Hindu : In the last couple of years, besides renting out for residential or commercial use, property owners have added one more option to their list: service apartments. With an eye on capturing the shortfall in the hospitality sector, individuals have entered this space and their strategy seems to have paid off as returns have been far higher than residential rentals.Though the concept is nearly a decade old, the rush seems to have picked up in the last 2-3 years and hence the time has come to find out whether it still pays to look at service apartments for fresh property investors.The concept is more visible in cities such as Bangalore and Pune which have a large floating population because of the strong presence of IT and other sectors. What added to the acceptance of the concept was the acute shortage in the hospitality sector which generally takes a few years to meet the sudden spurt in demand. As a result, corporates which were on the demand side had to look for fresh avenues to house their employees/clients who were on short to medium-term stay.For those who wonder what a service apartment is all about, here is a brief. A concept popular internationally, it allows individuals to let out their residential premises to corporates.The big difference between a guest house and a service apartment is that the renting out happens on room basis in the latter and hence allows the property owner to earn higher income.Good rentalsSince 2005, many individuals have managed to cash in on this concept. For instance, an apartment with three bedrooms has the potential to fetch a rental income of Rs. 15,000-Rs. 20,000. The same, when let out as service apartment, can fetch a monthly income of Rs. 65,000 assuming a daily rental of Rs. 1,500 per room at 50 per cent occupancy!Now, before you jump in to pick up a property for…More

The Hindu : Those who followed the Federal and State efforts prior to and in the aftermath of hurricane ‘Katrina” which hit New Orleans and Mississipi in the United States in August/September, 2005, might be able to fathom the massive investment of men and money that was required in meeting the unimaginable damages. Even in the recent Californian wildfires, lakhs of people were left homeless and vast property destroyed.The October 2007 forest fires in San Diego alone accounted for the destruction of over 2,000 houses in spite of around 1,000 helicopters aiding the fire-fighting efforts, forcing the authorities to evacuate more than a million people from their homes in 2-3 days.Primary concernsThe Americans consider people and even pets as the most valuable assets in the event of a natural calamity. Preventing loss of life is their first concern and accordingly, evacuation plans and providing food and shelter to evacuees get top priority. Accordingly, the Federal Government directly intervenes in the matter, removing restrictions, if any, on a war footing. In India, where people are in plenty, the main concerns are property and valuables.What are the major disasters?Floods, extensive fires, earthquakes, contagious diseases, chemical and industrial mishaps are some of the common disasters, both natural and man-made. The time available to prevent the effects of these calamities will be too little and the facilities available to combat them totally inadequate many a time.As in the case of individuals, nations too respond or react to the calamities differently. Communities which live in earthquake-prone environs are always quick to take steps to respond to the events engulfing them, as they are always psychologically and physiologically alive to the impending dangers.Similarly, nations located in the risk zones prepare themselves well to face the sudden fury of nature.Indian situationBy and large, India has always been saved from major calamities. In our ancient history, famine or plague struck occasionally. Floods are common in the…More

The Hindu : Water-borne disease is one of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality especially among infants and children. In simple language, diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera and typhoid are all diseases caused by bacteria in water. Simple tests to determine the safety of water from a micro-biological point of view are crucial to take preventive measures.One of the simplest is the H2S (hydrogen sulphide) strip test which is a basic indicator test for the presence of e-coli bacteria in water. The test also has the capacity to detect enteric and harmful bacteria such as salmonella and citrobacter. The presence of e-coli, an indicator bacteria, can be seen as showing the presence of cholera and typhoid.The test was developed by K.S. Manja and team. The process involves the use of a pre-sterilised coated paper in a small, sealed bottle. The sealed cap of the bottle is opened with clean hands. The sample of water to be tested is filled to an appropriately marked line on the bottle. The cap is then put back and closed.The water sample is usually observed for 24 to 48 hours when kept in room temperature of between 25 and 37 degrees C. If the sample of water and the coated paper turn black it indicates the presence of coliform bacteria or faecal contamination of water, making further treatment of the water necessary before consumption. Even if a certain amount of chlorine is present in water it can be instantly removed by the medium present in the bottle. All types of drinking water — whether from pipelines, wells, borewells, rainwater, ponds, rivers springs and even bottled water — can be tested, sometimes with surprising results.The H2S test is a basic field-level indicator test. If necessary, detailed investigations can begin after the establishment of the presence of unwanted bacteria. The test is low cost and easy to conduct unlike laboratory-based tests which tend to be complex…More