GDP growth in Q3

Economic growth slowed down to 6.2 percent in the third quarter (October - December) of the 2004 - 2005 fiscal from 11 percent in the same quarter a year ago mainly on account of weak farm sector performance. Although this is the slowest GDP growth in the last five quarters since the 5.3 percent expansion in April-June 2003, the Indian economy still remains in the hunt for a near seven percent growth in the whole of 2004-2005.

The Central Statistical Organisation's advance estimates of GDP released in February had put the growth rate for 2004 - 2005 at 6.9 percent. Analysts expect the economy to have grown by about 7 percent in the last quarter (January - March) of 2004-2005. Thus, the overall growth during 2004-2005 would be near 7 percent despite the dip in the third quarter. The overall growth was lower at 6.7 percent during the first three quarters of 2004-2005 against 8.6 percent in the year ago period.

The GDP growth was a robust 8.5 percent, a 15-year high, in the previous fiscal. Manufacturing expanded 10.4 percent in the October - December quarter of 2004-2005 and services, which account for more than half of GDP, rose 10.5 percent led by the booming tourism and telecom sectors.

- The Times of India

The latest findings of a study conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on domestic consumption patterns in India have revealed interesting data.

The institute carried out the study with an objective to analyse water consumption patterns at the domestic level and also to tabulate total wastage. The study covered households across seven major cities and discovered that around 65 percent were water deficient. Delhi and Kanpur also indicated a high deficiency of water.

The top three categories where water wastage was highest were washing clothes (82 percent), bathing (56 percent) and washing utensils (49 percent).

Due representation was given to every region during the survey. The cities covered as part of the study were: Mumbai and Ahmedabad in the west, Hyderabad and Madurai in the south, Delhi and Kanpur in the north and Kolkata in the east. The research was conducted using a sample size of 2734 households in these cities. The households chosen for the survey belonged to different socio-economic classes so as to "capture data across different income groups". As many as 639 families from SEC A, 584 families from SEC B, 619 families from SEC C, 792 families from SEC D and E were interviewed. The total household population was 12,880 from the 2734 families.

The total average water consumption per household per day was 408.6 l and the average consumption of water per head per day was 91.6 l. Water usage for bathing and washing clothes contributed to about 28 percent and 19 percent of total water consumption, respectively.

The TISS research further highlighted the key areas where one can easily initiate water saving at the domestic level. Since bathing and washing were amongst the key visible areas of high water consumption. TISS has recommended solutions which will help people conserve water including using a bucket of water for bathing instead of a shower and the bathing water should be recycled and used for gardening.

- The Indian Express

Uniformity in urban administrative systems, rationalisation of property taxes, phasing out octroi and scrapping laws that prohibit construction in coastal areas as well as no-development zone have been identified as prerequisites by the World Bank (WB) for Mumbai's makeover into a world class city.
The seven-member team led by Korean urban development specialist, Mrs Songsu Choi, was invited by the Union government to chalk out a business plan for Mumbai's revival.

The World Bank mission has recommended policy initiatives by the Maharashtra government to effectively reorganise urban services like BEST, water supply and sanitation into autonomous entities.

More significantly, the mission has suggested that Mumbai's railway network be separated from the Indian Railways as a stand-alone entity. The suburban rail needs to be strengthened by an additional metro rail system. Additionally, the Bank has argued for allowing private bus operators not only in Mumbai but also neighbouring Thane and Navi Mumbai districts.

Emphasising on the urgency to release the large tracts of land held by private mill owners, agencies such Mumbai Port Trust, salt pan lands along with the abolition of the Urban Land Ceiling Act Regulation (ULCRA), the WB team has said all these will go a long way in providing affordable rental as well as housing stock.

Considering the rapid population increase in Mumbai and limited housing potential under the existing regulations, the WB team has sought to lift the cap on the floor space index (FSI). It has strongly recommended a distinct FSI regime for commercial reality as against residential constructions. The Bank has sought an FSI of 2 for residential buildings which is currently 1.33, especially those within a radius of 1 km from railway stations.

-- Business Standard

"The Rs 13-billion Worli-Bandra sea link would be completed without any further delays by December 2007" announced the minister for Public Works and the chairman of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), Mr Anil Deshmukh.

He admitted that the project did not meet its original deadline of the year 2005 in view of delays caused due to dispute with contractors and also because of a change in the alignment.

He told reporters after the foundation laying function at the Worli end in north central Mumbai that MSRDC had already arrived at a settlement with the contractor. MSRDC had estimated the original cost at Rs 700 million. The eight-lane bridge being developed on build-operate-transfer (BOT) will be ready by December 2007 and there will not be further delays and cost escalation," he said.

- The Financial Express

Mumbai-Delhi freight corridor to cost Rs 64 billion

The Ministry of Shipping (MoS) has estimated the cost of the proposed Mumbai-Delhi dedicated container freight rail corridor covering distance over 1300 to 1500 km at Rs 64 billion.

The rail corridor, which is expected to ensure port connectivity and ease congestion at ports will cost Rs 30 million per km in view of constructing major bridges over Narmada, Tapti and Thane creek, the ministry said in an approach paper on container rail corridors prepared by it.

Identifying optimal route alignment between Mumbai and Delhi, the feasibility study should assess traffic potential for the period of the project and means of improving rail share, the paper said. According to the approach paper prepared by the Ministry of Shipping, the capacity utilisation on the Delhi-Mumbai route was well above 140 percent for the year 2003-2004 and would go up beyond 160 percent in 2006-2007.

The paper added that the freight corridor can incorporate state-of-art features such as double stack containers, long trains carrying 10 times more containers per train, long block sections and high speeds.

- Business Standard

Gera launches child-centric housing project

With the real estate boom and increasing competition among builders for the buyers' wallet in Pune, the construction industry is creating new niche positioning for their projects.

To tap the market of working couples looking for a safe living place for children, Gera Developments Ltd, has launched the Emerald City Project in the city that focuses on well-being and development of children. This has been done by integrating several features in the design stage to ensure safety, convenience and all-round development of children.

- The Financial Express

Patel Engineering to jointly execute Rs 10-billion projects in AP

Mumbai-based Patel Engg. Ltd. will be jointly executing four irrigation projects worth Rs 10 billion with Hyderabad-based civil engineering firm, Soma Enterprises Ltd.

Mr Ankineedu Maganti, director of Soma Enterprises, said "We have recently been awarded four irrigation projects in Andhra Pradesh worth approximately Rs 10 billion in Rajahmundry, Karimnagar and Vishakapatnam. We will be executing these projects jointly with Patel Engineering".

The company is also executing the side-levelling work for the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad.

The company has also been awarded the construction of a 118-kilometre highway near Nashik on which it is working with Delhi-based Ircon International Ltd. on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.

"The pre-construction part of the project is currently going on and we are in the process of tying up the finances. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be formed for this project this month", Maganti said..

- Business Standard

Auditing of canals in Maharashtra yields results

The Maharashtra government's efforts to launch water auditing of canals and irrigation projects and benchmarking have paid off as the water cess collection has gone up to Rs 4450 million in 2004-2005 from Rs 3780 million in 2003-2004.

The irrigation minister of the state said that the recovery of water cess has been quite low at Rs 1140 million against the maintenance and repairs expenditure of Rs 3790 million in 1998-199. During the period 1999-2000 to 2003-04, the cess rose from Rs 1730 million to Rs 3780 million. During the same period, the repair and maintenance expenses reduced from Rs 4330 million to Rs 3330 million.

The minister said that the state water resources department would be able to get more funds from the Life Insurance Corporation, the state-run National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Housing and Urban Development Corporation in view of increase in the recovery of water cess.

The benchmark report for 2003-2004 covers 49 large projects, 143 medium projects and 69 small projects in the form of 12 indicators The benchmark report enables the authorities at the respective administrative levels to sum up to what excellence the initially-planned objectives of the projects had been attained.

- The Financial Express

Urban infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh

The state cabinet has approved a $ 300 million Andhra Pradesh Urban Reforms and Municipal Services Project that seeks to reform municipalities and strengthen urban infrastructure. This is basically to build a mechanism to access World Bank funds by establishing the Andhra Pradesh Urban Infrastructure Fund as a trust. The project size has been tentatively approved for about Rs 13.6 billion. The policy proposes to ensure a 24-hour supply of quality power to rural areas by creating a reliable rural electrification system. The government will provide capital subsidy and softer long-term debt finance for investment in rural electrification, with the aim of reducing the cost of supply to rural areas.

- Indian Infrastructure

Improving hydel capacity

The Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) has announced an investment of Rs 90 billion to add over 1700 MW capacity during the eleventh plan. SJVNL has identified three projects including the 434 MW Rampur hydel project for which an agreement has been signed with the state government. For the Rampur project, the corporation estimated a cost of about Rs 20 billion. It has approached the World Bank for a loan of up to Rs 10 billion.

- Indian Infrastructure

Roads in Chennai

The Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways has announced five projects of Rs 6.8 billion for decongesting arterial roads and junctions in Chennai. The project will consist of construction of grade separators at three junctions in Chennai city, a fly-over at NH-45 (opposite Chennai airport) and an underpass to connect Tirusalam railway station and Chennai airport. A 4 km section of NH-4 will also be widened to four lanes. The project has been taken up by the ministry through the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which has appointed the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC) its managing associate for assistance in project development and implementation. The Rs 2 billion project is proposed to be completed in 24 - 30 months. On the basis of international bidding, the work has been awarded to a joint venture of Somdatt and Simplex. As part of the project, the proposed four-lane Chennai bypass phase II will also be built at a cost of Rs 4.8 billion by Hindustan Construction Company Limited.

- Indian Infrastructure

Roads in Orissa

The Orissa government has conceived a five-year road project at an estimated cost of Rs 23.57 billion for development and renovation of roads in 14 of the 30 state districts, spread over 805 km. The blue-print for the project is yet to be prepared for submission to the Union Ministry of Finance. The project envisages 70 percent foreign assistance and 30 percent state assistance. It is expected to be undertaken with active financial assistance from the World Bank and Japan Bank of International Corporation (JBIC). It will be executed under the direct supervision of the state works department. JBIC will provide Rs 4.22 billion and the state government will spend Rs 2.92 billion. The project is scheduled to start in 2006 - 2007 and be completed by 2010 - 2011.

- Indian Infrastructure

New concrete organisation spans the Americas

Representatives of US, Canadian, Central and South American ready mixed concrete groups have announced plans to form the Ready Mixed Concrete Organisation of the Americas (RMCOA). Extensive discussions among the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA) USA, Canadian Ready Mixed Concrete Association (CRMCA) and Federacion Iberoamericana del Hormigon Premezclado (FIHP) have centred on increasing the positive awareness of industry products, increasing the efficiency of research and enhancing the capabilities of personnel throughout north, central and south America.

This landmark cooperative effort in the worldwide ready mixed concrete industry will centre on the areas of research and technology, operations, education and promotion.

Each party recognises the interest and need for a fully-fledged international organisation that would support, promote and whenever needed, coordinate efforts by interacting with other professional groups, international societies, academia and policy-makers. RMCOA will also provide a platform for discussions, exchange and education between all those working in the concrete industry and promoting the concrete industry to the general public. RMCOA is already extensively represented through a network of members in north, central and south America.

- ARI News

Request for Tsunami eyewitness

(One of our readers, Mr N. Prabhakar, a member of the Institution of Structural Engineers (ISE), has forwarded the following announcement of ISE for inclusion.)

Researchers at Cambridge University are looking for eyewitnesses to the Boxing Day Tsunami willing to be interviewed to record their experiences of the event. The research aims to derive lessons for the future from assembling and analysing these experiences with potential benefits for the planning of coastal buildings and settlements and community-level warning systems.

If you yourself have witnessed the event and are willing to participate or can source out anyone who might, please contact Maria Sylvester at Tel: (+44) 1223 460475, or Ilan Kelman by email: ik@cam.ac.uk at the Cambridge University Centre for Risk in Built Environment (CURBE).

For more details, please contact:.

Berenice Chan (on behalf of Dr. Robin Spence at Cambridge University)
Technical Officer
Institution of Structural Engineers,
11 Upper Belgrave Street,
London, SW1X8BH,
United Kingdom
Website: http://www.istructe.org.uk

MBT India turns ten

MBT India, with its head quarters and main manufacturing facility at Navi Mumbai, held a series of functions in Mumbai to celebrate the 10th anniversary recently.

Last year, MBT India set up manufacturing facilities at Bangalore primarily to cater generally to the growing admixture needs in the country. The factory inauguration formed part of the 10th year celebrations at Bangalore which was followed by a gathering of leading civil engineers the same evening. A technical presentation on Degussa construction chemicals technologies was followed by an interactive session.

Mr Dick Purchase, Chairman of MBT India based in Dubai, formally inaugurated the Bangalore facility during the first week of March 2005. The occasion was graced by the presence of other Directors on MBT India's board.

Speaking to the assembled gathering on this occasion, Mr Purchase declared, "we are committed to ensure a fast rate of growth of our construction chemicals business in India. Degussa is willing to commit the necessary resources for this and the Bangalore facility is a step in this direction".

- MBT India press release