03 Feb 2026

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a detailed investigation into pollution complaints from residents of Tulsi Tower in Shivaji Nagar, Bhopal, linked to the nearby Tulsi Green construction project. Residents have reported excessive dust, noise at night, open dumping of construction materials, and untreated wastewater affecting health and living conditions. The NGT has constituted a joint committee and asked the Madhya Pradesh government, the developer, and the MP Pollution Control Board to submit responses within four weeks. The next hearing is scheduled for late February.Read more

03 Feb 2026

The Income Tax Department carried out extensive searches targeting a prominent Surat-based diamond manufacturer and real estate developer earlier this week. The operations covered over 15 locations across Surat, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and New Delhi, focusing on undisclosed earnings and potential diversion of funds from an insolvent jewellery company into real estate projects outside Gujarat. Officials are examining financial records, digital data, and individuals connected to the group, including political and legal associates. The owners, with prior legal and political involvement, have faced criminal cases for alleged fraud and cheating in past years.Read more

02 Feb 2026

The INR1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund, aimed at transforming Indian cities into growth hubs and supporting creative redevelopment, water, and sanitation projects, has been inactive for over a year since its announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Though the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs finalised the programme's rules last year and proposals from at least 15 states are ready, Cabinet approval is still awaited. Experts suggest that even if approval comes soon, only around INR500 crore may be released this fiscal, reflecting limited state capacity to utilise such large allocations effectively.Read more

02 Feb 2026

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has proposed a significant revision in the financial approval framework for government projects, raising the value cap for minister-level clearances to INR 50 crore from the current INR 10 crore. The move is aimed at expediting approvals for high-value projects and improving administrative efficiency across departments. Under the proposed structure, projects valued between INR 50 crore and INR 150 crore would be cleared at the finance minister's level, while those exceeding INR 150 crore would require the chief minister's approval. The chief minister has also directed departments to finalise annual action plans by mid-April and introduced stricter controls on cost escalations. The measures form part of a broader push to improve fiscal discipline, capital expenditure management and digital treasury reforms in the state.Read more

02 Feb 2026

The Government of India has approved the conversion of a 100-km stretch of NH-16 from Muppavaram near Addanki to Kaja near Vijayawada into a fully access-controlled corridor, enhancing connectivity between Vijayawada and Bengaluru. The decision follows a request from Andhra Pradesh's chief minister in New Delhi. A Bhopal-based contractor has been appointed to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) within a year, covering land acquisition, engineering design, environmental impact, and costs. The upgrade will include service roads, limited entry points, and distance-based tolling, improving travel time, safety, and regional logistics.Read more

Noida News Desk

02 Feb 2026

In the wake of a tragic accident in Noida's Sector 150 that claimed the life of a tech professional, the Noida Authority has directed real estate developers and project owners to urgently enhance safety measures around their construction sites and open project surroundings. A civic inspection by the authority's civil department and traffic cell identified 65 road safety black spots, including waterlogged plots, open basements and unsecured construction zones dangerously close to busy roads. Developers have been instructed to install proper barricades, warning signage, lighting and other safeguards to protect the public and prevent further mishaps. The move follows heightened scrutiny after the accident, public outrage and concerns that neglected construction hazards and poorly marked sites pose serious risks, especially in dense urban areas where residents and commuters are frequently exposed tounprotected excavation and unsafe roadside conditions.Read more

Delhi News Desk

02 Feb 2026

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that three illegal borewells were discovered at The Lalit Hotel in Barakhamba Road, and one of them was sealed last year, according to court filings. The matter arises from a long-running plea alleging unauthorised groundwater extraction by commercial establishments, including luxury hotels, without valid permissions or specified usage limits. The NDMC has sought an environmental compensation assessment from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for the period during which groundwater may have been extracted without authorisation or beyond permissible limits. The hotel has applied for permission for the remaining two borewells, and the case is now before a district-level advisory committee, which will advise on regulatory compliance and penalties. NDMC has also initiated proceedings to levy additional sewer charges as part of enforcement actions. The Lalit had not responded to regulators at the time of reporting.Read more

Delhi News Desk

02 Feb 2026

The Delhi High Court has intervened to address persistent waterlogging and sewer overflow on a road in the Shaheen Bagh Okhla area, which has long disrupted daily life and posed health and safety risks. The bench highlighted confusion among civic agencies over maintenance responsibility and instructed the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department to work with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to clean, repair, and relaid the road while stopping sewer backflow. The court's decision follows repeated public grievances, media reports, and past suo motu notices regarding the open sewer hazard.Read more

Gurugram News Desk

01 Feb 2026

The Haryana Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) has issued a regulatory notice to a Gurugram developer over alleged non-compliance related to a commercial colony project in Sector 65, citing lapses in statutory approvals. The licences, originally granted in 2011 and 2012 for a 3.2-acre development in the Gurgaon-Manesar Urban Complex, expired in 2019 and 2020, and were not renewed due to failure by the developer to apply for renewal or submit requisite fees and documents. DTCP also cited non-transfer of land earmarked for master plan roads to the government free of cost. The developer has been given 30 days to rectify the deficiencies, failing which further action under the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act may be initiated, including formal enforcement proceedings. Authorities have been instructed to update the case status publicly.Read more

01 Feb 2026

Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has secured the fourth position among 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra in the state-level evaluation of the 150-day e-governance reforms programme conceptualised by the Chief Minister. The assessment, conducted by an independent agency, reviewed the corporation's progress in digitising civic services, improving transparency and enhancing citizen engagement through technology. Over the past year, NMMC has expanded online service delivery under the leadership of Municipal Commissioner Dr Kailas Shinde, enabling residents to access key civic services digitally. These include property tax payments, birth and death certificates, grievance redressal, and information services through its website, mobile application, WhatsApp chatbot and integration with the state's Aaple Sarkar portal. The evaluation also covered advanced adoption of e-office systems, dashboards, artificial intelligence, blockchain and GIS-based services. The ranking reflects Navi Mumbai's steady progress towards citizen-centric digital governance and improved administrative efficiency.Read more