Guwahati Projects thread

[sunny20rocky]

Road networking is an important aspect of transportation and a challenging issue that has emerged in the urban communication system. A perfect road network can play an effective role in a smooth communication system. But it requires evaluation of many thematic parameters and factors which are to be analyzed and to derive from them a plan to prepare a better network including provisions for better road attributes, as road networking is related to attributes of roads, landscapes, population and type of urbanization. In the context of Guwahati city, rapid haphazard urbanization took place during the past. Probably, it happened due to the lack of a suitable master plan and non-implementation of the existing master plan that needs more cooperation of the people with the municipal administration. As a result, urbanization has peaked with no consequent development of the social and physical infrastructures like new roads, bridges, settlements, organizations and institutions, etc. There is no doubt that Guwahati city is growing tremendously with a modern look. Simultaneously, other major problems are also increasing day by day which are mainly of urban floods, rising local temperature, degradation of hills and forests, shortage of open spaces, and more importantly, increasing traffic snarls in all parts of Guwahati.

Road congestion is the major problem in Guwahati due to which regular traffic snarls take place in all parts of the city. However, the government has taken many innovative measures, being implemented step by step. These include widening of GNB Road and GS Road, clearing of MG Road, setting up dividers on major roads, construction of a few flyovers at busy locations, which are practically effective solutions of short-term measures. Moreover, management of the social infrastructure system like upgrading parking provisions, changing of school timing, shifting of bus station, better traffic control operation, etc, are effective steps that have been taken up by the authorities.

In general, avoiding traffic congestion and saving time is directly proportional to decrease of pollution in the urban environment. The guiding factors of road alignment and smooth network are the two important parameters that help in the management of smooth traffic operation. The way of communication is also an important factor to ease traffic flow. The physical infrastructure like roads, railways, monorails, underground metros, flyover, ropeways, and tunnel are the types of land and subsurface communication units in the metro cities depending upon feasibility and necessity. From the point of terrains and landscape of Guwahati city, there is more scope for planning a better communication network for the city.

In the city, the traffic congestion has been a major problem prevailing for the last few decades. Lack of proportionate attributes of roads, population explosion, peak number of vehicles, rapid urbanization, location of social infrastructures, complex acquisition of lands, habitations before construction of roads, shopping area without parking place etc are the factors responsible for the traffic congestion. It has been found that in 150 sq km of core area of Guwahati, nearly 60 sq km (44%) is covered by the denudational hills and remaining 56% i.e. 76 sq km lies in the alluvial plains. Hillocks occupy a major portion of the city, which no doubt add to the natural landscape. A bird’s eye view of the city shows only 16 km between the Saraighat Bridge and Narangi Tiniali along the east–west aerial distance. Likewise, it is only 9 km between Lokhra and Umananda Ghat along the north-south direction. The important city roads like Lokhra Road, Fatasil Road, RG Baruah Road, VIP Road and various link roads are connecting the suburbs to the main city. These city roads are directed towards the central Guwahati zone and meet the two main roads -- GNB Road and GS Road. It is one of the major reasons for high traffic volume in these two roads. It may be noted that the main city roads are aligned in north-south direction. There is only one major road, which is the GNB Road (cum MG Road) that connects the city ends between Narangi and Jalukbari, except the NH-37 that has followed east-west trend.
The distribution of population size is also a concern for a smooth communication network. The city’s four parts are basically northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest. Communication between the southwest and the northwest parts of the city does not have a convenient road network. An innumerable number of city roads are available in the northeast portions and this portion has to take enough load of vehicles from each quarter of the city’s traffic. As a result, traffic problems are continuously increasing on these two major roads, namely GNB Road and GS Road. From the preliminary studies it has been found that at least one major road is required in the east-west trend through the middle corridor of the city.

There is a very little scope for construction of a road in the east-west alignment between the portion of NH 37 and GS Road due to heavy density of settlement. In the short-term measures, Kahilipara Road may be used as a busy road if it extends in the western direction. If the greater Dispur area can be connected with Maligaon area through the Kahilipara Road then there is a maximum probability of reducing traffic congestion on GS Road and GNB Road. Around 95% of the city buses run through these two roads. This is only because of shortfall of road alignment in the east-west trend.

It may be mentioned that from the preliminary observations, a 2.2 km length of roads having the tunnel length of about 1.5 km would be the most effective measure in reducing the existing distance of important locations of Guwahati city in between southeast and north-northwest. A 1.5-km tunnel through the Fatasil hills would be most effective in reducing the existing distance of about 3.7 km between the Fatasil Ambari and LCB College, 4.6 km between Dispur and Maligaon, 7 km between Lalganesh and LCB College and around 3.5 km between Six Mile and LCB College respectively. Moreover, there will be a maximum probability of reducing about 20% traffic volume on the busy GNB Road and GS Road. This route alignment would reduce the traffic jam in the central part of the city like Fancybazar, Kumarpara, Gopinath Nagar, Paltanbazar, etc. It is high time to search for an alternative route in the appropriate geographical location giving special emphasis on linking of East-West corridor by taking full advantage of the Kahilipara Road, link road of Fatasil and Lokhra Road for developing better communication among the central, southeastern and southwestern parts of the city. This is also important from the point of strategic geographical location and the demographic pattern. The proposed tunnel site can be easily developed by minimum damage of public property rather than constructing a road on the plains.

It may be mentioned that there is a narrow road named Dilip Huzuri Path that connects Fatasil and Maligaon areas through the Fatasil Hill. Maximum utilization from this road would be a fruitful measure concerning the traffic snarl near the Paltanbazar locality. Besides, at least a two-lane road tunnel through the Fatasil hills is urgently required keeping in view the different advantages due to reduced distances between the northwest and southeast parts of the city, saving time and money. The road tunnel under the hard rock terrain in the surface level is a possible option and the relevant departments may come forward positively with the investigation and feasibilities. This mega infrastructure inside the hard rock terrain could be very safe and resistant to seismic activities than the valley fill deposits. It is also a highly viable option for easy availability of raw materials for mega infrastructure.

From the preliminary spot survey, it has come to light that around 20 to 25 per cent of people travel by mass transport system towards the western side of the city beyond the Maligaon area. The southern part of Guwahati is also emerging as a major urban area due to setting up of different mega social infrastructure like stadium, bus terminus, educational institutions, trade and commerce outlets, etc. There is a maximum probability for increasing traffic volume on the National Highway-37 keeping pace with rapid development in its contiguous areas. The proposed road tunnel would definitely help in reducing traffic congestion in the NH-37 in the near future. The tunnel option to ease traffic can also be fruitful in other hills like Kalapahar, Japorigog, etc.

Space technology can provide existing road database of Guwahati which can help in transportation planning, design implementation, maintenance of transport project apart from traffic management. A proper traffic management plan may be carried out to find an efficient navigation/transportation system in the city of Guwahati to make it a soothing place for road users.

[sunny20rocky]

Guwahati, the capital of Assam is the most important destination of Northeast India. It is surrounded by the Seven Sister States- Nagaland, Aruncahal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura, and Manipur. Guwahati is famous for its rich coal reserves, natural gas, oil industry and tea plantations. Being the largest city of Assam, it is the industrial, educational and commercial hub of the state.

Guwahati is located on the bank of the Brahmaputra River and is heralded as a corridor to the entrance of northeastern states of India. It is one of the most rapidly developing cities today as large scale investments in real estate in Guwahati and nearby areas are being made. The primary reason for such growth is the ever-growing population of the city. This considerable increase in population happened because Guwahati is the economic centre of the state and so, the most preferred destination for migrants in Assam.

The fast paced development of industrial sector attracted more number of professionals to the city. These employees then generate accommodation needs leading to rise in demand for residential property. Guwahati is home to some very prominent educational institutions of the country like IIT and other world class colleges. Students from everywhere throng the city while resulting in higher demand for housing spaces.

Knight Frank, a leading global property consultant observes that the immense rise in population has in a way proved beneficial for Guwahati property market. Large numbers of residential units comprising individual houses, apartment buildings, etc. are developing fast in the city. High street retailing is also flourishing with various departmental stores, supermarkets and large format stand-alone stores being established. Organized retail has also been growing with apparel stores and food and beverage chains setting up their flagship stores in the city.

Though Guwahati hasn't seen an IT wave as prevalent in other cities but FMCG, insurance and financial companies have been taking interest in bringing their operations to the city. Many more are scouting for vacant land in the city to settle their presence in the city as central locations have almost reached saturation levels. The peripheral areas of the place are on the path of becoming new hotspots for real estate development. Due to such large-scale growth, hike in rates of property in Guwahati have been recorded from past few years.

The noteworthy developments among the residential projects that have shaped in the city in the residential sector include the following:

Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has come up with a Games Village at Sarusajai consisting of 700 residential units.

Another project by Brahmaputra Constructions comprising 150 apartments on RG Baruah Road is another important project.

Various infrastructure development projects are under progress to develop this upcoming region of Assam. The Games Village Township would further generate commercial developments in the area. Some national level retail corporations and international brands are also expected to enter the Guwahati real estate market soon.

Moreover, local property developers are building up many residential and commercial projects like Riscon Villas, Southern Retreat, Protech Park, Agrim Residency, Uttarayan Greens, Zenith Heights, The legacy, Royal Circle and many others. In addition to these, Divine Plaza in Ganeshguri, Vishal Megamart at Paltan Bazar, Shopping centre called Hub at Bhangagarh, multiplex named Dona Planet, etc. will open shortly.

Guwahati witness huge migration from around the country, especially from north eastern states. These developments are instrumental in accommodating this population and in supporting the economic growth of the city. Property in Guwahati is all set for a higher boom and comes across as an ideal time for investments in property.

[sunny20rocky]

In the last few months, Hidesign has continued its steady expansion into India’s Tier II and Tier III cities with new exclusive store openings in Aurangabad, Jaipur and Guwahati and Mysore opening shortly. “It is essential that we go to the customer, rather than expect the customer to visit us in the metros. Judging from the sales on our website www.hidesign.com from Tier II and Tier III cities, it is clear that there is demand for our product,” says Dilip Kapur, President of Hidesign.

The store in Guwahati, Assam, is managed by one of Hidesign’s former bag designers, Mehtaj Zaman Ahmed and Kangkan Chakravarty. The store is approximately 750 square feet, covers two levels, and is set in Guwahati’s old town overlooking the lake. Says Mehtaj, “Northeast India symbolizes nature, warmth and a sense of beauty that goes hand-in-hand with the ideals and values of Hidesign. With the expansion of retail in Guwahati, a fashion brand of this standing adds a lot to the lifestyle here.”

Each of these cities offers intriguing possibilities. Aurangabad is both a tourist destination because of its proximity to the Ajanta and Ellora caves and increasingly a vibrant industrial city. Recently, the city made news when its residents grouped together to make perhaps the largest single purchase of Mercedes Benz cars in India. Jaipur, with its rich heritage of luxury and the growing aspirations of its residents, is also a natural point of expansion for Hidesign from its strong base in the Delhi/NCR region where the brand already has 10 exclusive stores and more than 20 shop-in-shops in the leading department stores.

There is no doubt that Hidesign’s growth in the smaller cities of India will continue and eventually become an important addition to the overall revenue of the company. In the meantime, where Hidesign is not currently present, Hidesign encourages customers to visit its website www.hidesign.com and place an order.

About Hidesign

Founded in 1978 by Mr. Dilip Kapur, Hidesign is a lifestyle group, which re-defined the vision of luxury in India through an ethos of high quality, ecological values and personalized service. Hidesign has established its name through its iconic leather brand based on strong heritage of craftsmanship and innovation. Staying true to its core values, the group has extended its concept of lifestyle by opening two luxury boutique hotels in Pondicherry, Le Dupleix and Promenade.

By keeping its focus on a classic contemporary fashion statement with timeless yet edgy design, Hidesign caters to a highly savvy and sophisticated urban professional. The leather collection includes handbags, clutches, briefcases, wallets, laptop cases, belts and garments. Hidesign stands out for its high quality natural leather and the smooth soft glow of its solid brass fittings.

With a global presence, the group has become one of the first Indian brands to be retailed at premium international outlets – John Lewis, Selfridges and House of Fraser in the UK, Myers and David Jones in Australia, Stuttafords in South Africa, Parksons in Vietnam and Robinsons in South East Asia. Hidesign has grown to 68 exclusive stores and a distribution network in 23 countries. In India, the collection is available at all exclusive Hidesign outlets and leading retail stores like Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, The Bombay Store, Westside and Landmark.

[sunny20rocky]

The Website of the National Law School and Judicial Academy Assam, was launched By Governor of Assam, JB Patnaik in the presence of various legal luminaries including the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court, Justice Madan B. Lokur on 12th May, 2011, in a solemn function at the Darbar hall of Raj Bhawan, Guwahatee. The National Law School and Judicial Academy, Assam has been established by virtue of a statute passed by the Assam Legislature in 2009 as is the case with every other national law school.
Advertisements have also been issued for admission to the first semester of the Law School. Examinations which will be conducted at several centres across the country in order to attract talented students. The first session will begin from 1st August, 2011. This is pertinent to mention that in order to raise the standard of legal profession in India, the National Law School of India was first established in Bangalore in 1986 in the leadership of Prof. Madhava Menon. It was aimed at providing quality education to students desirous of joining legal profession. The success of NLSIU Bangalore has inspired various other states to establish such law schools in their respective states. The school will provide five years BALLB course.
The Chancellor of the institution and Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court in his address gave a detail account about the on-going process to give a concrete shape to the new law institution and informed that a search committee comprising a group of legal luminaries as its members has shortlisted names of a few prospective Vice Chancellor of the institution and the final selection would be completed soon.The institution had also advertised for faculty positions and hoped to receive an overwhelming response in the weeks to come Justice Lokur made special mention of the yeomen services provided by Professor Faizan Mustafa who is the Vice Chancellor of the National Law University, Orissa, in guiding the process to set up the new National Law University in Assam.

[sunny20rocky]

Guwahati, June 21: The fast- changing Guwahati skyline is set to get a four-star address with an international tag.

Chicago-based Hyatt Hotels Corporation today identified a prime location on GS Road for a project in partnership with a local promoter.

Senior vice-president (acquisitions and development) Jim Abrahamson told The Telegraph that the conglomerate planned to set up a hotel that would bear the distinctive Hyatt stamp of hospitality. “We will lend our brand name and expertise but the investment will be by the local promoter,” he said.

Abrahamson and two other representatives of the group surveyed a 10-bigha site near ABC for the hotel.

The senior vice-president said he and his colleagues were impressed by the location and would sit for another round of discussions with the local promoter before finalising the joint venture.

Officials in the state tourism department were upbeat about the development, saying that Guwahati could do with an international hotel brand. “We see the project turning into reality. Otherwise, they (the Hyatt delegation) would not have come so far,” an official said.

Abrahamson said the collaborative project was in line with a new mid-scale hotel concept created by Hyatt Hotels Corporation with a new brand name, Hyatt Place. The company plans to set up 50 such four-star hotels in India.

At present, the group operates 214 upscale and luxury hotels and resorts (over 90,000 rooms) in 44 countries under the Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt brands. The Guwahati project is a 200-bed hotel.

The promoter confirmed the development, but did not wish to be named just yet.

He said a Canada-based firm had been hired to design a “city centre”, one that will house the hotel, a shopping mall, multiplex and service apartments. The mall will be managed by another reputed brand, Pantaloons.

[sunny20rocky]

CHICAGO, Mar 23, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) today announced that Hyatt affiliates have signed management agreements for nine new Hyatt-branded hotels in emerging cities across the country. This continued expansion in India brings the total number of Hyatt hotels under development there to 38.

The agreements cover three Hyatt brands: a Grand Hyatt hotel in Noida, Hyatt Regency hotels in Jaipur, Surat, Ghazibad, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Guwahati, and Hyatt Place hotels in Bangalore Devanhalli and Mumbai Seepz.

In addition to the agreements, Hyatt also announced that the Hyatt Regency Chennai and Grand Hyatt Goa will open later this year.


Hyatt Regency Chennai, set to open in May, is a 329-room contemporary hotel with five restaurants and lounge bars. The hotel, conveniently located in the central business district, and in close proximity with the fast developing IT corridor, includes various leisure facilities including a Hyatt Pure spa, an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center, and a beauty salon. Hyatt Regency Chennai will have extensive meeting and event facilities with 16,000 square feet of function space.
Grand Hyatt Goa will be part of Aldeia de Goa, a high-end residential area in close proximity to Dona Paula and the capital of Goa-Panjim. This world-class resort will overlook the Zuari River a few miles before it encounters the Arabian Sea. Spread across 19 acres of tropical gardens, the hotel will offer a total of 314 spacious rooms and suites including an impressive Grand Club and three Presidential Villas. The spa will feature 20 treatment rooms for a unique sanctuary spa experience inspired by the preferred Hyatt Pure treatments of the world. A large variety of indoor and outdoor dining facilities will include a Grand Café, Italian restaurant, Indian restaurant and bar-lounge. Grand Hyatt Goa will also have some of the largest conference facilities in the State of Goa.
"Establishing a strong presence in emerging markets is a key element in our strategy of becoming the most preferred hospitality brand," said Steve Haggerty, global head of real estate and development, Hyatt Hotels Corporation. "India is certainly a core focus, and we are extremely pleased to have established relationships with some of the best developers there to build new properties that represent our most desirable brands."

"Nearly 30 years since the first Hyatt hotel opened in India, we continue to drive brand preference by expanding our presence and types of offerings," said Ratnesh Verma, senior vice president of real estate and development for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts in Asia. "From a strong base in global gateway markets, we are pushing into many new cities throughout India. Our strategy brings the full portfolio of brands to life in India so that, no matter what level of service a guest is looking for, we are there to meet their needs."

With 38 hotels under development in India, Hyatt currently plans to offer its full and select service brands, including:


14 Hyatt Regency hotels under development, in addition to four already open
5 Grand Hyatt hotels under development, in addition to one already open
4 Park Hyatt hotels under development, in addition to one already open
14 Hyatt Place properties under development
1 Andaz hotel under development
As part of this expansion, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is seeking to attract and develop high-quality talent in India in order to drive future growth. Currently, more than 3,500 associates are employed at Hyatt hotels in India, and with the development effort, it is expected that more than 10,000 new associates will be welcomed into the Hyatt family. Hyatt is investing in training curriculums and accelerated leadership programs in order to ensure that new associates support the company's mission to deliver authentic hospitality and to develop new professional opportunities for its associates.

[sunny20rocky]

City Centre Mall at Guwahati
It is a world class shopping & entertainment plaza of approximately 4,25,000 sq.ft., conceptualized to provide a complete lifestyle experience to consumers. Carefully planned shopping zones, anchor store, provision for office space will make it the most happening urban creation in Guwahati. It is designed to become the hub of all business & leisure activities as it offers a variety of options for you to choose from.

Exclusive entertainment zone with a six (6) screen multiplex , well laid out food court, multi specialty restaurants, a world class health spa provides each and every of its seven floor a treat to visit.

[sunny20rocky]

Spanish Valley welcomes you to the paradigm of elite lifestyle influenced from Exotic Mediterranean with all the facilities of modern day to transport you to moments of Sunshine, Joy and Eternal Bliss. A world class gated community Spanish Valley's architecture is defined by sloping rooftops, arches, front porches and grandiose living spaces.

Surrounded by farmland and picturesque hillocks, it looks every part of god's own country. This self sufficient township gives an expanse of residential, recreational, educational, retail and banking facilities. It is developed in an area of 90 acres with 70 % of project is covered with lush green cover with open fields, a water body and endless sunshine. The Spanish valley will also comprise of commercial, High school and nursery, religious place and club house area.

[sunny20rocky]

The Indian Hotels Company Ltd today announced its plans to launch a new hotel in North-east India with the announcement of Vivanta by Taj - Guwahati, Assam. The foundation stone for the property was unveiled by Mr. Tarun Gogoi, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam in the presence of a host of dignitaries including Mr Ratan Tata , Chairman Tata Sons , Mr R.K.Krishna Kumar , Vice Chairman of Indian Hotels Company Limited , Mr Rockybul Hussain , Minister of Forest and Environment, Tourism, Government of Assam, Mr H.S.Das , IAS, Principal Secretary Finance & Tourism , Government of Assam. Corporate Honchos Venugopal Dhoot, MD - Videocon Group, Naina Lal Kidwai, HSBC - India Country Head and M S Banga of Unilever also attended the ceremony in Guwahati.


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The property will be located on a 4.5 acre site at G S Road in Guwahati.It will be the city’s first 5-star hotel for a target clientele of business and leisure travellers. The company has been allotted the land on a long term lease for development of a 150-room premium property as part of the State’s overall development agenda. The proposed site is strategically located and is in close proximity to key business districts, the Government Secretariat and the airport.

Unveiling the foundation stone, Shri Tarun Gogoi, CM, Assam said “This is a clear indication that the Tata Group is committed to the development of Assam in north east as a whole. This hotel will provide tourism to a great extent. We are very happy to have our first 5 star hotel because without a 5 star hotel, one cannot bring in development”

Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons spoke of the business and tourism opportunities in the State and said “It is a great privilege and honour to be here today on this occasion when Taj is registering its commitment to the state of Assam in laying the foundation stone of Vivanta by Taj. I hope this hotel will, as the Minister stated, be a destination for not only business visitors but also tourists, who may visit Assam. In the morning we have had discussions on what we could, as business people, do in Assam and we were always struck by the tremendous change in the state, the level of activity, the enhancement of quality of life and I believe we are all committed to the vision of the Chief Minister to advance the rural environment in Assam, to raise the quality of life in rural areas, to provide jobs and skills. I hope this hotel, that we are all at today, will in its own way contribute to this goal.

Mr Tata further acknowledged the state governments visions for Assam “I applaud the Chief Minister in what he has been able to do, his cabinet and his team and I wish the state every success in achieving what it has set out to do. And I hope that all of us who have the pleasure of being here today, can play our small role in helping making this happen”

Mr. R K Krishna Kumar, Vice Chairman of Indian Hotels Company Ltd, gave further details about the inception of the project. “A couple of years ago, when Shri Tarun Gogoi shared with us his vision about a new Assam, thereafter, the Taj group did a lot of market assessment and decided to come up with Vivanta by Taj in Assam, an excellent location. The hotel will have 150 rooms in the first phase and not only that, it will have a convention facility and since connectivity is pretty good here, we hope that we can bring in new visitors to this beautiful state. This, we believe, will be the first of our ventures here and we have already set up Ginger, a smart basics hotel and hopefully with this beginning we should be able to look at more opportunities in Assam. Vivanta by Taj will be commissioned in 2 years at an investment of Rs 95 crores. This is a new beginning for the Tata Group in Assam. Assam is richly endowed with natural resources and wildlife and is a great candidate for representing in Taj Safaris. This is a strong commitment from Taj to the state of Assam”.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Veer Vijay Singh , Chief Operating Officer , Premium Hotels , Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces said, “Guwahati is increasingly emerging as a commercial and tourism hub for the state and for North-eastern India. We see immense potential for business and leisure tourism in Guwahati and are proud to introduce a Taj brand to this region. We will endeavour to create job opportunities for the local people of North East and Assam. We look forward to a continued association with the state of Assam.”

The Vivanta by Taj – Guwahati, Assam will consist of 150 rooms and suites and will be built with a design theme inspired from local architecture. The hotel will have an all day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant and a bar. Recreation facilities like an expansive spa and fitness centre will add to its charm. 6000 sq ft of meeting & banqueting facilities, associated meeting and conferencing areas will complete the experience.

This is a significant development for Taj Hotels as Guwahati is the Gateway to the North East and is a critical administrative, political and financial centre for the state. A key commercial and business hub, Guwahati has many zonal offices of PSUs and corporate offices located in the city. Guwahati is also the vortex for tourism for North East India with world renowned wildlife natural parks located in the state, and hill stations such as Shillong & Cherrapunji close by. The most popular tourist circuit of Guwahati-Kaziranga-Shillong-Cherrapunji-Guwahati ensure the steady flow of tourists to the city in season. Guwahati forms an important axis for bringing together sports and cultural activities for the North Eastern region of the country

[sunny20rocky]

Noting that development of the aviation sector could not be complete without 'satisfying' the Northeast, Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi today said steps have been inititated to make Guwahati the hub of aviation in the region.

"Guwahati would be made the regional hub of aviation for which initiatives have already begun," Ravi said after inaugurating the new passenger terminal building at Shillong Airport, about 30 km from here.

Airports Authority of India is building two hangers at Guwahati, he said, adding, 12 airports would be developed in the region as infrastructure development was a key priority.

"Airports are an integral part of this as they are windows of any country or state when anyone arrives for the first time".

"Airports are also the catalyst of economic growth being the very gateway to the nation. The ministry through AAI has embarked upon developing 60 airports, covering most of the states," he said.

The Union Minister also said that India's civil aviation market was the 9th largest in the world. In 2010-11, the civil aviation sector in India had the capacity to handle 235 million passengers. The operational airports have increased in the last four years from 50 to 89, he said.

AAI has constructed the new modular terminal building at Shillong airport for 200 passengers at a cost of Rs 30 crore.

It is equipped with the latest type six check-in counters, conveyor belts, public address, car hailer system advanced fire alarm and fire fighting systems, air conditioning in the security lounge, two VIP lounges, two security check X-ray machines, two explosive trace detectors and has an area of 5900 sq metres, official sources said.

While only six ATR flights operate to Kolkata from the airport every week, Ravi assured that he would take initiative to increase the frequency of flights and extend the service to other cities.

AAI chairman VP Agarwal said the runway at the airport was being extended from 6000 ft to 7500 ft and will be made suitable for Air Bus 321 operations.

Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the government was contemplating giving subsidy to private operators interested in operating flights from the two airports in the state.

"Land is being acquisitioned for expanding the Baljek airport in Garo hills. It will be handed over to AAI soon for upgradation," he said

[sunny20rocky]

In an endeavor to give education a boost in the region, the premier Mumbai-based Deemed University - Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) - will start its Northeast campus with its post graduate academic session from July-August at Guwahati Campus.



The new campus will be launched under the aegis of the Ministry of Development of Northeast, state government of Assam and University Grants Commission



"The first value addition will be a national level institute with strong links from the international links coming to the region. We have 75 years of experience in education with a strong research capability and the third is that we fill the gap of the HR need in the social and economic sector, which is relatively lacking in that area," said S Parasuraman, Director, TISS.

Mumbai has already chalked out a programme to begin two Masters Programmes from July-August, 2011 and five years integrated Masters Programme on Social Sciences from June, 2012, at Guwahati campus.


The five years integrated Masters Programme on Social Sciences will have 120 students per year. This programme is scheduled to start from June, 2012.

During fourth and fifth year of the course, there will be specialisation in inter-disciplinary areas like human resource management, social enterprises, public health counselling, education, social work and sustainable mountain development.
In addition to above programmes, TISS is also finalising to take up several certificate and diploma programmes from August.

[World8115]

sunny, thanks for your updates Please try to post recent articles and also the link of the source along with the article

[World8115]

Khadi haat to come up in Guwahati - Gandhi Jayanti observed

Source: The Telegraph, India

Guwahati will soon have a Khadi Haat — a platform for the indigenous communities of the Northeast to exhibit and market khadi and allied products made by local artisans.

Assam Khadi and Village Industries Board chief executive officer P.B. Nath said this today during a function organised on the board premises to observe Gandhi Jayanti.

“The board has been demanding creation of a platform for the local artisans of the Northeast to display and market their products. The board owns a 25- bigha plot of land at Hengrabari, out of which 7 bighas will be used for the construction of Khadi haat on the lines of the Dilli Haat. Each state of the region will be provided a specific place in the haat to display various khadi, handloom and related products,” Nath said.

He said Dispur had recently released around Rs 94 lakh and the Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC), Mumbai, had sanctioned funds of around Rs 10 crore for the project, which had been designed by IIT Guwahati’s department of design.

“Although KVIC has sanctioned funds for the construction of the haat, we were unable to start the project because of the delay in getting the funds sanctioned by the state government,” Nath added.

The board has taken the initiative to renovate the Khadi Bhandar at Chandabari using the KVIC funds.

Nath said the government had also sanctioned an additional Rs 2 crore for the financial year 2010-11 under the chief minister’s employment generation programme.

The celebration of the 143rd Gandhi Jayanti began on the Assam Khadi and Village Industries Board premises with a group of women twisting yarn on the traditional spinning wheel, followed by Gandhi prarthana (prayer). Besides, an all-religion prayer meet was organised.

Speaking on the occasion, agricultural adviser to the chief minister, Bhumidhar Barman, said, “We need another Gandhi to eradicate corruption and create a Ramrajya, where peace can prevail. I support Anna Hazare and appreciate his initiative in eradicating corruption from society. We all need to swear by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi.”

Offering floral tributes to the portrait of Gandhi, state handloom and textiles minister Pranati Phukan said the need of the hour was grama swaraj and development of gramodyog.

The day was also observed at the Gandhi Mandap, located atop the Sarania hillock.

Kamrup (metro) deputy commissioner Ashutosh Agnihotri, MLA Robin Bordoloi, Indian Red Cross Society Assam branch chairman Renuka Devi Borkotoky and a host of freedom fighters, among others, and offered floral tributes to the statue of Gandhi.

[sunny20rocky]

NEW DELHI, Oct 3 – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has extended a loan of USD 200 million to improve the water supply and other urban services in Guwahati and Dibrugarh in Assam. The project is scheduled to be completed by December 2017.
It was officially announced in Manila that ADB Board of Directors has approved the multi-tranche financing facility for the Assam Urban Infrastructure Investment Programme, with a first tranche loan of USD 81 million and second tranche of USD 119 million.

Funds would be used to provide clean piped water to about 3.50 lakh residents in Guwahati, as well as for major upgrades to sewerage and solid waste systems in the two cities.

A 10 -km-long bus rapid transit corridor would be developed in Guwahati. The scheme will serve more than 40,000 people a day, shorten travel time and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Only about one in three of Guwahati’s 10 lakh residents has access to piped water. In Dibrugarh, inadequate solid waste management and indiscriminate dumping of waste have choked the drainage system, causing severe flooding in the rainy season.

ADB has helped the Government of Assam draw up a 10-year roadmap for developing urban services and the programme will support the State’s overall investment plans. The water supply upgrade in southeastern Guwahati will complement improvements being carried out elsewhere in the city funded by the Union Government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, said ADB officials.

Sewerage infrastructure in Guwahati would be constructed, including a new treatment plant, pipes and pumping stations.

In Dibrugarh, solid waste collection coverage will be increased to more than 80 per cent of households. Drainage in the city will be improved by removing waste from waterways and by widening and rebuilding flood relief culverts, bridges and sluice gates.

Linked technical assistance will also help lay the groundwork for reforms to turn the Guwahati Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board into a sustainable, autonomous body.

“Given the importance of Assam as the gateway to economic development in North-east India, ADB and the Government have embarked on a long-term strategic development partnership to improve the urban infrastructure and increase state capacity,” said Director General of ADB’s South Asia Department Sultan Hafeez Rahman.

“The investment programme entails an integrated approach to urban development in Guwahati and Dibrugarh in Assam by delivering a 24x7 water supply and treatment of incremental wastewater,” said Principal Urban Development Specialist in ADB’s South Asia Department Sangay Penjor, adding that it will also develop an environmentally friendly and sustainable bus rapid transit system; and significantly boost institutional reforms


http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...d=oct0411/at05

[World8115]

Originally Posted by sunny20rocky

Funds would be used to provide clean piped water to about 3.50 lakh residents in Guwahati, as well as for major upgrades to sewerage and solid waste systems in the two cities.

A 10 -km-long bus rapid transit corridor would be developed in Guwahati. The scheme will serve more than 40,000 people a day, shorten travel time and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Sewerage infrastructure in Guwahati would be constructed, including a new treatment plant, pipes and pumping stations.
http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...d=oct0411/at05

[sunny20rocky]

Guwahati (IANS) Fast-growing Guwahati has seen haphazard development and faces a mismanaged network of too many buses. But now three new satellite townships and two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridors are set to give its landscape a makeover.

“Guwahati’s disadvantage is its narrow roads, with the mighty river Brahmaputra on one side and the hills of Meghalaya on the other. For a city with a million-plus population, there are just two major roads and this hampers the traffic movement seriously,” Ashish Bhutani, secretary of the Guwahati urban development department, told IANS.

“Also, around 2,000 buses ply on the roads of the city, which is a whopping number. Most of them belong to the private sector and are in a bad state.

“To escape the bad service, people prefer travelling in their own vehicles, resulting in traffic congestion on the roads and high pollution levels,” he added.

Looking to the national capital for inspiration in managing traffic better, the Guwahati urban development department decided to introduce the BRT corridor model on the city’s roads.

“We realised that a Metro train will not be sustainable. But the BRT corridor will help streamline the traffic. Therefore, we forwarded a proposal to construct two BRT corridors under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) to the union urban development ministry, but were turned down because of paucity of funds,” Bhutani said.

“We were however directed to the World Bank for the required funds. It’s been a month since that meeting and we are now re-working a proposal to present to the World Bank,” he said.

According to a 2007 study by the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development, Guwahati in Assam is one of the world’s 100 fastest growing cities.

Further, according to reports, more than 400,000 vehicles ply on Guwahati’s roads every day, of which two-wheelers form a significant proportion. More than 100 vehicles are registered in the city every day, 70 of which are two-wheelers.

“Guwahati city is growing fast. It has India’s seventh busiest airport - busier than places like Pune - with 58-59 flights taking off every day. We have 300,000-400,000 people coming here daily from the nearby states and elsewhere on business and other purposes,” Bhutani said.

“A lot of new companies have entered the market here for the first time and there are a slew of houses and offices coming up. But everything is unplanned. To sort that out, we are planning three satellite townships, which will house 450,000-500,000 people each,” he said.

The satellite townships, which will come up in north Guwahati, Palashbari and Suwalkuchi areas, will be near the main town but will be partially independent of it - economically and socially.

“The land acquisition process for the townships is complete. We are working on the master plan of how the cities will look like and be sustainable. It should take one more year for the process to be completed,” Bhutani said.

He said they have also urged the urban development ministry to include Guwahati in the recently-launched Sustainable Urban Transport Project (SUTP).

At present, five cities - Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune in Maharashtra, Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Indore in Madhya Pradesh and Mysore in Karnataka - are included in the project.

The main aim of the SUTP is to better the urban transport infrastructure, introduce better quality of public transport, have BRT corridors so that people switch from personal vehicles to public modes of travel and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.


http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/...100380964.html

[sunny20rocky]

Fortis group is eyeing major acquisitions in the Australasia region during 2011. The group is also evaluating the prospects of its Singapore-based healthcare business outfit Fortis Global to tap the capital market abroad, according to group chairman, Mr Malvinder M. Singh. Fortis Global takes care of the group's international healthcare business.

Talking to newspersons after the inauguration of its new 414-bed, super-specialty hospital in Kolkata on Sunday, Mr Singh said: “There will be more acquisitions by Fortis Global in different countries in the healthcare market in 2011.”
On possibility of public issue of Fortis Global, Mr Singh said that the issue was being evaluated. “The prospect of public issue of Global is being evaluated. However, such possibilities will only be restricted to the international market. Global will not tap the Indian equity market,” he clarified.

The group has just concluded acquisition of Hong Kong-based Dental Corp having a network of clinics in the country. On the possible interests in the Chinese market, he said that the group visualised such a move in the longer run.

More hospitals

On the Indian healthcare business spearheaded by Fortis Healthcare, he said that the company had firm plans to open 8-10 more hospitals — over and above its network of 52 — during the next two years. Among the proposed locations are Gurgaon, Ludhiana, Ahmedabad and Kangra. The hospital at Kangra may be opened in the summer of 2011.

Having opened its first super specialty hospital in the Eastern and North-Eastern region in Kolkata, the company expects to build a network in this part of the country using Kolkata as a hub. Though its plans are yet to be firmed up, proposals are there to open smaller hospital in three more cities and towns in the State and open a specialty hospital in Guwahati.
The Kolkata hospital was inaugurated by the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee.


http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/...cle2325893.ece

[sunny20rocky]

The only second Institute of United Nations Studies (IUNS) of the country was formally inaugurated at the J B Law College in Guwahati. Indian Federation of United Nations Associations (IFUNA) which was established four decades ago for promoting the aims and objectives of UN granted permission to open the centre here at Guwahati last month.

IUNS would conduct a six month correspondence course on UN and its various organs, its structure, organization, aims and ideals as envisaged in the UN Charter and the procedure of the course is slated to be held from next week onwards.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for the youths and others as well of this part of the country to gain some knowledge on the UN and simultaneously it would provide an opportunity to be involved wit the international body,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Education minister after inaugurating the centre.

“I also hope it would help to create awareness on various works undertaken by the UN bodies here. I think the youths should take the opportunity,” he added.

The centre which is possible for the efforts on the parts of United Nations Association Assam is expected to provide wide knowledge on the international body.

“We sincerely hope that this institute will greatly benefit the academics fraternity by directly imparting knowledge about the world’s biggest and strongest international body to them. It will thus in turn have a long lasting effect on the society as people would have access to the UN system and would know about their rights and responsibilities in an organized manner,” said Aswini Sarma, secretary general of the United Nations association-Assam.

http://www.assamtimes.org/knowledge-...ment/5327.html

[sunny20rocky]

The Union Minister of Development of North Eastern Region, B.K. Handique today inaugurated the North East Craft Museum at Guwahati. On the occasion, he said that while preserving traditional motifs on handicrafts, we should modernise the designs to appeal to the urban consumers across the country by proper finishing and branding. He emphasised to involve National Institute of Design on a more long term and sustainable basis for increasing the income of artisan.

This is the only Handicrafts Museum in the North East which has artifacts from all the North Eastern States including Sikkim. Under the initiative of North East Handloom & Handicrafts Development Corporation (NEHHDC), the Museum has been financed by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) and set up in a 10000 Sq.ft. shed. Work on the Museum started in 2009 with the disposal of the old and heavy machinery and major repair works took up almost the entire year. Thereafter the works on the interiors were taken up and it took final shape in 2011. The Museum has a unique collection of basketries some of which are decades old.

[sunny20rocky]

GUWAHATI: A Hyundai Training Academy has been inaugurated at an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in here yesterday.

This is for the first time that Hyundai Motors (India) has inked collaboration with an outside agency for the opening of such an academy. This state-of-the-art academy consists of a workshop for practical training and also theory class within the premises of Guwahati ITI.

While inaugurating the academy, Labour and Employment minister Prithvi Majhi has stated that such an institute is expected to offer skills to the youngsters of the state and also benefit the youth of the entire North east.

Moreover, the importance of Private Public Partnership (PPP) for progress has also been stressed upon. He also praised Hyundai Motors for this move and the ITI, Guwahati, for its cooperation.

http://news.indiamart.com/story/hyun...ti-145660.html