News / Author / Vibha Sharma

Vibha Sharma

Vibha Sharma covers municipal bodies in Delhi. A journalist for almost a decade, she has also worked for the hyper-local editions of Hindustan Times, covering civic concerns in south Delhi, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad.

Articles by Vibha Sharma

Panic buttons, CCTVs in all NDMC schools to augment security

The system has been installed at NP Bengali Girls Senior Secondary School, Gole Market on a pilot basis.

A government school at Laxmi Bai Nagar in New Delhi. The NDMC plans to install CCTV cameras and emergency buttons in all its schools.(Sanchit Khanna/HT File)

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Published on Jan 16, 2019 01:45 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Rajpath to be turned into boulevard; to get fountains, parking space

The redevelopment plan for Rajpath includes rejuvenation of water channel, installation of fountains, redevelopment of water bodies, building a parking facility for 1,000 vehicles, kiosks, water dispensers and other utilities.

Rajpath is the centre of attraction in Delhi and thousands of people visit the area everyday.(Amal KS/HT File)

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Published on Jan 16, 2019 10:11 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

SDMC clears hike in property tax for commercial properties

The changes, which will be implemented from April 1, are estimated increase revenue collection for SDMC by Rs 80 crore annually, senior SDMC officials said.

The implementation of the third municipal valuation committee’s report by the SDMC will result in a substantial increase in property tax for commercial units.(Burhaan Kinu/HT File)

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Updated on Jan 14, 2019 01:30 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

NDMC to install smart poles with ‘panic buttons’ at schools, Metro stations, markets

NDMC officials said the ‘panic button’ will help people contact officials at the civic agency’s command centre in cases of emergency.

NDMC had earlier installed 55 smart poles in the city which also serve as air quality monitors.(Mohd Zakir/HT File)

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Updated on Jan 14, 2019 03:45 PM IST

Hindustan TImes, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

EDMC cracks whip on illegal industries, 330 to be sealed by January 20

Delhi’s three municipal corporations have been sealing illegal industrial units running from residential or non-conforming areas on the instructions of the Supreme Court.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation started a sealed 14 factories being run illegally in residential areas on Thursday, January 10, 2019.(HT File / Representational Photo)

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Updated on Jan 11, 2019 03:11 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

After success of smart bikes, NDMC to rent out electric scooters

As of now, a total of 300 smart bikes have already been put out for public use at 25 stations, spread over the entire NDMC area.

The NDMC is already promoting the use of smart bikes in its area and plans to make cycle-friendly tracks, starting from Barakhamba Road(Getty Images / Representative Photo)

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Updated on Jan 09, 2019 02:17 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

‘A dream come true’: NDMC’s football training project for under-10 girls

Nine months ago, NDMC started grooming 90 girls, mostly from underprivileged families, into football players. A look at the project’s progress.

School girls in action during a football practice session, at N.P Bengali Girls Senior Secondary School, in New Delhi, on Friday, January 4, 2019.(Vipin KUmar/HT Photo)

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Updated on Jan 07, 2019 02:53 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

SDMC ordered to fix infra for disabled in markets

A senior SDMC official said that the order will be implemented on priority. A compliance report will also be submitted after completion of the task, he said.

A HT report following a visit to some south Delhi markets had exposed the lack of ramps and other access related infra at shops in these markets.(HT File / Representational Photo)

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Published on Jan 04, 2019 03:45 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

‘Political stunt’: Delhi’s civic bodies slam decision to implement DFC recommendations

Representatives of deliberative wings of the civic agencies said the Delhi assembly cleared the report in a hurry to avoid payment of funds to the north, east and south corporations as recommended by the fourth commission.

The Delhi Assembly has adopted an action taken report tabled by urban development minister Satyendar Jain on the Delhi Finance Commission’s recommendations.(Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Jan 04, 2019 02:58 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Call to regulate weekly markets in north Delhi to curb revenue loss

The issue of regulating weekly markets in north Delhi was raised during a meeting called to discuss budget proposals presented by the north corporation commissioner for the financial year 2019-20.

Councillors say there are at least 3,400 weekly markets in north Delhi; most vendors put up stalls without registering them.(HT File)

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Updated on Jan 03, 2019 03:29 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Curbing pollution: Four-fold hike in charges in east Delhi’s parking lots

Residents of east Delhi now need to shell out four times the current rate to park their vehicles at East Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (EDMC) parking lots, officials said.

A view of the traffic jam at Delhi-Meerut Expressway in New Delhi, India. Image for representation.(Mohd Zakir/HT FILE PHOTO)

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Updated on Jan 02, 2019 07:00 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

It’s free-for-all in mixed land use Delhi neighbourhoods

Commercial activities on 2,138 streets in Delhi were regularised on the condition that civic agencies would provide parking facility, upgrade civic infrastructure. But rampant flouting of norms for 12 years led to the sealing drive on such roads.

A 500-metre stretch on the 60-foot- wide Bhishma Pitamah Marg in south Delhi has a timber and construction material market on one side and big showrooms on the other, due to which the movement of traffic is affected.(Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo)

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Updated on Dec 20, 2018 02:22 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Sealing drive: Uncertainty looms large at Delhi’s refugee markets

On March 8 this year, 350 shops at Delhi’s Amar Colony’s double-storey Suit Market were sealed on a single day by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee’s directions.

The usually busy Meharchand Market in Delhi’s Lodhi Colony wears a deserted look after a spate of sealing drives in south Delhi.(Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Dec 18, 2018 01:38 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Over 5,000 people register to use Delhi civic body’s smart cycles

As of now, a total of 300 smart bikes have already been put under public use at 25 stations, spread over the entire NDMC area and 200 additional smart bikes will be added in the fleet by the end of December this year, officials said.

A man rides smart bicycle during a tour organised by New Delhi Municipal council (NDMC) along with a Hyderabad based start-up SmartBike Mobility Pvt Ltd, at NDMC Headquarters, in New Delhi.(Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

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Published on Dec 17, 2018 07:43 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

One year of sealing drive in Delhi: Traders ‘want to get back to business’

There is ambiguity over the MPD-2021 amendments. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and civic agencies say properties can be regularised based on the amendments. Committee members say the matter is subjudice.

Traders in Delhi say the government should come out with an ‘amnesty policy’, giving them time to make changes as per the new amendment.(HT File)

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Published on Dec 17, 2018 12:39 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

A year later, Delhi’s traders still stuck in sealing chaos

Eleven years ago, Delhi first witnessed large-scale sealing and demolition when more than 5,000 properties were locked down in 2006.

A sealed door seen after a sealing drive at Defence colony market, in New Delhi,(Amal KS/HT PHOTO)

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Published on Dec 17, 2018 12:25 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByRisha Chitlangia and Vibha Sharma

Waste-to-art park to be thrown open on Jan 20 at South Delhi

The park, spread across six acres and located close to the Sarai Kale Khan Interstate Bus Terminus, will have replicas of all the seven wonders of world

A statue of Christ the Redeemer at the SDMC park(HT Photo)

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Updated on Dec 15, 2018 04:05 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

NDMC builds compost pits in schools to dispose sanitary pads

The first such compost pit to dispose sanitary pads has been constructed in NP Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Mandir Marg.

A compost pit for disposing sanitary napkins inside NP Girls School, Gole Market, New Delhi.(Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Dec 13, 2018 04:09 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Improper planning hiked cost of Rani Jhansi flyover by Rs 546 crore: Report

The report compiled by the office of the municipal chief auditor of north corporation, on the directions of the standing committee, pointed out that the project, which could have been completed in five years, took an additional 18 years ( 23 in total) and resulted in a 300% escalation in project cost. The original estimate was Rs 177.7 crore but the final cost was Rs 724.2 crore.

An audit report said the work on the Rani Jhansi flyover in Delhi picked up pace only after the intervention of the L-G and the high court.(Sushil Kumar/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Dec 07, 2018 01:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Sealing drive against polluting units in outer Delhi areas on Friday-Saturday

The decision to carry out the sealing drive against polluting units in outer Delhi’s Tikri, Mundka and Nangloi was taken on the direction of Environment Pollution Control Committee (EPCA) after reports of rising pollution levels in these areas due to open burning of plastic waste.

Officials of North Delhi Municipal Corporation said the sealing drive against polluting units will be taken without serving any showcause notice to these units which are running illegally from non-conforming areas.(HT File / Representative Photo)

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Updated on Dec 07, 2018 10:17 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

South Delhi civic body proposes to hike tax, cut rebate to increase revenue

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has also pinned hopes on its door-to-door drive to identify tax defaulters. This year’s budget didn’t have new announcements as the focus remained on the completion of previous projects.

File photo of Timarpur Okhla Waste Management Company Plant at Okhla . Projects including the engineered landfill site at Okhla announced by the SDMC in the previous years are yet to completed.(HT File)

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Published on Dec 05, 2018 12:21 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Conversion charges on shops in south Delhi’s ‘commercial zones’ to continue

There are about 53 local markets that fall in the ‘commercial use zone’ category, SDMC said. Trader associations of these markets such as Defence Colony, Greater Kailash II and Sunder Nagar now plan to seek judicial intervention on the issue.

File photo of a person sitting outside a shop in the main market of Defence Colony, New Delhi.(Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

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Published on Dec 04, 2018 03:42 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Delhi civic bodies pass censure motion against AAP government

With just a week left for the presentation of their annual budgets for next financial year, the north, south and east Delhi Municipal Corporations are finding it hard to allocate funds under various heads since the Delhi government has not released sufficient money under plan head this year, said MCD officials.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at a rally in New Delhi. The three civic bodies of Delhi have passed a censure motion against the AAP government for its ‘lukewarm response’ in releasing funds.(Vipin Kumar /HT Photo)

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Updated on Nov 30, 2018 02:03 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Delhi civic body to work on supplying water 24X7

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has completed the tendering process for phase one and work is likely to start from January. It will cost the NDMC ₹90 crore, however, the budget for phase two will be finalised next year.

NDMC officials said that once the project is implemented, there would be round-the-clock water supply.(Sonu Mehta/HT Archives)

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Updated on Nov 26, 2018 11:20 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

124 polluting units sealed in Delhi’s Ashoka Park on EPCA orders

The Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee on encroachments and violations of building laws has also directed the north corporation to take action against the owners or occupiers of single-storey flats in Vijay Nagar in north Delhi for violation of land use.

The units were being illegally operated out of a residential area in violation of the provision of the Delhi Master Plan 2021(HT Photo)

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Published on Nov 22, 2018 12:58 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

South Delhi civic body’s radio tag project delayed due to construction ban

The RFID system facilitates automatic deduction of toll tax from the vehicle owner’s account without having to stop the vehicle at border points. The sensors read the tags on vehicles and deduct the toll amount from their e-purses.

Ratio Frequency Identification Detection (RFID) system to collect toll tax from commercial vehicles entering Delhi was recommended by the EPCA to decongest the city’s borders and restrict entry of non-destined trucks.(HT File)

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Published on Nov 14, 2018 12:31 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

How disabled-friendly are Delhi markets?

An SDMC official said renovation work is still going on at Delhi’s New Friends Colony market and will take another six months to complete. “There is a detailed project, costing Rs 1.5 crore for beautification of the whole market and to make it disabled-friendly,” the official said.

A differently- abled person commutes via her wheel chair, at Community Center Market, New Friends Colony, in New Delhi.(Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Nov 13, 2018 09:15 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

Sealing drive back, 30 shops in Delhi’s Amar Colony closed

Apart from sealing 30 properties, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) replaced the seal of 38 properties — sealed in March — as the seals has either got damaged or become lose.

MCD officials sealed properties at Amar Colony in New Delhi, India, on Friday, October 26, 2018.(Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

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Published on Oct 27, 2018 08:21 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma, New Delhi

Delhi’s iconic Khan Market, 2 others up for facelift next year

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will start giving work at Yashwant Place (Chanakyapuri) and Khanna Market (Lodhi Colony) from January next year, officials said.

The Khan Market redevelopment plan will be tabled in the New Delhi Municipal Council’s meeting in December.(HT File Photo)

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Published on Oct 22, 2018 07:14 AM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

New rules for farmhouses, motels in South Delhi for hosting events

The move, however, may cause friction between the monitoring committee and the civic body with a member of the SC-appointed panel saying that pandals cannot be allowed at all in motels and farmhouses as per the Master Plan.

The policy comes a month after the SC appointedmonitoring panel issued directions to the civic agencies to seal errant farmhouses and motels.(Vipin Kumar/HT File)

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Updated on Oct 18, 2018 08:02 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVibha Sharma

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Vibha Sharma

Vibha Sharma covers municipal bodies in Delhi. A journalist for almost a decade, she has also worked for the hyper-local editions of Hindustan Times, covering civic concerns in south Delhi, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad.

The system has been installed at NP Bengali Girls Senior Secondary School, Gole Market on a pilot basis.

The redevelopment plan for Rajpath includes rejuvenation of water channel, installation of fountains, redevelopment of water bodies, building a parking facility for 1,000 vehicles, kiosks, water dispensers and other utilities.

The changes, which will be implemented from April 1, are estimated increase revenue collection for SDMC by Rs 80 crore annually, senior SDMC officials said.

NDMC officials said the ‘panic button’ will help people contact officials at the civic agency’s command centre in cases of emergency.

Delhi’s three municipal corporations have been sealing illegal industrial units running from residential or non-conforming areas on the instructions of the Supreme Court.

As of now, a total of 300 smart bikes have already been put out for public use at 25 stations, spread over the entire NDMC area.

Nine months ago, NDMC started grooming 90 girls, mostly from underprivileged families, into football players. A look at the project’s progress.

A senior SDMC official said that the order will be implemented on priority. A compliance report will also be submitted after completion of the task, he said.

Representatives of deliberative wings of the civic agencies said the Delhi assembly cleared the report in a hurry to avoid payment of funds to the north, east and south corporations as recommended by the fourth commission.

The issue of regulating weekly markets in north Delhi was raised during a meeting called to discuss budget proposals presented by the north corporation commissioner for the financial year 2019-20.

Residents of east Delhi now need to shell out four times the current rate to park their vehicles at East Delhi Municipal Corporation’s (EDMC) parking lots, officials said.

Commercial activities on 2,138 streets in Delhi were regularised on the condition that civic agencies would provide parking facility, upgrade civic infrastructure. But rampant flouting of norms for 12 years led to the sealing drive on such roads.

On March 8 this year, 350 shops at Delhi’s Amar Colony’s double-storey Suit Market were sealed on a single day by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on the Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee’s directions.

As of now, a total of 300 smart bikes have already been put under public use at 25 stations, spread over the entire NDMC area and 200 additional smart bikes will be added in the fleet by the end of December this year, officials said.

There is ambiguity over the MPD-2021 amendments. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and civic agencies say properties can be regularised based on the amendments. Committee members say the matter is subjudice.

Eleven years ago, Delhi first witnessed large-scale sealing and demolition when more than 5,000 properties were locked down in 2006.

The park, spread across six acres and located close to the Sarai Kale Khan Interstate Bus Terminus, will have replicas of all the seven wonders of world

The first such compost pit to dispose sanitary pads has been constructed in NP Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Mandir Marg.

The decision to carry out the sealing drive against polluting units in outer Delhi’s Tikri, Mundka and Nangloi was taken on the direction of Environment Pollution Control Committee (EPCA) after reports of rising pollution levels in these areas due to open burning of plastic waste.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation has also pinned hopes on its door-to-door drive to identify tax defaulters. This year’s budget didn’t have new announcements as the focus remained on the completion of previous projects.

There are about 53 local markets that fall in the ‘commercial use zone’ category, SDMC said. Trader associations of these markets such as Defence Colony, Greater Kailash II and Sunder Nagar now plan to seek judicial intervention on the issue.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has completed the tendering process for phase one and work is likely to start from January. It will cost the NDMC ₹90 crore, however, the budget for phase two will be finalised next year.

The Supreme Court-appointed monitoring committee on encroachments and violations of building laws has also directed the north corporation to take action against the owners or occupiers of single-storey flats in Vijay Nagar in north Delhi for violation of land use.

The RFID system facilitates automatic deduction of toll tax from the vehicle owner’s account without having to stop the vehicle at border points. The sensors read the tags on vehicles and deduct the toll amount from their e-purses.

An SDMC official said renovation work is still going on at Delhi’s New Friends Colony market and will take another six months to complete. “There is a detailed project, costing Rs 1.5 crore for beautification of the whole market and to make it disabled-friendly,” the official said.

Apart from sealing 30 properties, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) replaced the seal of 38 properties — sealed in March — as the seals has either got damaged or become lose.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) will start giving work at Yashwant Place (Chanakyapuri) and Khanna Market (Lodhi Colony) from January next year, officials said.

The move, however, may cause friction between the monitoring committee and the civic body with a member of the SC-appointed panel saying that pandals cannot be allowed at all in motels and farmhouses as per the Master Plan.

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