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
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 16, 2019 01:45 PM IST
The system has been installed at NP Bengali Girls Senior Secondary School, Gole Market on a pilot basis.
Rajpath to be turned into boulevard; to get fountains, parking space
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 16, 2019 10:11 AM IST
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.
SDMC clears hike in property tax for commercial properties
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 14, 2019 01:30 PM IST
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 to install smart poles with ‘panic buttons’ at schools, Metro stations, markets
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan TImes, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 14, 2019 03:45 PM IST
NDMC officials said the ‘panic button’ will help people contact officials at the civic agency’s command centre in cases of emergency.
EDMC cracks whip on illegal industries, 330 to be sealed by January 20
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 11, 2019 03:11 PM IST
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.
After success of smart bikes, NDMC to rent out electric scooters
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 09, 2019 02:17 PM IST
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.
‘A dream come true’: NDMC’s football training project for under-10 girls
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 07, 2019 02:53 PM IST
Nine months ago, NDMC started grooming 90 girls, mostly from underprivileged families, into football players. A look at the project’s progress.
SDMC ordered to fix infra for disabled in markets
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON JAN 04, 2019 03:45 PM IST
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.
‘Political stunt’: Delhi’s civic bodies slam decision to implement DFC recommendations
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 04, 2019 02:58 PM IST
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.
Call to regulate weekly markets in north Delhi to curb revenue loss
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 03, 2019 03:29 PM IST
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.
Curbing pollution: Four-fold hike in charges in east Delhi’s parking lots
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON JAN 02, 2019 07:00 AM IST
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.
It’s free-for-all in mixed land use Delhi neighbourhoods
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 20, 2018 02:22 PM IST
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.
Sealing drive: Uncertainty looms large at Delhi’s refugee markets
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 18, 2018 01:38 PM IST
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.
Over 5,000 people register to use Delhi civic body’s smart cycles
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON DEC 17, 2018 07:43 PM IST
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.
One year of sealing drive in Delhi: Traders ‘want to get back to business’
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON DEC 17, 2018 12:39 PM IST
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.
A year later, Delhi’s traders still stuck in sealing chaos
By Risha Chitlangia and Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON DEC 17, 2018 12:25 PM IST
Eleven years ago, Delhi first witnessed large-scale sealing and demolition when more than 5,000 properties were locked down in 2006.
Waste-to-art park to be thrown open on Jan 20 at South Delhi
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 15, 2018 04:05 PM IST
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
NDMC builds compost pits in schools to dispose sanitary pads
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 13, 2018 04:09 PM IST
The first such compost pit to dispose sanitary pads has been constructed in NP Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Mandir Marg.
Improper planning hiked cost of Rani Jhansi flyover by Rs 546 crore: Report
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 07, 2018 01:41 PM IST
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.
Sealing drive against polluting units in outer Delhi areas on Friday-Saturday
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON DEC 07, 2018 10:17 AM IST
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.
South Delhi civic body proposes to hike tax, cut rebate to increase revenue
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON DEC 05, 2018 12:21 PM IST
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.
Conversion charges on shops in south Delhi’s ‘commercial zones’ to continue
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON DEC 04, 2018 03:42 PM IST
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.
Delhi civic bodies pass censure motion against AAP government
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON NOV 30, 2018 02:03 PM IST
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 civic body to work on supplying water 24X7
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
UPDATED ON NOV 26, 2018 11:20 PM IST
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.
124 polluting units sealed in Delhi’s Ashoka Park on EPCA orders
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON NOV 22, 2018 12:58 PM IST
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.
South Delhi civic body’s radio tag project delayed due to construction ban
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON NOV 14, 2018 12:31 PM IST
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.
How disabled-friendly are Delhi markets?
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON NOV 13, 2018 09:15 AM IST
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.
Sealing drive back, 30 shops in Delhi’s Amar Colony closed
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON OCT 27, 2018 08:21 AM IST
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.
Delhi’s iconic Khan Market, 2 others up for facelift next year
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
PUBLISHED ON OCT 22, 2018 07:14 AM IST
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.
New rules for farmhouses, motels in South Delhi for hosting events
By Vibha Sharma | Hindustan Times, New Delhi
UPDATED ON OCT 18, 2018 08:02 PM IST
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.