Bhopal loses greenery to urbanisation

05 Jun 2024 CW Team

Bhopal?s green cover is dwindling due to development initiatives, with government agencies like the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), public works department (PWD), and the power distribution company being held responsible.

Despite being tasked with safeguarding the city's greenery, BMC, PWD, and the power discom have prioritised infrastructure and power distribution over environmental conservation, resulting in significant ecological losses. Environmentalist Nitin Saxena highlighted the absence of green waste management mechanisms and criticised the power discom for indiscriminately chopping trees without proper disposal.

This trend has adverse effects on the city's aesthetics, local climate, air quality, and biodiversity. Recent incidents, such as the inappropriate trimming of trees in Roshanpura and the controversial directive allegedly from BMC ward 32 corporator Aarti Aneja?s husband, Raju Aneja, have sparked public outrage.

Residents affected by such actions are demanding accountability from authorities. Past instances, like the unrecorded felling of trees instructed by Aneja and the PWD's proposal to chop trees along Shahpura Bawadia Kalan Road, indicate a concerning trend of disregarding environmental concerns for development projects.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) intervened by issuing a stay order against the PWD's plan, following a petition from Sanidhya Jain, highlighting growing community concern over environmental degradation in Bhopal.

(Source: ET)

Technology

29 Jul 2026

AI-Enabled Workflows Lift Profitability and Productivity

Organisations modernising frontline workflows with artificial intelligence, automation and real-time data are reporting stronger financial performance, higher productivity and improved employee engagement, according to a global study by Zebra Technologies and Oxford Economics.The research covered 1,000 senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In transportation and logistics, 54 per cent of companies that improved picking and packing operations reported faster operational performance, wh..

India Leads Global AI Readiness but Implementation Lags

Indian companies lead global averages across all eight artificial intelligence readiness indicators tracked by JLL, but only 19 per cent have started making changes to their workplaces, according to the JLL 2026 Future of Work Survey.The study found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders expect AI to change their office requirements, creating a 58-percentage-point gap between awareness and implementation. The survey covered more than 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate leaders across 21 countries during the first quarter of 2026.Despite concerns over automation, 58 per cent of Indian leaders..

Three WOLFF Cranes Build Riyadh Cable-Stayed Bridges

Three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of two cable-stayed bridges alongside the existing Wadi Laban Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and executed by the ICRC joint venture comprising IC Ictas and Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.The cranes are handling lifting operations including formwork, reinforcement, concrete placement, work platforms, surveying equipment and other construction materials. Each crane is fitted with a 40 m jib, reaches a hook height of 157 m and offers a maximum ..