GNFC completes plant expansion early
The Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizers Company Ltd has completed the expansion of its 50,000-mta acetic acid project ahead of schedule. With this the plant capacity now stands at 100,000 mta. The license for capacity enhancement was obtained from BP Chemicals, UK, the original licensor for the project, on March 18, 1999. The latter agreed to provide improved catalyst technology for debottlenecking of the existing acetic acid plant by adding new equipments and modifying others for enhancing the capacity. After the first feed-in of raw material, namely methanol and carbon monoxide, was done on October 20, the plant's 100 per cent production capacity was achieved on October 24, 2002. Since then the plant has been running without any hitch at 100 per cent load.
Civic body to set up hospital in Mumbai
The Municipal Corporation of Mumbai is setting up a hospital at Kandivli in north Mumbai. The 120-bed capacity hospital will come up on 35,633 sq. mt of land that has a permissible FSI of 4. The land will be leased for 60 years to the developer who will be required to complete construction and commence operations within three years. The developer has to give a reserved bid price of Rs 5 crore. EMD of Rs 20 lakh will have to be deposited with the BMC. Contact: J.M. Ranadive, Deputy Chief Engineer, Municipal Head Office, Annex Building, 5th Floor, Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai-400001. Tel: 22-2620218
Drinking water schemes in UP
The UP government has earmarked Rs 169 crore for two drinking water projects in Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan. Both the schemes will be financially sponsored under the Taj Trapezium Area Programme. According to the state Minister for Housing and Urban Development, an expenditure of Rs 52 crore has already been incurred on the Agra Water Supply Reorganisation Scheme, and a proposal based on the revised cost has been sent to the Centre for approval.

A drainage scheme with an outlay of Rs 94 lakh has been implemented by the Agra Nagar Nigam, besides the SWM scheme costing Rs 7.6 crore. The Mathura Vrindavan Drinking Water Supply scheme would be implemented in three phases. Work on phase-I has been completed and 70 per cent of work on phase-II is nearing completion. The government will incur Rs 10 crore for reconstruction of roads in the region.
Apparel park planned in Karnataka
The Karnataka government and the Centre are establishing an apparel park at Doddaballapur at an estimated cost of Rs 33 crore. Land acquisition for the 187-acre park is going on through the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board and is expected to be completed by the month end. This park will provide integrated infrastructure facility to promote apparel industries and boost apparel exports from the state. The government, along with a JV partner capable of investing at least Rs 5 crore into the project, will set up an SPV to undertake the project. The partner will have build, own and operate the park, market the developed plots and provide the infrastructure. Technical consultants will also be appointed to prepare the master plan and information memorandum for the JV partner, and work on the layout and facility. 
Contact: Managing Director, Karnataka State Powerloom Development Corporation Ltd, 6th Floor, Vokkaligara Bhavan, Hudson Circle, Banglaore-560027. Tel: 80-2243578; Fax: 2235790
Extension works at Patratu TPS
The Jharkhand SEB is considering taking up life extension works at the Patratu TPS to extend the plant life by another 15-20 years. It will initially get consultants and contractors to undertake a RLA and life extension study for the 4x50 mw units 1-4, 2x100 mw units 5-6 and 2x110 mw units 7-8. The study, to be completed in six months, will cover NDT and DT for boilers, turbines, generators, their auxiliaries, balance of plants like plant switchyard, electrics, and common facilities for Russian side units 1 to 6 to restore the units to their rated capacity with minimum availability of 90 per cent. The SEB has already initiated R&M operations worth Rs 320 crore at the plant.
NHPC to start work on Subansiri Lower
NHPC Ltd will soon start work on the formation cut for the road from Deo nallah right bank to the dam top and from there onward to Hatti nallah at its site in Arunachal Pradesh. NHPC is executing the 2,000-mw Subansiri Lower project located in Subansiri river basin in Arunachal and Assam. A 16-km long project road to Gogamukh, a small roadside town about 455 km from Guwahati, connects the project site. Work on the runway of the Guwahati airport is under execution and would be operational by the year-end. This infrastructure building activity is expected to speed up the hydel power project by providing necessary logistical back-up.