Transportation, Infrastructure Proposals

Raising quality of life - Kiran Bedi's Pointers

Declogging of roads is sought. Considering underpasses, flyovers, tunnels in congested areas is proposed. Direction based traffic solutions are proposed to be implemented. Satellite imagery reference will help to adapt the intelligent systems which in turn form the basis of a centralised traffic network operating centre that is meant to monitor and reroute all of Delhi traffic as one cohesive - mammoth but under control.

Smart everything seems to be the future. LED signages will apprise commuters of traffic conditions elsewhere to consider detouring if plausible. Parking masterplan will consider multilevel above ground and underground parking so that major roads are freed.
----------------
".. While road safety awareness has become an essential agenda is recent times, active drives to educate citizens on safety and traffic rules is proposed. Strict enforcement of traffic and parking rules will become a reality.
".. Feedback from intelligent signalling, and transportation systems will be essential for smooth traffic flow. .."
".. parking is already a serious issue in multiple areas. .."
".. Working in sync with central ministries will guarantee effective policy and program implementation for Delhi’s development. The proposed Eastern Peripheral Expressway is one such project. Infrastructure in Delhi will be developed to be friendly to differently-abled people and people with special needs. .."
".. An integrated and cohesive transportation system will develop last mile coverage. A single smart card for Metro Rail, DTC Buses and Metro feeder buses will be in use, .."
----------------
Find this on https://www.rushlane.com/transportation-blueprint-delhi-12142894.html .
This is from January 2015.

Just In Jest .. :-)
It took us ten minutes to understand this statement from the article:
"Turning to a centralised traffic network operating center (NOC) to monitor and re-route Delhi-wide traffic based on intelligent systems could be adapted by referring to satellite imagery."
Then we thought we understood what it meant and thence we wrote the following:
"Satellite imagery reference will help to adapt the intelligent systems which in turn form the basis of a centralised traffic network operating centre that is meant to monitor and reroute all of Delhi traffic as one cohesive - mammoth but under control."
Hope we got that right! ;-)

Toilet Gallery of Mahatma Gandhi a victim of neglect

Toilet has a role to play in society

Toilet Gallery of Mahatma Gandhi is in neglect and is continuously desecrated. The 'Toilet Gallery' is located in north Delhi’s Kingsway Camp in the over 80-year-old Harijan Sewak Sangh, a Harijan ashram spread over 27 acres. The ashram was a result of Poona Pact between Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar in 1932.
The toilet gallery was created out of Mahatma Gandhi’s vision to spread the message of social empowerment. Gandhi had ideas for the toilet as having a role to play in society. Gandhi engineered a social revolution, some feel.
The gallery has not got its due recognition. It is neglected. Lack of civility amongst the North Indian dishonours the gallery sadly. It is also desecrated, or abused by people.
Gandhi was aware that building of toilets around the country would change society and also he wanted to tell people to use excreta manure for biogas production. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is the face of the campaign ‘Swachch Bharat Abhiyan’. His own work has been forgotten by government.
Ashram has a “Dharma Stambh” and a “Sarwa Dharma Sambhav Temple”, both of which were constructed under Gandhi's supervision. Gandhi's work was converted into a tangible form at this gallery by sanitation activist Ishwarbhai Patel.
Complaints to municipality about public abuse has not yielded anything. Ashram doesn't have political backing. It faces a shortage of funds.
Toilet Gallery and the Ashram could be a tourist attraction. The Sangh has a redevelopment plan ready but maps have not been cleared by North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
----------------
".. Gandhiji saw sanitation as a road to social empowerment. He saw creation of toilets as a means to abolish untouchability as sanitation work was something which the society thought should be done by low caste people. .."
".. Patel, driven by the Harijan Sangh’s vision, had already played a major role in establishing the ‘Safai Vidyalaya in Ahmedabad (now Environmental Sanitation Institute) in the 1960s. .."
".. The ashram was born out of the historic Poona Pact between Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar in 1932. But the Sangh campus itself hasn’t fared any better over the several years, slipping slowly into complete obscurity due to “public apathy and lack of political patronage”.
“People know Gandhi’s birth and death places, but not his real battleground, where he engineered a social revolution,” 83-year-old Ram Raj Prabhakar, a former employee of the ashram, said.
Gandhiji despised untouchability and saw manual scavenging as a prime reason for it and he founded the ashram to lend a conducive environment for the uplift of the oppressed classes or ‘Harijans’ as he called them. .."
".. The “Dharama Stambh” with its massive pedestal has inscriptions from the Vedas and Upanashidas, and Buddhist teachings inscribed on them.
“We want to develop, besides a refurbished toilet gallery, a Ayurveda centre and a hospital, revive the vocational training institute that ITI was earlier in the campus, a research and development centre for medicinal plants, among others,” Dass said." .."
".. The campus also has memories attached with Kasturba Gandhi, who stayed here in a ‘kutir’ and where Gandhi also stayed later.
Besides, there is a library and exhibition centre where framed old photographs of Gandhi and people whom he worked with, have been displayed. .."
----------------
This is from January 2015 .
Find this at 
http://www.indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/gandhis-historic-toilet-gallery-a-picture-of-neglect .

"Net Zero Energy" Consuming Building, India's First - Indira Paryavaran Bhawan

Solar Power meets most of this Green Building's energy requirements

Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, india's first 'Net Zero Energy' consuming building is constructed in such a way so as to meet most of its annual energy requirements through solar power. It's a green building which comprises India's largest roof-top solar panel. They say that it is state of the art landmark building. It has a green building rating of 5 Star of GRIHA and Platinum rating of LEED India.

----------------
"... The 'Net Zero Energy' building - also called Net Zero Building - is a structure with zero net energy consumption where the total amount of energy used in the premises on an annual basis is more or less equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site. ..."
"... building that is based on conservation of natural areas and trees to reduce adverse environmental impact, provide adequate natural light, shaded landscaped areas to reduce ambient temperature, maximize energy saving system and minimize operation cost by adopting green building concepts. ..."
"... Architectural design of the building is primarily based on following concepts:
* Preservation of maximum possible number of trees standing over the site * Solar Passive Architecture with proper orientation and shading of Fenestrations * Appropriate building envelope design with envelope insulation to reduce heat intake * Use of permanent, durable and local materials such as sand stone on exterior face, low heat transmission glass and reflective roofing * Priority for pedestrians in the front, with vehicular access on the sides of the building * Reduction of conventional lighting load by ensuring 75% day-light use * Natural ventilation due to stack effect * The building is designed in such a way that there is free ventilation across the entire building
Energy conservation measures:
* Utilization of High Efficiency Solar Panels to achieve Net Zero criteria. Energy efficient T-5 and LED fixtures * Innovative chilled beam system for cooling * Pre-cooling of fresh air from exhaust using heat recovery wheel in order to reduce load on chiller plant * Water cooled chillers * Double skin air handling units with variable frequency drives * Geo thermal heat exchange technology used for heat rejection from Air-conditioning system * Innovative energy saving regenerative lifts which have been installed for the first time in government institutional building. ..."
----------------
Find this at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UN-secretary-general-visits-Indias-first-Net-Zero-Energy-consumption-building/articleshow/45872916.cms .
This is from January 2015 .

Also see http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/indias-first-net-zero-energy-building/article6589478.ece .