Urban Planning & Issues

[engineer.akash]

Urban Slum Population

[IMG]http://i50.************/4tvdhg.jpg[/IMG]

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=83458

[engineer.akash]

Allocation Under JNNURM

Information with respect to Urban Infrastructure & Governance (UIG) Sub-Mission of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) are annexed.

The Mission has been able to show significant achievement in upgradation and creation of Urban Infrastructure and Services in areas of water supply, solid waste management, sewerage and transport etc. Out of total allocation of Rs.31,500.00 crores under UIG of JnNURM, 559 projects have been sanctioned during the mission period with approved cost of Rs. 62550.97 crores and Additional Central Assistance (ACA) commitment of Rs.28882.54 crores. An amount of Rs.17240.45 crores has been released so far as ACA to various States and Union Territories (UTs) for the projects approved. More than 91% of UIG allocation (Rs.31,500 crore) has been committed for the projects of the various Mission cities. 128 projects have been reported physically complete and the remaining projects are in various stages of implementation. In addition, under the second stimulus package announced by the Government of India in January, 2009, a total of 15,260 buses to 31 States/ Union Territories (UTs) have been approved under JnNURM with ACA commitment of Rs.2088.80 crore. Taking the amount committed for purchase of buses into account, the ACA committed under UIG is more than 98%.

The Mission has completed its normal tenure on 31st March 2012. The Government has extended the duration for 2 years i.e. upto March 2014 falling in the Twelfth Five Year Plan for completion of reforms and ongoing projects under JnNURM.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Urban Development Shri Saugata Roy in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

AC/J – PQ2 – usq 3716
(Release ID :83461)

[engineer.akash]

Monitoring of solid waste collection to go hi-tech

The monitoring of solid waste collection in the city is set to go hi-tech with the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) deciding to make installation of electronic chip devices in all houses mandatory.

Workers engaged in door-to-door collection of waste will be given a handheld chip-reading device. This will help in tracking the number of houses that they visit.

This was disclosed by Suresh Babu, Superintending Engineer, MCC, at a workshop on Mysore Vision 2020, organised by the Alert Citizens Team (ACT) and the district administration, here on Wednesday.

Mr. Babu said that the technology had been demonstrated to contractors, and that tenders would be invited by the end of May. The project would be implemented across the city within four months.

He said that Mysore would be the first city in the country to adopt such a system to monitor solid waste collection. He said the cost of installing the chip devices and providing the reading devices had to be borne by the contractors. The chip devices would have to be installed in all 1.80-lakh housing units in the city, he said.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper...cle3402876.ece

[Krishnamoorthy K]

Urban Development Minister Shri Kamal Nath has said that India and Israel should have more frequent interactions to share technical knowledge especially in the field of water resource management. He was addressing the first Indo-Israel Water Seminar, organised jointly by the Ministry of Urban Development and Embassy of Israel in New Delhi on Wednesday. The minister mentioned that the number of urban areas in India has gone up by about 54% during last ten years. The Census data also shows that, in absolute percentage terms, more migration is taking place to smaller towns that already have high deficit of basic urban infrastructure. There are problems in water supply in urban areas with regard to quantity, quality, reliability, availability of water resources coupled with the dismal waste water collection and treatment infrastructure which causes pollution of the water resources.

Referring to the UD Ministry’s high-powered committee’s estimates on funding requirement for urban infrastructure for the period 2012-2031, he mentioned that the total capital requirements would be around Rs.30.98 lakh crore out of which the water & sanitation sector will need Rs.8.03 lakh ( all cost estimates at 2009-10 prices) crore. Similarly, the same figures for operations & maintenance during the period would be Rs. 19.94 lakh crore for the entire urban sector and about Rs. 10.92 lakh crore for water & sanitation sector which is about 55 percent. Looking at these huge numbers and the projected population growth to about 500 to 600 million in urban areas, in the next one or two decades, Mr. Nath stated that huge fund requirement calls for higher proportion of PPP Projects, in addition to Government investment.The Minister expressed hope that exchanges such as the water seminar between India and Israel will lead to the development of projects in PPP mode.

Referring to the technological developments in Israel in the water sector, the Minister stated that Israel has achieved very high efficiency of water use in agricultural sector, demonstrated excellent reuse techniques and overall planning & development of water supply infrastructure. The seminar and future interactions would enable India and Israel to exchange ideas and technologies in the water sector.

Mr. Alon Ushpiz, Ambassador of Israel to India speaking on the occasion mentioned the critical nature of water as it concerns not only life support requirement but an important economic need. He mentioned that Israel has more than 64 years of experience in various aspects of water management as it faced the many challenges of population and urbanization in one of the most arid regions of the world. He expressed hope that India and Israel will have constant exchange in this crucial sector.

Following the inaugural session, the technical sessions were held in which experts from Mekorot, Israel made presentations on topics followed by discussions and Q & A session with the sector experts participating in the seminar.

InvestinIndia

[Krishnamoorthy K]

Shrinivas Rao
Share · print · T+

Urban planning has evolved over time, with new issues and tools. Over the past few years, social equity, environmental risk management, heritage preservation, energy planning, security, non-motorised transportation, public health, and sustainability have all become planning issues. Effective planning takes into account diverse perspectives and impacts, allowing decision-makers to identify and implement the most effective ways to achieve goals.

Urban planning principles manage resources including people, time, money, land and infrastructure; while designing the principles it is necessary to identify the resources, constraints and conflicts. Urban Planning Principles (UPP) today increasingly incorporate the concept of sustainability, which refers to comprehensive, strategic planning that explicitly, considers long-term and indirect impacts. UPP strive for development rather than growth and recognise resource constraints and ecological risks.

Planning is a social activity as it involves people. Successful planning requires effective involvement of stakeholders. A comprehensive approach incorporating various stakeholders is vital while planning. Following are the key stakeholders while planning an urban space:

* Users

* Citizens/taxpayers

* Impacted residents

* Businesses

* Employees/workers

* Affected organisations / interest groups

Sustainable development and sustainability influence today's urban planners. Some planners argue that modern lifestyles use too many natural resources, polluting or destroying ecosystems, increasing social inequality, creating urban heat islands, and causing climate change.

Many urban planners, therefore, advocate sustainable cities.

The planning process today generally encompasses the following principles:

* Comprehensive – all significant options and impacts are considered

* Efficient – the process should not waste time or money

* Inclusive – people affected by the plan have opportunities to be involved

* Informative – results are understood by stakeholders (people affected by a decision)

* Integrated — individual, short-term decisions should support strategic, long-term goals

Shrinivas Rao

The Hindu

[Krishnamoorthy K]

Seetha Raghupathy

For those who have the eye for detail and design, a career in architecture can provide enormous growth potential.

If you have ever been excited about rearranging the furniture in your room, loved the look of your phone while adding a few accessories to make it your own or had conversations with your friends about one product being better than another because it is well made, you can be certain that you have a flair for design. You would spot an admirable house, enjoy a well designed coffee shop and appreciate a well planned city. The disciplines of architecture and urban design deal with all this and more.

Architecture is the art and science of designing and constructing buildings. Architecture affects life at an individual level. A sensitively designed house is an important constituent of a good life and in fact is the good life itself. Architects have a dual responsibility- addressing the client who is the immediate concern as well as the society which reposes trust in us that we work in its best interest. The architectural scale of projects range from residential to office buildings, public buildings such as libraries, museums, temples and schools to name a few.

Urban Design, the next step, builds on architecture. When it began as a discipline 50 years ago, it was seen as an extension of architecture and planning, which dealt with the design of civic spaces and streets. However, because of the holistic perspective it developed over the years and the complex challenges of the city it addressed, Urban Design has now become a field in itself. Urban design deals with, but is not limited to designing large-scale projects such as parks, public infrastructure, waterfronts, mixed-use communities (having residential, office and recreational components). It views buildings not as isolated elements, but instead as building blocks of the city, develops regulatory frameworks for city growth and addresses a myriad of forces from the ecological to the aesthetic. For example, the design of a waterfront involves several components- its need arises from a vision for the city; its feasibility is dictated by economic factors and its design is developed keeping in mind cultural, aesthetic and environmental considerations.

Obtaining an architecture degree

Architecture is a five-year professional course (B.Arch- Bachelors of Architecture), offered in public and private universities both in India and abroad. Most notable programmes in India include those offered by Center for Environmental Planning and Technology, Ahmedabad; School of Architecture and Planning, Chennai; School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi as well as private universities including MEASI, SRM, Hindustan College of Engineering in Chennai. The majority of the course-load comprises of eight semesters of design studio, one year of practical training and a final semester culminating in a design thesis.

Design involves both visual and verbal thinking. It taps the power of multiple modes of learning- observation, reflection, abstraction and creation. Learning through peer criticism is a key component of design education. In this sense, it is different from standard lecture based courses.

A wide variety of theory courses such as History of Architecture, Materials and Construction, Design of Structures, Acoustics, Interior Design and Urban Sociology supplement the design studio enabling students to develop a well-rounded perspective of the field. Some universities mandate a North and South India tour as part of the curriculum allowing students to explore and understand the impact of their profession in real life.

The eligibility criterion for enrolment is based on High school examination scores, relevant state/nationwide entrance examination scores, in addition to the National Aptitude Test in Architecture scores. Thus, to a large extent, a student's skill set in mathematics, art/drawing dictate the chances of securing a seat. The Council for Architecture (COA) is the Indian governing body that regulates the standards of education and practice. It is important for prospective students to enroll in COA approved colleges. Upon graduation, in order to practice architecture, one must register with the COA.

Pursuing urban design

Urban Design is a post-graduate programme requiring a five-year architecture degree or its equivalent as a precondition for enrollment. This can be a one to two year programme depending on the university's structure. Institutions mentioned above offer urban design programmes as well, although the particular focus/concentration of the programme may vary. The opportunities to pursue an urban design degree abroad are plenty. Specifically, graduate education in the US and UK have rich and invigorating academic settings that provide flexibility and opportunity to shape individual pursuits. Harvard University's Graduate School of Design is credited with introducing this programme first and offers the MAUD (Master of Architecture in Urban Design) degree. Other key institutions include Columbia University, University of California Berkeley, University of Texas Austin in the US to name a few.

Qualifying criteria include a combination of an architecture degree, competitive examination scores (state/national exams/ GRE/TOEFL as the case maybe) and one's resume, portfolio and statement of purpose.

Opportunities and challenges

Completing the architecture degree opens up many career possibilities. Apprenticeship is crucial to becoming a knowledgeable professional. Young graduates can choose to train in small or big private firms which will equip them well to take on their own projects. Some graduates choose to open their own firms, often in partnership with colleagues possessing complimentary skill sets- this journey can be challenging yet satisfying.

Several career pursuits await a post-graduate student of urban design. The public sector offers interesting possibilities to explore policy, infrastructure development, public housing etc., Large private firms are usually the ones with urban design departments given the need for access to capital and the scale of the projects. Teams are typically small and there are numerous opportunities to learn and grow in these environments.

The most valuable reward one can get from creative professions such as these is job satisfaction and the day-to-day excitement of conceiving new ideas. The fields of study are vast and the opportunities to explore are limitless. Unlike many other professions which peak at 40, the art of building and planning is so complex that life truly begins after 30 and continues till ones decides to retire.

Architecture and urban design are subject to real estate fluctuations, thus job security is a concern. The long-term nature of projects, difficult on-site working conditions, the responsibility of coordinating multiple consultants and long working hours both as a student and professional are some of the challenges to keep in mind. In addition, remuneration (starting salary as well as growth in compensation) is relatively low compared to other mainstream professions.

All things considered, the benefits of a lasting impact on people and our lived environment far outweigh the costs making this a fulfilling and rewarding career choice. If you want to be a part of shaping history, sculpting the urban environment, impacting everyday spaces you inhabit and be remembered beyond your time, architecture and urban design are the perfect professions for you. For, awe-inspiring buildings and plans form a part of our enduring legacy- whether it be the great Vijayanagara ruins at Hampi, or our ancient temples and palaces. Unfortunately, the past few decades have witnessed haphazard development due to misplaced prioritization and misguided goals. So, consider channelizing your creative mind to bring India back to its past architectural glory. This, in its own way is a service to the country.

(The author is a New York-based architect specializing in urban design.)

The Hindu

[Krishnamoorthy K]

A. Srivathsan

Chennai of the past was certainly a better planned city than the present is. This is a fair assessment, borne out of facts and not another retrograde nostalgic trip. Let me explain:

It is normal practice among planners to assess the growth of a city after every decade and try to find ways to intelligently manage its future. About five decades ago, in 1960, the managers of Chennai reviewed the status and felt that the city's population had substantially increased. The pressure was visible – congestion on the roads, and an acute shortage of houses. They proposed a simple, direct and sensible solution.

On August 4, 1961, the government decided to plan for an additional population of 3.5 lakhs. New neighbhourhoods in West Madras, North Madras, South Madras and Kodambakkam-Pudoor were proposed. About Rs. 5 crore was allocated and about 4,000 acres of land were acquired. Compact layouts were prepared, a good road network was put in place, a mix of housing types were provided for and spaces for schools and community activities were earmarked. By 1968, the neighbhourhoods were up.

Many may not know them by their original names, but their current names are popular. The West Madras neighbhourhod was christened Anna Nagar; South came to be known as Indira Nagar, Sastri Nagar and Besant Nagar; Kodambakkam-Pudoor became K.K. Nagar and Ashok Nagar. There can be no argument that these areas are some of the best places to live in the city.

Look at the product of the present – Rajiv Gandhi Salai or OMR as it is popularly known.

OMR, conceptulaised in 1999, is like a badly cooked pizza – with a burnt crust and soggy inside. Developments are limited to, or hug the only road in place, leaving a huge amount of hinterland underdeveloped.

It is a 45 km road meant for moving vehicles that masquerades as a place to live in. If you step 200 metres either to the west or the east of OMR there is hardly any development. No interior roads; not many schools; malls and multiplexes try to pass for community places; people are forced to commute long hours because of the ribbon development; services have to span great distances and there is no sense of place. This is the most inefficient way to develop the city. Forget expertise, what happened to commonsense?

Chennai planners may argue that in the past, the government was able to acquire large tracts of land and plan a compact city. This is not possible anymore, and hence it should be left to market forces. But the fact is, private developments only offer gated colonies and not a collective city. Inside the gates the layouts are planned, but once you leave them, the city around is a nightmare.

What is the solution? The Gujarat planning model offers a way forward.

In Gujarat, lands needed to create a new neighborhood are first identified. Property owners temporarily hand over the land to authorities, who in turn, plan the infrastructure grid and create public amenities. The developed land is then re-divided into parcels and handed back to the owners in proportion to the original holdings. The amount of land lost in the process is compensated for, after deducting the development cost.

Though this model has not been in use for a while in Gujarat, the Tamil Nadu planners picked it up only last year. However, we are yet to see it in practice in Chennai.

Planning needs an overview of the situation and public interest must lead the decision. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that the State alone can deliver this and that markets cannot. In the past, Chennai has been at the forefront of innovative planning ideas. It is time the city planers get proactive and regain their cutting edge thinking.

The Hindu

[Krishnamoorthy K]

Aloysius Xavier Lopez

Rs.333.27 crore has been approved for implementation of the initiative

The Chennai Corporation on Tuesday began a field survey of roads to adopt world-class street design and planning for the city.

In the first phase, a total of 60 roads extending to a length of 45 km in the seven zones of the old city limits have been identified by the civic body and a field survey commenced on G.N.Chetty Road. Activities on the roads in the zones of Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru.Vi.Ka.Nagar, Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam and Adyar will be identified for proper design and planning.

The first capacity building workshop on street design and planning was also held by the engineers of the Chennai Corporation with the assistance of a non-governmental organisation Chennai City Connect.

The engineers discussed case studies of such design and planning of streets in cities including Paris, Singapore and New York.

A proposal has been made for public conveniences that will come up every 500 metre on such roads.

“This is an excellent step forward by the Chennai Corporation in providing good facilities for the citizens. Several world renowned cities have adopted street standards and planning and have succeeded in transforming their cities,” said Raj Cherubal of City Connect.

“Pedestrian crossing on Nungambakkam High Road is not adequate. Traffic Police presence is also less on the road,” said R.B.Saravanan, a resident of the locality.

For the remaining eight zones in the Chennai Corporation, the State government had already given financial approval for a grid system of roads, streetlights, street furniture, footpaths, parking space and stormwater drains as part of the Mega City Development Mission.

A total of Rs.333.27 crore has been approved for the implementation of the initiative.

The grid system focuses on clearing traffic bottlenecks around major junctions of congestion in all the eight zones.

As many as 360 roads in the Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Ambattur, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Perungudi and Sholinganallur zones would be taken up for integrated development as part of the project.

The Hindu

[Krishnamoorthy K]

CHENNAI: India needs to conserve urban natural resources to prevent the quality of life in cities deteriorating and to stem the impact this has on driving climate change, a group of social scientists, planners, architects and activists gathered at IIT Madras agreed.

The challenge ahead, they acknowledged, is how to change the land grab mindset that pervades decision-making at government, company and individual levels.

Chennai’s city planning efforts are illustrative of this attitude, Tara Murali of the Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group said.

The few efforts to address (mostly southern) urban renewal in the city that have made it into the latest master plan will be undermined by the creation of a world class city outside the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, she suggested.

The pressure on natural resources in the city can be seen in many areas, but none so clearly as the wetland of Pallikaranai, if only because extensive data collection has been undertaken in the area, said Jayashree Vencatesan of Care Earth.

Chennai, considered a water-poor city, has a natural water drainage and storage area in Pallikaranai, she said. But dammed up by bridges, hemmed in by roads, crowded out by the offices of organisations such as the National Institute of Oceanography and encroached upon by the giants of the IT industry, Chennai floods in the monsoons and suffers from water shortage in the summer.

Chennai is, by no means, the only city whose resources are being pinched. The River Yamuna no longer floods, said Vikram Soni of National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi.

If the Yamuna is allowed to flood the sand underneath the city could hold enough water to serve the city in the summer, he said, pointing out that while Shanghai invests $5 million into recycling water, Delhi has this option almost free.

The first step, he said, in bringing about change is to create an archive of data on the resources remaining in India’s cities. The next, he said, is to try to quantify that.

The Hindu

[Krishnamoorthy K]

Delhi is a pedestrian-unfriendly city and as a group, pedestrians are one of the most vulnerable groups on the city’s roads. But a new project aims to ‘rehabilitate’ them on the city’s streets and the cityscape.

The idea is not new. Pedestrianisation, a project that is built upon the idea to make Delhi a pedestrian-friendly city was taken up by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and cleared by the governing body called the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre or UTTIPEC in 2010. The project, however, remained at a planning stage due to implementation issues between the concerned agencies.

TAKING OFF

After two years, the project has finally started to take shape in Karol Bagh and Chandni Chowk — two areas showcasing the unique cultural identity of Delhi. The upcoming project would be the first of its kind in India. “The project was to be implemented by 2011 but because of certain issues between the MCD and the Traffic Police, we were not able to reach a consensus. But now, that has been done and the trial run has been started at the two locations that we identified,” says Ashok Bhattacharjee, Director, UTIIPEC.

Project ‘Pedestrianisation’ aims at converting and restructuring busy streets by prohibiting vehicular movement and accommodating facilities that would turn the stretch into a pedestrian plaza.

Bhattacharjee says that in order to make the city pedestrian friendly, banning motor vehicles is a necessary step. “In older days there used to be a ‘chowk’, where there was unobstructed movement of pedestrians, no vehicles around and people came out on streets every evening to have a light conversation. We aim to recreate that atmosphere where people can move around freely, there are hawkers sitting on the roadside, there are benches on the side where people can sit and talk, some cafes queued on the other side where people can go eat and have conversations while some people are playing music on the other end. We are working on complete revitalisation and urban renewal,” says Bhattacharjee.

According to a study conducted by UTTIPEC, Western influences led to a shift in the concept of development. Building of highways, flyovers, subways have become indicators of a developing city, amidst which, a pedestrian is often ignored.

“There is a lack of understanding among motor vehicle owners and a pedestrian is not given importance. Hence there was a need to go beyond the conventional way of looking at the problem,” says Bhattacharjee.

This project will emphasise on holistic development, on one side the pedestrians will have access to a walkable enclosed space, and on the other side, they will have an access to a high speed transit system, a senior UTTIPEC official said. The project is however still at a planning stage and designs are expected to be finalised in two months.

Karol Bagh: Ajmal Khan Road

The governing body along with the concerned civic agencies have started the work to pedestrianise Ajmal Khan Road. As a first step, the Karol Bagh road network is being used to create a one way loop system for smooth movement of transport, while Ajmal Khan Road has been reserved for pedestrians and non-motorised transport.

To see if it will work, a trial run of a one-way loop circulation of traffic, from Arya Samaj Road to Saraswati Marg has been done. Also a table top crossing and synchronised signals between Pusa Road-Ajmal Khan Road junction is proposed to be implemented.

The market associations of Karol Bagh, however, raised objections saying that prohibition of vehicles in the area will directly affect their sales. If people are not allowed to bring their cars in then they will stop coming to the market which will incur huge losses. Keeping in mind the requirement of market associations including shopkeepers and stakeholders, three parking sites for stack parking have been identified around the area.

The authorities have been asked to assure that optimum capacity for parking on the designated parking areas should be appropriately planned to cater requirement of all vehicles.

Additionally, high parking fees will be levied on vehicles parked in the stack parking sites, to deter people using motor vehicles, an official said.

Chandni Chowk

Screeching horns, with drivers frantically trying to push their way through narrow lanes is a common sight at the Chandni Chowk market. But with the new pedestrianisation project, the face of the market is expected to be completely revitalised.

According to the proposal, the movement of cycle rickshaws and motor vehicles will soon be prohibited in this area for the implementation of the project . Parking of the private and public vehicles will also be prohibited.

“At present, the main problem of Chandni Chowk are the narrow roads and n number of vehicles entering the narrow stretch causing congestion. For the implementation of the same, we have proposed that the Chandni Chowk will be closed for private motor vehicular traffic from 9 am to 9 pm,” says an official.

As with the Karol Bagh project, four parking sites around the market will provide parking facilities to motorists. High parking charges, however, will be implemented by introducing parking meters to encourage short term parking and discourage long term parking of vehicles, an official said.

The proposal also envisages feeder services from the parking sites to Chandni Chowk will be introduced as a ‘Park and Ride’ facility for private car owners, the official added. To manage the vehicular movement in the surrounding area, the traffic police has been asked to make slip roads at the busy Shyama Prasad Mookherjee Marg-Netaji Subhash Marg junction operational.

Once the project is completed, battery operated buses and other para-transport modes will be allowed on the pedestrian street of Chandni Chowk, says an official.

— ananya.bhardwaj@expressindia.com

The Indian Express

[Krishnamoorthy K]

HYDERABAD: Do you know that setting up a solar water heater system in your residence, apartments or commercial building entitles you to a 10 per cent discount on property tax? Or that installing a rain water harvesting system too provides you a chance to bag a discount of 10 per cent? GHMC Commissioner MT Krishna Babu on Wednesday revealed this lesser known clause in the GO 86 of the Building Act Rules during his inaugural address at the conference on ‘Use of Green Energy in Urban Infrastructure’ organised by the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI).

Pointing to examples of hotels like Taj Banjara and The Park, which avail 20 per cent discounts on their property tax amounting to `2.5-3 crore annually due to the above mentioned facilities in place, he asked all building owners to maximise savings through the discounts available.

“We are planning to further reduce the city level impact fee depending on building rating (as per international green building standards) and will include offices and commercial buildings under the first phase of the proposed plan. Apart from incentives, it makes commercial sense for companies to adopt green technologies by way of efficient lighting and cooling systems,” the Commissioner added.

He was also critical of the low efficiencies of most electrical installations in private and government offices in the city.

“We have received proposals by companies promising a reduction of 30-35 per cent in energy consumption.” His views on energy auditing in the city also extended to the need to automate street lamps on the model being currently tested on a pilot basis in Rajahmundry district.

“There is scope to reduce our energy demand by at least 25 per cent by shifting to energy efficient devices. Rough calculations show that if that were to happen, we can save around 800 MT (metric tonnes) of coal or 12 MUs (million units) of energy per day,” he opined. He also expressed interest in the upcoming scheme of individual homes installing rooftop solar panels and said that the decreasing cost of solar energy would help initiate some action on the same within two years in Hyderabad.

On the city’s garbage problems, the Commissioner expressed the hope that innovative entrepreneurs would come forward with new techniques to handle and recycle the ever accumulating garbage, the collection of 1 MT of which, presently costs the corporation close to Rs 1600 daily.

�“This amount will rise in the near future. Also it’s not economical to transport the garbage till the dump yard at Jawahar Nagar which may be several kilometres away in most cases. Decentralisation of garbage management is the answer to this problem and we welcome any idea towards the same.”

IBNLive

'Projects can be turned into money-spinners'

[Krishnamoorthy K]

MUMBAI: Concerned about the poor quality of life in Mumbai and other urban pockets in the state, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has decided to appoint a committee to suggest revisions in open space norms.

The committee, which will be led by the director of the town planning department and comprise senior officials from the department, has been entrusted with the task of redefining levels for the optimum population density and the extent of open spaces. Chavan has already approved a proposal regarding the committee's appointment.

The state has plans to redefine open space norms for all urban pockets, and wants the committee to submit its report within three months of its appointment.

TOI

[Krishnamoorthy K]

Published: Monday, May 7, 2012, 16:57 IST
By Vijay Pandya | Place: Pune | Agency: DNA

Fire safety is an issue that affects each and every one of us. But in an urban area like Mumbai, which is so congested, it becomes all the more important, especially with high-rises, peak hour traffic, and a very high density of population.

It is at such times that a review of the policies governing fire safety gains tremendous significance. Obviously, it makes little sense building a skyscraper if you do not have adequate facilities to reach such heights either for saving people, or for dousing a fire with water or other fire retardants. Nor does it make sense to have a wonderful building, but whose access points are always choked making any approach by a fire engine a nightmarish impossibility.

The list of do’s and dont’s suddenly becomes larger, both before a plan for construction is approved, and even after the structure has come up.

That is why DNA decided to bring together some of the most authoritative voices on this subject and sought out their views. The panel included (in alphabetical order): DN Chaudhari, advocate and fire consultant, Directorate of Fire Services; MV Deshmukh, director, Maharashtra Fire Services, Government of Maharashtra; BK Katyal, architect, Kudianavala Group of Companies; Shashank Paranjape, managing director, Paranjape Schemes Construction Limited; and V Suresh, principal executive officer, Hiranandani Infrastructure & Real Estate Company (HIRCO). The discussion was moderated by DNA Property coordinating editor Vijay Pandya.

Given below are edited excerpts:

DNA: When it comes to Maharashtra, where do we stand today in terms of fire safety awareness and preparedness?

Deshmukh: Out of 3,08,000 square kilometres of the geographical area of Maharashtra, the reasonable fire cover is available to only about 10% of the land. There are about 250 urban local bodies in Maharashtra and there are more than 10 special planning authorities, which include MIDC (Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation), Cidco (City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra Ltd), MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) and so on.

Then there are authorities created by notification. The special townships that are coming up in Maharashtra are very good indicators of what we see abroad. For instance, new townships are coming up around Mumbai and also in Kalyan and Panvel.

Then there are the SEZs (special economic zones) which are governed by a different set of policies. There are also the industrial corridors like the Mumbai-Pune Industrial Corridor and Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) which may have their own regulators.

Now, having this kind of growth, particularly in Maharashtra, when you have 250 urban local bodies and more than about 350 industrial areas, we need to do a lot. In fact, recently, we had a conference called the Fire Services Vision 2020. We had experts from national and international fire services and we took up 3-4 points which are very critical and have to be addressed. These issues that we have taken up and speak about at most forums comprise the four-pillar approach.

One is legislative reform. Earlier, there was no piece of legislation to regulate this gamut of activities. But we now have a full-fledged legislation which was worked on in 2006. This legislation gives the minimum fire safety standards for those prescribed in the National Building Code (NBC). Those were recommendatory in nature earlier; now they have become mandatory.

Then we thought that infrastructure also has to be developed. So we went to the government and said let us first concentrate on the municipal areas. We will speak later about the areas outside.

So we did a ‘gap’ analysis and found that the city of Mumbai has a 50% gap in infrastructure and there are about more than 100-plus small towns. The gap varies from 50-100%. We put the facts before the government and they sanctioned Rs485 crore. It is called the Maharashtra Agnisuraksha Avyan or Maharashtra Fire Protection Mission. So the scheme was approved and there is work going on, including the development of 100 fire stations in these municipalities.

After that you have the human resource capacity building. We have developed the state fire academy in Kalina, Santa Cruz. It is one of the benchmark institutions in the country today, but we are not stopping with that. We have been sanctioned another 18 acres of land, where we are going in for an advanced fire academy. It will be state -of-the-art, where we will have live simulators, virtual training etc. Three sites have been shown to us. They are under consideration. We have a Rs50 crore grant for it and the GR (government resolution) is issued for an Advanced Fire Academy, in the vicinity of Mumbai.

We are also trying to introduce facilities for females; we want to recruit lady fire-fighters. It is a longstanding opportunity. We have recruited eight in Mumbai but it is not sufficient. We need equal opportunity. This is the case in the defence, police and other services. So why not fire services as well?

Lastly, mass education and public awareness is key. We are trying to reach every school in Maharashtra, every commercial mercantile building, every NGO, and it is a Herculean task. That is what has been formulated by a few team members and we are trying to implement it step-by-step.

There will now be a cadre for fire officers. If a person joins a C-Class Municipal Council, he has no growth. Naturally for 3-4 years, he may maintain his place, then he is not likely to sustain. So we want him to be promoted from a small municipality to a big one and then even to the corporation areas. At least if they come to B-Class Municipal Corporations like Pune or Nagpur and if they have an ambition to be fire chief there, they will try to keep abreast (of development, expertise and knowledge), and thus improve their profile, their personal appraisal, etc.

DNA: There are so many townships coming up, development is taking place at a rapid pace. Is the real estate industry, the developers, prepared to handle the new challenges?

Paranjape: No, they are not prepared. One thing is that with the new law, it is mandatory for a developer who is coming up with a township to have his own fire station, and also manage and maintain it. One part of the issue can be tackled quite easily — setting up a fire station. Now that is, I would say, fairly easy for a developer. He has an entire team and his expertise lies in creating infrastructure.

When it comes to the second part of manning that infrastructure and equipment — actually employing fire officers and deploying them for duty — that expertise is at present only with the government. Then there are grey areas. The government has in a way compelled us to come up with a fire station. That is fine. But what happens if there is a fire in a house and if the door is locked. Do we have the authority to break that door and douse the fire? That authority is simply not there. There is no mention of that.

DNA: So you have the onus but you don’t have the power.

Paranjape: Absolutely. These issues need to be addressed immediately. So, our suggestion is that we need to have public-private participation, where the developer has strength in creating these fire stations and buying equipment. The developers can actually support the fire services of the government by way of capital, by first infusing it and then meeting the recurring charges of maintaining these fire stations, which will be naturally paid for by the residents who are going to be using these services.
What happens then is an absolutely win-win situation. I feel steps should immediately be taken towards this.

Suresh: I have a slightly different take. I have been very actively involved, right since the beginning stages of the creation of the first portion of the National Building Code in 1970.We were happy when the 2006 document, the Maharashtra State Fire Protection Act, came into being. It was passed in 2006 and came into being by 2008. We incorporated fire safety aspects through the architects of the building, the structural engineers, the mechanical, electrical and fire planning (MEP) consultants. We want to incorporate this in all of our buildings.

When I say ‘all’, it refers to the integrated township, not just the residential part alone. It has got commercial office spaces for IT and ITEs and office space for other financial services. Buildings are of various types and the nature of fire protection required for each one of those buildings is different. In an office, there are youngsters who move faster and are agile. But when you go to a hospital, there are sick individuals, young children or old people, so you require shorter distances, staircases that are easier to access.

You will be surprised to know that for the first time, fire rating for the beams, columns, slabs... everything, has already come. What is it that we can do to the building to make it fire-safe? That is called in-built fire protection. That is all that you can do in the case of various activities at residential spaces, offices, hospitals, schools, etc. what you can provide in terms of corridors, staircases, etc.

And more importantly, since these are all outlying areas, they do not have a fire brigade available immediately. But one can ring up the fire fighting office and have a quick response time, where you have to assign response people. So how do you provide in-built fire protection? Well, you provide automatic sprinkler systems in every building on all floors. It will automatically spray water when a fire takes place. If we are able to provide that, it is a major support to the fire department. It is part of its vision to make Maharashtra a safe place from a fire protection point of view. So we have provided that in all our buildings at our Panvel project.

Deshmukh: Most other townships are doing this as well.
But the issue raised by Paranjape is relevant. The fact is that most of the states in this country have state fire services. The onus of providing fire protection in each and every nook and corner is the responsibility of the state government.

Now take the state of Karnataka, which has this PPP Model that has been proposed. They have over 14 fire stations and these have been handed over to the Karnataka Fire Force. But here my position is different. Here the day-to-day maintenance of the fire service in Maharashtra was earlier only with the municipalities.

We have brought in the concept of the licence agency. Now, through the new amendment which we are proposing, we are bringing a provision that all buildings would be audited by the same MEP consultants. We will pre-qualify them to work as auditors. Once in two years, they will audit such buildings and give corrective measures.

On our part, we will conduct some random inspection, or initiate action on some written complaint received.

Just to give more clarity on what is happening in Karnataka. The situation there is totally different from that of Maharashtra.

Karnataka has a unified state fire service organisation. The fire services are not with the municipality. So they have to make a very small policy provision. At Infosys City near Bangalore, Infosys itself has constructed a fire station and handed it over to the Karnataka government. The government has to only create the manpower and manage it. So they do not have any major policy issue.

With us, we have an island kind of approach. Each municipality has one fire brigade. Pune has one, then some nearby municipality has one. MIDC has one. Now the township is coming up and they should have one. Thus the structure is very heterogeneous in Maharashtra. The command has to flow from the state control room, where all services will have to obey. Because at that particular time, bringing that situation under control, giving relief to citizens or affected people, that becomes of paramount importance.

Katyal: For a few of the things, we have to think out of the box, starting with fire services. I find lots of times, we are chasing approvals from the fire department. I think instead of that, if we have the NBC, which is well-established, we look at the fire department as a regulatory body, not just one granting approvals.

Let the approval be given by the person himself. He has met with all the requirements; he gives the certification to this checklist, which is provided in the building code, which is the job of the regulatory authority or the government.

But the fire department has the powers to visit at random, see those installations whether they have provided or not and create a very strong punitive kind of provision. Let that transparency be provided in the system approval process. With that, we can reduce the workload on these people and help them do what it is they are supposed to do.

Now the second point I find, which we are missing, is the manpower plan. The shortage is mind-boggling.

Chaudhari: The checklist is fine. But somebody has to check it again if the work has been done. So the machinery under the state director’s establishment would be necessary for that purpose.

Suresh: The NBC has a provision for the concept of self-certification, called notary architects and notary engineers. Like notaries, who do documentation for affidavits, the concept is there. You have some outstanding architects and engineers and builders wanting to do things the right way.

Deshmukh: Section 10 of our Act talks about the licence agency that is given power. If any approval request comes to me, you get us a certificate from a licence agency that you have completed everything as per the code requirements and the regulatory requirements. So we trust that person. We do random checks as well. And even our approval is so detailed that sometimes people like it and sometimes people don’t.

The first person who is responsible for making a building liveable and safe is the architect. We would like to have a very close interaction with the architects. Many architects do not know the provisions.

Suresh: It is not in the curriculum of the architectural five-year degree course or the engineering degree course. Not one has a fire safety or fire fighting subject.

Deshmukh: We have made one small note in the legislation that every owner or occupier, whosoever the person is, has to give a certificate once in six months to local fire authorities that they have got the system from a licensed agency and it is in good condition. Now we are going in for one more amendment.

Instead of a licensed agency, if he himself wants to give the certificate, we are also opening up that avenue. If big builders have their own facility manager, their own mechanical engineers and can certify themselves, you should trust them on this.

Suresh: Once the occupancy certificate is given, quite often, what happens to the building one year, two years or ten years later? If you find the building unsafe, you can invoke the Unsafe Buildings Act. The NBC has a provision for periodic renewal to ensure that the installations are proper and in working order.

Chaudhari: There was a move to make the structural audit of a building compulsory every 5 or 10 years. A point was raised that in a township if a door of a flat is locked, who has the power to break open the door if there is a fire? Now the Maharashtra Act has the unique provision of a nominated officer. That power is with the director and the director has the jurisdiction of all the state.If a developer has provided a fire station in the township, he can nominate any qualified person from that township and that could be the nominated officer.

Deshmukh: Public private partnership should allow the provision of infrastructure by the infra developer and management by the government. This has to be brought into the policy. I am of that opinion.

DNA

[Krishnamoorthy K]

GHMC planning to reduce city level impact fee to eco-friendly buildings

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is planning to reduce city level impact fee to eco-friendly buildings based on the green rating, Commissioner M.T. Krishna Babu said on Wednesday.

“There is a 10 p.c. concession on property tax for using solar water heating equipment and an additional concession of 10 p.c. for providing water harvesting infrastructure. Along with these reducing impact fee will encourage builders to adopt eco-friendly techniques,” he pointed out.

At a day-long workshop ‘Use of Green Energy in Urban Infrastructure' organised by Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with SEW Infrastructure, Mr. Babu said the demand for energy would rise in near future and there was a need to adopt greener initiatives to mitigate this.

Bicycle corridor

Better public transportation system and encouraging use of cycles in the city would also help check the increasing pollution levels, he said. GHMC had plans to create a 22-km long dedicated corridor for bicycles in Cyberabad to provide eco-friendly transportation. In the long run, each metro rail station and select MMTS stations will have bicycle stations where people can rent bicycles.

“A 100-km bicycle corridor will be created in the city in next couple of years,” he said. By automating street lights operations 30-50 p.c. energy could be saved and a pilot programme would soon be started in select areas soon, Mr. Babu said.

“The city can be made eco-friendly with a combination of initiatives like CNG-based public transportation, encouraging cycling, construction of eco-friendly commercial and office buildings and extensive utilisation of solar energy,” he said.

The Hindu

[Krishnamoorthy K]

UN report rates Mumbai, Kolkata as below average
BS Reporter / New Delhi May 11, 2012, 00:54 IST

Three big cities — Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore — have been rated below average compared to other mega cities in Asia-Pacific in terms of keeping pollution levels in check, said a report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Delhi is the only Indian city featured in the average category.

The Asia-Pacific Human Development Report 2012 titled One Planet to Share: Sustaining Human Progress in a Changing Climate today came out with a green ranking of 22 cities in the Asia-Pacific. The ranking categorised cities into three groups, average, below average and above average , adding the “results are not sufficiently precise to produce a detailed ranking”.

The report has rated the cities based on their per capita emission of carbon dioxide. In addition to CO2 emissions, the Asian Green Cities Index factors in a range of other green concerns. For 22 Asian cities, it covers eight categories: energy and CO2, transport, water, air quality, land use and buildings, waste, sanitation, as well as environmental governance.

According to Anuradha Rajivan, lead author of the report, “Richer cities such as Singapore and Tokyo generally perform better than poorer cities such as Kolkata or Karachi. In the case of Singapore, the stronger performance is partly a reflection of the city-state’s wealth, which it can invest in environmental protection.”

Observing the Asia-Pacific region has some of the world’s fastest-growing cities, the report said cities in the region are central to the world’s battle against climate change. “Actions in cities will be ‘make or break’ for climate change,” it said.

“Asia and the Pacific are home to some of the world’s largest urban areas. Of the world’s top 20 mega cities — those with populations with 10 million or more — half are located in Asia,” the report said.

Cities with higher concentrations of people are likely to be worst affected by climate change, as was evident during the devastating flood in Mumbai (2005), Jakarta (2007), Brisbane (2010-11) and Bangkok (2011).

The report argues that in the face of climate change, countries in Asia and the Pacific “will need to change way they manufacture goods, raise crops and livestock and generate energy”.

This will mean “moving to greener, more resilient, lower-emission options that not only sustain the environment but also offer opportunities to the poor for employment and income,” it said.

The publication is aimed at reinvigorating the climate change dialogue by bringing people’s concerns to the fore in the lead-up to the Rio+20 conference.

BS

[Krishnamoorthy K]

SURAT: The Diamond City's glitter is set to get flashier. Last year, The City Mayors Foundation, an international think tank on urban affairs, ranked Surat as the fourth fastest developing cities of the world.

Now, if all goes as per plan, the city may well emerge as Singapore of India.

UK-based charity, The Ecological Sequestration Trust (TEST), has selected Surat as one of the three cities in the world, to be developed as "global cities." The other two include an island in north China and Kigali in Rwanda.

TEST delegation led by its CEO Dr Mike Cherrett had two of meetings with chief minister Narendra Modi and the state government has asked the organization to prepare an integrated development model for Surat.

Selecting Surat makes sense given the big-ticket investment projects that are planned near Suvali, a nod for skyscrapers on the Ring Road surrounding the city, several green energy projects and twin-cities development of Surat-Navsari envisaged.

Along with its local partner, TARU, a development consultancy firm, TEST will demonstrate practical ways to develop food, water and energy security for Surat, which it aims to develop as eco-city. TEST has organized a workshop of experts and stakeholders from public, private and knowledge sectors to on May 19 to take forward its plan to make Surat a global city.

"The aim is to develop an integrated model which will define and help planning of a model city that is sustainable," said GS Bhat of TARU.

Peter Head, executive chairman of TEST, has set the wheels in motion for Surat with clearly defined industrial zone and region of rapid urban development close to the existing city. Head was described by Times Magazine as one of the 30 men who can influence future course of action with regards to sustainable development in the world.

Nirav Kothary, regional head of Jones Lang and LaSalle (JLL) said, "This concept of global city will spur the realty market leading to affordability and if the mega city development plan is based on unified model it will help Surat achieve this status even earlier as it is cash-rich and majority of the earnings is invested in realty markets here."

TOI

[Krishnamoorthy K]

PUNE: Multi-storied buildings, apart from providing residential and commercial space, can also take care of the city's basic food needs.

Pune has grown to encompass large tracts of agricultural land in its backyard which provided supplies of vegetables and fruits. Now, it gets them from the corners of Pune district and far-off places in South Maharashtra.

This is why experts are keen on vertical urban agriculture where, as the city grows height-wise, multi-storied buildings with vertical farms can take care of these needs.

The city is set to have more high rises as the steering committee on urbanisation has backed several measures including higher Floor Space Index (FSI) for high-density growth. This would directly impact food needs as more agriculture land will be converted into residential zones.

Pune has its share of terrace kitchen gardens, hot houses inside flats, use of empty parking space and vertical gardens. But, the future is in vertical urban agriculture where high-rises provide a temperature-controlled environment to grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

They can be grown hydroponically (nutrient-enriched water) or aeroponically (nutrient-enriched air), without the need for soil or compost. Experts said some floors can be dedicated to growing rice and others to growing fruits.

Vertical farms on the periphery of the city can process their own garbage and use gray water, acting as a water-purification method for the surrounding city and providing clean drinking water, experts said.

Tillable land in the city's fringes is shrinking. Moreover, 20 fringe villages are set for a merger with the Pune Municipal Corporation, throwing open thousands of acres of farmland for development. A consensus-building exercise urging corporators to approve the merger proposal is currently underway.

A few years ago, 938 acres of agricultural land in Mundhwa was converted to residential use. Mundhwa, largely agrarian till the conversion of land use, grew sugarcane on vast tracts. The civic body also approved another proposal to convert agricultural tracts in Lohegaon, Pashan and Sangamwadi for residential use.

Pune is among five districts in the country with the 'most significantly degraded' land. A report, 'Impact of climate change on land degradation over India', compiled by researchers of the National Climate Centre (NCC) of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) last year stated that rapid urbanization and industrialization are among the factors responsible for the quality of land changing for the worse and if the degradation continued, large tracts could become useless for farming.

The Pune Experiment

The Pune Municipal Corporation had initiated a city farming project in 2008 where citizens were encouraged to grow vegetables and crops on allocated land. The civic body started the process of acquiring a three-acre plot in Salisbury Park and announced a plan to provide land, seeds, fertilisers and water free to interested persons and help them market the produce.

"The project was not a profit-making venture, but a step towards an eco-friendly initiative. It was to allow people to experience the joy of farming and provide quality produce. However, the top officials never showed any interest in the project and the garden department was not encouraged enough to go ahead with it. No political party supported the experiment. As the result, the idea died," a former PMC official, who part of the team that initiated the project, said.

Some groups like Abhinav Farmers' Club have introduced a 'kitchen garden' concept to over 350 flat owners in the city and are working with another 300 orders.

"We offer help at a price to those who want to grow brinjal, cauliflower, garlic or other vegetables at home. The customer gets a set of pots with vegetable plants, a chart of instructions for watering and harvesting of the produce, a pair of scissors, a pesticide spray pump and a box with earthworm cultured soil which can convert kitchen waste into fertilizer. If the person spends 15 minutes daily for the kitchen garden, he can get two kg vegetables every week," Dnyaneshwar Bodke, founder and chairman of the club, said.

But the concept is not growing as fast as expected. "People pay attention to plans till we provide the service for a year. They then begin to neglect it," he said. Urban agriculture is the only way to sustain flow of agri products to growing population, he said.

"Getting vacant plots for agriculture in the city is impossible. Peri-agriculture seems a distant dream with farmers inclined to develop their farmland for constructions which yields more money," said Ramchandra Gohad, former town planner and a member of the Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority land acquisition committee.

FAO Concept

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has envisaged urban agriculture in small areas like vacant plots, gardens, verges, balconies and containers within the city to grow crops and raise small livestock or milk cows for self-consumption or sale in neighbourhood markets. Peri-urban agriculture refers to farm units close to cities which operate intensive semi-or fully commercial farms to grow vegetables and fruits, raise chickens and other livestock, and produce milk and eggs.

Urban and peri-urban agriculture occurs within and surrounding areas of cities and includes products from crop and livestock agriculture, fisheries and forestry. It also includes non-wood forest products, ecological services provided by agriculture, fisheries and forestry. Often multiple farming and gardening systems exist in and near a single city.

Growing Vertical

"We must look for more innovative urban agriculture than growing plants in balconies. Vertical farming includes technology to use city space for growing plants and vegetables in high-rises buildings. When we construct buildings in urban areas, the facade is developed as a greenhouse to grow vegetables," Hans Hassle, CEO of Stockholm-based Plantagon Company, said.

Systems and technologies for urban agriculture should be developed with minimal use of ground area for buildings, multiplying the building footprint vertically in several levels, he added. "It will also be important to integrate the building on site and adapt it to site specific light conditions since it will be placed within the existing urban fabric in cities. The verticality will be important in cites to optimize the production of food and the functionality of buildings." Hassle told TOI.

According to Plantagon, growing crops in a controlled environment has benefits -- no animals to transfer diseases to plants through untreated waste; no massive crop failures as a result of weather-related disasters; less likelihood of genetically modified "rogue" strains entering nature. And, without herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers agricultural runoff is not a big a big problem.

Eating into agriculture land

In 1997, 36 villages were included in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits. As a result, the PMC limits increased from 146 sq km to 450.69 sq.km. After a few villages were delinked, the PMC's area was reduced to 243.96 sq.km.

The state government's relaxation of restrictions on conversion of agricultural lands to non-agricultural uses has led to agricultural land in the fringes of the city like Hadapsar, Mundhwa and Kondhwa, Sinhagad Road and Wadgaon Dhayari becoming residential.

The government ordinance in 1994, which stated that permission for non-agricultural use of agricultural land is not required in areas where the Regional Town Planning Act, 1966 is in operation or a legally declared industrial zones exists or is finally accepted or proposed also boosted such growth.

Moreover, in November 1996, the government threw open hilltops, slopes and forest areas in the state for development as hill stations, tourist and holiday homes. This brought private players to the scene.

Plantagon cultivation system

The idea is to grow vegetables in pots put into trays transported around the growing helix where the cultivation takes place.

The trays are equipped with a light sealed nutrient solution reservoir, and the pots are irrigated about three times per day using an ebb-and-flow technique. A capillary mat at the bottom of each tray protects the individual plants from drought. Excess nutrient solution is collected and reused after disinfestation.

The different system designs have the same production flow and location of equipment. The machinery is located in the basement on one or two floors and the trays are transported to the top of the helix by a special tray elevator.

The crops grow during the slow transport down the helix and are ready for harvesting when they reach the end of the helix at the basement level. Food is harvested in batches using an automatic harvesting machine. After harvest, the trays and pots are disinfected, and the pots are separated and replanted with another seed for the next round in the cultivation loop.

After germination, the pots are recombined with the trays and elevated to the top of the growing helix to repeat the process.

(Source - Plantagon, Stockholm)

TOI

[Krishnamoorthy K]

By Pankaj Vir Gupta

Prior to commencing any design project, most practicing architects and design professionals commission a site survey. As an empirical act of documentation, the site survey measures and records the physical attributes of a site. Like an artist, defining unique physical characterizations of a human figure in a portrait, a surveyor locates the precise boundaries of a parcel of land, records its topographical features, marks the location and species of any existing trees, indicates adjacent roads, pavements and walls, and finally, demarcates any civic infrastructure–water and sewage lines, electric poles and feeders, and gas lines–that may connect the site to its local municipal precinct.


A view of East Delhi as seen on Google Earth. The black ribbon on the left is the Yamuna river. Architect Pankaj Vir Gupta suggests that better surveying, including embracing satellite technology, would lead to better planning.

This meticulous documentation is often substantiated with a soil test, an evaluation of the properties of the earth beneath the surface of the site–the soil type and its structural load bearing capacity. Thus the first architectural act may be characterized as an identification of the site. Extracting valuable clues about the site anchor our design impulses. The genes of any subsequent design proposal thus originate in a mapping of what already exists.

Although exponentially greater in scale, the design evolution of our cities–the delineation, scale and character of public and private urban spaces–should begin in a similar manner. The primary investigation, preceding any urban design exercise, must commence with the accurate documentation of the physical characteristics of a city. Befitting its scale and significance, this mapping must include the physical and infrastructural documentation of the land, as well as a three-dimensional reconstruction of all existing built forms, illustrating the relative scale of buildings to adjacent streets and open spaces.

Layer by layer, the map may acquire even greater detail–the density of habitation in all areas, the pattern of surface transport networks, the location of essential infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, markets and commercial centers. Homing into such a map, even more precise information such as the most current status of ownership or occupancy of any property could be added. It would be fair to say that any city planning exercise would be futile without the graphic representation of this basic data.


A view of an area of the suburb of Noida in 2000.

The majestic, tree-lined boulevards of the municipally consecrated Lutyens Bungalow zone still reflect the original layout of the city of New Delhi as envisioned by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. But what of the rest of the city?

The population of New Delhi–approximately 1.5 million in 1957–has now crossed 15 million inhabitants – a tenfold increase in five decades. This massive growth has occurred largely outside the regulated confines of municipal New Delhi. In fact, more than 50% of the total area of Delhi is now an accretion of unplanned development.

Delhi’s present composition includes approximately 435 zoned developments, 360 urban and rural villages, 70 slum clusters, over 550 unauthorized areas that were later regularized, and a staggering 1,630 unauthorized neighborhoods. Isn’t it critical for architects, planners and policy makers to be able to review an accurate and visually graphic map of these facts, reflecting the magnitude and nature of urban development in and around the capital city of India? Any logical future designation of permissible land use in the city could only be derived from an intensive study of this mapping. Surprisingly, no such map exists–at least not in the public domain.

By embracing commonly available technology, the planning authorities in any city could be guided by much better information. Google Earth–the most ubiquitous satellite mapping software–has revolutionized the manner in which ordinary citizens, including architects and urban planners, can graphically access the geography and context of their chosen sites. Within a few seconds of launching the software, one may locate an address in any city, even view images of particular landmarks, and establish the coordinates and physical orientation of the site. As ancient cartography anchored the earliest investigations of intrepid explorers, contemporary satellite images and maps, now accessible to millions of users, empower us to make physical sense of our place of habitation.



This evolution in mapping has the potential to influence a much more significant and democratic process of urban design. Municipal agencies could collaborate with design professionals in establishing a simple and transparent process of uploading all upcoming urban design proposals onto dedicated websites.

Using satellite maps of Indian cities as a base, and layering proposed civic projects–new transport links, restoration and conservation of historic neighborhoods, landscape proposals for parks, changes in land use and zoning–over them, would enable a deeper understanding of the planning process. If coordinated efficiently among various stakeholders, this evolving documentation might reduce the redundancy of successive excavations of the same streets by the plethora of civic agencies.

Public debate on issues–the ecological impact of proposed projects, the appropriateness of proposed interventions for a certain area, or even the validity of zoning guidelines–could influence or amend the course of such projects before they commence construction, which would be much more useful than the lamentations that decry most civic endeavors after the fact.

Simply by creating a common Web-based platform and making all urban planning information available in a transparent manner, municipal and civic agencies would enable a holistic approach to the future planning of our cities and towns. Mapping the redevelopment and possible links between historic districts, urban parks, waterways, transportation networks, waste treatment plants, commercial centers and residential zones would introduce credibility into the preparation of city plans. Public awareness of these efforts could have a significant impact in terms of making it possible for the citizenry to participate in urban planning and encouraging an ecological and equitable approach for all sections of urban society.

Educated at the University of Virginia and at Yale University, Pankaj Vir Gupta is a partner at the New Delhi based firm Vir.Mueller Architects. A licensed architect in the United States, and a registered member of the Council of Indian Architects, he has taught and lectured widely in the United States and in India.

WSJ

Urban Planning
Welcome to Urban Journal
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Urban Journal: The Trouble With Delhi’s Metro
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What Will Delhi Look Like in 2050?
Urban Journal: The Vanishing Public of the ‘World Class City’
Urban Journal: Putting the ‘Public’ in Public Spaces
Urban Journal: Designing the Outdoors
Naya Raipur: An Indian State Readies a Fresh Capital
How to Build for a Class-Bound Society
Q&A: An Urbanization Expert’s Biggest Worry
Urban Journal: Mapping the City
India’s Water Crisis Is Already Here
Urban Journal: Rethinking India’s Approach to Fire Safety
Delhi Journal: What ‘New’ Delhi Can Learn From ‘Old’ Delhi
Urban Journal: Gurgaon Hit & Run Highlights Road Planning Shortcomings

[Krishnamoorthy K]

KOCHI: The Solar City project, intended to make Kochi the first solar city in the state, is all set to takeoff soon as the Corporation is planning to constitute a committee for its launch. The project that will be implemented with the financial aid from the Central and State Governments mainly aims at installing solar energy systems to power streetlights, garden lights, households, hotels and restaurants and major administrative offices.

“Initially a special committee will be set up comprising a Solar City cell and stakeholder committee. The proposal will be presented in the next Corporation Council meeting for its approval,” said a top official with the Corporation.

The project aims to illuminate the city with solar lights and promote increased use of renewable energy. As per the project, solar lights will be installed at public spaces in the city including Subhash Bose Park, Fort Kochi Nehru Park, Kunnara Park, Fort Kochi Beach and Jankar Jetty.

The zonal offices of the Corporation and the Ernakulam Town Hall will also be refurbished with solar lights. The administrative offices of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, secretary, additional secretary, KSUDP and C-HED will be installed with solar lights, and the Corporation’s main office and Council Hall will also be powered by solar lights. The Centre Government is providing subsidies for the Solar City project. The civic body will seek the� aid of the Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT) for the implementation of the project. ANERT is the nodal agency for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources, Government of India, to carry out the Central Government programmes in Kerala.

Meanwhile, the state government will give a hundred solar lights to the Corporation on an experimental basis to light up the streets.

“The lamps will be distributed to various divisions under the Corporation. The places to install the lamps will be identified after discussing it in the Council,” the official said.

IBNLive

Development Work under JNNURM

[Krishnamoorthy K]

Press Trust of India / Chandigarh May 15, 2012, 17:35

For proper implementation of its urban development policies, the Punjab government today issued guidelines to strengthen the Town and Country Planning Department.

Haphazard planning, construction of illegal colonies and violation of norms were among major hurdles in proper implementation of urban development policies, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said.

Presiding over a meeting of the Housing and Urban Development Department here, he said to check illegal activities, the state government had decided to delegate enforcement and punitive powers to the Town and Country Planning Department.

"This will help streamline development in urban areas," he said.

Orders had been issued to segregate residential and commercial areas, strictly enforce change of land use norms, encourage construction as per norms and streamline the process of sanctioning building plans, Badal said.

The Deputy Chief Minister sanctioned 190 posts for the department, and said the recruitment process would be completed with three months.

Badal ordered a statewide survey of illegal colonies.

BS