...during the night.
Don't get me wrong. We are not opening an all night mall here. It just that the parking in my housing complex resembles the parking problems in CP.
Each time you drive in after eight there is hardly any space. Add to that continuous digging that swallows a couple places where cars could have nested in the night.
This was not the case when DDA decided to build Colony No 77. Planned in the 70s this was completed before the Maruti boom. It has seen a 500 times increase in cars with almost every house having at least two cars. From zero that is. How can you plan for so many cars? DDA needs to be complimented for that.
But now it seems we need a different solution. A multilevel parking perhaps.
Of course that is how CP seems to be solving the parking problem. They will have a 15 storey parking which is completely automatic. Robots and all. Who will I fight with then?
Let me suggest a multi level parking with a robot at the next Resident's Welfare meeting. The expressions on their faces would be priceless.
Tuesday, September 1
Tuesday, August 25
Mumbai most polluted
This might confuse you. With half the number of vehicles Mumbai has overtaken Delhi as the most polluted city in India. In effect each vehicle in Mumbai is 4 times more polluting than a vehicle in Delhi.
How did this happen? The assumption is that Mumbai's roads are more congested and Delhi has more vehicles running on CNG. However I am not sure whether the building of flyovers has really helped Delhi. The traffic jams still have not gone away and standing vehicles still cause pollution.
The expanding of BRT is going to increase use of public transport, although this will take some time. On the first road modified for BRT connecting Chirag Dilli to Moolchand, one can see how more people prefer the buses since the dedicated lines make for an easier ride.
I think a large part of the reduction in emissions is also because of the Delhi Metro. Today when I took the Metro to Janak Puri, it was normal trip. I did not even have to think - should I take the car or the Metro? When I got off, I remembered the time when it was a long hot bus ride at the end of which you were fighting through the crowds to get down.
In Mumbai there is no respite for someone who wants to avoid using the car. Yes there is the famed suburban train system but it is run down. The trains have to be upgraded and also new routes have to be planned in alignment with directions that people travel to work. With more work shifting away from town, people need options. Maybe the Mumbai Metro has such routes planned for the future. Till then this is a crown it has to wear.
How did this happen? The assumption is that Mumbai's roads are more congested and Delhi has more vehicles running on CNG. However I am not sure whether the building of flyovers has really helped Delhi. The traffic jams still have not gone away and standing vehicles still cause pollution.
The expanding of BRT is going to increase use of public transport, although this will take some time. On the first road modified for BRT connecting Chirag Dilli to Moolchand, one can see how more people prefer the buses since the dedicated lines make for an easier ride.
I think a large part of the reduction in emissions is also because of the Delhi Metro. Today when I took the Metro to Janak Puri, it was normal trip. I did not even have to think - should I take the car or the Metro? When I got off, I remembered the time when it was a long hot bus ride at the end of which you were fighting through the crowds to get down.
In Mumbai there is no respite for someone who wants to avoid using the car. Yes there is the famed suburban train system but it is run down. The trains have to be upgraded and also new routes have to be planned in alignment with directions that people travel to work. With more work shifting away from town, people need options. Maybe the Mumbai Metro has such routes planned for the future. Till then this is a crown it has to wear.
Wednesday, August 19
Bicycle ! Bicycle !
America is currently trying to figure out whether it can encourage car users to switch to bikes. And one of the bottlenecks apparently is that there are not enough places to park bikes. What used to be a problem for cars earlier is now a problem with bikes. In some cities, bike usage has increased by almost 150 percent but people have nowhere to park.
However several cities like Portland(US) and Amsterdam have focused on creating exclusive parking spaces for cyclists. One automated location in Tokyo has a capacity for 9000 bikes any one of which can be retrieved with 23 seconds !
Of course any city would benefit if people switch to cycles. Cycles take lesser space on roads and parking areas . So how is Delhi matching up with other cities of the world?
One can see a lot of cyclists in Delhi and many of them tend to park their cycles inside their office compounds. These are not new spaces but mostly extensions of older parking areas which are now overflowing. As a result many people now tend to or in front of the offices/shops they are working in.
But a bigger problem is that unlike most countries in Europe there are no dedicated lanes for cyclists and often they are treated on par with pedestrians. The only time you can see cycles dominating the road is during the rush hour at ITO. When the light changes to green they rush out like they are in some race. Otherwise, car and bus drivers tend to push them out even on the slow lanes. On roads where there is faster traffic flow there is no way a cyclist can enjoy a ride.
Partly this is because we often see cycles as something associated with adolescence. Its only those who cannot afford public transport and/or have to carry their tools with them use cycles as adults. Shifting to cycles only makes sense if roads are safer and you are closer to work. In fact today in Delhi car owners complain about driving long distances and may look for houses closer to work. But cyclists often do not have that choice.
However several cities like Portland(US) and Amsterdam have focused on creating exclusive parking spaces for cyclists. One automated location in Tokyo has a capacity for 9000 bikes any one of which can be retrieved with 23 seconds !
Of course any city would benefit if people switch to cycles. Cycles take lesser space on roads and parking areas . So how is Delhi matching up with other cities of the world?
One can see a lot of cyclists in Delhi and many of them tend to park their cycles inside their office compounds. These are not new spaces but mostly extensions of older parking areas which are now overflowing. As a result many people now tend to or in front of the offices/shops they are working in.
But a bigger problem is that unlike most countries in Europe there are no dedicated lanes for cyclists and often they are treated on par with pedestrians. The only time you can see cycles dominating the road is during the rush hour at ITO. When the light changes to green they rush out like they are in some race. Otherwise, car and bus drivers tend to push them out even on the slow lanes. On roads where there is faster traffic flow there is no way a cyclist can enjoy a ride.
Partly this is because we often see cycles as something associated with adolescence. Its only those who cannot afford public transport and/or have to carry their tools with them use cycles as adults. Shifting to cycles only makes sense if roads are safer and you are closer to work. In fact today in Delhi car owners complain about driving long distances and may look for houses closer to work. But cyclists often do not have that choice.
Wednesday, August 12
Me want to make more money
That's what the Delhi Metro is now saying.
Yes they are making a profit on day to day operations, but there is a small matter of 16,000 crores that they borrowed for the first two phases of construction.
And how does it propose to do so ? DMRC argues that the only way forward is to follow the Hong Kong model where the metro authorities were allowed to develop real estate on either side of the metro line. This is the only metro system in the world that is running on profit.
But the Delhi Development Authority does not agree since this would throw the master plan in a disarray and would only benefit the builder lobby. Planners point out that this would lead to unplanned commercial centres that may not be viable.
I guess the lesson for other cities in India is to figure out how they will be able to pay for the Metro before they build it.
In the meantime DMRC is now competing with the Railways. At Dwarka a train slipped off its tracks. Maybe the are trying to get Mamta's attention.
Yes they are making a profit on day to day operations, but there is a small matter of 16,000 crores that they borrowed for the first two phases of construction.
And how does it propose to do so ? DMRC argues that the only way forward is to follow the Hong Kong model where the metro authorities were allowed to develop real estate on either side of the metro line. This is the only metro system in the world that is running on profit.
But the Delhi Development Authority does not agree since this would throw the master plan in a disarray and would only benefit the builder lobby. Planners point out that this would lead to unplanned commercial centres that may not be viable.
I guess the lesson for other cities in India is to figure out how they will be able to pay for the Metro before they build it.
In the meantime DMRC is now competing with the Railways. At Dwarka a train slipped off its tracks. Maybe the are trying to get Mamta's attention.
Sunday, August 9
Counting crows and exterminating monkeys
Who would worry about crows? They may be a nuisance to some, but with the urban sprawl increasing in cities we have seen a reduction in many of the avian species, crows being no exception.
However in Tokyo people have been obsessed about bringing down the crow population. They were convinced that crows are a nuisance and they needed to be exterminated. So successful has been this campaign that at one point they claimed that 85 percent of the crows had been exterminated using traps.
But they underestimated the intelligence of the birds. They are now back with a vengeance. Older crows have learn to avoid traps and suburban crows, are commuting into the city at mealtimes.
And the costs for extermination - $5.3 million in extermination costs—about $50 per dead crow. WOW ! That's more than double the daily wage of a beneficiary of the NREGA.
Many times cities often indulge in such hair-brained policies when it comes to animals. In Delhi it has been an obsession with monkeys, Banglore is concerned about stray dogs and Mumbai wants to catch every leopard.
Often times there are bigger urban problems and challenges facing our cities, but we pretend that somehow if we get ourselves rid of the “animal” menace we will lead better lives. The media is no less – no sooner is ONE person attacked by a monkey or a dog in Delhi they paint a picture of how we are in DANGER (as if it is a nuclear attack about to happen) of our civilization disappearing.
Remember the animals are just confused. They cannot make head or tail of what is happening around them. One moment there is a forest where they live and the next moment we are telling them to disappear in the name of progress. Much like the American Indian in this story of Tintin whose land is taken away from him.
However in Tokyo people have been obsessed about bringing down the crow population. They were convinced that crows are a nuisance and they needed to be exterminated. So successful has been this campaign that at one point they claimed that 85 percent of the crows had been exterminated using traps.
But they underestimated the intelligence of the birds. They are now back with a vengeance. Older crows have learn to avoid traps and suburban crows, are commuting into the city at mealtimes.
And the costs for extermination - $5.3 million in extermination costs—about $50 per dead crow. WOW ! That's more than double the daily wage of a beneficiary of the NREGA.
Many times cities often indulge in such hair-brained policies when it comes to animals. In Delhi it has been an obsession with monkeys, Banglore is concerned about stray dogs and Mumbai wants to catch every leopard.
Often times there are bigger urban problems and challenges facing our cities, but we pretend that somehow if we get ourselves rid of the “animal” menace we will lead better lives. The media is no less – no sooner is ONE person attacked by a monkey or a dog in Delhi they paint a picture of how we are in DANGER (as if it is a nuclear attack about to happen) of our civilization disappearing.
Remember the animals are just confused. They cannot make head or tail of what is happening around them. One moment there is a forest where they live and the next moment we are telling them to disappear in the name of progress. Much like the American Indian in this story of Tintin whose land is taken away from him.
Tuesday, July 21
In the city lies a bamboo forest...
... and behind it are the slums.
Well that seems to be the policy of the Delhi government to hide away the underbelly of the city. Just plant some trees and make all the "poor people" disappear. I hope the bamboos grow tall enough. Riding on the Metro one can see a fair distance.
As with the 1982 Asian Games, many groups have also been relocated to create new infrastructure. Often these groups move to the fringes of the city to settle again. Year later those fringes will come under a NEW MASTER PLAN and they will be forced to move again.
Every big event in the city ends up becoming an excuse to waste money to beautify it. This means that only rich and middle class life should be seen. Driving along the roads you should only see malls and apartments, bungalows etc.
Many centuries ago the Empress of Russia wanted to visit Crimea. Her minister Grigory Potemkin knew that most villages were in a bad shape. Catherine would be horrified with them and heads would roll. He ordered the construction of fake settlements along the river she would travel. As the royal ships floated down, one could see happy villagers enjoying their rural life.
Why not make plastic and woodcut outs of the ideal city images and plant them along the roads leading to the stadiums. These images would have new houses, clean roads and blue skies. Driving past at sixty kilometres an hour no one would notice. In fact we could also leave them in place after the games are over.
Instead of such schemes as planting bamboo (which is not even common in this area) what about building affordable housing for these people? Is that not a better option in the long run?
Last year I had a chance to film such a project in Kolkata. The city administration had finalized a plan to clean the canals and open sewers. However families that were living in slums near them were reluctant to leave. Most of the women worked as house helps in the neigbourhood and did not want to be shifted far away.
What was decided that they would be shifted into low cost apartment blocks a hundred metres away. These houses had bathrooms and a working sewage disposal system - something they never had in their makeshift homes. The houses are owned by the women and they are paying lower interests on the loans provided by the government. Since these are apartment blocks, overall the area occupied by the families has come down.
If this can happen in a city like Kolkata where there is a space crunch, why not Delhi?
As with the 1982 Asian Games, many groups have also been relocated to create new infrastructure. Often these groups move to the fringes of the city to settle again. Year later those fringes will come under a NEW MASTER PLAN and they will be forced to move again.
Every big event in the city ends up becoming an excuse to waste money to beautify it. This means that only rich and middle class life should be seen. Driving along the roads you should only see malls and apartments, bungalows etc.
Many centuries ago the Empress of Russia wanted to visit Crimea. Her minister Grigory Potemkin knew that most villages were in a bad shape. Catherine would be horrified with them and heads would roll. He ordered the construction of fake settlements along the river she would travel. As the royal ships floated down, one could see happy villagers enjoying their rural life.
Why not make plastic and woodcut outs of the ideal city images and plant them along the roads leading to the stadiums. These images would have new houses, clean roads and blue skies. Driving past at sixty kilometres an hour no one would notice. In fact we could also leave them in place after the games are over.
Instead of such schemes as planting bamboo (which is not even common in this area) what about building affordable housing for these people? Is that not a better option in the long run?
Last year I had a chance to film such a project in Kolkata. The city administration had finalized a plan to clean the canals and open sewers. However families that were living in slums near them were reluctant to leave. Most of the women worked as house helps in the neigbourhood and did not want to be shifted far away.
What was decided that they would be shifted into low cost apartment blocks a hundred metres away. These houses had bathrooms and a working sewage disposal system - something they never had in their makeshift homes. The houses are owned by the women and they are paying lower interests on the loans provided by the government. Since these are apartment blocks, overall the area occupied by the families has come down.
If this can happen in a city like Kolkata where there is a space crunch, why not Delhi?
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