Transforming Delhi - Pleasant Living Environment for Citizens - 3

Delhi adds about 5,60,000 vehicles an year now; about 2,00,000 are 4-Wh and the rest 2-Wh.

A recent survey by Center for Science and Environment, at the 9 key entry points to Delhi concluded that 3,07,000 cars and 1,27,000 2-Wh enter Delhi daily. These 9 entry points are assumed to constitutes 70% of all entries thru 124 entry points to Delhi. 

But it has not reported on the number of vehicles going out of Delhi, daily.

Similarly, Prof Dinesh Mohan one of the leading experts on logistics and traffic has pointed out that upto 50% of the vehicles registered in Delhi may not actually be on the road or exist.

So where do we begin? Let us first pick "Salvage or Junking ELVs"   

Almost every street in residential areas has few dead vehicles taking up valuable space. Obviously it is not convenient or cost effective for citizens to dispose them off. 

 

The Govt has spelt out Guidelines for End of Life Vehicles Policy, but follow-up is unknown.  Delhi continues to rely on Mayapuri salvage markets to take care of its 'dead vehicles".

The Proposal

The Govt must invite Private parties to set up Junk Yards - 2 in each of the 9 district of Delhi. The land to be leased to the Project.

     a.  Such  junk yards to have good facilities to cannibalize the vehicles and extract usable parts. It             must have a sales counter for old /used parts.

     b. It must have facilities to crush the skeleton and sell steel /metal scraps to melting furnaces.  

     c. The Parties must be allowed a return on investment of 16%-18% p.a. Parties will earn thru sale        of scrap and used parts. The Business Models for Toll Companies are well established.

 

2. NGT has decided that all vehicles older than 15 years be taken -off the roads / junked.

     a. The Insurance companies cannot issue Cover for such vehicle - must advise the RTO, citizen on      the 14th year renewal.  

     b. Citizens to be advised to handover the ELVs to the Yards.

     c. The Terms of Operation and Authorizations to collect, even pick-up old /junked vehicles be            given to the promoters.

3. The Citizens to be incentivized upon handing over the ELV. Yard issues a receipt, that is en-                  cashable at the dealer on purchase of a new vehicle or any suitable arrangement

4. The Yard electronically advises RTO about receipt of ELV, and cancellation of Registration is done     by RTO.

The Govt will benefit by bringing the business into open, which is then taxable. 

The employment will again be formalized leading to better jobs and working conditions.

Few revenue generating activities like : Furniture making and artifacts out of scrap will also be encouraged 

   

The next element in this series of steps would be Parking Solutions 

 

I AM ALI

In the whole bruised and bloody history of this sport, there had never been such a star. 

Pure skill was much  of it, and the brutal delicacy of the ring -craft. 

Casting off his slave name of Cassius Clay he became Muhammad Ali "Worthy of all praise, most high"

He hoped to be remembered "as a man who never looked down on those who looked upto him" 

Creating Good School Teachers & Schools

The most important recommendation of the TSR Subramaniam Panel is related to School Teachers : Teachers should be appointed to Individual Schools - not in statewide cadre. And by the empowered management committees of the School

Very poor working condition for the teachers in schools in the hinterland inspired the following note: in the hope that some foundation will use the basic ideas.
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A Note on Foundational Education –Reducing Illiteracy

21st Nov 2015

The SSN Foundation was featured in Economic Times of 14^th Nov, 2015. Please read that, along with the Big Picture – Notes from the Black Board – in the IndExp of September, 6^th

And MrJaitley’s cuts on Education and Health Budgets hurt.

The Foundation has, since inception in 1994, created social assets of high quality; two free schools for promising village kids, three public schools, one University, one Engineering college and two museums of arts; Laudable and above par.

Foundation will spend about Rs 1000 Crores a year. The Foundation will, however, take up new initiatives, like reducing illiteracy.

A child must be educated and have a healthy body to navigate successfully thru the journey of life.That level of Funding can createa big enough system to provide “wings” to children in very large numbers, enabling such mobility.

Focus: To create a caring environment in which the teachers and administrators will happily exert themselves to groom a healthy mind in a healthy body.

The Schools (ANY Foundation VidyaMandir) There are 670 Districts and 5564 Tehsils in India. Each Tehsil to have a Primary / Middle/ Secondary School –developed and operated by the Foundation. Schools to have “skills Training Centers”. And a primary dispensary with beds. 5-common diseases have almost standardized protocols that can be administered by para-medics. Each school must have playgrounds, activities centers.  Housing for at least 5 teachers. Transport for Teachers. Hostels for say 50 students. Local architecture. Minimalist design, Furnishing and interiors.

Pedagogy The ANY Foundation will continuously research pedagogical methods and tactics; Scandinavian/ Finnish Pedagogical practices Co-opt good institutions and educationists- Khan Academy; Vivo; Anand Kumar; Accomplished Individuals from various fields to visit each school, once a month. Etc. Explain the Hindu (Indian) Rituals in modern terms. Yoga

The schools must be integrated to the local social, political and admin networks. To obtain support – financial and in kind.

Faculty Teachers must love teaching and be well rounded personalities. Min salary Rs 25k/m, to attract and retain the best in the area. Must love Teaching and be respected in the immediate society. Appropriate Student /Teacher ratios.  Insightful selection processes. A Council, consisting of Teachers and Parents, to manage the school affairs. Use IT in education and admin (Google Loons? And Tablets?)

Organisation(Bottom Up ) Key functionary will be a Cluster Head (A Local) – I/c of 10 Tehsils – To set up 10 schools. 10 Cluster Heads –report to an Area Head (S/he is responsible for 100 Tehsils/schools) 10 Area Heads report to 5 Zonal Heads ( Each responsible for 1000 Schools) This organization to provide the wherewithal to the schools/ faculties. Should have excellent networks within the local/relevant society. The Cluster Head must do everything to ensure The Cluster is financially self-sufficient, say within 3 years. Area and Zonal heads to assist.  ANY Fn HO to lay down and monitor processes and keep units focused on priorities-Children AND Self-sufficiency.

Funding & Finances ANY  funds, say, Rs 100 Cr per Zone in the first year, and as required subsequently.  Zonal heads/ ANY Fnd HO Admin Use this Corpus to generate income for expenses and development. The School System / ANY Fnd HO to hire fund managers. Raise additional funds from Beneficiary communities: MP’s LAD Funds. Local charitable Institutions. (say, a temple can provide mid-day meals) School fees depending on local paying capacities.

Beneficial Adjuncts : Primary Health Care Centre –for school and local community.  Dairying: provides Milk and inputs for Gobar Gas Plant/ Composting. Gardening –Vegetables etc. Each School should be self –sufficient in Energy and water.  (Coordinate with Local institutions to become Centre for useful ideas – Agri, Commerce and Health )

Outcome To establish and operate 5000 schools over 10 years, those areself-sufficient well integrated with the local communities. 300-500,000 young ones pass out, are given “wings” per year, by the ANY Fnd schools; from Leh to Kanyakumari, Kohima to Jaisalmer.

That will be a worthwhile, lasting and fitting legacy of ANY Founders

Gurgaon - 21st Nov 2015

Transform Delhi - A Pleasant Ambience -2

Mankind needs to consume increasing levels of energy to grow. No one can dispute the central role "energy" plays in the growth of Human Civilizations.

Improving efficiency of human effort leads to economic growth which in turn is supposed to make the life of increasing numbers of citizens, shall we say "Pleasant". And the denominator of efficiency is TIME. Lesser time taken to perform an action is efficient, creating space within the 24 hrs for additional activities.

 

May I propose that almost all social infrastructures is created for the purpose of improving efficiency of Human endeavor. Creation of such social infrastructure in a cost –effective manner leads to better output at lower costs. And all politics and indeed corruption is played out in the arena of cost-effective creation of Social Infrastructure

However, throughout history mankind have found ways and means of handling issues impeding its growth. 

Can Delhi do the same in its microcosm? Delhi was a pleasant place to live, work and play in thirty years ago. Can we transform Delhi into a "pleasant city" for its doubled population in, say the next thirty years?

 

Can we find cross-disciplinary solutions that are more than sum of its part?  

Air Pollution in Delhi – 1

There are so many agencies and eminent individuals, working on REDUCING pollution in Delhi. The issue is exercising the minds in Executive, Judiciary, NGOs many specialized agencies.  Even Delhi Police is submitting proposals to the High Court in Delhi !

Vehicular traffic is attacked by almost all, as the most immediate and easiest target to control pollution. And of course there are views, pro and con depending on which side of the political divide one is on, or which part of problem you are focused on, or specialize in.

Besides Vehicular traffic, Gensets, bulldozers & construction equipment (Construction activity itself), Wood burning and Coal burning, let out pollutants, each source having different signature profile of pollutants. Diesel engines produce more NOx than petrol engines since diesel combustion takes place at a higher temp. By the same criteria CNG engines also produce higher NOx.

And the DUST- road and airborne. 

Blind men and the Elephant!

There are a few UNSHAKABLE facts though: 

1. The DUST : Delhi is located in a "dust bowl"being close to a desert. 
2. Delhi registers Half a Million + vehicles every year of which 350,000 are two wheelers. 
3. It is the 2nd largest Conurbation with Population Density of 11,000+ people. 

Land being finite the Population Density will double by 2030.   

4. Delhi is a "flat" urban sprawl, a veritable concrete jungle. DDA colonies and Govt housing were designed with scooter garages. But the residents now have 2 cars. And people fight over parking spaces. 
5. Delhi boasts of 2 Sq Meters green spaces while equally dense conurbations like London and New York 18 times that.  

The miserable environment Delhites currently live in, is not difficult to imagine. 

It is therefore evident that we must target something more fundamental, not just pollution : Creation of an environment in which the Citizens can live and grow in a pleasant manner.