CCTV camera sales likely to go up
July 28, 2014
The 11-point directive by the police to compulsorily install Global Positioning System (GPS) devices and CCTV cameras, among other things, in schools has brought cheer and jeer from different quarters.
While companies offering the technology solutions are expecting good business, a section of the schools have expressed their displeasure.
Shashi Kumar D., general secretary, Karnataka Private Schools Joint Action Committee (an umbrella of State, ICSE, CBSE, and IB board schools in Karnataka) has written to Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi, urging him to call for a meeting of all stakeholders and review the guidelines. Taking exception to the fact that government schools have been left out of the purview of the directive, he said that it gives an impression that offences were happening only in private schools.
On the other hand, Bobbie Kalra, Chief Executive Officer, NorthStar, a company that works only with schools, said the sales of CCTV cameras witnessed an increase by at least 70 to 80 per cent in the last quarter, with the demand expected to increase further. He said cost-wise, the devices had to be made affordable for the masses.
“While the device is a one-time expenditure, maintenance is an important factor,” he said. D. Deekshith, MD, OSS GPS Tracking Solutions, said that with the stipulation, the demand was bound to increase.
Source: The Hindu
Chaos rules this commercial corridor
July 28, 2014
Sidhartha Roy, New Delhi
It is the oldest arterial link between central and west Delhi and also one of the most congested in the city.
The corridor, that starts from Connaught Place through Panchkuian Road and connects to Pusa Road and Patel Road, goes on to meet Najafgarh Road after Shadipur and reaches west Delhi and beyond. This busy route caters to 1.7 lakh vehicles every day — thrice the traffic volume it was built to cater to.
As a result, driving down these roads is a nightmarish experience throughout the day, particularly the stretch between Link Road near Jhandewalan and Patel Road near Shadipur.
In the last two decades, however, growing commercialisation and congestion along this stretch has resulted in the roads crossing their saturation point. The elevated Metro corridor, which runs along this stretch, has not been able to reduce traffic on the ground but its huge masonry that blocks the sunlight, makes the narrow stretch feel even more claustrophobic.
While the drive through Panchkuian Road towards west Delhi is still smooth, the real trouble begins from the Link Road roundabout near Jhandewalan, where the roads start getting narrower and the traffic thicker. Just a few hundred metres ahead, the road starts getting choked as traffic coming from the Ridge area, Karol Bagh, Jhandewalan and Patel Nagar starts merging here.
The Karol Bagh market and nearby areas that too have become heavily commercialised, results in huge number of vehicular traffic finding its way to the Pusa Road stretch. “Apart from cars, the e-rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws that crowd the road near the Karol Bagh Metro station, taking passengers to the market also choke the road. Their presence remains completely unregulated,” said SP Singh, senior fellow, Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT).
Rampant commercialisation over the years across the stretch between Karol Bagh and Rajendra Place has not only changed the character of these areas but also adversely impacted traffic movement on the main road. A large number of hospitals and nursing homes operate on this stretch and cars of patients and their family members could be seen parked along the road, squeezing road space on this already narrow stretch. There are also many hotels and well known schools in the area.
“There is so much congestion on these roads with score of hospitals and nursing homes coming up that even ambulances carrying patients find it difficult to reach these hospitals,” Goswami said.
“Commercial activity is so high in areas such as Rajendra Nagar, Karol Bagh and Patel Nagar that a large number of vehicles come here and are parked in these residential areas, leading to fights many times. It is complete free for all here,” said Goswami.
The next major traffic bottleneck is the Pusa roundabout, where six roads merge, including three arterial roads – Shankar Road, Pusa Road and Patel Road. This roundabout witnesses heavy traffic movement coming from and bound to west, central and south Delhi. As a result, waiting time at the traffic intersections is long.
Further towards west Delhi, the road gets narrower between Patel Nagar and Shadipur. What causes more problem is jaywalking, illegally parked cars on roadside, road encroachments and large number of shops on the stretch.
“The whole area encompassing Karol Bagh, Rajendra Nagar, Pusa and Patel Nagar is the only part of Delhi with no underpasses or flyovers. The problem is multiplicity of authority with both MCD and PWD failing to provide any solution,” said Goswami.
“There are too many traffic intersections along this stretch, with one almost every 500 metres. The area needs better traffic management,” said Singh.
Nitin Gadkari: No tenders for roads without 80% land in place
July 25, 2014
Summary:Around 300 projects to be up for bids in 5-10 years.The government will not bid out any highway project without acquiring at least 80 per cent land for it. Around 300 road projects are to be bid out within the next 5-10 years after securing all necessary regulatory clearances, the country’s road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari said on Wednesday.
Addressing a public-private partnership summit organised by Ficci, Gadkari said the government has decided not to float any tender without acquiring adequate amount of land for executing a project. To fast-track tendering and execution of projects, Gadkari said officials of concerned ministries need to be more responsive and work at a brisk pace.
“Time is the most important thing in infrastructure and business and delays cost the country to the tune of Rs 15 crore a day. Files are kept pending for months. I have asked highways officials to fast-track decisions and requested the Prime Minister to issue directions to all officials,” he said. The minister said he would be holding a meeting every month as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direction to ensure timely clearances.
Gadkari asked the developers to refrain from aggressive bidding for projects as had happened in the past when companies shouldered projects without due clearances and those projects failed to take off despite financial closures.
Sharing the dais with Gadkari, finance secretary Arvind Mayaram said the government is working on a sophisticated and flexible framework for the public-private partnership model to boost infrastructure development.
The flexibility is imperative to factor in changes in the circumstances that run over a period of 25-30 years, he contended. Mayaram reminded that the private sector has to share the risk associated with PPP projects, as the government alone cannot bear the entire responsibility.
“There is a need to see whether we can look at developing a framework which is going to decide what stress is, who is responsible for stress, what is causing the stress and how we deal with them?,” he said.
The proposed 3P India institution will look at issues relating to regulation, financing structures, stress in project, management of contract over a period of time and also issues relating to capacity building both in public and private sector, Mayaram said. “It will be a unique and powerful institution which will rejuvenate the entire universe of PPP which seems to be slowing down at the moment,” he added.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley, in his Budget speech, had proposed setting up of an institution to provide support to mainstream PPPs called 3P India with a corpus of Rs 500 crore.
Source:The Indian express
1 lakh CCTV cameras to monitor city
July 25, 2014
GHMC promises their installation before Metropolis meet. Other departments including Labour, School Education, Medical and Health too should join in and make these provisions mandatory for the licenses they issue.
Hyderabad would be equipped with at least one lakh closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras before the World Metropolis Congress meet in October, GHMC Commissioner Somesh Kumar said here on Thursday.
Speaking at a workshop on ‘Public Safety Act’ jointly organised by the GHMC and the Police Department, he rejected the commonly-held belief that public safety was the task of the police alone and said all departments should collectively work to implement the Act.
Mr. Somesh Kumar said the civic body was planning to include provisions of the Act such as making CCTV cameras mandatory before issuing building permissions and trade licenses. Other departments including Labour, School Education, Medical and Health too should join in and make these provisions mandatory for the licenses they issue, he said.
He pointed out that under the Act, all establishments where 100 or more people gather regularly, should mandatorily install CCTV cameras.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner Mahender Reddy said the city would have such cameras installed at all public places such as places of worship, educational institutions, bus stops, malls, hotels and railway stations. Cyberabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand said the workshop had brought all stakeholders on one platform to create awareness about the Act.
Source :The Hindu
Kanwarias flout traffic rules, endanger lives on NH-8
July 25, 2014
A large number of Kanwarias had a free run on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway on Thursday as they blatantly violated traffic rules putting the lives of other motorists at great risk. Police personnel deployed alongside watched helplessly.
With the “Kavad Yatra” in its last leg, the arrival of Kanwarias – mostly from Hardwar – has increased greatly. But while most of the pilgrims walk with the Ganga water alone or in small groups, of late, there has been a surge of men taking to the route on vehicles in large groups causing trouble Delhi roads and its satellite township.
Though two-wheelers are not allowed on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, the Kanwarias were driving dangerously on motorcycles breaking all traffic rules. Also, most of the kanwarias were riding triple on the motorcycles without any helmets, but the policemen preferred to look the other way.
“These Kanwarias actually take turns to run with the ‘Kavad’ even as others ride the motorcycle ahead. They stop the motorcycles abruptly, which could lead to accidents, especially when the vehicles on the expressway are moving at a very high speed. Also, those running behind the motorcycles with the Kavads are at a grave risk of being hit by some vehicle,” said Abhinav Gupta, a motorist. Another motorist claimed that the situation was the same every year with the traffic police turning mute spectator. “I have been noticing it for several years now. Every Shravan, these Kanwarias have a free run just a day before Shivratri. The police have made separate lanes for the Kanwarias to walk with the Kavads, they should direct those on the motorcycles also to drive on service roads at least. It seems the police are waiting for a tragedy to happen before taking necessary action,” said Neeraj Arora, who commutes to Delhi every day.
Also some of the Kanwaria camps set up along the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway have encroached upon the road causing traffic jams through the day.
Source:The Hindu
The train that never stops at a station!
July 25, 2014
How to get on and off the non-stop high speed train?!
A new Chinese train innovation-
How to get on & off the bullet train without stopping?!
VERY COOL CONCEPT !
No time is wasted. The bullet train is moving all the time. If there are 30 stations between Beijing and Guangzhou, just stopping and accelerating again at each station will waste both energy and time.
A mere 5 min stop per station (elderly passengers cannot be hurried) will result in a total loss of 5 min x 30 stations or 2.5 hours of train journey time!
The Chinese are innovative enough to come up with a non-stopping train concept.
When the train arrives at a station, it will not stop at all.
The passenger at a station embarked onto to a connector cabin way before the train even arrive at the station. When the train arrives, it will not stop at all. It just slows down to pick up the connector cabin which will move with the train on the roof of the train.
While the train is still travelling away from the station, those passengers will board the train from the connector cabin mounted on the train’s roof. After fully unloading all its passengers, the connector cabin will be moved to the back of the train so that the next batch of outgoing passengers who want to alight at the next station will board the connector cabin at the rear of the train roof.
When the train arrives at the next station, it will simply drop the whole connector cabin at the station itself and leave it behind at the station.
The outgoing passengers can take their own time to disembark at the station while the train had already left. At the same time, the train will pick up the incoming embarking passengers on another connector cabin in the front part of the train’s roof. So the train will always drop one connector cabin at the rear of its roof and pick up a new connector cabin in the front part of the train’s roof at each station.
Now to watch the video click on the link below..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKfKzfdXp3w&feature=youtu.be
six changes needed for better transportation
July 24, 2014
According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2013-14 of World Economic Forum, India stands at 85th and 61st position in the global ranking of infrastructure and transport, respectively amongst group of 148 countries.
Probably, it is right time for the government to think transport as an integrated system and all its components (rail, road, port and airways) should work in a holistic manner. Different modes of transport between two nodes should be developed based on the principles of demand-supply and balance between time and fuel cost. For instance, if time is not a constraint (non-perishable goods), goods can be transported using IWT or coastal shipping.To achieve this, coastal terminals at select ports and deeper stretches of the rivers (LAD) can be developed. For other routes, rail and road connectivity with ports should be enhanced on PPP basis.
Similarly, low-cost airports in tier-II and tier-III cities can be developed which can be integrated with high speed rails at select stretches. This will provide faster connectivity to the entire country and thereby unlock growth potential .To move goods through airport, similar to inland ports and container depots, off-airport cargo processing facilities can be developed.
There is also a need to boost urban transport within the cities. In this regard, recent announcement of government to treat e-rickshaws with motor power of 650mw as non-motorised vehicles in the NCR is a welcome step. However, government will have to be mindful that although e-rickshaws are environment friendly, their use should not go out of proportions to increase congestion in already cramped up roads.
Implementation through Fiscal Incentives
– relaxation of ECB norms for borrowing by infrastructure companies,
– extension of tax incentives on major augmentation of existing infrastructure, in particular Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (‘MRO’) services in airlines,
– extension of depreciation on expenditure incurred to develop public assets on BOT, which is not owned by
– exemption of MAT for infrastructure sector during 80IA period.
At the outset, there is a lot to be done, which poses a big challenge, but also presents an opportunity for the government for creating much needed transport infrastructure for doing business. Although, industry expects government to respond timely on the above hard-pressed reforms, in the upcoming budget Government will have to strike balance between its
Source:The Economic Times
E-SUB-REGISTRAR – AS EASY AS CLICK OF MOUSE, REGISTER AT WILL
July 24, 2014
|
The Times of India (Delhi)
The government has announced its plans to develop a hundred smart cities at a cost of over Rs 7,000cr.
What is a smart city? There are many definitions, but broadly it’s one where the quality of governance is enhanced with the integration and use of sensors, cameras and data centres through the application of IT. It has hugely impacted the management of traffic, policing, power and water supply, healthcare, transport, communications etc around the world. How smart is Delhi? At first glance, we are not even getting there. But there are some bright spots in the city, baby steps, which this new occasional series will attempt to capture
Parking chaos greets you outside the government complex housing the sub-registrar offices in Mehrauli, south Delhi. Hassled men and women jostle to get to a grilled window labelled as “Counter No.1“ to speak to an anxious looking staffer. An elderly couple sits on chairs screwed to the wall, sweating in the heat. Their property agent, overeager to prove his worth, quickly glides through the crowd to reach the next window for submitting documents.Deed writers, advocates and a few agents hang out at the gate in the hope of catching some gullible clients. An asbestos cover is the only relief from the heat and humidity if you don’t count the makeshift cold drink and snack counter. There are no toilet and water facilities. This is the scene outside the sub-registrar office (Kalkaji), southeast district.
The building next door is also a sub-registrar office but nothing like what you would have imagined. This is an e-sub-registrar office (Mehrauli), and that one alphabet has made all the difference. There is a green landscape around the building. A ramp, followed by a broad stairway , leads to a reception area. A civil defence volunteer sits before a computer and attends to the few visitors here compared to the 200 odd people in the adjacent building. The e-sub registrar offices 11 of them give online appointments through a link on the website of Delhi government’s revenue department. Those who come without one are given at date at the reception. On the online portal, a prominent scroll runs the announcement “appointment with e-sub registrar office“. A mouse click leads to a menu displaying all the 11 e-sub registrar offices and the links. Then pops up a menu of queries to be filled in for appointment and a checklist of the documents you need to apply for over a dozen kinds of registries from property sale and purchase to transfer deeds, gift deeds, relinquishment deeds, rent agreements and will registration among others. A unique ID number is generated as the reference for the appointment day . At the Hauz Khas office, which covers a significant part of south Delhi, you find people at ease as dependence on the staff is limited and there is no unseemly hurry . The staff at the reception verifies the appointment ID and issues token numbers. The people then wait in an air-conditioned area with screens flashing the token numbers and sharp executives manning six counters set up for verifying documents and digitising them. Radha Khanna, a senior citizen from Jangpura, waits patiently for her turn. She is full of praise for this Cinderella-like for this Cinderella-like transformation of the old system. “I have hired an agent to get my work done, but I am now realizing that things are changing. There has been no harassment so far,“ she says. She has come to register her ailing sister’s property located in the Hauz Khas area. There is silence in the waiting areas as people watch the screen rather than seek information from the counter outside. Once the papers are cleared, people are led straight to the office of sub-registrar Lokesh Kumar. The data, already fed in by the executives at the counter, appears in the specified format and the registrar simply follows the laid out steps to seal the document. Speaking on the advantages of the new system, Lokesh Kumar says all the data of the documents registered is stored safely in a server to rule out any scope for tampering. “For instance, a lot of wills are registered these days. In order to deal with disputes over properties, we now videograph the will registration process. If a court seeks these clips in case of such a dispute, the video can be provided as evidence,“ says Kumar. A wall-mounted LED screens shows a CCTV image of the various sections of the sub-registrar’s office, ensuring complete transparency . With rooms that have glass and wooden panels, the office represents a clear breaking away from the babu culture defined by closed doors and secrecy . The last step is a visit to the photo section where the file through the in-house computerised system is declared approved by the registrar. Digitised photos of the parties are superimposed on the documents in the files and then a final file number generated. The applicant’s documents are filed under the digitised file number and sent to a record room where the file is scanned and saved to the digitised archive. The hard copy is stored in the sanitised record areas made of steel chambers that are secured with locks. Applicants leave from a door at the other end with a digitised number that promises a secure future for lifelong investments. Revenue secretary and Delhi’s divisional commissioner Dharampal told TOI that the remaining six of the 17 sub-registrar offices will also move to e-mode by the end of this year. “We are identifying space for having one e-sub registrar office in each of the 33 sub-divisions in 11 districts,“ he added. |
‘Unregulated e-ricks must go’
July 24, 2014
|
The Times of India (Delhi)
HC Slams Delhi Govt, Orders It To Find Solution By July 31 The Delhi government on Wednesday came under fire before the Delhi high court for failure to regulate or check e-rickshaws.HC made it clear to the authorities it won’t permit erickshaws plying “uncontrolled“ on the roads saying “just ban them“.
“We will not permit this unregulated transport. It has to be regulated. They (e-rickshaws) can’t ply uncontrolled without license, registration or insurance. You better make sure in Delhi there is no unregulated traffic,“ a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul said while hearing a plea that sought regulation of e-rickshaws. The court made the stinging observations after going through an affidavit filed by the chief secretary saying these vehicles are to be treated as “public service vehicles“ which are “required to comply with all extant rules and regulations“ governing operation of such vehicles. The affidavit added that no separate policy is required for governing e-rickshaws as they are already covered by the Motor Vehicles (MV) Act and their operation “as per the law, as it stands today, is unauthorized and illegal“. “He (chief secretary) is saying e-rickshaws to be treated as public service vehicle. So how are they plying if they are not complying with the rules and regulations,“ the bench asked. The court noted that people are getting injured by e_rickshaws whose drivers get away scot free because the vehicles are unregistered. HC was hearing a petition by one Shanawaz Khan seeking a ban on the vehicles. In the affidavit, the chief secretary admitted that the Delhi government stopped taking action against e-rickshaws after Union Minister of Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari, announced that laws pertaining to such vehicles will be changed to take them out of ambit of MV Act. The affidavit informed the high court that the union ministry directed civic agencies, instead of transport department, to frame policy for regulating operation of erickshaws.But HC was not convinced and directed the Delhi government to “come with all the answers“ on July 31, the next date of hearing. “Time is running out. People are getting injured. We will give you a week’s time to tell us what you intend to do,“ the bench remarked. The court had issued the direction after going through the Delhi government’s reply that though e-rickshaws are operating illegally , the government is “not competent“ to stop them as it will entail amendment to the MV Act. In his petition, Khan alleged that e-rickshaws are operating with four 12 volt batteries with power output of 650 to 850 watt and are designed to ferry only four people, including the driver. But the vehicles routinely ferry more than 8 people at a time and endanger lives, it said. Earlier on February 19, the high court had asked the Delhi government to appraise it of any policy decisions taken for regulating e-rickshaws which ply without a license or number plates. |
Municipality to develop green cover on highway
July 24, 2014
Soon, people travelling on Chennai-Bangalore Highway will enjoy better green cover on a portion of it.
The Poonamallee municipality has set the ball rolling for a project to develop a green belt along a four-km stretch.
As part of its efforts to beautify the stretch and prevent illegal dumping of waste on the roadside, the municipality has joined hands with corporates to survey the area.
Chennai:A core committee, comprising corporates and municipal officials, has been formed to chalk out an action plan to beautify the stretch between Doosan company and the BSNL office falling under the local body’s jurisdiction.
The beautification project will include developing the greenery and illumination along the roadsides.
Officials of the municipality said estimates are being prepared to develop a green belt. The number of encroachments is also being identified.
Municipal commissioner B.V. Surendra Sha said the local body has sought the assistance of industries in and around Poonamallee to take up the beautification of the stretch as a CSR initiative.
Residents of Seneerkuppam and Poonamallee want the local body to speed up the project as garbage is being dumped along the Cooum river and road margins.
“We are planning to use 10 metres of space on roadsides for the project and also rope in corporates to maintain the facilities,” he said.
The work will be completed in two months with the consent of the National Highways Authority of India. The municipality also plans to develop green cover in Poonamallee at a cost of Rs. 5 lakh.
Source: The Hindu
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