|
|
|
|
|
on record Syed Ali Ahmed talks to Mangu Singh Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief  The chief of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Mangu Singh, says the DMRC works as a consultant for developing Metro rail in cities of other states as well. On the request of state governments, the DMRC prepares a detailed project report (DPR). While commissioning the project, the corporation stresses on timely completion of the project.
profile |
|
|
good news
|
|
‘Metro needs to serve every home’ Syed Ali Ahmed talks to Mangu Singh Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) chief
The chief of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Mangu Singh, says the DMRC works as a consultant for developing Metro rail in cities of other states as well. On the request of state governments, the DMRC prepares a detailed project report (DPR). While commissioning the project, the corporation stresses on timely completion of the project. It has completed a 140-km Metro line in the Capital and has entered the NCR regions like Gurgaon and Ghaziabad. It is also working in Faridabad. What are the guidelines governments and agencies involved in the projects should follow? The two basic guidelines that any construction agency must follow are completion of construction within the stipulated time without compromising on quality and safety; and sticking to the budget. In India, most infrastructure projects fail to get completed within the time limit because these aspects are not given due importance. State governments have realised the need to provide a viable mass transport system. What are the challenges? Many state governments are exploring the viability of the Metro and Monorail. The availability of adequate number of competent construction companies that can carry out work simultaneously in many cities, availability of land, arrangement of finances for commissioning so many projects and availability of skilled labour, including trained engineers, are the major challenges. How did the DMRC handle the project across heritage sites, especially in view of the recent controversy over Jama Masjid and Jamia Milia University? Whenever we carry out construction in any particular area, we try to engage with the local residents and inform them about the construction work. We hold community interaction programmes in which our engineers give detailed presentations about the project to the people. Since, the Metro project is beneficial to people, they cooperate with us, even if there are initial objections and reservations. What should the authorities do to ensure timely execution of the projects in Ludhiana, Chandigarh and expansion of the network within Haryana? Any Metro construction project needs to adopt certain precautions to ensure proper completion of work. These include timely completion of pre-construction activities like surveys, land acquisitions and clearances; quick mobilisation of labour and material after the award of the contract; interactions with local residents; regular meetings and inspection of sites; setting up short-term targets for contractors and thorough monitoring; and adoption of the best quality control and safety practices. Ludhiana is a congested industrial town while Chandigarh is a well-planned urban centre. We have submitted the detailed project reports (DPRs) for both Chandigarh and Ludhiana Metros. Requisite suggestions regarding the adoption of technologies for the Metros, depending on the characteristics of these cities, have been submitted. We are in the process of updating the DPRs of Ludhiana since a lot of development has taken place since we last submitted the DPR in 2009. Does Metro planning take into account the architectural character of the city while designing stations and other facilities? Metro planning has to take into consideration the architectural character of the city where it is to come up. While planning for the Metros across the country, we have given importance to the conservation and protection of structures, especially those with historical importance. Some reports say Metros may not be right for smaller cities. Are there any alternative models for mass rapid transport? These policy decisions are taken at the government level. The DMRC is basically mandated to plan and carry out Metro construction work in the NCR. Our consultancy wing provides consultancy to upcoming Metros. We are also working on the planning and construction of Monorail in Delhi, as directed by the government. What is the nature of engagement with Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh? We are interacting with the Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh in our capacity as consultants. But for the Metro expansion to Faridabad, we are also acting as the construction agency since it is an expansion of the Delhi Metro network. For Metro to effectively take the load off roads, it must have at least a 400-km network in cities like Delhi. Is it true? By when will Delhi have it and what is the parameter for less populated cities? We are in the process of constructing about 140 km of Metro lines under the third phase of the Metro expansion in the NCR. The network in Delhi-NCR would cross the 400km mark after the end of Phase 4, scheduled to be completed by 2021. The entire NCR is expanding fast and it is difficult to suggest exactly how many kilometres of Metro would be sufficient for the city. All cities should try to plan the Metro system in such a manner that all households get Metro connectivity within 500 metres of their location.
|
|
profile
The 55-year-old activist was decorated for her "outstanding and courageous dedication to human rights, specially the rights of women, in one of the most complex and dangerous regions of the world". Dr Sima refuses to accept that women should be kept in "purdah" and speaks out against the burqa which was first enforced by the Mujahideen and later by the Taliban. She has also drawn attention to the fact that many women in Afghanistan suffer from osteomalacia (softening of bones) due to poor diet. Wearing burqa reduces exposure to sunlight and aggravates the situation for women suffering from this disease. During the 2003 Loya Jirga (grand assembly), several conservatives placed an advertisement in a local newspaper calling her the "Salman Rushdie of Afghanistan". Dr Sima, who belongs to the ethnic Hazara group, obtained her medical degree in 1982 from Kabul University. She practiced medicine at a government hospital for a few months, but was forced to flee to Jaghori, where she treated patients in the remote areas of central Afghanistan. She was also an active member of the Hazra group under the leadership of Baba Mazari, a supporter of women's rights. In 1984, the Communist regime arrested her husband, forcing her to flee with her son to Pakistan. She worked as a doctor at the refugee branch of a mission hospital. Distressed by the lack of healthcare for Afghan refugee women, she set up a Shuhada clinic in Quetta in 1989. Dr Sima made a mark during her 17-year-long stay in Pakistan. After her return to Afghanistan, she was appointed Deputy Chair and Minister of Women Affairs in 2001. She established the first-ever Ministry of Women's Affairs. Among other accomplishments, the ministry won the right of women government employees to return to their jobs and keep their seniority, oversaw the re-entry of girls to school, launched women's rights legal department, and opened a school for married women at the ministry's headquarters. In 2005, she was appointed the United Nation's Special Rapporteur on human rights for Sudan by the Commission of Human Right of the United Nation. It is said she is one person who knows what went wrong in Afghanistan. She was present when the Russian paratroopers landed in Kabul in 1979 and watched the landscape of her homeland disintegrate from a trendy playground with colourful banners into a barren, rubble-strewn vista layered with relics of war and death. She doesn't hold George W Bush responsible for Afghanistan's woes. The problems go back much further in time. "It is not just the last decade of failed policy, but the last 30 years'," she says. She believes that the most negative attitude in Afghanistan is the growth of conservative Muslim ideology that misuses religion and culture to suppress women. |
|
|
good news
Born in Delhi to a Bengali mother and a Rajput father, Capt Indraani Singh had a rather modest start to life. Her father was struggling in his business, but was so taken in by his daughter's desire to fly that he decided his limited means would not come in the way of her dreams. And the sacrifice was well worth it. Indraani joined the Indian Airlines in 1987 and her rise to a Commander flying an Airbus aircraft was nothing short of phenomenal. Indraani was the first-ever woman in Asia to fly the Airbus A-320 and the world's first woman Commander on the wide-bodied Airbus-300. Capt Indraani Singh had arrived, living her dream to do something other than the ordinary. But her glorious success was not enough. She felt that her life was still lacking. "As a First Officer in Kolkata, I saw nuns serving in filthy slums without so much as flinching. I was deeply moved at their commitment and decided to do something for my country and society," she recollects. In 1996, Capt Indraani Singh became a part of the Literacy India Trust, a not-for-profit organisation operating from a construction site in Palam Vihar, Gurgaon. She began teaching five poor children. As the numbers swelled, the Trust decided to send the children to school and fund their studies. Later, Literacy India set up its own school at Bajghera village on the outskirts of Gurgaon. Indraani's contacts with highflyers helped a great deal and donations gradually started pouring in. Topnotch corporations like Dell, Encore, UPS Foundation, American Express, Coca-Cola India, Bharti Group, Hero Honda and PVR Nest pitched in with generous contributions and the school finally took off. But challenges were around the corner. Making children attend school willingly and developing their interest in studies was the first among the several they faced. In order to make school interesting, Team Indraani incorporated extra-curricular activities and cultural programmes involving singing, dancing and other fun-filled events in the curriculum. Silver screen beckons The Trust also roped in some eminent actors, anchors and resource-persons to train the children. National School of Drama alumnus Shrivardhan Trivedi (of "Sansani" fame) played an instrumental role in grooming the children in theatre. The effort bore fruit and the children started doing remarkably well, excelling in theatre and some even making it to the silver screen. Literacy India's children have acted in "Neeli Chhatri", which won the best film award at the National Film Festival. One of their students, Rahul, played the role of "Milimeter" in Aamir Khan's "3 Idiots". Several other children groomed by the group are set to act in "Bhag Milkha Bhag", directed by Rakeysh O Mehra. Several girl students have excelled in martial arts at the national and international level and some students are now employed with big companies. The Trust also runs remedial study programmes aimed at making street children, slum-dwellers and domestic help part of the mainstream. Vocational courses are also run for their benefit. Empowering women The first girl student who finished her schooling from Literacy India is pursuing an engineering degree in Allahabad. Many tribal girls from Maoist areas in West Bengal have been adopted by the group and admitted to regular schools. The Trust also works towards the empowerment of women. Handmade articles and handicrafts prepared by women from villages are sent to big malls, stores and corporate offices for sale under its "Indha" programme. Literacy India has benefited thousands of children and women across Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal. The Trust runs 10 centres in the Delhi-NCR and has touched the lives of nearly 25,000 persons. Environment is another issue close to its heart. Literacy India runs a small-scale waste-paper recycling unit and makes products for the commercial market. A new vision Indraani has refused managerial promotions in order to continue her work for Literacy India. Her focus now is on digitising the literacy programme through "Gyantantra-Digital Dost". She has won the Godfrey Philip Special Award for Bravery (social cause), besides Women Achievers Award-2009 by the International Congress of Women. She has also featured in the Limca Book of Records. Indraani is married to a pilot and has a teenaged son. So, how does she juggle a demanding profession and an equally challenging personal life? "I believe in Swami Vivekanand's ideology. You've got to keep moving on in life come what may. There are times when one feels low, depressed and frustrated, but the best thing to do is to take things in your stride, get up and get going," she says. |
|
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
B
B
The clamour for post-retirement jobs should stop. When I was a minister, I was wary of meeting retiring judges for the fear that he would hand me his
biodata.
We’ve told the MHA you cannot rely on heavy choppers for every little work. There’s need for boots on the ground. We can’t put a chopper in the jungle. There has to be a central place to operate.
I come from Badal village and so does the Chief Minister. His deputy Sukhbir says they are committed to free the state of drugs. Why does he not start from Badal village itself?
If it wasn’t Rs 1,880 cr, then what was it? Spell out the figure. If money was not spent from the public exchequer, say so. If expenses were paid from the public treasury, please clarify.
In spite of knowing that a few scenes from Barfi! were copied, the film gets the Oscar nod. It was chosen over Paan Singh Tomar, which was original.