Month: April 2015

Categories
Bombay, bas

Mumbai to become slum-free?

A few suitable amendments to the Slum Redevelopment Act 1971 are in the offing; but will Mumbai ever really lose its slums?
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

“The Maharashtra Slum Redevelopment Act 1971 will be suitably amended to achieve the Government’s vision of a slum-free Maharashtra and the ultimate aim of the Slum Redevelopment Authority (SRA) is to house slumdwellers” said Aseem Gupta, CEO, Slum Redevelopment Authority, while speaking at the4th Edition of the CII Regional Conference on Infrastructure Project Management in association with CBRE in Mumbai yesterday. The Conference aimed at focusing on the challenges and possible solutions pertaining to on-ground project management practices for India’s construction industry.

CII Photo 1Gupta said that the proliferation of slums happened as a result of the city not being able to provide affordable housing at the rate at which population increased. He said that amendments to the Act will act as a catalyst to providing affordable housing in a time-bound manner with lesser hassles. He added that while undertaking a slum redevelopment project the social and economic aspects of the community are taken into consideration. He also spoke of how a recent amendment that provides for the eviction of non-participants of a slum scheme after 50 per cent of the dwellers have moved out can actually accelerate the process of clearing slums. As per the ammendment, the dwellers can be evicted after issuing them a public notice as opposed to individual notices earlier.

Speaking about a unique situation seen in the last five years, Gupta said that although Government has been allocating huge budgets to local bodies to develop cities, the same was not utilised due to the lack of preparedness on the part of the latter. He said that in Mumbai there were around 1,400 ongoing slum redevelopment projects with some projects having up to 25,000 houses each. He admitted that on an average, a slum project take around five to 10 years to complete and delays are mainly on account of sudden and unexpected Government announcements.

Rishi Bagla, Convenor of CII Make in Maharashtra Panel and Chairman and Managing Director, OMR Bagla Automotive Systems, said “Although the construction industry has flourished in the last decade in terms of project procurement methods and the number of new players in the field, it lags behind with respect to on-ground project management practices.” Explaining the importance of Agile Project Management Approach, he said that large scale development projects suffer from cost and time overruns that are typically symptoms of productivity problems and directly affect overall industry profitability.

Aamer Azeemi, Managing Director, India, Cisco Consulting Services, spoke at length about the Western models of Smart Cities and their future in India. He said, “Infrastructure is essential to make cities smarter and technology is an enabler in this process.” He described Smart Cities as smart and connected communities and said that their successful implementation needs a strong leadership at the local authority level. He added that a city would truly become smart by implementing `Internet of Everything’, which essentially means connecting things, data, process and people to internet.

Rajesh Doshi, Executive Director, Acme Housing India Private Limited said that most of the reasons for the delay in a development project are beyond the control of the developers and this includes DC rules, which have changed many times. He added that in addition to being construction managers, developers also don the hat of risk managers.

Pointing out to the various delays caused in huge projects because of lack of effective project management systems, Gurjot Bhatia, Sr Executive Director – Project Management Group, CBRE South Asia Pvt Ltd said that 83 per cent of the Central Government projects in India suffer from cost overruns and worldwide about 70-90 per cent of projects exceed stipulated time and costs.

(Pictures courtesy www.theaustralian.com.au, CII. Featured image is a file picture)

Categories
Event

Attend: Kiran Nagarkar presents ‘Bedtime Story’

Noted author of ‘Ravan and Eddie’ will read his famous story, and screenplay ‘Black Tulip’ this evening at Kala Ghoda.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

If you like writer Kiran Nagarkar’s work, you will certainly want to be at Max Mueller Bhavan, Kala Ghoda, this evening.

Nagarkar will launch and read out excerpts from his controversial play Bedtime Story, which, playwrights say is “a very disturbing play – and that in an era of theatre when it is very hard to disturb audiences.” The play was written in 1982 and Nagarkar found it extremely hard to get it staged because of its controversial, experimental content. The story of the play is a retelling of the Mahabharata, in which the reader is presented with the Pandavas as flawed heroes with follies, and the Kauravas as only marginally worse. The choice, then, is between what is dark and what is darker. After the play’s content was censored and actors became afraid to be a part of the project, it was first performed in 1995 in Mumbai.

The writer will also launch the screenplay of Black Tulip, at the same event. He will be in conversation with senior journalist Srinivasan Jain about the many issues his two works raise.

Head to Gallerie, Max Mueller Bhavan, Kala Ghoda, this evening at 6 pm. Entry is free.

(Picture courtesy livemint.com. Image is a file picture)

Categories
Learn

BMC completely lax on addressing citizen complaints?

Report on working of Ward Committees, lack of questions asked by councillors paint a very sad picture for Mumbai city.
by The Praja Foundation

Every year, Praja Foundation releases a report on the working of Ward Committees and civic problems in Mumbai. What we can see is that the situation of civic governance in the city has deteriorated drastically when it comes to the redressal of citizens’ civic complaints. The civic administration, which is a service providing body, has revealed itself to be inefficient and lax when it comes to resolving civic issues. In 2014, on an average it took at least 87 days for closing ‘contaminated water supply’ complaints in ‘S’ ward and 59 days to ‘repair pipe sewers/main sewers’ in ‘H/E’ ward. Contaminated water supply complaints should be resolved in one day according to the Citizens’ Charter, and sewers should be repaired in 7 days.

To add to these woes, what is seen is complete apathy on the part of our Municipal Councillors, 27 of whom have not raised a single question in ward committee meetings all year! Not only that, there are three councillors who have not raised a single question in the last three years – Anita Yadav (representing Sassoon Dock, World Trade Centre, Geeta Nagar), Ujjwala Modak (representing Bandrekar Wadi – Ismail College – Natwar Nagar) and Jyotsna Parmar (representing Mahim Sonapur – Labour Camp)!

Nitai Mehta, Founder and Managing Trustee of Praja Foundation, says, “Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr Devendra Fadnavis recently announced Project Mumbai to become an International Financial Centre to attract global investments, jobs and development. How can we achieve this status when basic civic needs of citizens are being neglected time and again? And to add to citizen woes, our elected representatives are clearly not interested in raising civic issues and taking the Executive to task for not resolving them and proving efficient services.”

Despite the many problems in the civic governance of the city, the councillors have not been as active as necessary in addressing all issues. Between 227 of them, the Municipal Councillors have only asked 970 questions in 298 ward committee meetings in 2014, which is a meager three questions per meeting!

Milind Mhaske, Project Director at Praja further added, “Only 35  per cent of the 66,747 civic complaints in 2014 have been closed by MCGM, whereas 63 pre cent have not been addressed.”

On an average it takes the MCGM 17 days to address civic complaints such as contamination of water, drainage chokes and blockages, and lifting garbage, when it should actually take only three days. High rate of complaints regarding these issues is hazardous to the life and health of Mumbaikars. How can we have a global city which is unable to address these basic issues on wards which have seen high rates of contaminated water complaints, such as P/N, K/W, R/S wards, have also seen a high rate of diarrhoea cases (196 cases) in the last three years, and wards where pest control complaints are not resolved, K/E, K/W, P/N wards have the number of malaria and dengue cases (75 cases) skyrocket.

The number of complaints on the state of roads in Mumbai has decreased by 48.3 per cent in 2014 as compared to 2013, whereas the number of complaints on in 2014 drainage has seen a decrease of 26.1 per cent. Complaints on water supply issues have risen by 25.8 per cent and solid waste management by 32.8 per cent.

Even though on paper, the system looks good, when it comes to implementation, there are serious flaws. The MCGM already has a decent complaint redressal mechanism, Central Complaint Registration System (CCRS), which should have been a one stop shop for registration of complaints, integrated with latest tools such as Mobile Apps. Despite the existence of 1916 and CCRS, people are not using these services enough. This is mainly because they are not being advertised and promoted sufficiently. A parallel system for pothole complaints has also been introduced, with a separate portal – http://www.voiceofcitizen.com/ in 2011.

According to Mhaske, “The Municipal Commissioner went on to announce that citizens will also be able to register complaints related to Storm Water Drainage and Solid Waste Management in the portal. Plans are being made for systems that are, eventually, never implemented. Ideally, the MCGM should have integrated all the tools into the CCRS and worked on existing gaps to strengthen the system.”

Despite the many problems in the civic governance of the city, the councillors have not been as active as necessary in addressing all issues. Between 227 of them, the Municipal Councillors have only asked 970 questions in 298 ward committee meetings in 2014, which is a meager three questions per meeting! 109 questions out of 970 (11%) were on the issue of renaming of roads and chowks. 27 councillors have not asked a single question in the year 2014, with K/East ward having the highest number of councillors (4) who have not asked a single question. Three councillors have not asked a single question over the past three years!

Mehta concludes, “The apathy shown by our elected representatives is appalling. By raising appropriate issues and questions in ward committees, our elected representatives can improve civic governance in the city and see to it that citizens’ lives are made easier. The civic administration should be more engaged with the reality of citizens’ lives and take proactive steps to improve implementation rather than announce lofty schemes.”

(Picture courtesy www.thehindu.com. Image is a file picture)

Categories
Read

Review: The Year I Met You

Set in Ireland, this Cecilia Ahern novel gently, slowly reels you in with its philosophy on love, life and friendship.
by Ritika Bhandari Parekh

I read this book around Valentine’s Day this year, and it was worth the time I invested in it. Cecilia Ahern’s latest book, The Year I Met You, is quite unlike her previous novels. This one, set in her home country of Ireland, keeps us guessing on the love quotient in the story.

The plot revolves around Jasmine and Matt, who are neighbours, but have no idea that the other exists. Both are workaholics, and their paths intersect due to some pretty interesting circumstances. Soon and steadily, the author introduces us to the world as Jasmine sees it. A high-flying job involving the selling of start-up businesses, an older sister with Down Syndrome, a father who remarries and a ‘gardening leave’ clause in her contract are the reason for her turmoil and happiness.

Matt, on the other hand, is a famous and controversial radio jockey. His drunken rants introduce us to his family. But it is his unlikely relationship with Jasmine that is the cause of more than a seasonal change in his life.

Ahern sketches the character of Jasmine in minute detail by taking us through the constant talk in her mind. With no job (she gets ‘fired’ subtly), Jasmine tries her hand at gardening. Though futile at first, she tries and eventually succeeds with some neighbourly help and guidance from YouTube videos. As the months go by and the new seasons come, Jasmine’s life picks up. While most of us would love to take a break and do some soul searching, Jasmine is handed an opportunity on a platter.

Her insecurities, manic moments, suspicious behaviour, peeking from windows…all of these habits make the reader eager to know more about her story. Her bond with Heather, the older sister, verges on motherly affection and a guilt-ridden sibling love. The writing charms the reader and prompts him to look beneath the exterior and scrape off the superficial to reveal the truth about Jasmine’s philosophy in life.

If the book was a movie, it would have two parts and the second part would be more interesting; this is where the novel actually reels you in. One has to reach that part patiently, where the intrigue sets in and the story flows naturally from that point on. Like a caterpillar, the story progresses and as the seasons change, its metamorphosis into a butterfly is revealed.

With secondary characters to support Jasmine, the book is a lengthy read. But if it is for the love of reading you have picked up the book, Ahern doesn’t disappoint. With sprinkles of love in the story and friendship amongst the most unlikely candidates, The Year I Met You is worth a dekko.

Order the book from here.

(Picture courtesy thebookwormery.wordpress.com)

Categories
Trends

Self-cleaning stones for buildings in Mumbai

Lapitec stone slabs imported from Italy are slowly beginning to make an appearance in exclusive building projects in the city.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

There’s a new type of stone slab being used in a few premium construction projects in Mumbai, and the makers claim, it is a self-cleaning one! Apparently, Lapitec slabs are the largest in the world. They have a ‘self-wash’ feature, under which the stone cleans away germs and bacteria by itself. These slabs are normally used where very high standards of cleanliness are required.

We spoke to Akash Chavan, Executive Director for India Operations of Globus Procon Pvt. Ltd, the company which deals with importing the stone in India.

What is Lapitec stone ?

CASA PAOLO BERRO 3Lapitec is a natural inorganic ceramic material composed of 100 per cent natural materials, sintered at 1200 ° Celsius, produced in full body slabs using an exclusive technology developed by Breton S.p.a.

Where do you source it from ?

We import it from Italy. We are the sole importers of Lapitec in India.

Why did you decide to associate with this product ?

When we started out with this company, we always wanted to do something new and exciting. When we came across Lapitec during our extensive travels in Europe, we were convinced with the product and the various aspects associated with it that made it something to aspire for. As a result of the product’s novelty and the value of its features, we were honored to be associated with them.

How can one use Lapitec stones in their homes, offices or other usage spaces ?

Lapitec is the ideal solution for interior and exterior cladding, kitchen and bathroom surfaces, exterior paving and furniture and engraving application. With some imagination, its uses are virtually limitless.

Is the stone costly ?

Considering it is an extremely exclusive product and very futuristic, it is priced premiumly starting from around Rs 1,000/sq ft.

How popular is it in Mumbai ?

The potential of the product can be gauged by the fact that we are already working on projects before even officially launching the product.

Do you foresee a huge demand for it in the near future ?

We foresee amazing growth for this product as even the mindset of the Indian buyers is changing. The awareness among the buyers is growing due to extensive travels globally. We plan to tap the growing demand for lifestyle products among the people. Lapitec shall redefine the exclusive luxury stone market within the coming few years.

(Pictures courtesy Globus Procon Pvt. Ltd)

Categories
Do

Walk along the river Cooum

Join famous photographer Pa Madhavan as he follows the river Cooum and documents the culture and the people alongside it.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

This one’s a wonderful experiment in documenting the life of a river, the microcultures around it, the life it gives to those who seek refuge in it, and how well one can follow a meandering path to its successful conclusion.

Noted photographer Pa Madhavan is taking a walk along the river Cooum in Chennai in the last week of July 2015, and is inviting like-minded enthusiasts to take the walk with him. The project is called ‘WAT R’ (Walk Along The River).

Madhavan says, “WAT R is a project about walking along the river Cooum; the river is narrow, with twists and turns, flows slowly through the fields, collecting smaller streams along its path and enters the fourth largest city in India, also a major industrial, business, and cultural center of South India Chennai. It is the shortest classified river draining into the Bay of Bengal and is only about 72 kilometers long.”

He explains that the walk is “an aimless wandering along the banks, encounter talks, and casual recording of content appropriate to sense perception with my Nikon FM3A and a pinhole camera. I walk along the river, stay where I can, eat whatever available and not overindulge in austere practices.” He intends to cover 10km a day to span the entire length of the river in just seven days. “There are no maps to follow or sign posts to see or manuals to refer to; the only cue to follow is the river,” he adds.

There are no rules to joining him on the walk, but he cautions that the route is one of the highly polluted ones. There is high pollution by industrial effluents, drainage and open defecation from the thousands of hutments along its banks.

“On the other hand, with the culture of its own, with its own rationale, structure, and moral, Cooum river bank all along has a port, a fort, a university, palaces, graves of the common men and saints alike, museums, 1,500-year-old temples (mostly Chola temples) and also scientific astronomical observatories, which will definitely be a visual treat as much as a historical record,” he explains.

If you wish to join Pa. Madhavan on the walk, send him an email at madhavan@goa-cap.org.

(Picture courtesy www.thehindu.com. Image is a file picture)

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