Gurgaon's Garden Estate churns out 800 kg of compost a month!

Garden Estate in Sector 24, Gurgaon, has decided to join the growing list of condominiums that carry out their own waste management.
After segregating dry waste from wet, manure is generated for the gardens of the condominium. A part of the supply — nearly 20 per cent — is given away to NGOs, such as I Am Gurgaon.


The composting unit on the premises

The condominium is spread across 23 acres and has 373 flats.
Speaking about the initiative, Keshav Jaini, former member of the executive committee, said, “On a daily basis, we generate 240 kg of waste. Till date, we have collected 120 tonnes of kitchen waste, which has been converted into 17 tonnes of compost.”
The compost plant is able to generate 700-800 kg of manure a month.
Ritu Raina, a resident, said, “Every resident should consider this initiative imperative — it’s the little we can do to lessen pollution. Most condominiums are realising its importance now.”

Residents near Golf Course Ext Road demand police checkpost to curb pollution

Residents from several housing societies on Golf Course Extension Road have decided to meet Gurgaon’s deputy commissioner and police commissioner to seek their intervention on dust pollution, especially from heavy trucks laden with construction material.

According to them, if a police checkpost is set up on the stretch and fines are issued to errant truck drivers, there will be a significant decrease in pollution levels. The stretch is accessed by thousands of commuters and those living nearby are the worst affected.

A police team will conduct an inspection of the stretch on Wednesday and submit a report to the commissioner.

The residents have also demanded better policing of trucks ferrying uncovered construction material.

“The police needs to be vigilant and issue challans or impound errant trucks on this stretch. It will help control rising dust-pollution levels,” said Ruchika Sethi Takkar, a citizen activist and resident of Nirvana Country, Sector 50.

Sandeep Khirwar, Gurgaon police commissioner, said, “We have taken note of residents' concerns and will carry out an inspection of the area. We will also take legal action against offenders. We will discuss the issue with the deputy commissioner. A local advisory could also be issued in this regard. The officials will ensure prompt action.”

Residents have already launched an email campaign to get this stretch cleared of construction debris and the dust rising from it. The campaign involves citizens, schools and parents.

“The civic administration needs to act on several issues, including designated transit points for storing malba [construction debris]. They also have to designate and develop dry waste collection centres,” said Ila Gupta,a resident of The Legend, Sector 57.

“My son was distressed as he was not being able to participate in outdoor sports activities owing to the dust pollution. Now I am also a victim,” said Shivani Sharma Dhillon, a resident of Close Apartments, Sector 50.

“If a person is constantly exposed to dust and construction waste, he or she runs the risk of inhaling silica, which slips through the filter mechanism of the nose and throat. This reduces lung capacity and makes the person vulnerable to diseases such as tuberculosis and other respiratory and cardiovascular problems,” said Sanjay Mehta, a doctor with a private hospital in Sector 51.

Now it remains to be seen whether the authorities adhere to the demands of the residents, which include designating transit points for construction debris, designating and developing dry waste collection centres and building road shoulders to ensure that people don’t drive on mounds of dust.

HUDA claims ownership of 2 acres of land near DLF5

The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) finally secured possession of its 2-acre land near DLF5 on Tuesday by demolishing nearly 50 unauthorised shops that cropped up on the plot.

The value of the land is estimated to be in a few crores owing to its location along the 16-lane Golf Course Road near Genpact building in DLF 5.

With a team of 15 enforcement officials and a large police force, it took HUDA about six hours to remove the unauthorised shops and hutments. The enforcement officials faced mild protest from the shop owners, but police presence kept protests under check.

Residents living in nearby upscale localities had filed several complaints about these unauthorised shops, claiming they had become a hub of drug sale and other illegal business. They had also lodged several anonymous complaints with HUDA and the CM Window, forcing officials to organise the demolition drive.

“We had asked the encroachers to leave on their own, but they refused and we were left with no choice but to use police force to drive them out,” said Vivek Kalia, estate officer (EO) of HUDA. He said that locals had rented out shops to make commercial gains illegally.

Kalia added, “HUDA takes legal action against encroachers, and there were signboards put up on the plot of land in question.”

The locals had in June-July this year moved Punjab and Haryana High Court against HUDA, claiming ownership of the land.

However, said Pradeep Jakhar, sub-divisional officer (SDO), HUDA won the case and sent notices to the locals in August to vacate the land. “Since the locals refused to move, we removed all shops yesterday and began fencing off the land immediately after the drive. HUDA will utilise the land, probably for horticultural purposes, till it is earmarked for something specific by the planning department,” he added.

In the past six months, HUDA has undertaken five demolition drives in sectors including 29, 31, 32, 43 and 52, and in other areas removed slums, hutments and shops to secure nearly 5 acres of land.

In Gurgaon, roughly 300 acres of HUDA land is encroached upon by the land mafia.

Private entities in Gurgaon pitch in to track air pollution in the city

Owing to growing air pollution in Gurgaon, a few private entities, such as DLF, have volunteered to track air pollutants in the city to provide support to the pollution board. They have already installed their own apparatus to assess pollution levels.

The real estate company has installed four air-quality monitors in Gurgaon, while Amity University has set up a laboratory on its campus.

The four DLF monitors have been installed between DLF Phase I and DLF5, and their readings are expected to help understand localised impact and causes of pollution.

These monitors can measure PM 2.5, along with temperature and humidity, and transmit real-time data through the cloud, claimed DLF officials.

“Equipped with highly advanced technology, these monitors will assess air quality throughout the day,” said Col Prakash Tewari, executive director, DLF Foundation.

Air pollution has become a huge concern in the city, as more and more residents fall prey to ailments such as asthma, bronchitis and even lung cancer.

According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, outdoor air pollution is considered the fifth-largest killer in India after high blood pressure, indoor air pollution, smoking and poor nutrition. It is said that about
6,20,000 deaths take place in India every year from air-pollution-related diseases.

The city has only one air-quality monitoring centre, which is clearly not enough. There has been a longstanding demand from residents to instal more air-monitoring systems across the city.

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, research and advocacy, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), said, “There is an urgent need for more air-quality-monitoring stations in Gurgaon.”

Despite the Supreme Court’s ban on the sale of firecrackers this Diwali, air quality in Gurgaon deteriorated five times on the festive night. According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index (AQI) marked the city’s air quality as “very poor” a day after Diwali. The air quality was at 345 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3).

Amity University has installed a monitoring station as part of a collaborative research project between the university and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. The initiative is being sponsored by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Prof (Dr) PB Sharma, vice-chancellor of the university, said, “The monitoring station is equipped with real-time sampling of PM 1 and PM 10, besides real-time monitoring of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, benzene, nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide, ammonia and ozone.”

Dwarka: What lies beneath the underbrush in Sector 10?

If you happen to live in Dwarka Sector 10, chances are that you have assumed that there is no pedestrian lane behind the residential societies Vinayak Apartments, Sanskriti Apartments and Apna Ghar Apartments. After all, there is only a mesh of garbage and wild bushes behind these apartments. The truth, however, is different. Underneath the garbage and underbrush there is actually a pedestrian lane people can use to reach nearby Metro stations and private schools.

So what happened to it?   

Civic apathy.

According to residents, the indifference of civic bodies is the reason this lane can no longer be used. Neither the municipal corporation, nor Delhi Development Authority has taken the onus of maintenance. Worse, the streetlights of this lane are defunct, turning it into a security threat.

Rakesh Kalsi, president of the Vinayak Apartments RWA, says, “I have seen this lane in bad shape for more than five years now. We somehow managed to get it cleaned in July by the municipal corporation workers. But not before they told us that the lane was in the jurisdiction of DDA and hence DDA should be responsible for its upkeep.”

When in good condition, this back lane was used by bikers. Today it is nothing more than a garbage dump. “We want this lane to be maintained, as it connects the Sector 10 Metro station and some private schools in the neighbourhood to our societies,” informed Kalsi.

Prateek Gaur, a resident of Sector 10, said, “This lane is a convenient short cut to the Golak Dham temple and the market. Civic bodies need to maintain it.”

“I had raised this issue when I met the mayor of SDMC, Kamaljeet Sehrawat. She had assured me that she would urge DDA to maintain the lane. However, even after three months, nothing has been achieved,” Kalsi added.

Will the proposed user fee for waste disposal get a thumbs up from residents?

Two days back, City Spidey had reported that from the financial year starting April 2018, residents of Delhi will have to pay a user fee for waste disposal. This user fee has been recommended by the Delhi State Legal Service Authority (DSLA), which had been tasked with framing a fresh set of guidelines for solid waste management.  

DSLA recommends the imposition of a user fee on all waste generating units, which include households, cooperative group housing societies, small shops, eateries, fruit and vegetable vendors, and dwelling units in unauthorised colonies.

So what will the user fee be?

“The user fee is likely to range between Rs 100 and Rs 150 per household. However, we shall be in a position to fix the amount only after the Delhi High Court finishes reviewing the report created by DSLA on solid waste management rules,” said a senior official of  East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).

Incidentally, Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD) has also been authorised to levy a fine up to Rs 5,000 on the waste generating units that do not comply with the recommendations of the solid waste management report.  

Residents of housing societies across East Delhi are already paying money to garbage collectors or agencies for waste collection from their doorstep. For instance, residents in East End Apartments and United India Apartments in Mayur Vihar Phase I Extension are paying Rs 60 and Rs 70 respectively.

On the other hand, residents of housing societies in Dwarka and South Delhi are paying waste disposal fees to managing committees of their respective societies, along with monthly maintenance charges. 

The situation in the rest of Delhi is not very different. Therefore, it is more than likely that the cooperative group housing societies and residents welfare associations of established colonies will oppose the proposed user fee for waste disposal.

Subhash Srivastava, a resident of East End Apartments, said, “In our society, every household is paying Rs 60 per month directly to the agent who provides waste collectors. This is in addition to the maintenance charges, which we pay to the managing committee. An additional sum by way of user fee will not go down well with the residents.”

Purusottam Bhatt, president of United India Apartments, said, “Imposition of a user fee is an arbitrary decision. Why should we pay Rs 100 or Rs 150 if we are getting the same service for Rs 70? Also, we want to know if this user fee will ensure better cleanliness outside our society premises.”

People also suspect that civic bodies such as EDMC and NDMC, which are already facing a financial crunch, will leverage the user fee to earn some extra cash. However, if residents resist the user free, their hopes are likely to be dashed.  

Has GDA really been dishonest in awarding maintenance contracts for Indirapuram?

After residents flagged GDA’s questionable awarding of Indirapuram maintenance contracts to certain companies, Prabhat Kumar, chairman of GDA, finally ordered an inquiry into the allegation. FedAOA had raised concerns in May last year through an RTI query that GDA was repeatedly awarding maintenance contracts to companies operating under different names but run by the same people.

Speaking to City Spidey, Ravindra Godbole, acting vice-chairman of GDA, confirmed that an inquiry had been ordered into the matter.

In his RTI query, Alok Kumar, president of FedAOA, asked GDA to provide details of the companies appointed for the upkeep of the residential areas of Indirapuram. The suspicion rose from the fact the companies Wilbrose India, Wilbrose Hitech Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, Gazelle Suffolk India and Florida Facility Management Pvt Ltd, which were given these contracts year after year, were owned by the same people.

What’s more, these contracts were being awarded despite complaints of shoddy services.

The RTI also revealed that according to their agreement with GDA, the appointed firms were also required to provide a host of other services including door-to-door garbage collection, which residents say they had never even heard of.

Bringing the matter to the fore again, Sunil Sharma, MLA of the Sahibabad constituency, had recently asked GDA to conduct an investigation into the issue.

GDA acting vice-chairman Godbole said that a committee would be formed to look into the matter. “The inquiry report of the committee will first be submitted to the vice-chairman and then to the chairman,” he added.

Speaking to City Spidey, Alok Kumar said that the matter reeked of corruption. He added that he had submitted a complaint to the GDA chairman himself via WhatsApp and had also received a response assuring him of immediate action on the issue. “We have been following this issue for a couple of years now, and the matter came to a head after the RTI query. We are now hoping for some real action after waiting for all these years,” he said.

Tussle over maintenance charges worsens in Sushant Lok I

Awaiting takeover by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), residents of Sushant Lok I have not been paying their maintenance charges. As a result, the maintenance agency, Profac Services Pvt Ltd, has not been able to pay salaries to its employees for the past six or seven months.
"Residents had certain issues with regard to electricity and water supply — but those have been resolved now. They must now start paying Profac. It seems quite a few people are still waiting for the takeover," said Sudhir Sachdeva, founder of My Sushant Lok, a local residents' group.
Most residents, however, feel differently.

"The MCG takeover is due, and hence we don't want to pay Profac. Why should we pay both property tax and Profac. That’s unfair," said a resident, on condition of anonymity.
Profac staff remained unavailable for comment.

Noida Sector 100 to get a new community centre

Noida Authority has decided to construct a community centre in Sector 100 for the benefit of residents. The plan for constructing the community centre has already been approved by Alok Tandon, chairman and CEO of Noida Authority. Construction work is expected to start at the beginning of 2018, after the completion of the tendering process. Nearly a crore is expected to be spent on the construction.

Authority officials told City Spidey that the tender for the project would be floated at the beginning of next month. noida news

Om Singh Yadav, chief engineer of Noida Authority, said that two-storey community centres were going to be constructed in many Noida sectors. On the other hand, the existing community centres of 11 sectors would undergo repair and renovation. All community centres will have kitchens and strong boundary walls. The boundary walls of most community centres are now in a dilapidated condition, which makes it easy for antisocial elements and miscreants to misuse them.

Noida: Sectors 33 and 100 prepare for polls

Sectors 33 and 100 in Noida are busy these days. The reason? Preparations for RWA elections are on in full swing. The programme schedule has already been released.

The Sector 100 election will be held on October 29 and the one in Sector 33 on November 5. Voting will happen from 10 am to 1 pm. Counting will be done on the same day, and the results for both the sectors will be declared on the polling day itself.

Pawan Yadav, RWA president of Sector 100, said, “Nominations can be filed from 9 am till 1 pm today and the filed nominations can be withdrawn from 2 pm till 4.30 pm. The final list of candidates will be declared at 4 pm tomorrow. Former superintending engineer, PK Maheshwari, has been made election officer.”

The election schedule for Sector 33 was issued after a residents’ meeting yesterday. The final voters’ list will be released on October 30 and the polls will be held on November 5.

During the meeting, it was also discussed whether the RWA could be formed without formal voting if there was a consensus among the residents.

Ggn: Female residents of Park View Residency file a complaint against police

An FIR was filed on Sunday against the residents of Park View Residency for blocking traffic to protest against issues they have been facing for a long time. In retaliation, the female residents of the condominium have filed a complaint against the police officials present during the protest on Saturday evening citing police misbehaviour towards them.

The complaint letter has now been sent to the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Bharat Gogia.

The letter is also supported by a video, where the SHO of Palam Vihar is seen telling the women: “Form bharne layak bhi nahi rahoge [you will not even be in a condition to fill out forms].” 

The subject of the complaint states misbehaviour, threat and inappropriate action on behalf of the police staff present.

Speaking about the complaint, Mansi Talwar, a resident, explained, “We were holding a peaceful protest against illegal construction activities, traffic mess and pollution. We had repeatedly brought our concerns to the notice of the local police and other relevant authorities. However, we did not get any response from them. So what else could we do but protest? And now… an FIR, and a case, have been lodged against us! Imagine the irony!” 

The residents had also approached the office of Rao Narbir Singh, public works department minister, yesterday. They were assured of action on the complaint.

Gurgaon: HUDA plans to go digital soon

With the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) successfully going digital in its operations, HUDA has decided to follow suit. The digital transition is aimed at getting rid of paperwork and achieving a more transparent administrative process, namely processing applications and sanctioning approvals. 

Once the transition is done, approval on building plans will be granted through e-mails. “The existing process is quite cumbersome. Documents have to be submitted to HUDA, and then tracked. A digital system will be effective in managing queries about individual cases,” said DS Yadav, president, Sector 17B.

HUDA also expects to improve on its response time.

Speaking to City Spidey, Yashpal Yadav, an administrator from HUDA, said, “We wish to digitise the system completely. All plans and approvals will be made online.”

I’puram feeders get last-mile connectivity from 400 kVA mega substations

The recently inaugurated power substations in Ghaziabad are now being connected to feeder stations. The two new 400 kVA substations in Ataur and Indirapuram are expected to bring respite to residents from extensive power cuts, say officials.

Officials said work on connecting power stations to the new 400 kVA substations was already under way and would be completed in a few days. According to officials of Pashimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL), the supply will soon be connected to the 33 kVA feeders before being connected to end consumers.

MC Sharma, superintending engineer of PVVNL, said, “The technical work for connecting eight 33 kVA feeders from Indirapuram is almost complete. The supply is to be transferred from the substation in Vaishali.”

Sharma added that of the 34 stations of 33 kVA in the trans-Hindon area, at present, only eight from Indirapuram will be connected to the new mega substations.

Officials also said that the transfer of supply would largely relieve the older substations from the heavy load and ensure proper supply to consumers.

Traffic blockages and diversions in Ghaziabad on Chhath Puja

To ensure smooth traffic on the roads of Ghaziabad during the upcoming Chhath Puja celebrations, the city’s traffic police has issued a set of diversions and blockages.

Celebrations will take place on October 26 and 27, and these instructions are set to be effective from October 26 noon until 11 am, October 27.

Here are the traffic diversions decided upon:

1. Vehicles coming from the Meerut intersection will have to take a turn from the Hindon barrage and head towards their destination via Mohan Nagar.

2. Vehicles heading towards the Meerut intersection from Indirapuram via the Hindon barrage will have to take the Kanauni bridge towards NH 24 and then head towards their destination via the New Link Road.

3. Vehicles from Indirapuram heading towards Mohan Nagar via the Hindon barrage will have to take the route from the Vasundhara intersection and head towards Mohan Nagar.

4. All routes from Indirapuram towards GT Road via Hindon barrage and from the Meerut intersection towards Indirapuram via the Hindon barrage area will be closed.

For vehicles coming from Mohan Nagar, parking arrangements have been made at the Haj House. On the other hand, vehicles coming from the Meerut intersection can be parked at the Indira Priyadarshini Park.

BREAKING NEWS: Fire breaks out in GDA building

A fire broke out around 9 am today at the GDA building, in front of the vice-chairman’s office. The fire started from the lobby and then spread to the nearby meeting hall.

According to Ravindra Godbole, the acting GDA VC, the fire broke out due to a short circuit in the lobby area.

The meeting room

However, according to rumours, the fire was set up intentionally to destroy the files and records of the GDA.  Contesting the claims, Godbole, maintained that the section that caught fire had no records. He added, “The fire started in the lobby and then spread to the waiting area and the meeting hall. We will certainly launch an internal inquiry into the incident.”

How construction sites are choking Gurgaon...

Gurgaon is a developing city, and what’s the price for it? Air thick with construction debris and dust! Members of several RWAs in the city have come together to act against runaway dust pollution.

Residents claim that barely a kilometre from Nirvana Country, the air around Golf Course Extension Road is thick with dust and other pollutants.

An e-mail campaign has already been launched involving RWAs, residents, schools and parents. The objective is to mobilise a coordinated effort towards clearing of construction debris from Golf Course Extension Road. The stretch is accessed by thousands of commuters.

"Construction and building material are dumped on the road in places such as Badarpur. The air is thick with sand and dust particles. Motorists often drive through mounds of loose soil on both sides of the road, kicking up dust in the process. The dust puts commuters at risk of respiratory illness. With each car that speeds by, the volume of dust increases and those living in the vicinity are the worst hit,” explained Ruchika Sethi Takkar, a citizen activist and resident of Nirvana Country.

“We don’t know why the authorities have failed to ensure proper maintenance of this road. However, with the administration taking active steps now to bring down air-pollution levels, we are hopeful of some respite,” said Shona, a resident of Silver Oaks Apartments, DLF Phase I.

Rajeev Agarwal, who recently moved back to Gurgaon from Singapore and is now a resident of Palm Drive on Golf Course Extension Road, explained, “Construction workers in Singapore — mostly Indians — ensure that every truck laden with construction material is washed before they exit the construction site. This goes a long way in ensuring that loose dust doesn’t spread to residential areas.”

He added, “After living for two years in Singapore I returned home in the hope of some improvement in the quality of living under the new government. However, things seem to have gone from bad to worse. Roads are in a bad shape and traffic jams and vehicular pollution have worsened. The air is thick with loose dust from construction sites, and when it rains, it’s hell on the roads."

A senior HUDA official said, “We recently conducted an anti-encroachment drive, during which we removed all unauthorised shops from Golf Course Extension Road. We will ensure that an inspection of construction sites is conducted and prompt action taken against offenders.”

Here is what the residents demand:

• Construction material sold outside residential complexes in the open and lying in heaps should be covered and kept wet
• Trucks carrying sand or construction waste should be impounded and fined if found uncovered
• Road shoulders have to be repaired on both sides, so dust from mud mounds doesn’t spread 
• The road on this entire route is to be repaired without delay, as heavy trucks ply on it
• Dry waste collection centres are to be built to minimise open burning of waste
• Installation of air-monitoring devices for real-time air-quality checks
• Designating construction and demolition (C&D) waste dumping transit points

Litigation forces NHAI to extend tender application date

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) said it may extend the tender application date — which ends on November 3 — by a fortnight or more, since the land required for the proposed elevated corridor along the Dwarka expressway is stuck in litigation.

NHAI had floated a tender on September 18, inviting applications from competent companies to construct a 10-km stretch of the elevated corridor between the Gurgaon-Dwarka border and the Basai flyover. A stretch of nearly 1.4 km near the border is stuck in litigation.

Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) is the custodian of this land.

The purpose of the elevated road is to separate local traffic from the expressway’s (national highway) long-distance traffic.

“If required, we will extend the tender application date by a fortnight or a month from November 3. NHAI needs land free of all litigation to award the work to a company. A portion of the land needed for the elevated corridor near the Gurgaon-Dwarka border is in a legal tangle, and we are waiting for HUDA to hand it over,” said Udeep Singhal, Dwarka expressway project director, NHAI.

“The elevated road will start from the Gurgaon-Delhi border and end near the Basai railway overbridge in Sector 100. The cost of the entire project has been estimated at Rs 1,800 crore,” Singhal added.

HUDA administrator Yashpal Yadav said, “We hope the litigation will be resolved soon, as the Punjab and Haryana High Court has been hearing it and the decision is about to be announced.”

The Dwarka expressway, also known as the Northern Peripheral Road (NPR) in Gurgaon, has been of prime concern for the central and state governments. In October 2016, NHAI took over the construction of NPR from the Haryana government and named it NH 248-B.

Land litigation, however, has caused inordinate delay, and this wait has become a big worry for homebuyers in sectors 81-115, who have been waiting for the expressway to become operational for the past five years.

“We were happy that NHAI will start construction of the elevated corridor at the earliest, but this delay due to litigation is worrying,” said a homebuyer, Pradeed Rahi.

After NHAI took over the project, the expressway’s length was extended from the Gurgaon border to the vicinity of Shiv Murti in Mahipalpur.

Did you know Chhath Puja was dedicated to the Sun God?

With the NCR bustling with Chhath Puja preparations (November 26-27), haven't you ever wondered what this festival is about? Traffic is being diverted, ghats are being readied, but what is it that we are all celebrating?

Well, here's the low-down.

Chhath is an ancient Hindu festival dedicated to the Sun God. According to Hindu religious texts, the festival is observed for health and prosperity, and is celebrated twice a year — first in the lunar month of Chaitra (right after Holi in March-April) and the second in the lunar autumn month of Kartik (exactly six days after Diwali). Originally observed in Bihar, Jharkhand and the Terai regions of Nepal, today with massive urbanisation, Chhath has spread to almost all corners of India.

When City Spidey spoke to Acharya Ram Krishna Tiwari, a priest who has been performing Chhath rituals for a long time in the sub-city, said, “Chhath is essentially a festival of cure. In Hindu mythology, worshipping the Sun is believed to bring relief from a number of diseases, including leprosy, as the Sun is the original source of vitamin D. It is also believed that worshipping the Sun increases longevity and brings prosperity to family and friends.”

The rituals of the festival are rigorous and observed over four days. These include a ceremonial bath in a river, fasting and abstaining from drinking water, and standing in water for long periods of time. Paying tribute to the rising and setting Sun with water (Araghya) is a signature attribute of the festival. The folk songs sung on the evening of Chhath reflect the culture, social structure, mythology and history of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Tiwari explained, “The word 'Chhath' denotes the number 6, and the festival is celebrated on the sixth day of the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. A closer scrutiny of the word reveals that the austerities of Chhath Puja have their origins in the six stages of Hatha yoga. The word ‘Chah’ means ‘six stages’ and ‘Hath’ refers to the science of Hath Yoga [austerity], as mentioned in several religious texts. Incidentally, the Rig Veda contains hymns worshipping the Sun God and describes similar rituals. The rituals of Chhath also find reference in The Mahabharata, in which Draupadi is depicted carrying out the same rituals for the longevity and prosperity of her five husbands when they were in exile.”

Here are a few things intrinsically connected to Chhath:

Prasad: Prasad, or offerings to the Sun God, bears great importance in this festival. Fruits and sweets are offered, along with water and milk. Generally, at least five kinds of fruit are offered, along with the traditional sweets made at home.

Nahakha: This is a preliminary step in the rituals, whereby devotees bathe and eat on the day of Chaturthi (the fourth day of Kartik).

Kharna: On Panchami, the day before Chhath, devotees observe a daylong fast, which ends in the evening after sunset. The fast is broken by puris, sweetened milk rice (kheer) and bananas. Thereafter, for the next 36 hours, devotees go on a fast without water.

Sandhya Arghya and Pratah Arghya: The evening of the day of the fast (within the stipulated 36 hours) is spent preparing prasad. This is offered to the Sun God the next day at the river bank after sunset.

Parna: The festival ends the next day, with the ceremonial breaking of fast.

Here's why your calls to Gurgaon's PCR may now be more productive

Have you ever called a PCR and hung up fuming at the inadequacy of the service? But has it ever crossed your mind that the operators could be handling up to 9,000 calls a day — and that, too, many of them fake or blank! Imagine the frustration!

However, things are changing now at the Gurgaon police control room (PCR). Operators who receive distress calls from all parts of the district — both urban and rural — say their working has vastly improved after the introduction of the new Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS).

While earlier, the operators were deluged by calls every day, the IVRS has ensured that fake and blank calls are now filtered out.

“We now attend about 800-900 calls a day, in contrast to almost the 9,000 we used to receive earlier. The IVRS has greatly reduced the stress on operators. A person who has had to deal with 300 calls a day on average now handles 30-40 genuine calls,” said PCR server operator Jitender Kumar.

According to data shared by the Gurgaon police on the IVRS trial run, operators now receive an average of 900 calls every day — of these 25-30 report crime, 30-40 are enquiries and 100-110 seek general information.

Head constable Meenakshi, who manages the PCR, said reduction in the number of blank calls has helped improve responsiveness and functioning of the operators and police.

“Imagine someone picking up the phone 300 times a day — and 95 per cent of the time it is either a blank or a fake call! It can be utterly frustrating. Now things are better,” she said.

“Often operators at the PCR are unable to communicate effectively with the callers, just due to the sheer number of calls they have to deal with, but now things will improve,” assured Gurgaon police PRO Ravinder Kumar.

Fresco, Gurgaon: Now this is what we call embodying the true Diwali spirit!

On Diwali, about 45 residents of the Fresco condominium in Sector 50, Gurgaon, came together to contribute money to buy essential items for their housekeeping, maintenance and gardening staff. This initiative was taken by Preeta Pradhan, a resident of the condominium. About 120 staff members across support functions were gifted ration items such as rice, wheat, sugar, salt, oil and candles, along with a box of sweets.

The highlight of this exercise was the involvement of the society's children.  

Tanishq, a 14-year-old boy, said, “I am very fond of crackers, but this time it was a different Diwali. I donated Rs 1,000 given to me by my parents for a cause. I am glad I didn’t waste this money on crackers and that it was used in buying ration and sweets for the lesser privileged. I feel great about it.”

Akshar Matta, a 7-year-old, said, “We demonstrated our love for the very people who help us live safer and cleaner lives. The spirit of Diwali is about sharing and demonstrating love.”

Speaking to City Spidey, Pradhan, the woman behind the initiative, said, “We wanted to make the staff members feel special. This gesture also instilled a beautiful feeling of care and giving in our children. Through these acts of kindness, they learn the importance of giving."

Thank god air pollution is just 'severe' post Diwali

As expected, there was a sharp rise in Delhi’s air-pollution levels on the morning after Diwali. However, the situation was better than last year, when a blanket of toxic smog engulfed the city, taking air pollution levels to the "emergency category". In comparison, air quality was tagged at "very poor" on Diwali day, and "severe" on Friday evening, a day after Diwali. Ironically, this is the least hazardous situation in the past three years.

Despite this, however, many morning walkers, especially senior citizens, decided to stay away from neighbourhood parks for two days after Diwali to avoid inhaling toxic air. 

VS Rawat, a senior resident of Parivar Apartments in IP Extension, said, “We spend two hours in the morning and two and a half hours in the evening at the neighbourhood park every day. We walk, do some yoga or just chat with friends and neighbours. But given the poor air quality after Diwali, we decided to stay at home for at least two days, hoping things would get better after that.”

AK Pandey, a resident of Vasundhara Enclave, however, felt this year's post-Diwali morning was "much better in comparison to last year". He said, "The Supreme Court's ban on the sale of firecrackers worked. We hope the air quality will get better in a few days.” 

That said, it definitely seems like it has been a cleaner and a less noisy Diwali, if not the pollution-free festival we all hope it will be some day.

Dwarka: DJB admits to sending unverified water bills to residents!

At a meeting between officials of the Delhi Jal Board and Dwarka’s Federation of Cooperative Group Housing Societies, the former accepted that there had been no verification of water bills before they were dispatched to the societies. According to the Federation, DJB had sent wrong bills for water, bore wells and also the rain water harvesting system. 

After the meeting, which was presided over by Sudha Sinha, general secretary of Dwarka and V Selvarajan, secretary CGHS Federation, a Federation representative told City Spidey that DJB had instructed them not to pay any unverified bills.

“Though they have not given us anything in writing yet they have verbally reiterated this point. They have also added that the penalty imposed on rain-water harvesting systems will be rolled back,” the representative said.

Sudha Sinha said that her society, Delhi Apartments in Sector 22, too had received faulty bills. She added that a penalty had been imposed despite the rain-water harvesting systems in their society being functional. “This is unfortunate. They should have verified the bills properly before sending them to the residents.”

Incidentally, rain- water harvesting does not entail a separate bill. However, people who have rain-water harvesting mechanisms pay a higher consolidated water bill to the DJB. The issue of sending bills without verification of the rain water harvesting systems was also raised last summer in the course of a meeting with the area MLA, Gulab Singh Yadav in the presence of DJB officials. The MLA had assured to solve the problems.

DJB Vice Chairman Dinesh Mohania and the area MLA Gulab Singh Yadav were also present in the recent meeting, the outcome of which was posted on Facebook.

Secretary of Federation of CGHS and a resident of Diamond Square Apartments in Sector 6, V Selvarajan, who was also present at the meeting said, “Everyone knows that Dwarka had water supply issues before 2015. Water supply was mostly through tankers which were duly supplemented with groundwater. However, now that water supply is sufficient, no one is dependent on groundwater. Taxing societies just because bore wells exist now is illogical, unjustifiable and not sustainable." Now that DJB has accepted that the bills were generated without verification, law abiding citizens have reason to doubt and question the efficacy of its functioning. "We hope that DJB shall be pragmatic in approaching the issues, in terms of both bore well and rainwater harvesting,” says Selvarajan. 

UP Energy Minister unveils power packages for Ghaziabad

The top brass of Uttar Pradesh power distribution and energy sector unveiled a host of amenities for residents of Ghaziabad in a mega inauguration event held in Indirapuram today. Uttar Pradesh energy minister Srikant Sharma, unveiled two 400kva power substations in Ghaziabad along with Urja Mitra a power-cut management cum notifications platform and a RFMS (Rural Feeder Monitoring System). RFMS essentially will assist in energy audit and measuring transmission losses in the power supply to rural areas.

While the substation located in Indirapuram shall supply electricity to the entire trans-Hindon area (Vaishali, Kaushambi, Pratap Vihar and Indirapuram) and parts of Noida, the substation in Ataur village shall supply power to the rural areas of Ghaziabad.

The Urja Mitra platform is a first of its kind in Uttar Pradesh and is both a mobile app and web based application. The platform will provide real time information regarding power-cuts in the consumer’s respective area and the reason behind them. It will also keep track of the duration of outages. Consumers can also lodge complaints via the platform.

The new substation has two 400/220-kV transformers, which are of 500MVA capacity each, and three other 220/33-kV transformers of 60MVA capacity each.

Before it had been powered up, the substation in Indirapuram had faced a host of hurdles and missed several deadlines. The construction of the powerlines, which connected the substation to the generation source in Sonbhardra district had faced resistance from farmers in Morta who were resisting land acquisition. Problems again surfaced when the CISF camp near NH 24 in Indirapuram refused to provide land for a transmission tower. However, the matter was sorted with the intervention of union minister, Gen. VK Singh. The project also saw resistance from locals who had taken the matter to the National Green Tribunal citing environmental pollution.

“It was a tough task to build this power highway all the way from Sonbhadra. However, the volume of the supply should be sufficient to satisfy the demands of the next five years,” said Kamran Rizhvi, CMD of UPPTCL (UP Power Transmission Corporation Limited).

Addressing the gathering of residents from across Ghaziabad, Srikant Sharma, the energy minister of UP maintained that complete urban and rural electrification (including illumination of the remotest villages of the state) was the motto of the current Adityanath Yogi led UP government.

Sharma also took a jab at the previous Samajwadi Party led state government and alleged that the government had done nothing substantial in the domain of electrification. “The discoms of the state government will strive to provide electricity with minimum power cuts,” he added.

Ironically, by dusk as the ministers, MLAs and top notch officials left the venue the entire township of Indirapuram got shrouded in a veil of darkness. No street lights were working and pedestrians were navigating their way in the light filtering from nearby shops and passing vehicles.

Gurgaon’s La Laguna residents turn waste into wealth

The RWA and residents of La Laguna, a condominium on Golf Course Road, Gurgaon, have  installed a compost plant to process and turn waste into manure. For starters, the process begins with segregation of garbage and waste through a disciplined system of waste collection. This is followed by a waste management process that turns garbage into manure.

Conceived early this year, the initiative is now fully operational and has begun yielding results. While the daily waste is segregated into wet and dry, E-waste is collected separately.

The condominium processes 4,500 kg of wet waste

The RWA initiative was welcomed wholeheartedly by the residents, some of whom are enthusiastic participants in the whole programme and have spread awareness about waste segregation within the society members.

Kavita Bansal, a resident of the society, told City Spidey, "Our waste collectors collect both types of waste. Kitchen waste along with horticulture waste is converted to rich compost in 20 to 25 days in the plant by natural process."

"The compost plant located inside the society generates nearly 400 kg of manure from 4,500 kg of kitchen waste that is collected in a month," she added.

For the  E-waste, there are separate bins that collect electronic items. The bins are kept at two locations inside the complex.

“Residents throw unusable electronic items into these bins. Once they are filled up, E-waste is handed over to an authorised E-waste recycle professional,” Kuldeep Kohli, RWA president said.

Garbage dumping chokes Dwarka drains

Residents of Dwarka in different sectors are in a bind over garbage dumped in drains that's choking the water flow and adding to the toxic content of the area. It's posing a serious health hazard for residents living along the drains in sectors 3, 5 11 and 12.

Floating garbage mounds in the drain present an ugly picture and puncture the claim of civic authorities and their cleanliness sloganeering, say some residents, who complain that no official was responding to their complaints.

Consider this Palam drain that goes through the sectors 3, 5, 11 and 12, or the one called Trunk Drain 5 in sectors 3 and 13 – one can see garbage piles floating in the catchment area of the drain and choking the drain in the process.

A huge mound of garbage can be seen next to a petrol station at sector 11. Several complaints by the residents of flats and societies nearby have failed to yield desired results. “The civic authorities are passing the buck instead of acting on complaints,” said Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of sector 13.

“Behind societies such as Metro View Apartments, Netaji Subhash Apartments in Sector 13, there's the TD 5, which is full of garbage and filth,” he said adding, “Even the garbage collectors find this place easy to dispose the garbage.”

The civic bodies should act and stop this nuisance, Kumar said.

Durga Pooja Apartment residents called on the mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), Kamalijeet Sehrawat, who gave them a patient hearing, but informed them that drains did not come under her jurisdiction. “But she promised help. She said she could act on the grounds of sanitation, which came under her jurisdiction” said RWA president of Durga Pooja Apartments, Ajay Chawdhary.

“Mayor assured us that she would raise the issue of garbage with the concerned officials in the DDA flood division and see if barricading of the drain could be done,” Chawdhary said. 

The residents complain that the councillor never visited their area and they were unsure as to whom to approach.

Similar is the situation in societies along the Palam drain. Former general secretary of Adarsh Apartments in Sector 3 of Pocket 16, Uma Shankar, told City Spidey that the issue should be taken up seriously as the practice of dumping garbage has increased. “Authorities must take urgent steps to improve the situation,” he said.

The condition of the Palam drain near a bridge in Sector 11 is a constant source of worry for the residents near the locality.

Sunita Chawla, a resident of sector 11, said, “This is making the already toxic water more toxic and poses a health hazard and damages environment too.”

Civic authorities are making a joke of the Clean India campaign, she said, adding that different bodies continue to throw the ball in each other’s court rather than act while people suffer.

Palam Vihar, Sector 21: Residents mull protests for civic response

The residents of Sector 21, Palam Vihar, Gurgaon, are extremely unhappy and annoyed with the civic authorities for the very poor condition of the roads in the neighbourhood. For the past several days, they have made many complaints to the municipal corporation, but with little or no response.

So far, there has been no concerted action on the ground, residents allege. Which is why, they are contemplating stepping up protest, like the residents of Park View Residency did. But they want to wait for some more time for the corporation to respond to their pleas before stepping up their stir for better roads.

Four out of five pockets in Sector 21 are pockmarked with huge potholes that make driving difficult. Especially hit are the two-wheeler drivers, who are at constant risk.

Instances of pothole related deaths in Bengaluru have only heightened the fears of the residents.

Umed Singh, RWA president of Sector 21, told City Spidey, “We highlighted the problem several times, but authorities are yet to act. Other than giving oral assurances, they have not taken serious action on our complaints.”

The residents, he said, were fed up and were thinking of stepping up the agitation. “Now, we need to resort to a serious protest to get our issues sorted out,” he said.

The grouse of the residents is that they keep paying property taxes on time, but they don’t get even the basic facilities. “The potholes are only increasing in size and numbers due to constant traffic on the roads,” said a resident of sector 21.

Virender Yadav, the newly elected MCG councillor, promised action very soon. “I have already highlighted this issue at the district redressal meeting presided over by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. We are expecting MCG’s action on the same soon,” he told City Spidey.

The residents, however, want to see results on the ground.