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New Delhi turns 100 years
The political and cultural seat of many empires over the centuries,
Delhi will add another chapter to its glorious history on December 12, 2011,
marking 100 years of its re-emergence as India's capital. It was on 12th December, 1911, that then Emperor of
India George V proclaimed Delhi as the capital of the British Raj, shifting from
Kolkata, thereby returning to the city its lost glory.
The foundation stone for the building of a new city in Delhi was laid by
King George V and Queen Mary at the site of the Delhi Durbar at Kingsway
Camp on 15th December, 1911 and New Delhi, as it is called, came out of
the architectural brilliance of Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.
Delhi as traditionally been the seat of a series of empires and regimes
that have ruled India since over 3,000 years back.
Congestion in Delhi
Once upon a time Delhi in the evening
was a sheer beauty or a bare bane with an endless grey-blue sky with a tinge of orange from the setting sun and the sound of chirping birds.
When the starry skies shine on monumental relics like the lit up India Gate, the Jama
Masjid, the Red Fort, Lotus Temple and over River
Yamuna (यमुना), Delhi becomes a mesmerizing beauty.
But now it is touched by the mega city bug with endless high rises blocking a clear view
of the evening sky. With honking cars, crowded public buses and Metro trains, numerous people milling about everywhere, and of course its incessant
pollution, it becomes worse by the end of the day. Very few parks and open fields are to be seen in colonies these days as they are
often surrounded by multi-storied buildings. The city roads in the evenings are often filled with people, their faces tense, clad in formals returning from work, now
caught in noisy traffic snarls. And the holy
River Yamuna (यमुना), the beauty and lifeline of Delhi is now becomes a dirty
drain..
Concerned over the increasing congestion in Delhi, the supreme court (SC) asked the government on
July 9, 2008 to find a way to shift a large number of people from the capital that lacks infrastructure to house them.
Saying it was conscious of the fundamental right of citizens to live and migrate to any part of the country, the apex court, however,
observed, “But at the same time, the need is also fundamental for infrastructure and (it) is also equally important.”
WHO to assist in superbug research in Delhi's water
The World Health Organisation (WHO) on April 17, 2011 said it will assist India in studying whether the multi-drug
resistant superbug alleged to be present in Delhi's water is a health threat. "The WHO will be assisting Indian government in the research on whether
the superbug is a health threat or not," WHO Country Representative and
Spokesperson Nata Menabde told reporters here. "Nobody is contesting whether what (British journal) Lancet has written,
but we have to confront science through science. Whether or not it's a public heath threat needs to be established through research," she said. |
Now Mono Rail for
trans-Yamuna?
The Delhi Government is drawing up plans to expand the mono rail service
to many more parts of the trans- Yamuna area where extension of the Delhi
Metro rail services and even plying of low-floor buses may not be
feasible, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said on January 28, 2012.
Delhi petrol pumps spew cancerous fumes
A study conducted at 40 petrol pumps of Delhi has found that the level
of toxic fumes containing pollutants known as volatile organic compounds
- benzene, toluene and xylene among them - is several thousand times
higher than the permissible limits.
Private cars poisoning Delhi
4.5 million registered vehicles in Delhi An insatiable appetite for private cars
among Delhi's growing middle class is fuelling a new and deadly pollution spike.
New figures on November 10, 2011 show that deaths from respiratory diseases have almost
doubled in just four years, a problem even the state's Health Minister
attributed this week to the 1100 new cars added to Delhi roads every
single day. More than 7500 people died from preventable respiratory diseases in
Delhi last year compared with 4246 deaths |
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Delhi pollution charts
Pollution level is rising in Delhi, with particulate matter
(PM) and nitrogen dioxide reaching unhealthy levels, a Centre for Science and Environment
(CSE) report said on August 18, 2011
According to CSE, the official air quality index of Central Pollution Control Board showed that several locations in Delhi were in the grip of
multi-pollutants. The review of the first 10 days of December showed that both particulate
matter and nitrogen dioxide had reached unhealthy levels. Even carbon monoxide showed unhealthy levels at some key centres
including Connaught Place, ITO, Karkardooma, Karol Bagh and the Indira Gandhi stadium.
Delhi tops the grim Air pollution charts released by a
World Bank and Asian Development Bank joint study of air pollution for 20 major Asian cities between 2000 and 2003.
For most hazardous of particles — PM10, which can even penetrate a face mask — New Delhi has three times more than Hong Kong.
Delhi is ranked as one of the world's most polluted cities for
particulate matter. A scan of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee's
real-time air quality monitor shows alarmingly high levels across the
city of carbon monoxide and benzene, both gases directly attributable to
intense vehicle traffic.
A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study in July,
2011 concluded that living in the Indian capital could shorten a person's lifespan thanks to
the concentration of respirable suspended particulate matter in the air,
double the national limit and six times the threshold set by the World
Health Organisation.
The growing number of vehicles and poor inspection and maintenance of in-use vehicles can completely undo the effects of.
Contrast it with Delhi’s situation where 10,000 cars are being added every
month. See White paper on Pollution in Delhi, Govt. of India
The CNN-IBN Outlook State of the Environment Poll ( published in June 5, 2008) asked citizens of six cities across India how they felt for the environment and
Environment Pollution - related issues.
In fact all those polled in Delhi also voted Air pollution
was their number one
woe. “Pollution is getting to us and we need to find a solution,” says Center for
Science and Environment, Sunita Narain. If people were given a choice what is the one environmental issue they would
want government to address, a whopping 86 per cent of the people want the government to plant trees, followed by reducing air pollution, providing
Clean and Safe Drinking Water , cleaning up rivers, collecting and segregating garbage and
finally improving public transport. “Why cant bureaucrats and politicians car-pool,” asks environment activist Leo
Saldhana
In a survey of almost 12,000 city schoolchildren late last year, 17 per cent
reported coughing, wheezing or breathlessness, compared to just 8 per cent of children in a rural area.
Children across the country are exposed to lead poisoning even in their homes, according to a study conducted by an environmental NGO, which was unveiled on
June 4, 2008: The organisation, Toxics Link, found alarmingly high levels of lead in household dust in New Delhi, with wall paint being the main source.
Dust wipe samples were collected from floors and window sills in 57 households in Delhi — and 31% of the samples of floor
dust and 14% of the window sill dust samples contained levels of lead that would be considered hazardous by the US Environment Protection Agency.
"While the study, ‘Dusty toxics: A study on lead in household dust in Delhi,' has been done in only one city, the situation is likely to be similar in other Indian cities.
Lead is a highly toxic heavy metal, and once ingested, it remains within the body and can affect the blood, brain, nerves and intestines. "It can show up as
anemia or abdominal pain in children. At low levels there is a subtle change in
behavior with the child becoming hyperactive or drowsy. It also affects a child's attention span," says Dr
Balasubramanian, senior consultant (pediatrics), Child's Trust Hospital, and president of the Indian Academy of Pediatrics,
Chennai.
Delhi is also one of the few Indian cities to have done more than
its fair share to cut air pollution in the last six years. Polluting industries have been relocated, government buses, three-wheelers, and
taxis run on CNG, 15-year-old commercial vehicles are off roads and there is a tighter control on power plants, but none of this is able to combat 4.5 million
registered vehicles with 1,000 being added every day. An ever increasing number of diesel vehicles and the future looks completely dismal |
To combat air pollution in Delhi
To combat air pollution, the officials of Environment
Ministry of eight countries, held a meeting on June 28, 2011 over
the Male Declaration to control and prevent the rise in air
pollution in Indian capital New Delhi.
Delhi first state to have children's courts
Delhi first state to have children's` courts New Delhi: Around 450 cases
have been registered in the 11 children’s courts in the national capital
since July when they became functional in Delhi, the first state to open
such facilities for the speedy trial of crime against children.
"The main objective of having such courts is to provide speedy justice,
relief and care to the children who are victims of criminal offence and
expeditious disposal of such cases," DCPCR secretary XK Mehto told a
news agency.
Tata Motors CNG- Electric hybrid public transport bus
Twizy Z.E. new electric car
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Recent report
of the Central Pollution Control Board.
The Capital is leading the way with its old city recording the highest pollution level in the country, said a report of the Central Pollution Control Board. The report, accessed
exclusively by HT as it has not been made public yet, said there has been a 19 per cent increase in air pollution in urban areas with 70
per cent of locations above critical levels. Chandni Chowk topped the list of 10 most polluted areas, moving up five
positions from the previous list. Janakpuri debuted in the list, making it two for Delhi. Despite replacing its pollution-spewing diesel buses
with with cleaner CNG ones and taking a host of measures like making Bharat IV norms mandatory for cars, regulating truck traffic and putting
up effluent treatment plants, Delhi remains the country's 11th most critically polluted area.
The Central Pollution Control Board's latest Comprehensive Environmental
Assessment of Industrial (CEPI) index in June 2011, that rates a place on the basis
of cumulative air, water and land pollution indicators, puts Delhi's Najafgarh drain basin, that includes Anand Parvat, Naraina, Okhla and
Wazirpur, at number 11 in the list of 88 most polluted industrial clusters with a CEPI of 79.4.
With a nearexplosive increase in vehicular population, Delhi's air quality is worsening, compared to Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata or
Hyderabad. The suspended particulate matter in Delhi stood at 180+ in 2009, against a safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre.
“The Ring Road in Delhi was built with a carrying capacity of 75,000 vehicles during peak hour,” she said. “It now carries over 160,000 vehicles.” The
solution, both Gautam and Chowdhury agreed, lay in switching to public transportation.
Experts say air pollution increasing cancer cases in Delhi
New Studies have revealed Delhi faces serious concerns about diseases caused by air pollution.
Environmentalists say that with 690,000 vehicles on city roads, a growth
of about 600,000 in 20 years, nitrous oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) are at critically high levels. And unless immediate action
is taken, the results could prove disastrous. NOx and PM are known to cause Cancer
and Asthma and medical experts claim signs of deteriorating health are showing.
Dr Vinod Raina, a cancer specialist at the All India Institute of
Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said: "We see a 2-3 per cent rise in lung cancer cases every year.
"Until some years ago 14-15 cases were reported for every 100,000 cancer patients."But of late, we have been getting about 13,000 new cases of cancer
yearly. Out of these 30 per cent pertain to lung cancer and a huge number of patients are those who do not smoke."
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) claims vehicle emissions are the cause and represent a big threat to the city.
Green technology vehicles
Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on 4th January 2010 inaugurated Twizy Z.E.
Concept, a new electric car from the stables of Renault, which will be out on Indian roads by 2011.The blue and white
two- seater works on the green technology principle. Renault India general manager Marc Nassif says his company is commitment to green technology.
On September 18, 2010 Tata Motors shot us a press release containing details and images of the
India’s first CNG- Electric hybrid public transport bus. It can accommodate 32 people, uses a parallel hybrid system and has a top speed
of 72 kph. Tata says it has a team of 500 engineers who are readily available to
service these buses. The vehicles will be in operation during the Commonwealth games that is about a fortnight away.
Air monitoring stations
With Delhi fast becoming the most polluted city in South Asia, the Central Pollution Control Board has decided to install three more air
monitoring stations here to update air quality data every 15 minutes. The equipment, costing around Rs 80 lakh each, would be installed at India
Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) in Dilshad Garden, Netaji Subash Institute of Technology in Dwarka and third one is proposed at Delhi Milk Scheme in Patel
Nagar, all highly polluted areas.
The continuous pollution monitoring devices are being set up in the new three locations witnessing sudden spurt
in population, unmonitored industrial areas as well sharp growth in vehicular and human population in these
areas, said the CPCB Director Mr S D Makhijani. The new systems to be installed by the Board inaugurated on June 5,
2008 on the occasion of World Environment Day. Presently four continuous air quality stations are functioning from Siri Fort, ITO, Delhi College of
Engineering in Rohini and through a mobile van that is stationed as per need.
Gurgaon, the suburb of Delhi has long been celebrated as a shining example of a vibrant, flourishing,
21st- century India. But this Delhi suburb, faced with crippling power
and water shortages, disappearing green cover, and a permanent haze of cement dust hanging over the air
due to the frenzied construction of malls and high-rises, were compelled to petition the Supreme Court in May.
They urged the court to save Gurgaon from complete disaster and put an end to its unplanned development,
which had made their lives untenable financially, environmentally and mentally.
New Delhi, Now More Polluted Than Beijing
India has recently pulled far ahead of China on one dubious development marker – air pollution in the country’s capital.
The air quality in New Delhi on November 21, 2011 afternoon was significantly worse
than the air quality in Beijing, according to real-time air monitors run
by the Indian and U.S. governments in both cities. New Delhi, a landlocked,
fast-growing metropolis of more than 16 million people, is regularly shrouded by haze and smog
(Fog over Delhi ) in winter months, as barometric pressure and cooler air mix with
construction dust, smoke from cow dung fires and car exhaust, which then hover over the city for days.
But this year, the air quality in New Delhi has seemed noticeably worse
than previous years as the summer heat dissipates. On Monday, a thick gray haze hung over Delhi’s taller buildings, and a visible film formed
quickly on stationary objects, leaving a chemical taste and grime on the skin.
Noise pollution
The flyovers of Delhi have turned into giant vuvuzelas, blowing vehicular noise double the prescribed limits into the ears of
people even six- seven floors above the ground. A study conducted by the Central Road Research Institute
(CRRI) blames the hundred- odd flyovers that have mushroomed in the city in recent
years for turning up the noise pollution levels in the capital. People living near airports, highways, and railroads are majorly
exposed to noise pollution. They are disturbed by the noise and it has
been evident that they remain stressed by the noise and, in turn, experience physiological problems,Everyday noise exposure over time has an impact upon our ability to
hear and on the degree of hearing loss that develops.
Drinking water pollution
Till now, the polluted drinking water have been found in groundwater and tap water. Water in bottles and canisters have for long
offered the middle class the only option for clean drinking water. But
it appears even these are not as pure as they claim. While the Central Pollution Control Board does routine checks on
groundwater and river water, a one-off study of bottled mineral water in
Delhi reveals that the so-called pure water has significant levels of pollutants, notably coliform (faecal matter), a major pollutant in the
River Yamuna (यमुना), despite claims to the contrary.
The study took samples from five major mineral water brands. It revealed
that most of these brands had levels of boron and iron exceeding safe
limits. But what is more worrying is the presence of coliform (bacteria) matter in the water. In fact, all brands had excess levels of
coliform, and in some cases there were traces of coliform from human faecal matter, the kind of pollutant found in sewage water.
52 per cent of Delhi lives in slums without basic services
More than half of Delhi’s population lives in urban slums with
inadequate provision of basic services, a study released recently. According to the study, titled
“A situational analysis of the young child in India”, 52 percent of Delhi’s
population resides in urban slums. The survey, conducted in six slums in Delhi by Forces, a voluntary
organisation working on child care services in India, shows that in comparison to Delhi’s infant mortality rate
(IMR) of 40, the IMR in slums is higher at 54 for every 1,000 live births. |
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Exotic birds find unexpected nesting in Delhi
One of the world's most polluted and populated cities, Delhi, is home
to 450 species of bird - more than any other capital city in the world except
Nairobi in July 2011. But it is unclear whether the birds will survive the continued growth of the mega city.
Delhi biologist discovered 12 new frog species
Sathyabhama Das Biju, amphibian biologist of University of Delhi has been credited with more than a hundred discoveries in the
field of amphibian research, including the latest 12 species he chronicled. Biju and his student researchers have listed the new species.
Monsoon in Delhi
Encroachment is a major factor that leads to waterlogging during the
monsoons. People have covered drains to either create a balcony or make space to park vehicles.
The situation is worse in areas near the River Yamuna (यमुना) bed, since
due to rampant construction, the scope for natural discharge of water has been restricted.
As
on June 24, 2011 out of the 1,524 storm water drains that come under the civic agency's jurisdiction, they have been able to clean only 749 so far.
Instead of rainwater, everything else flows in these drains.
World famous Tihar Jail
Four
MPs and high profile inmates from South India, apart from Raja, are MP
Kanimozhi, Managing Director of Kalaignar TV Sharad Kumar and
vice-president of ADAG Hari Nair, all of whom are accused in the 2G scam.
Senior Congress leader Suresh Kalmadi, lodged in Tihar jail in connection with alleged irregularities in
Commonwealth Games 2010 .
Story
of corruption scams in India |
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Five star slums in Delhi
The report goes on to say that 31 percent of Delhi’s slum-dwellers has
no sanitation facilities and no underground sewage system. On the plight of construction workers, the report says that 67 percent children and 69
percent women construction workers are undernourished. The report suggested: “The focus on quality health services has to be
accompanied by a clear policy of land allocation for health services in Delhi’s master plan. The current allocation shows a decreased allocation
of space for primary health centres in urban poor settlements”.
Commonwealth Games 2010
On the occasion of the World Environment Day 2010, the Organising Committee
Commonwealth
Games 2010 Delhi along with the Department of Environment,
GNCTD, organised a Sustainable Transport Rally which included bicycles, electric cars and electric bikes.
The Organising Committee Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi released the Green Games monthly e-newsletter and the Department of Environment,
GNCTD, also released its 2010 State of the Environment Report.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games has cost the nation more than Rs2,300
crore, according to the CAG report tabled on August 5, 2011. CWG 2010 cost the public a whopping Rs 2,342 crore — that is Rs195 crore lost per
day to corruption, negligence and other sundry irregularities. This is only the loss caused to the nation — not the total cost of the Games.
To provide shelter, education to 30,000 street kids
Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit launched a project to provide shelter, education and other facilities to around 30,000 street and working children in the city.
Under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP), around 40 help centres and as many as 100 creches are planned to be set up by Delhi Commission
for Protection of Child Rights. Dikshit said her government was deliberating on providing shelter and education to street children as
well as those child labourers rescued from various industries and a detailed plan of action may be announced soon.
DCPCR officials said the project would be implemented with the support of civil society
organisations like NGOs and various government departments.
The Census of 2001 had put the figure of child labour in Delhi at 41,899
but various NGOs working for child welfare have put the figure at 2.5 lakh, according to DCPCR. Launching the programme, Dikshit called for a
?convergent? approach while formulating policies for providing comprehensive support to children working as child labours. "We need a
comprehensive, convergent approach towards the issue. Apart from rescuing the children from bondages, we should also provide them with
livelihood resources to empower them in true means," Dikshit said.
Delhi is one of the worst Indian cities for women
Recent figures released by the National Crime Records Bureau reveal that
1 in 4 rapes in Indian cities take place in Delhi. The city also saw almost two fifths of kidnappings or abductions of
women, 15 percent of dowry deaths and 14 percent of molestation cases. Among large cities, Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai accounted for 13.2
percent, 9.4 percent and 9.1 percent respectively of the total crimes -- over one-third of the total crimes reported from 35 mega cities.
Indian Women Take SlutWalk to New Delhi Streets
On Sunday, the 31st July 2011 morning, young women walked the streets of New Delhi
without the fear of being ogled or groped. For yesterday's female participants in SlutWalk
(Shameless Front0 Delhi, one of a series of marches around the
world protesting sexual violence against women, the atmosphere of safety
was an exception to daily life in the Indian capital. "People stare at
you, they make you feel uncomfortable and in places where it's very crowded, people take advantage of the crowd and try to molest you," says
Trishla Singh, a college student and a coordinator at the event. "On
public transportation, going out on the streets, anything that has to do
with going out of the house is problematic."
ISRO's new policy to help satellites map Delhi
India's Remote Sensing Data Policy Year 2011 gives access to high resolution satellite photos, to all public and private agencies
who will use them for social development. Commercial use is also permitted, provided companies are cleared by a high powered committee on July 06, 2011.
The Delhi State Spatial Data Infrastructure project has used them to
create a three dimensional virtual map of the entire city. Savitur Prasad, Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Delhi
Secretariat said, "Details of all residents, houses, localities. Entire details above ground in 1500 square kilometers of Delhi will be available. All the houses,
names of individuals. And below the ground upto a depth of 12 feet. Water pipes, electricity cables etc."
Satellite data can also be used to help you pay your property taxes
online, to monitor real time power and water demand in various localities, in land acquisitions, road transport and city planning. ESRI
and NIIT GIS, private firms that deliver such solutions in various states welcome the new government policy. |
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Light pollution in Delhi
There has been about 5% increase in the phenomenon of ''light pollution'' in Delhi this year as compared to last year,
according to a new survey on November 28, 2010.
Sky-gazers in Delhi miss nearly 97 per cent of stars which are visible
to the naked eyes as compared to their counterparts living in remote areas close to the national capital due to light pollution.
CAG 'slams' Sheila Dikshit
Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit is likely to come under severe criticism after the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the
organisation of the Commonwealth Games was tabled before Parliament on Friday, the 5th April 2011.
Corruption, negligence and irregularities in organising the 2010 Commonwealth Games has cost the nation more than Rs2,300
crore, according to the CAG report.
Remote Sensing Data
satellite gives access to high resolution to create a three dimensional virtual map of the entire Delhi.
Delhi Metro
The Delhi Metro has been certified by the UN as the first Metro rail in the world that has helped
in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, an official statement said Sunday.
According to the UN, Delhi Metro has helped in reducing pollution levels
in the city by 6.3 lakh tonnes every year, thus helping in mitigating
impacts of global warming. |
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Delhi Metro introduces souvenir postcards
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has introduced a collection of souvenir postcards
featuring its trains and stations, an official said on May 22, 2011 to enhance its popularity .The 7x5 inch colour postcards, priced at Rs 9 each, will be available at
the souvenir shop in the Metro museum at Patel Chowk Metro Station from Tuesday. A set of 10 cards cost Rs 90, the official added.
"Since the opening of the Metro museum in January 2009, we have been receiving a lot of requests from visitors asking for photos of the Metro
trains and the beautiful surroundings of Metro stations," the official said.
Some of the popular souvenir items at the Metro museum are toy trains, key chains, snakes and ladders and ludo among others.
The United Nations Body administering the CDM under the Kyoto Protocol has certified
in September 2011 that Delhi Metro has reduced emissions and no other Metro in the world could get
the carbon credit for the above because of the very stringent requirement to provide conclusive documentary proof of reduction in
emissions.
This is the second CDM project of Delhi Metro to be registered with the
UN body in the last three years. Metro's first CDM project was on regenerative braking - a technique for reducing power consumption.
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