With its huge population and increasing demand for urban infrastructure, India has the potential to be a world leader in providing adequate infrastructure for pedestrians. It is an opportunity for development of not only corporations in the construction space but also for companies and individuals providing facility management services. There is a need to think beyond traditional road development approaches, that are vehicle friendly, to deliver world class
amenities for pedestrians and possibly for cyclists and other eco friendly
means of transport.
This area is not without development and there are some good examples, already. Some of them are -
1. Development of footpaths and elevated footpaths in metros and major cities.
2. Foot over bridges and subways at prominent locations ( at present though, these are built to streamline traffic movement in congested area with customer comfort being an after thought).
3. Integrated development of amenities for pedestrians at places of tourist interest. ( some tenders specify development of conveyor facilities, mini trams, etc. that do not require manned operations)
Currently, there is a need driven approach to development based on feedback and input to town and city planning authorities and urban development bodies. To go from here to a world
leading position, we need a services and marketing push by facility management
and construction firms to local bodies and urban development authorities. There
is a need to create infrastructure for pedestrians in a way that it can recoup its investment and return an income as well. Let us see how this is possible.
In order to transform infrastructure for pedestrians into an earning asset, it needs to provide a billable service. This could be of these major types -
1. Rentals from mobile vendors and service providers
2. Advertising revenue from road facing and curb facing signage
3. Rentals from shops and markets created as part of the infrastructure for pedestrians
4. Fines collected for encroachment, littering and other offenses
5. Rentals from other infrastructure providers using pedestrian spaces, like broadband, cable, telecom, water, sewerage, etc.
6. Revenues from value added services like conveyor belts, mini trams, all weather shelters, etc.
7. Revenues from basic services like toilets, water dispensers, etc.
This list is not exhaustive and shows that there are multiple options for earning revenues from such spaces. Creating an all weather infrastructure can push up costs, but can multiply the earning potential as well. It could be further integrated with mass transit systems to increase the
area, and hence the earning potential.
The financing of such infrastructure can be obtained from central
schemes like JNNURM, MPLAD, and from funds earmarked for local bodies, among
others. There is also scope for public-private partnerships, especially with
builders constructing new housing and commercial development. Besides these,
shops and commercial establishments in the vicinity could contribute as
partners in the overall development of their areas.
The maintenance and operation of such infrastructure could be a
daunting proposition for local bodies facing fund paucity, and hence revenue
generation is of utmost priority. However, it is also an area with tremendous
scope for employment of the under-developed sections of urban society. These
are some of the jobs that could get created -
1. Cleaning staff
2. Service and maintenance staff
3. Gardeners
4. Location based service providers and enablers (like tourist
guides, etc)
5. Security staff
If some of those services are offered as paid services, the posts could be auctioned off locality wise to generate additional income. They could alternatively be covered by urban employment schemes on the lines of NREGA.
Overall, thanks to increasing urbanization, infrastructure development for pedestrians deserves increased focus and could emerge into a sector that can propel the economy forward.
Monday, 23 January 2012
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Drifter
My mind drifts endlessly like a piece of paper
Blown here and there by the errant weather
Sometimes it lands on the bright orange flowers nodding merrily at me
and sometimes on children playing, careless and free.
Sometimes it settles on the frail old lady staring vacantly,
Wonder what she is thinking or is it a silent plea?
Sometimes it goes down the memory lane
And settles on yesterdays' fun in the rain,
Where life was all about meeting friends;
And mooning about future career and trends.
Where one moment of fun was not about being someone,
But being there for someone was rather more fun
My mind drifts aimlessly here and there
Finally it's forced to settle on the silly machine that I stare
And gives me a reality check, so there.
Cant wait to be that piece of paper again;
Where I can wander aimlessly now and then!
~Piyali~
Blown here and there by the errant weather
Sometimes it lands on the bright orange flowers nodding merrily at me
and sometimes on children playing, careless and free.
Sometimes it settles on the frail old lady staring vacantly,
Wonder what she is thinking or is it a silent plea?
Sometimes it goes down the memory lane
And settles on yesterdays' fun in the rain,
Where life was all about meeting friends;
And mooning about future career and trends.
Where one moment of fun was not about being someone,
But being there for someone was rather more fun
My mind drifts aimlessly here and there
Finally it's forced to settle on the silly machine that I stare
And gives me a reality check, so there.
Cant wait to be that piece of paper again;
Where I can wander aimlessly now and then!
~Piyali~
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Looking For a Place to Stay..
"Oh no, not another transfer!", said Leena helplessly. Sunny smiled unsurely. He always smiled when he wanted to a) assure her that all is well and b) when he wanted to assure HIMSELF that all is well. "Oh well, I suppose this is what life is all about", said Leena consoling herself."One has to move with the times, as they say, sometimes in one city and sometimes in another; it's all for the ultimate good". "Yes, of course", said Sunny, now a little more courageously, knowing that this was his wife's way of getting around to his way of thinking.
In a matter of two weeks after this conversation, Sunny and Leena, had boarded a Mumbai-Bangalore flight, and were off to begin a new chapter of their lives,in a new city.Leena had a home-based job as an insurance agent, and Sunny worked with a Multinational company,in the software division. When their plane landed, the couple squeezed each other's hand in happiness...they had planned to do so much together: this was an opportunity for a fresh start.
From their cab, Leena peered out of the window, wide-eyed, staring at the newly built airport road,while Sunny noted the bracing climate of the place: a feature of Bangalore he had heard so much of. The couple alighted an hour later from their taxi, with their minimum luggage, as the rest of their possessions were travelling courtesy the "Roadways"....and that amounted to pretty much their sole worldy possessions. They were welcomed in by their guest house staff, and it was here that they would stay for the next two weeks: a time period fixed by Sunny's company in which they would have to find accomodation of their own. Settling down in a well-lit,neat and comfortable room, Leena plonked herself on the bed."Oh, the luxury of
stretching out...!" Sunny smiled indulgently. He loved seeing his wife happy.
The following days passed in a blur,with Sunny joining his new job, and Leena pouring over the "Free Ads" classified columns, in search of real estate agents and accomodation. All houses seemed to be described in the same language: 'Comfortable, 2 BHK accomodation, all facilities provided, near offices,schools and convenient market place, pleasant surroundings...please contact XYZ.. It was most confusing, but after buying a city map and marking out her area of interest,the houses'preferred location started getting a little clearer to identify and short list.
They saw plenty of houses. Some small, some dingy, some large from the outside, but poorly ventilated from the inside. Some houses offered views, while some,none at all. Ultimately, they stumbled across a "largish" row house. Their estate agent was most eager to show them around. " See Madam," he said as if he had struck gold. " Beautiful house, excellent location, no problem!" Leena and Sunny smiled back at him. This was the nearest they had got to liking a house, and since their stay period at the guest house was coming to an end, it was high time they had a place of their own. There was something though, about this faux red-brick facade structure that bothered her: maybe it was in the way some broken statues of Ganesh, the Elephant God, were displayed in the tiny patch of grass that passed as a lawn; maybe it was the heaviness of the air that comes with an old house, or maybe it was the quaint layout of the house which was a trifle unsettling...But they both ignored these feelings, thinking that it was just a matter of time before they adjusted to their new surroundings.
Leena settled into a state of happy domestic life, managing her home, work and taking time out to be together as a couple.The doubts remained though. It was the house they were now occupying and living in. She had heard sounds in the night, but was never sure of it's source. At times she heard a door shut suddenly, even when there was no wind. Once, she had woken up at night, to have a drink of water from the fridge,and when she switched on the light, she could have sworn there was a movement, as if, someone, sensing her arrival had just fled and gone into hiding. Most of the times, the experiences were so subtle, that she doubted herself, and credited it to her over-active imagination. She had told Sunny, but he too laughed it off. Nothing happened for weeks after this, and days passed by happily into months.
One day, as Leena entered her room during noon, she spied a little girl with long braids, playing on her bed. The girl glanced momentarily at her, and then vanished into thin air: as if she were a cloud. Leena gasped, and then felt faint. Was this the girl who resided in her house, along with them? Whose lost soul still yearned the comfort of a home and family? That evening,she waited patiently for Sunny to return from office and break the news to him.
" But that is just impossible!" said Sunny to Leena, when he heard her story."I think a holiday is the need of the day. Let's just go away to a nice, relaxed holiday where it'll be just you and I and nobody else". Leena smiled. Sunny always had a reassuring way of putting things...she already felt better.
After a ten day break in the beautiful locales of Ooty, and then Kodaikanal, the couple were back refreshed, and ready to take on the world. Happily, Leena unpacked their luggage, and got her home back in order. The weather was great, the spirits were high, and life settled down to routine.
Sunny meanwhile, had to leave town for a few days on a business trip; it was to be a short one, so Leena didn't mind at all. She'd planned to do a bit of home improvement in this short time, so it was time that wouldn't go wasted.
Three days later, when Sunny returned from home from his official trip, he rang the bell and waited for his wife to answer the door. There was no response. He tried her cell phone. There was an "unavailable" message on it. Finally, he went around the house, to the back door, and forced it open. "Leena!" he cried. "I'm home! Where are you?" There was pin drop silence. Sunny opened his bedroom door. To his amazement and horror, there sat on the bed, a little girl with long braids, playing contentedly.Seeing him,the girl vanished like a mist all at once. Sunny's terrified eyes then saw his wife lying on the floor, eyes open as if in shock, and quite dead.
In a matter of two weeks after this conversation, Sunny and Leena, had boarded a Mumbai-Bangalore flight, and were off to begin a new chapter of their lives,in a new city.Leena had a home-based job as an insurance agent, and Sunny worked with a Multinational company,in the software division. When their plane landed, the couple squeezed each other's hand in happiness...they had planned to do so much together: this was an opportunity for a fresh start.
From their cab, Leena peered out of the window, wide-eyed, staring at the newly built airport road,while Sunny noted the bracing climate of the place: a feature of Bangalore he had heard so much of. The couple alighted an hour later from their taxi, with their minimum luggage, as the rest of their possessions were travelling courtesy the "Roadways"....and that amounted to pretty much their sole worldy possessions. They were welcomed in by their guest house staff, and it was here that they would stay for the next two weeks: a time period fixed by Sunny's company in which they would have to find accomodation of their own. Settling down in a well-lit,neat and comfortable room, Leena plonked herself on the bed."Oh, the luxury of
stretching out...!" Sunny smiled indulgently. He loved seeing his wife happy.
The following days passed in a blur,with Sunny joining his new job, and Leena pouring over the "Free Ads" classified columns, in search of real estate agents and accomodation. All houses seemed to be described in the same language: 'Comfortable, 2 BHK accomodation, all facilities provided, near offices,schools and convenient market place, pleasant surroundings...please contact XYZ.. It was most confusing, but after buying a city map and marking out her area of interest,the houses'preferred location started getting a little clearer to identify and short list.
They saw plenty of houses. Some small, some dingy, some large from the outside, but poorly ventilated from the inside. Some houses offered views, while some,none at all. Ultimately, they stumbled across a "largish" row house. Their estate agent was most eager to show them around. " See Madam," he said as if he had struck gold. " Beautiful house, excellent location, no problem!" Leena and Sunny smiled back at him. This was the nearest they had got to liking a house, and since their stay period at the guest house was coming to an end, it was high time they had a place of their own. There was something though, about this faux red-brick facade structure that bothered her: maybe it was in the way some broken statues of Ganesh, the Elephant God, were displayed in the tiny patch of grass that passed as a lawn; maybe it was the heaviness of the air that comes with an old house, or maybe it was the quaint layout of the house which was a trifle unsettling...But they both ignored these feelings, thinking that it was just a matter of time before they adjusted to their new surroundings.
Leena settled into a state of happy domestic life, managing her home, work and taking time out to be together as a couple.The doubts remained though. It was the house they were now occupying and living in. She had heard sounds in the night, but was never sure of it's source. At times she heard a door shut suddenly, even when there was no wind. Once, she had woken up at night, to have a drink of water from the fridge,and when she switched on the light, she could have sworn there was a movement, as if, someone, sensing her arrival had just fled and gone into hiding. Most of the times, the experiences were so subtle, that she doubted herself, and credited it to her over-active imagination. She had told Sunny, but he too laughed it off. Nothing happened for weeks after this, and days passed by happily into months.
One day, as Leena entered her room during noon, she spied a little girl with long braids, playing on her bed. The girl glanced momentarily at her, and then vanished into thin air: as if she were a cloud. Leena gasped, and then felt faint. Was this the girl who resided in her house, along with them? Whose lost soul still yearned the comfort of a home and family? That evening,she waited patiently for Sunny to return from office and break the news to him.
" But that is just impossible!" said Sunny to Leena, when he heard her story."I think a holiday is the need of the day. Let's just go away to a nice, relaxed holiday where it'll be just you and I and nobody else". Leena smiled. Sunny always had a reassuring way of putting things...she already felt better.
After a ten day break in the beautiful locales of Ooty, and then Kodaikanal, the couple were back refreshed, and ready to take on the world. Happily, Leena unpacked their luggage, and got her home back in order. The weather was great, the spirits were high, and life settled down to routine.
Sunny meanwhile, had to leave town for a few days on a business trip; it was to be a short one, so Leena didn't mind at all. She'd planned to do a bit of home improvement in this short time, so it was time that wouldn't go wasted.
Three days later, when Sunny returned from home from his official trip, he rang the bell and waited for his wife to answer the door. There was no response. He tried her cell phone. There was an "unavailable" message on it. Finally, he went around the house, to the back door, and forced it open. "Leena!" he cried. "I'm home! Where are you?" There was pin drop silence. Sunny opened his bedroom door. To his amazement and horror, there sat on the bed, a little girl with long braids, playing contentedly.Seeing him,the girl vanished like a mist all at once. Sunny's terrified eyes then saw his wife lying on the floor, eyes open as if in shock, and quite dead.
Sunday, 30 October 2011
Prosaic Elegy
Frightening that the cocoon that nestled me is rupturing..all the persons I have held in awe are bidding adieus..Have they reached the black night of life or have I touched upon the orange sunset and walking on the fallen leaves of autumn in life? It is a feeling akin to being forlorn, solitary since those privy to my innermost and cataclysmic torments, pangs, traumas that come with life are saying goodbyes becoming a blur on memories. They will outlast timeless time while I shall be a forgotten poem embedded in the brood that shall carry forth the burdens of my reflections.
It was his mellifluously euphnonic sounds that enchanted me with satin silken grace and that saw me through many a tumultous phases of life, sustained me through agonies, stood as comforting witness to copious but cathartic tears and were the harbinger of melodious route to life when I started writing the enduring love story in my life. The music remains forever etched into fragile memories as a sweet melody invoking gentleness that comes subdued in the harsh blanket of life; recalled at first beckoning. The renderer of such warmth that travelled from aural to the cardiac finds peace as the body merges into earth while the soul travels into endless space. His songs were coveted gifts both for receving and giving and with his Sajda (Offering) and Mirza Ghalib, I could express all that I held precious - the words, music and a tenor to construct them into a timeless masterpiece. The symphonic notes soothed when the heart ached and rejoiced when it danced. While the dulcet tones will continue to transmit unbridled joys carrying a speck of my love story imparting the history and story of my life to my children who if they care to lend a ear to them, the person will come to my vision as an apparition.
For you, Jagjit Singh, who sang the songs to me that sowed the seeds of love in my heart that I shall nourish unto last. I shall also carry the warmth of your hug in my being as an honored memory till the last breath because only you, the singer of poems, could take another being into your fold with such affection.
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