Happy Dussehra !

BREATHE DELHI AIR, DIE EARLY

Is there any statement, any comment, from any of the Leaders of Delhi, on this very serious issue ? 

Delhiites are losing up to 9 years of their life, due to worsening pollution in the City, and we are still awaiting a comment / statement from our leaders.

With best regards,

B S Vohra

Social Activist, President,

East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - Federation

www.RWABhagidari.com

www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.in

International Conference on Continuous Emissions Monitoring

Accepted the  invite to attend the 12^th International Conference and Exhibition on the issue of Continuous Emissions Monitoring  at Delhi,  as since last many years, I am directly concerned with all such issues. You can take it as my Social responsibility or the Social cause that I have regularly raised  such issues. Had filed my very first RTI at that time when no one was talking about the issue & those RTIs were duly covered by Print media as well TV channels.

My idea to accept the three day conference was that it will give me much more knowledge on the subject and will add to my experience. So very eagerly and to increase my own awareness on the issue, I started attending the Conference. There were so many speakers to talk about various issues & mostly, all of them were from overseas countries. They presented their research papers in the conference & the audience, including myself, tried to understand them wholeheartedly.

Speakers included Mr. Robert Baxter from USA, Mr. Bernhard Thull from Germany, Mr. Rod Robinson from UK, Mr. Jerome Laplagne from France, Mr. Roland Zepeck from Austria, Mr. Koh Yee Tiong from Singapore, Dr Carlo Bruno from Italy, Ms. Tuula Pellikka from Finland, as well many know persons from CSR, CPCB & other connected fields.

During the conference, I got the opportunity to meet Mr. Erkki Lamminen from Finland who had exhibited  an  equipment to measure the SPM 2.5. Soon we became friendly and we went outside on the road, in the open, near the CBD Ground, Karkardooma, almost at a distance of one KM from the Anand Vihar, which can be said as the most polluted area in the National Capital.

On the very first day, we checked the Real Time status of the SPM 2.5 at around 11am in the morning. Though the Average was at around 60, the PEAKS were almost 3 to 4 times of the average at that minute. The cause of concern was that while we are at that location and while the peaks were up to 3 to 4 times, if we keep inhaling there, what will happen to our Lungs?

Next morning, we again checked the status at around same time & this time, SPM 2.5 was at almost 120, while the peaks were almost double. To my surprise, Mr Lamminen told me that it Finland, the maximum SPM 2.5 was only up to 10 or 20, and while in New Delhi, he was already inhaling at at almost 5 to 10 times, and was really worried about his health.

Surprising factor is that while Chicago University in its latest study has very clearly stated that if we could comply with the WHO standards of Air Quality at Delhi, the residents here can get a life of 9 more years. But seems, no one is concerned, no one is shattered as there is no hue and cry from any corner. Residents just view the news, read and forget, as there is no time to consider for an additional life of 6 to 9 years.

Over 200 vehicles impounded

The three municipal corporations (east, north and south), along with the Delhi Traffic Police, started a special anti-encroachment drive on Monday to remove illegally parked vehicles at 29 ‘No Tolerance Zones’ identified by them.

Cranes, trucks used

A total of 238 vehicles were impounded on Day 1 -- 142 by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), 75 by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) and 21 were towed away by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Around 38 cranes and around a dozen trucks were used for the drive by the civic bodies and around 50 licensing inspectors were deployed for the task.

The 29 stretches include Aurobindo Marg, Mathura Road, Savitri Flyover, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Dhaula Kuan, Sardar Patel Marg, Najafgarh Road, Pankha Road, Vikas Marg, Ring Road (from Vijay Nagar to Burari Chowk), and Outer Ring Road (between Hanuman Setu and Chandgi Ram Akhara and Bhalswa Road and Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar).

Residents across the city welcomed the move by the authorities to decongest the roads and many said the drive should be expanded to other areas as well.

Move welcomed

B.S. Vohra, the president of East Delhi Resident Welfare Association Joint Front, said that it was a good move, which will not only help reduce traffic but will also control pollution in the city.

“However, if people know that the police and the civic bodies are only targeting the 29 stretches then they will park their vehicles in areas around it. This should be a pan-Delhi initiative,” Mr. Vohra said.

with thanks : Hindu : LINK

Decongestion Drive in Delhi from Today ?

It seems a good step for the betterment of Delhi, as it can not only reduce the traffic jam on the roads, but can also help in controlling the pollution to some extent. But don't you think that people will now try to park the cars in the nearby stretches of those 29 roads, to escape the challan and situation at those nearby stretches will be worsened?

East Delhi has only the Vikas Marg covered under this notification, while the entire East Delhi faces severe traffic jam. During festival seasons, the roads become non commutable in almost every part of East Delhi, due to unauthorized parking all over. So my questions are: Why only 29 roads are covered under this notification? Why this rule is not imposed in the entire Delhi, on all the commercial stretches? 

B S Vohra

Dilli 7 Baje: Decongestion Drives On 29 Delhi Roads From Today : Delhi Aajtak

Don’t park your car here: Decongestion drives on 29 Delhi roads from Monday

Some of the roads where the drives will be carried out are the Aurobindo Marg, Mathura Road, Savitri Flyover, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Dhaula Kuan, Sardar Patel Marg, Najafgarh Road, Pankha Road, Vikas Marg, Ring Road, and Outer Ring Road

The nightmares faced by drivers and motorists while passing through choked roads in Delhi may finally end. The Delhi Traffic Police and the municipal bodies are set to begin a large-scale anti-encroachment drive on some of the worst affected routes in the city.

A total of 29 such stretches have been identified as ‘No Tolerance Zones’ and have been chosen for the decongestion drive beginning Monday, said Garima Bhatnagar, Joint CP (Traffic). The focus will be on removal of the vehicles parked on the roadside and imposing heavy penalties on the offenders.

The decongestion drive comes in the wake of a meeting chaired by Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal in March to discuss the actions to be taken pertaining to the traffic management issues in the city. Previous attempts to decongest city’s roads had yielded little results due to low penalties under the Motor Vehicle Act for the offence of illegal parking.

“Since this time even the municipal bodies are working with us, we will also prosecute the offenders as per the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act. According to the Act, the fine is based on several factors, including the weight of the vehicles. Fines can go beyond Rs1,000 for illegal parking. It will serve as a major deterrent,” said Bhatnagar.

Some of the roads where the drives will be carried out are the Aurobindo Marg, Mathura Road, Savitri Flyover, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Dhaula Kuan, Sardar Patel Marg, Najafgarh Road, Pankha Road, Vikas Marg, Ring Road, and Outer Ring Road.

On the Ring Road, the stretch between Vijay Nagar and Burari Chowk has been chosen. On the Outer Ring Road, two stretches — from Hanuman Setu to Chandgi Ram Akhara and from Bhalswa Road to Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar — have been picked for decongestion.

“These chosen stretches of roads are our priority as they are arterial roads and prone to massive jams, mainly due to illegal parking on the roadside. It will be a massive drive to decongest the roads,” said Bhatnagar.

The towed away vehicles will be taken to pits belonging either to the municipal bodies or the traffic police. But since this could be a herculean task due to the shortage of space, the authorities will mainly rely on creating awareness.

“We are holding meetings with the market association representatives in these chosen areas. We will make them aware of our initiative so that they find alternate places to park their vehicles. We will also carry out adequate publicity for the drive so that vehicle owners are not caught unaware,” said another senior traffic police officer.

Police will also crack down on used car dealers as their vehicles are a constant menace.

With thanks : Hindustan Times : LINK

Delhi Parking Policy - Why they won't Talk to RWAs?????

RWAs say FIRST PROVIDE THEN PENALIZE.....

Governments love EXPERTS.....  Who suggest ways to increase revenue while SEEMINGLY TRYING TO GIVE SOLUTIONS.

One set of Experts suggest how to earn more by collecting ONE TIME ROAD TAX, another suggests a Cess on Fuel,  yet another suggests Conversion Charges, in a latest an Environmental Group suggests restrictions on Parking and heavy fees......

GOVERNMENTS LOVE IT and Lap it all, as they have done over the past Decade........  THEY WON'T LISTEN TO OR INVITE RWAs, as they demand answers on what have they provided in the name of all the Taxes, Cesses, Conversion Charges etc.....

ZERO......  so where has all the money  collected over the past 15 years gone ????? ...... financing the 5th, 6th and 7th Pay Commissions and Parliamentarian PERKS.

CITIZENS ARE MADE TO BELIEVE, that they are responsible for the mess so they must pay for the SOLUTIONS OFFERED BY SO CALLED EXPERTS.

WE ASK......  where are the Parking Lots that were to be developed, where is the 24X7 SAFE & SURE Public Transport, where is the Last Mile Connectivity, where are the Footpaths,  where are the Policemen or the CCTV camera's....... NO ANSWERS......  therefore NO PUBLIC HEARING.

Finally will you bring in the Rules for Authorised Colonies only or will it be across the board.....  VOTE BANKS INCLUDED ?????

Food for thought....

Regards,  Rajiv Kakria

Pay more for peak - hour parking from Oct : TOI

Who is responsible for the loss of 6 to 9 years of life of every Delhiite ?

Mr Arvind Kejriwal, CM, Delhi

Subject : findings of the University of Chicago on the Air quality levels of Delhi NCR.

Dear Sir,

The report says, "National Capital Region residents are losing out on almost 6 years of life because of the dangerous air pollution levels. If WHO standards were met in NCR, people would live 9 years longer. In Kolkata and Mumbai better air quality would translate into almost 3.5 year longer life spans". The report says,"4.6 billion life years would be added in the country by complying with WHO standards".

We would like to know from you, that :

1. Who is responsible for the loss of 6 to 9 years of Life of every resident of Delhi / NCR ?

2. Leaving aside the WHO standards, why we are unable to comply, even with the Indian standards ?

Please revert,

With best regards,

B S Vohra,
Social Activist, President,
East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - Federation
www.RWABhagidari.com

pic used with thanks to : HT

MUST READ : Delhiites Can Live Longer If the Air Quality Improves: University of Chicago

The University of Chicago's Air Quality Life-Index has found 

India to be one of the most polluted countries in the world.

Undeniably, air pollution is one of the biggest threats to human health. The World Health Organisation links close to 7 million premature deaths to air pollution. "This finding more than doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is now the world's largest single environmental health risk," noted WHO's latest release. The release also established a correlation between high levels of indoor and outdoor air pollution and an increased risk of developing a range of non-communicable, lifestyle diseases like cardiovascular ailments, stroke, respiratory disorders and even cancer.

The University of Chicago's Air Quality Life-Index has found India as one of the most polluted countries in the world. The report noted if WHO's air quality standards are met by the country, Indians can add about 4 more years to their lifespan. "If the country reduced pollution to comply with its national standards, its people could live more than 1 year longer on average," noted the report. Some of the greatly impacted cities would include Delhi where an average person can add around 6 years to his/her lifespan if the country meets the national air-quality standards and up to 9 years if WHO standards are met.

The study takes air borne particulate matter pollution, PM 2.5, into account and extrapolates it to see what impact any reduction in its volume would have on the life span of people. Accordingly, it says that if the PM 2.5 quantity in Delhi's air meets the WHO annual standard of 10 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3), people can live up to nine years longer and six years longer if it meets the national standard of 40 ug/m3.

Products of vehicular and industrial combustion, PM 2.5 are air borne ultra fine particulates, measuring less than 2.5 microns, which can cause irreparable harm to humans by entering the respiratory system and subsequently the bloodstream.

"The AQLI reveals that if India reduced its air pollution to comply with the WHO's air quality standard, its people could live about 4 years longer on average, or a combined life of more than 4.7 billion years.

"Some of the greatest gains would be seen in the country's largest cities, such as Delhi. There, people could live 6 years longer if the country met its national standards, and 9 years longer if the country met WHO standards," the study says.

Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai - the mega cities of the country - are among the highly polluted cities in the country. Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Agra, Allahabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Patna, Chennai are others in the list of polluted Indian cities among others.

Strengthen your respiratory system naturally

In case the air quality in your area is not too good, you can try natural ways to strengthen your lungs and the respiratory system. Indoor plants such as Areca Palm, help in purifying air inside your house. Rugs, carpets, curtains, cushion covers, mats and mattresses are some of the things that harbor dust and other air contaminants. Clean these regularly; use an air purifier if needed. Wear a mask before stepping out.

Yogic breathing techniques may go a long way in making your respiratory system stronger and capable to withstand the damaging effects of air pollution. Bhastrika, Kapalbhati and Agnisar Kriya are few breathing techniques that are good to combat air pollution. You can try nasal rinses and saline gargles to clear your nasal passage and throat.

Vitamin c is your best bet; it strengthens immunity and builds resistance. "Vegetables like coriander leaves, chaulai ka saag, drumsticks, parsley, cabbage and turnip greens are good sources that you should load up on," notes Dr. Rupali Datta, Chief Clinical Nutritionist, Fortis Escorts, New Delhi.

Inputs from PTI

with thanks : NDTV : LINK

Is this called a One Country, One Tax ?

Please go through the News uploaded by us a day ago - Simplified Calculation Chart for Petrol & Diesel Prices in New Delhi - (24th August 2017) on the Blog. 

It clearly shows that First of all we are paying Entry Tax. Than there is an Excise Duty of Rs 21.48 /- Litre on Petrol & Rs 17.33 /- Litre on Diesel. After that we have to pay a VAT of 27% on Petrol & 16.75% on Diesel, i.e. Rs 14.64 /- Litre on Petrol & Rs 8.44 /- Litre on Diesel.  

It comes to 21.48 + 14.64, i.e. Rs 36.12 /- on Petrol + Entry Tax &  17.33 /- + 8.44 /-, i.e. Rs 25.77 /- on Diesel + Entry Tax. It clearly shows that more than HALF of what we pay for Petrol, goes to Government as TAXES, and almost half of what we pay for Diesel, goes to Government as Taxes. 

Shockingly, they still keep on hiking the Petrol & Diesel prices, causing severe hike in consumer goods, which again results into huge gains for the Govt by way of hiked taxes on the hiked prices of the Consumer Goods.

It's being said that Under GST  rules, the Tax can be levied at 12% only and hence there can be huge reduction in the price of both Petrol & Diesel. Unconfirmed reports have stated that the price of Petrol can come down to Rs 38 /- per Litre, under GST. Why don't they implement it and bring the Entire country under One Tax regime, for the benefit of masses ?

snapshots with thanks to AAJTAK

Petrol, Diesel Prices Continue to Rise; Will Government Bring Fuel Under GST?

Mumbai, Sept 15: The prices of petrol and diesel in different cities across the country rose yet again on Friday, September 15, under the dynamic pricing of fuel. On Friday, petrol price went up by Rs 0.04 per litre, taking the cost in Delhi to Rs 70.43 per litre and to Rs 79.54 per litre in Mumbai. Amid rising fuel prices each day, questions are being asked as to whether fuel will be brought under the ambit of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had earlier this week said that GST was the only way of having rational prices for fuel, even as he refused to interfere with dynamic pricing. However, he said that the final decision to bring fuel prices under GST was in the hands of the Finance Ministry.

However, former oil minister S Jaipal Reddy has said that bringing fuel under GST is “desirable”, but not feasible as the states would oppose it, but the Centre can cut excise duty on them. “While putting it (petroleum products) in GST is advisable, desirable, it’s not a feasible proposition because state governments…Of the BJP also, will not agree,” the senior Congress leader told PTI in an interview.

According to reports, if fuel is brought under GST, petrol price can come down to Rs 38 per litre from Rs 70 at 12 per cent GST. As of now, petrol prices also contain other elements like Centre-imposed excise duty, state-imposed VAT and dealer’s commission. It now remains to be seen whether Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will pay heed to the concerns put forth by Pradhan and bring fuel prices under GST.

with thanks : yahoo news : LINK : for more details

Simplified Calculation Chart for Petrol & Diesel Prices in New Delhi - (24th August 2017)

	Petrol Price *	Diesel Price Calculation *
International Price of Crude Oil with Ocean Freight (as on 24th August 2017)	50$ or Rs 3210 per Barrel	50$ or Rs 3210 per Barrel
1 Barrel of Crude Oil	159 Litre	159 Litre
Crude Oil  - Cost per Litre	Rs 20.19 per Litre	Rs 20.19 per Litre
Basic OMC Cost Calculation
Entry Tax, Refinery Processing, Landing Cost & Other Operational Costs along with Margins	Rs 6.03 per Litre	Rs 6.38 per Litre
OMC Margin, Transportation, Freight cost	Rs 3.31 per Litre	Rs 2.55 per Litre
Basic Cost of Fuel after Refining Cost	Rs 29.53 per Litre	Rs 29.12 per Litre
Additional: Excise Duty as Charged by Central Government	Rs 21.48 / Litre on Petrol	Rs 17.33 / Lit on Diesel
Pricing Charged to Dealers before VAT	Rs 51.01 per Litre	Rs 46.45 per Litre
Calculating Dealer Retail Price - Base Location Delhi
Commission to Petrol Pump Dealers	Rs 3.23 per Litre	Rs 2.17 per Litre
Fuel Cost Before VAT (rounded off for approximation)	Rs 54.24 per Litre	Rs 48.62 per Litre
Additional:VAT (Varies from State to State - 27% on Petrol & 16.75% on Diesel + 25p as Pollution Cess with Surcharge)	Rs 14.64 / Lit on Petrol	Rs 8.44 / Litre on Diesel
Final Retail Price as on 24th August 2017 -(calculation)	Rs 68.88 per Litre	Rs 57.06 per Litre

* - Prices as on 24th August 2017

Source : mycarhelpline : LINK