Is there No MRP for Airlines ?

Why there is no MRP limit for the Airlines? How They are being allowed to charge as per the criticality of the situation? There is NO CURFEW in Delhi or at CHANDIGARH, still they are charging 10,000 to 15,000 for a one side trip from Delhi to Chandigarh. Is there none to look into this BIG LOOT by the Airlines ?

War against Aedes Dengue spreading Mosquito

The Indian Medical Association is launching a campaign ‘DENG-WAR’ to fight the menace of the Aedes mosquito, which transmits the virus causing dengue fever.

Dengue takes on an epidemic form almost every year and creates panic among the public. Dengue fever is a preventable disease and prevention is the first step in its management. But, without community participation, it is not possible to do so. 

 

Community participation is vital to prevent and control the spread of diseases transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which includes Zika, Chikungunya and yellow fever besides dengue. In community participation, individuals, families and communities are involved in the planning and conduct of local vector control activities. The Government cannot employ enough persons to search every backyard to identify and destroy breeding sites on a consistent basis to prevent this mosquito from breeding.

 

When political parties can run a door to door campaign during elections, then why can’t a similar approach be adopted to tackle this issue of public health importance? 

• The Aedes aegypti lives in proximity to human settlements, breeding primarily in artificial as well as natural receptacles which collect water. 
• The mosquito's life cycle is closely associated with human activities.
• The Aedes aegypti larvae can be found in containers such as drums, buckets, water vases, flower pots, air conditioner trays, old tins and cans, old shoes, old things thrown about, plants with axils such as bromeliad plants, old pet containers, tyres, tree holes, block holes - anything that is able to hold water close to where human dwell will lend itself to the breeding of this mosquito.
• Aedes aegypti does not breed in drains or gullies or ground pools of water or river margins.
• Look for the mosquito right there where people live, work, play and do business.
• Humans are primarily responsible for the presence of the Aedes aegypti in their environment through poor sanitation practices; improper solid-waste disposal practices; unsafe water storage practices and poor pool management
• Owing to its behavior of breeding in proximity to people and the behavioral adjustment that are required, one of the main strategies of dealing with this mosquito is to get everyone involved in the identification, destruction or treatment of the containers within their environment that breed the Aedes aegypti mosquito

Warning:

*It is better to loose good/ bad Neighbours temporarily (annoying them while forcing them to stop water wastage).

*It is certainly not good to loose good & bad neighbours PERMANENTLY through Dengue/ Aedes.

* so kindly stop water wastage and force others to STOP WATER WASTAGE.

* REPORT WASTAGE / STAGNATION or expected stagnation of water to multiple authorities, RWAs, PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVE

*HELP authorities.

*PLEASE PLEASE spread more & more AWARENESS through mail, meetings at "Religious places, conferences, get togethers", etc.

* forward this mail to at least ten members on your mailing list, if not all.

*Please provide whatever ADDITIONAL INFORMATION  on this topic and DONATE your time & effort GENEROUSLY for this CAUSE.

Thanks and best regards.

Vinay Kapoor 

News Paper Cuttings : B S Vohra

with thanks : Dainik Bhasker & Dainik Jagran, Delhi

RWAs meeting with CM Arvind Kejriwal, expected in March 2016

Today in the Live Question Answer session with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, my question was :

RWAs meeting was called by you, before the Elections, on 18th October, 2014 & after that RWAs were never invited, in general to discuss their issues. Why don't you call a meeting with the Delhi RWAs ?

We are pleased to inform that Delhi CM has appreciated our concern and now a meeting of Delhi RWAs, with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, is likely to take place in the month of March 2016.

Hope it will be a restart of a new bhagidari in Delhi.

Best regards,

B S Vohra

President

East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - Federation

www.RWABhagidari.com

www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.in

American Sikh Actor Waris Ahluwalia Barred from Boarding Plane Due to Turban

#TRAIFreesInternet | Key take aways from TRAI’s ruling on Net Neutrality

with thanks CNN IBN News : @ibnlive

Delhi residents fear epidemic as government fails to clear rubbish off roads : Daily Mail

While MCD sanitation workers refused to call off their strike, the Capital’s Resident Welfare Associations have accused the Delhi government of failing to make arrangements to get garbage off the roads.

The heaps of rubbish lying unattended have left residents angry. With no garbage lifted from their houses and surrounding areas, locals are feeling helpless and fear the spread of an epidemic. 

Rajender Mewati, General Secretary, United Front of MCD Employees Association, told Mail Today that the sanitation workers will continue with the strike and wait for the high court’s decision. 

+1

RWAs have accused the state government of not making any arrangements to get garbage off the roads

“In east Delhi, no task forces reached our lanes and the markets. Having known that east Delhi always remains the most affected area during strikes, the government should have been cautious and should have made arrangements. People have started burning the garbage, which in turn, is also creating pollution as they are not left with any option. The health of the residents is at stake and there is no visible action from civic agencies or the government,” said BS Vohra from East Delhi RWAs Joint Front Federation. 

Similarly, in north Delhi, heaps of garbage could be seen on GT road, near Amba cinema, polo road and Mukherjee Nagar. 

The MCD spokesperson told Mail Today that they did make an appeal to the sanitation workers to resume work as the Delhi government had agreed to pay for their salaries. 

More clarity can be attained only after the hearing at the High Court on Monday.

With Thanks : Mail Today : LINK

Suggestions - ODD / EVEN ...... Make it Convenient for us to Turn to Public Transport or People will Convert to CNG or 2nd Car

Dear Mr. Kejriwal,

When Columbus set out in search of India, he ended up discovering America ...... ODD / EVEN challenge too has ended up discovering additional benefits.

While curbing Pollution was the stated purpose of the ODD / EVEN Formula, many more benefits have accrued ...... App Based Pooling of Cars and Taxies will lead to 30% to 70% household savings on fuel. Less congestion on roads will surely lead to many Health benefits.

There are calls for extending the experiment and look to make it permanent. I too believe that the GOOD HABITS CULTIVATED during the fortnight long experiment should not be wasted and the Odd / Even Formula should be implemented periodically.

Success of the Programme should not be taken for Granted  .......  WHAT REALLY MADE IT SUCCESSFUL ???

1. CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS – Private Cars ferrying children to schools were off the roads, as were the teachers driving to work. The additional busses added to the Fleet for Public, were School Busses.
2. EXEMPTIONS TO TWO-WHEELERS AND WOMEN – The Public Transport would not have been able to take the additional load nor does the Police evoke confidence of security to women.
3. PUBLIC SUPPORT – Citizens were willing to support as they realise the gravity of the problem and knew the inconvenience was for a short spell of 15 days, effectively 6-7 days.
4. CIVIL DEFENCE VOLUNTEERS AND CHILDREN – The Government Machinery is woefully inadequate and the efforts of volunteers must be applauded but cannot be relied in the long term.
5. SDM’S AND TRANSPORT OFFICIALS HELPED THE POLICE – The very fact that more Fines were imposed by SDMs and not the Police, shows that additional officials on the roads contributed in a big way, which may not be the case on regular basis, as they have other duties to perform.

The way Forward ..... PREPARE A THREE YEAR CIVIC ROAD MAP (Short, Medium and Long Term), with clear deadlines with the help of Data Collected and Additional Surveys:-

SHORT TERM:-

1. DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN DYNAMIC AND DEAD PARKING – discourage people who use cars for Home-Office-Home travel, turning scarce Parking Space unproductive (Dead) for 8-14 hours. Shoppers and Visitors to offices for meetings etc occupy Parking Space (Dynamic) for a limited period of time and the same space is utilised multiple times, giving a fillip to Business. DEAD PARKING should be discouraged and made prohibitive ..... DYNAMIC PARKING Rates should be of 15 Minute Pulse, to encourage people to conclude business promptly and save money.
2. PARKING FEE BASED ON SIZE OF CAR – To encourage use of small cars Parking Fee should be charged based on length of car, as one BMW occupies twice as much space as an I10.

3. INTRODUCE POINT TO POINT AC CHARTERED/SHUTTLE BUSSES – Care should be taken that Office goers are not inconvenienced and transport BEFITTING THEIR STATURE be made available at reasonable rates. People use Personal Transport out of compulsion due to lack of COMFORTABLE, SAFE & SURE TRANSPORT.
4. STOP FLEECING BY AUTO/ TAXIS AND SURGE PRICING BY UBER / OLA: Autos have been notorious for Refusals and Overcharging. Now Uber and Ola are also fleecing hapless commuters, charging 1.5X to 3.9X SURGE PRICING. If citizens can be fined Rs. 2000/- then Service providers should also be penalised for Malpractice. INTRODUCE UNIFORM PRICING.
5. ENFORCE LANE DISCIPLINE – Traffic Police should be instructed to enforce Lane Discipline and man Traffic Lights instead of hiding behind Trees to net offenders and pocket bribes.
6. REMOVE BOTTLE NECKS ON ROADS – Potholes; Encroachments/Vendors; Parking on Roads; Religious Places; Trees; Defunct Poles etc. create congestion and slows the traffic.

MEDIUM TERM:-

1. CREATE HALTING ZONES FOR AUTOS, GRAMIN SEVAS, TAXIS ETC – Traffic Jams are often noticed near Bus Stops/Metro Stations, Traffic Signals, Market/Hospital Entrances, Street Corners etc as these modes of transport bunch up at such spots usurping one or more lanes.
2. IMPROVE LAST MILE CONNECTIVITY  – This proposal has been in the Pipeline for so long that it seems like a Pipedream, surely it is not as difficult as it seems.
3. PUT THE PUBLIC TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE – Multiple modes of Public Transport adhering to a strict timetable be introduced in consultation with experts.
4. CREATE SUBWAYS AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS – Lack of pedestrian facilities make the roads dangerous and are the cause for traffic snarls, when people give up private transport there will be manifold increase in Pedestrian Traffic, so this aspect MUST GET PRIORITY.
5. INSTALL NUMBER PLATE READING CCTVS - E-Chalaan traffic offenders and Trucks who enter the city before Entry Hours (which is Rampant)

LONG TERM:-

1. IMPROVE ROAD ENGINEERING AND POSITIONING OF BUS STOPS – Go anywhere in Delhi, most traffic jams occur at the start and end of a Flyover, due to merging traffic and positioning of Bus stops close to the Flyover.
2. EXPEDITE COURT CASES FOR ROAD WIDENING – Ring Road at Nariana is a good example of what can be achieved by acquiring land for road widening …… there are many such points all over Delhi that are stuck in Court Cases.
3. BAN PURCHASE OF VEHICLE (PRIVATE OR COMMERCIAL) WITHOUT PROOF OF PARKING SPACE – Introducedifferential Fee Structure for parking on Public Land with a percentage increase for 2^nd, 3^rd, 4th Vehicle Registered per Dwelling Unit instead of per family member. THE RECENT HIGH COURT RULING RESTRICTING ONE PARKING SLOT PER DWELLING UNIT IS WORTH EMULATING FOR EQUITABLE USE OF PUBLIC SPACES. Fleet owners should create own Parking Zones instead of using up public spaces.
4. INTRODUCE FIRST CLASS COMPARTMENTS ON METRO – Airlines, Trains, Busses, Mumbai Suburban all have 1^stClass compartments.

I have restricted my suggestions to Road Congestion Solutions. Once the Short and Medium Term targets are met, then the exemptions given to Women and Two Wheelers can be withdrawn. Till then ODD / EVEN Formula should be imposed during school vacations or every alternate month for one week, to keep the momentum going.

I congratulate you on the success of the first experiment and for constantly being open to suggestions. Finally, Pollution too will be curbed through collective effort and going after THE REAL POLLUTERS ……. Dust, Trucks, Generators, Waste Burning etc.

Warm Regards,

Rajiv Kakria

MCD strike day 7: Filth piles up in East Delhi, garbage burning rears head : Indian Express

On day seven of the strike, street corners were strewn with equal amounts of dry and wet waste. Several open drains were packed and dust on the roads assaulted the senses.

East Delhi residents have a fight on their hands. It is a fight to ignore piles of garbage and block the stench. The Indian Express visited Preet Vihar, Azad Nagar, Kanti Nagar, Patparganj, Krishna nagar and other areas in East Delhi Tuesday, as the strike by municipal corporation employees demanding salaries, arrears and unification of the civic bodies completed a week.

The areas, like other parts of the capital, are facing the backlash of sanitation workers’ agitation. PWD department has chipped in to clean the garbage, but residents worry about how long such measures will help.

On day seven of the strike, street corners were strewn with equal amounts of dry and wet waste. Several open drains were packed and dust on the roads assaulted the senses.

B S Vohra, president of the East Delhi Resident Welfare Associations’ Joint Front, said people in East Delhi were no stranger to streets and drains packed with filth. “This is the third time in the last year that the workers have gone on strike. On both previous occasions, the area seemed like a sea of garbage. It is the same again this time. Sad as it is to say, it is actually good that students of MCD-run schools do not have working days at present because heaps of garbage are right outside these schools.”

Another worrying factor for residents is people are reportedly burning garbage in an open drain between Krishna nagar and Azad Nagar. Vohra said, “As a result of there being no workers to clear the waste, several residents have resorted to burning small piles of garbage at street corners at night, and even bigger piles in the open drain. This is against the orders passed by the National Green Tribunal and is nullifying the mild changes that the odd-even scheme brought about in the area.”

Rinku, who sells samosas and chai from a cart not far from the open drain, said, “The area has started to smell too much for people to feel like taking their chai break here. I experienced the same thing the last time the sanitation workers went on strike. But, no one can fault the workers. If I do not get paid, even I would not work.”

Residents of the area also have concerns about children’s health. “I have heard many of my neighbours complaining about their children falling sick, especially in the last week. These are neighbours who can afford private hospitals. Considering that MCD hospital staff are also on strike, I cannot imagine what the state of affairs is for those who rely on them,” said Anil Sindhwani, a resident.

with thanks : Indian Express : LINK 

Municipal workers’ strike worsening air pollution in Delhi : Hindustan Times

The ongoing strike by municipal corporation employees is polluting the city’s air as people are burning garbage that has not been cleared for nearly a week now by striking sanitation workers.

Heaps of garbage have been piling up in most localities in east and north Delhi with over one lakh municipal employees on an indefinite strike.

Burning waste is banned in the city and is punishable with a fine of R5,000. But because of the ongoing strike, there are no municipal officials to check and punish those who are burning garbage on the streets.

Hindustan Times spotted burning heaps of garbage at Gandhi Nagar’s Shanti Mohalla, Kanti Nagar, Jheel Khurinja and Patparganj Road in east Delhi.

BS Vohra, president of East Delhi RWAs Joint Front (Federation), said incidents of people burning garbage on roads had gone up. He said since garbage was piling up at homes and dump yards, people were openly burning waste. “Since garbage is not cleared due to the strike, it is being burnt at various places almost daily. The residents are bearing the brunt of the inefficiency of government agencies,” Vohra said.

Vohra said Jagatpuri, Preet Vihar, Kanti Nagar, Azad Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Vishwas Nagar, Ghazipur, Patparganj and Seelampur -- all in east Delhi -- were the worst affected. “The drain on road number 57, which runs through the entire east Delhi, is now being used as an open garbage dump. It is sad that despite being the most polluted city in the world, we are yet to understand the gravity of the problem and adding to it by burning waste,” Vohra said.

Though vehicular emission is the biggest contributor of pollutants in the city , burning of garbage and leaves contribute to 29.4% of the air pollution when it comes to particulate matter 10.

Exposure to these small particles, which can get lodged deep inside a person’s lungs, can result in cough, wheezing and even a heart attack or a stroke.

To combat air pollution in the city and to comply with the National Green Tribunal ’s order, the environment department had earlier authorised sub-divisional magistrates and tehsildars of the revenue department to fine people who burn waste.

With Thanks : Hindustan Times : LINK

City paints ugly picture on second day of strike : The Hindu

The municipal workers, including sanitation staff, are protesting against the delay in salaries

Trash littered the streets of the Capital on Thursday as municipal workers, including sanitation staff, remained on strike for the second day to protest against the delay in salaries.

Two of the three municipal corporations of Delhi – North and East – have not handed out salaries to most of their employees for three months now, though safai karamcharis have been issued wages for December last week.

The two civic bodies have been hit by a financial crisis and have failed to disburse salaries on time for about a year.

On Thursday, a group of protesting workers threw garbage into Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s camp office in East Delhi, which was the worst affected by the strike.

Shouting slogans, the workers hurled trash over the gate of the office. Mr. Sisodia is an MLA from Patparganj in East Delhi.

“When we are finding it difficult to put food on the table, how can we be expected to work? There was no work done on Thursday and we will continue to strike till our salaries are paid,” said Sanjay Gehlot, president of the Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha.

Garbage was seen on the streets in East and North Delhi, including areas like Mayur Vihar, Anand Parbat, Karol Bagh and Jahangirpuri.

The situation may deteriorate as some unions have announced an indefinite stir till their demands of regular salaries, arrears and medical insurance are met.

However, some employee unions plan to end their strike on Friday.

Residents said the strike, the fourth in the past one year, had hit them the worst. “Wherever we went we saw roads lined with garbage, whether it was Krishna Nagar or Geeta Colony. We don’t understand why citizens are being harassed like this,” said B.S. Vohra, president of the East Delhi RWAs Joint Front Federation.

A large number of employees of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation protested at its headquarters – the Civic Centre. Thursday’s protest included mid-level managerial staff, who had so far not participated in any strike.

Doctors in the civic bodies’ hospitals had not joined the strike as of Thursday evening as they did not want to inconvenience patients.

“We will hold a general body meeting on Friday to decide whether to join the strike. As of now, hospitals and dispensaries are working smoothly,” said Dr. R. R. Gautam, president of the Municipal Corporation Doctors’ Association.

with thanks : The Hindu : LINK