Discipline Defines a World Class CityTwo recent happenings in Jaipur need to be looked at in a dovetailed fashion: The

Government of Rajasthan’s announcement of an ambitious plan to make Jaipur aworld class city. The second is the direct election of a lady mayor, JyotiKhandelwal, who was elected by the voters in Jaipur to representthem. Her first promise is to make Jaipur a city which is safe forwomen and also to promote cleanliness. These two are essentialingredients for a world class city.

What else is needed to make Jaipur a world class city? Water andsanitation, and certainly with greater thrust on the latter. One can onlyhope for a continuous supply of potable water, but we can ensure cleanliness bybeing more conscious. The government has identified infrastructure as anotherimperative ingredient. Yes, we need better roads and transport facilities among a hostof infrastructural needs. On the other hand, we also need adequate safetyarrangements for all types of road users. Jaipur is one of the five worst cities in thecountry vis-a-vis road accident fatalities.

There is no point in having flyovers and good roads if we cannot control roadaccidents and save lives of citizens. Or to have pedestrian flyovers like the one nearthe Collectorate which are hardly used by pedestrians. Only the advertising agenciesseem to be benefiting out of it.

To ease movement on the roads, there is a proposal to build a metro railway forJaipur at a cost of Rs 6,000 crores. It will be good if the same can be done on aPublic Private Partnership (PPP) basis rather than the government executing theproject on its own. There are pluses and minuses for both modes but if the projecthas to be completed within time and cost, it can be done by a private investor. Thisis because of the lack of work culture and corruption in the administration, to whichone can obtain stays from courts etc, which only hamper smooth execution. Theseprojects are better managed by the private sector. And PPPs are not something new.Some of the major highways leading in and out of Jaipur have been built under thePPP mode. New metros in Hyderabad, Mumbai etc are being built under the PPPmode.

A metro will certainly ease the movement of people and reduce the burden on theroads, but the cost has to be commensurate for people to shift from their personaltransport. Such a move should be accompanied by a congestion charge in the citywhere the traffic density is high, so that there is a greater incentive for people to usethe metro.

However, for much of this to happen it is the attitude of people which will need asea change. This can be achieved by the elected local government representativeswho themselves will need to be trained to tackle the same. Changing attitudes andinculcating discipline will be the biggest challenge to turn Jaipur into a world classcity. Infrastructure alone can not do much unless the people are ready to cooperate.

1/2010

I N S I D E

Jaipur Metro Rail:A much needed facility

Snow World in Desert City

Work on Security CorridorPradeep S Mehta, Secretary General

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www.gonomad.com

| 2 | City Matters • 1/2010

In the LimelightIn the LimelightIn the LimelightIn the LimelightIn the Limelight

Jaipur Metro Rail:Jaipur Metro Rail:Jaipur Metro Rail:Jaipur Metro Rail:Jaipur Metro Rail:A much needed facilityA much needed facilityA much needed facilityA much needed facilityA much needed facilityJaipur Metro Rail:Jaipur Metro Rail:Jaipur Metro Rail:Jaipur Metro Rail:Jaipur Metro Rail:A much needed facilityA much needed facilityA much needed facilityA much needed facilityA much needed facility

Mainly, it is the Jaipur DevelopmentAuthority (JDA) which plans and

implements infrastructure projects in thecity with the Jaipur MunicipalCorporation (JMC) having a little role init. There is often confusion in the mindsof the citizens too on which has whatauthority. The 74th amendment of theConstitution has sought to devolve mostpowers to the elected body ofcorporators/councilors in our cities andtowns. But the progress has been tardy,because of the inertia and lack of politicalwill in our governance structure.

Therefore, any further work on themetro rail etc. will be carried out by theJDA under the control and guidance ofthe state government and its specialisedagencies. We are yet to see how thegovernment will respond to the newmunicipal government in the city.

A metro rail project is usuallyunderground as seen in all big cities.Some of the lines also run overheadwhere an underground rail is not feasible.

The first ever metro rail project in Indiawas established in Kolkata. The secondmajor one was erected in Delhi whichhas earned huge plaudits from all for theefficient manner in which it is being done.There are several other cities, such asHyderabad, Pune, Kochi, Bangalore whichtoo have announced their intention tobuild such a project.

Generally a metro project on its owncan not be remunerative and has to besupported by the government throughtax support and subsidies. Another wayto garner extra non-operative revenuesis through development of real estateand rental incomes.

In terms of the model of execution thereare two modes: firstly through the PPProute where there is a joint venture witha private investor who builds andoperates the metro for a fixed period ofsay 30 years or more, and shares allrevenues with the government. The otheris for the government to implement andoperate the metro and get it constructed

by inviting contractors. The Delhi metrois being done on the latter basis.

In the Jaipur project there is already abig debate on the model to be followed.There are both pros and cons on eitherside. If there is a PPP partner, then thepossibility of speedy and efficientexecution and operation is far better.Even during construction the project willface many legal hitches, which can bebetter managed by a private investor.

If the government executes the projectthen one can very well imagine the likelycost and time over run due to the workculture. On the other hand, if there is asmart leader of the project appointedby the government with an assuredtenure and time bound target, the projectcould well be completed successfully.

But that is wishing for too much when ithas been seen that the government hasshifted at least three commissionersin the JDA over the period of just oneyear.

Metro rail in the city will start operation from March 2013. The ground level work willbegin in March 2010, and the project will be readied by March 2013. The proposedroute will be a 9-km long elevated track connecting Mansarovar and Chandpole. Thiswill be part of 12 km long East West corridor from Ramganj to Mansarovar via BadiChoupar, Choti Choupar, Chandpole, Ajmer Road, Gopalpura Bypass, New SanganerRoad and Mansarovar. The government has given its consent to the final module. Inthe first phase, 28.5 km-long Metro corridor will be constructed at a cost of Rs 5,300crore, including 12 km east west corridor and 16.5 km long North South corridorfrom the Jawahar Circle to Jal Mahal.

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BriefsBriefsBriefsBriefsBriefs

Snow World in Desert CityGurgaon based realty player DivyaAashirwad Properties has joined handswith French snow manufacturerTechnofun to set upan indoor SnowWorld at theMetropolitan mall inJaipur. The Frenchcompany wouldprovide technicalassistance andtechnology in setting up a snow factoryat the mall.

Anil Wadhwa, Managing Director,Divya Aashirwad Properties informedthat the Rs 30 crore Snow World spreadacross 15,000 sq feet would have latestsnow games for children as well as foradults, i.e. all the modern games includingsledging, snow-carting, slides and snowdiscovery. The main feature would beartificial snow fall which would amusepeople in summers when temperaturerises above 45 degrees. This amusementcentre would be completed in the nexteight months. (RP, 20.11.09)

Metro Dairy to Come UpTo increase milk processing facility, theRajasthan government has decided to setup a Metro Dairy Plant in Bassi, about28 km from Jaipur. This will be in additionto the milk plant being run by the dairyin Jaipur.

The plant, which will have a collectioncapacity of 110,000 litres a day, isexpected to cost Rs 100 crore. The stategovernment also plans to set up twomore processing plants in Chittorgarhand Jhalawar districts. These two plantswill each have capacity to process100,000 litres of milk a day.

To reach out to consumers, theRajasthan Co-operative Dairy Federationhas recently opened a 24-hour “SarasParlour” in Jaipur. An investment of Rs200 crore will be made in the MetroDairy, which will have state of the arttechnology, with latest machines.

(HT, 17.12.09)

Jaipur Fourth in E-commerceAccording to eBay India Census 2009,Jaipur is the fourth largest e-commercehub in the country, whereas it rankedninth in 2008. Ebay is a portal fromwhere anyone can sell or buy anything.

The top five items bought in Jaipurare valuable handsets, USB drives,

diamond rings and anti-virus software.At the same time, five top items sold arenecklaces, silver earrings, gems stoneearrings, salwar suits, skirts and trousers.It shows that residents of Jaipur aretechnology-friendly. (HT, 17.12.09)

High Voltage: A Serious ProblemDamage to electrical gadgets andhousehold equipment due to severevoltage fluctuations is a serious issue.Several household electronic andelectrical gadgets were damaged andrendered defective due to a suddensurge of high voltage in Arvind Nagarin Barodia Basti.

A similar incident occured at ChandVihar Colony in Khatipura, affecting 150residents of the locality. TVs, fridges,tube lights, computers and severalother household electrical equipmentswere damaged, costing around Rs 10lakh.

Residents are demandingcompensation for faulty services, asmaintenance is not being provided byservice providers on a regular basis.Even after making several complaints, norepresentative from the concerneddepartment visited the sites. The powersupply was restored without issuing anynotice. (DB, 04.12.09 & 06.12.09)

Ban on Mobile TowersThe Rajasthan HighCourt recently ruledthat no mobile towerswould be installed inJaipur without itspermission. Justice G KVyas issued the order ona writ petition filed byVimla Sharma, a residentof Jaipur alleging that the towers createa lot of nuisance. Telecommunicationconnectivity towers are being installedwithout prior permission from theconcerned authorities.

The petitioner alleged that thetowers are a threat due to the highintensity microwave emissions whichresults in mental and sleeping disorders.It also causes lymphoma and can causemany other diseases. The petitioner haschallenged the installation of the towerin the vicinity of her residence near theJaipur airport. The Judge issued noticesto the Chief Secretary and other topgovernment officials, acting on a writpetition. (DB, 08.12.09)

Investment on Managing TrafficA whopping amount of Rs 15,000 crorewill be spent on ensuring better trafficmanagement in Jaipur city. Wilber SmithCo. will bepreparing aDetailed ProjectReport (DPR),taking intocons iderat ionthe traffic needsby 2031.

The DPR would comprise eightadditional central bus stands. However,it was suggested that the DPR shouldbe prepared for traffic improvement andits better management, targeting the2025 master plan. More suggestions, likeseparate lanes on roads for cyclists, safecrossings, footpaths for pedestrians andconstruction of underpasses, should beincluded in the DPR.

(DN, 20.11.09 & 21.11.09)

Auto-Cracy: Meter Down & OutThe governmentwants to introducethe Metro in Jaipur,but at the same timeit is unable toregulate autorickshaws that form the basic mode ofpublic transport in this tourist city. Thegovernment, two months back, came upwith a notification saying all autos wouldhenceforth run on meters. It did nothappen.

The availability of rate charts is themain issue which needs to be taken careof to ensure success of the initiative.Meanwhile, a reality check shows thatdespite the directives, the drivers havenot fixed their meters and are notwearing their mandatory uniforms.

Earlier, the traffic department hadstarted checks, along with transportdepartment, and traffic cops weredeployed at identified traffic points tocheck the functioning of meters in autorickshaws, the uniform of drivers and thenumber of passengers travelling.

(ToI, 17.12.09)

Jaipur Master Plan: World Class CityA high-powered committee, headed bythe Urban Development and HousingMinister, Shanti Dhariwal, approved theprestigious Master Plan 2025. By 2025,the population of Jaipur would beapproximately 75 lakh, and keeping this

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City MattersCity MattersCity MattersCity MattersCity Matters is a Bi-monthly newsletter published by Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), D-217, Bhaskar Marg, Bani Park, Jaipur 302 016, India,Phone: 91.141.228 2821, Fax: 91.141.228 2485 Email: cuts@cuts.org, Web site: www.cuts-international.org, and printed by Jaipur Printers P. Ltd., Jaipur, India.CUTS offices also at Kolkata, Chittorgarh and New Delhi (India); Lusaka (Zambia); Nairobi (Kenya); Hanoi (Vietnam); London (UK); and Geneva (Switzerland).

Sources: HT: Hindustan Times; ToI: Times of India; DB: Dainik Bhaskar; DN: Dainik Navjyoti; RP: Rajasthan Patrika

in mind, the master plan has beenprepared. The Minister disclosed that theearlier planned 46 km Bus Rapid TransitSystem road would be extended to 68km and be implemented only on 45 feetwidth roads.

The master plan is an output of effortsmade by various departments toestablish Jaipur as a world-class city. Toobtain suggestions from variousorganisations, agencies and departments,the JDA called a meeting for media fortheir suggestions. (HT, 15.12.09)

Nod for Sewerage ProjectsKeeping in mind the population of Jaipurin 2041, the JMC will send a DPR of Rs500 crore for mega sewerage projectsto the state government for approval.The projects arelikely to benefit theresidents of walledcity, Jawahar Nagar,Bapu Nagar, C-Scheme and allother areas wherethe sewerage network is over 30 yearsold.

To solve the day-to-day problem ofchoking of sewer lines and to reducecontamination of water, the old networkwith limited capacity would be eitherrenovated or changed with the use ofthird generation technology. In the firstphase of the project at least 200 kmnetwork across the city would be takenup which would be extended to otherareas in the city. During the secondphase, similar technology would beintroduced in areas like C-Scheme, BapuNagar, Jawahar Nagar and other areashaving problems of choking.

(ToI, 15.12.09)

Acute Water Shortage in CityWith the reduced supply of water in thecity, residents are forced to budget theirwater consumption and outsource it toprivate suppliers. The government hadrestricted supply to once a day insteadof twice, thereby cutting supplies by half.Reeling under the acute crisis, citizenscomplain that even the once-in-a-daysupply has been erratic for the past fewmonths.

Vijay Soni, resident of Brahmapurisays the situation has deteriorated in thepast two months. Ravi Shankar fromMalviya Nagar Sector A says they hardlyget water for more than 30 minutes andthat too without any pressure.

The government has sanctioned 50new tubewells for the city other thanthe existing and functional 1,871. Itsignifies that underground water willcontinue to be used by the city and theRs 800-crore Bisalpur project has notbeen of any help in reducing the crisis.

(ToI, 10.12.09)

Jumping Signal tops Traffic ViolationsThere is no denying the fact that violationof traffic rules is rampant in the city.Jumping red light tops the chart of trafficrules violations. In the first 10 monthsof 2009, over 75,560 people were foundflouting the red light rule. Around 210vehicle owners are being challaned eachday.

The traffic police is planning to focusmore on this area by deputing additionalpolicemen on busy intersections. Challanswere also issued to vehicle owners fordisplaying illegible registration numbers,driving without helmet and overspeeding.

The traffic police has earmarkedmany places as no-parking zones invarious markets of the city. Besides, thereare regulations like timings when vehiclescan be parked in a particular market.Still, most vehicles challaned were fromthe walled city. Another trend which hasleft the residents worried is that moreand more people are being challaned fordrunken driving. (ToI, 07.12.09)

Work on Security CorridorThe JDA will finally start the work onthe security corridor around JaipurAirport. It would be constructed 30 feetaway from the airport fence, accordingto the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security(BCAS) guidelines. The Central IndustrialSecurity Force and state police personnelwould be deployed along the corridorfor around-the-clock surveillance.

The proposal for the corridor wasmooted six years ago as per the BCASrules. After conducting a survey, airport

authorities had asked the JDA to removeencroachments on the airport’speripheries. Common public would beallowed to use the pavement but‘suspicious’ activity would be prohibited.

(HT, 24.12.09)

Tertiary Treatment PlantsJaipur will soon have the country’s firsttertiary treatment plants (TTP) toproduce water from sewage at Delawasand Jai Singh Pura Khor. The two plantswill be supplied 40 million litres per day(mld) sewage. From this, the plants willproduce 30 mld water through ultra-filtration. This water would be used forindustries, gardens and agriculture.

At present 246 mld water is usedfor sewerage in the city. Of this, afterfi ltration 62.5 mld is supplied toagriculture and industries via first unitof sewage treatment plant at Jai SinghPura and Delawas. The second unit willfilter more than 62.5 mld water makingthe total quantity 125 mld. Once theseplants are operational, 232 mld sewagewill be utilised out of total 246. This willhelp overcome the shortage of water inthe city. (HT, 20.12.09)

India’s 1st Monorail in JaipurJaipur would be the first city in India toget a monorail. The state government hasissued the letter of intent to a Malaysiancompany MRails International for settingup the monorailproject to beexecuted underbuild, own,operate andtransfer (BOOT)basis.

Monorail, a mode of transport basedon a single rail on an elevated corridor,is a cheaper and a lighter alternative tothe metro. Since the pillars supportingthe monorail are narrow and sleek, it isideal for congested and narrow areas.

The cost per km is between Rs50-80 crore. The train has a hybridengine and will use liquefied natural gasfor the start-up torque. Once it gainsmomentum, it will charge the battery.The AC and lighting will be donethrough solar power. (HT, 20.12.09)