{ Abhishek Behl / FG }

When launching into a ca-reer, most of us have a simple method of choos-

ing the best job for ourselves - take the first one! Of course, at the back of our minds, we do consider if – it ‘feels right’; or ‘meets convention’.

But Gurgaon, being the mod-ern Guru City now, has to be different. This City offers some great opportunities and unique, empowering  professions.

The corporate boom here has brought in people from all parts of India, and the world. There are IT professionals who have tasted the quality of life abroad; BPO staffers who are young and ready to explore; rich industri-alists and businessmen with a taste for the good things in life;  CEOs of all hues who play hard and party hard; and a large greying population that has its own needs to survive in this City – that lives on the extremes.

This diverse population and its demands has given an oppor-tunity to some people - to shun

Vol. 1 No. 29 Pages 24 ` 7 RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319

9–15 March 2012

Helplines...Pg 7

The Week That Was...Pg 7

Learn Haryanvi...Pg 7

Regular Features

Contd on p 6

{ Maninder Dabas / FG }

Till not so long ago it was evi-dently believed that Haryana Urban Development Author-

ity (HUDA) has not only stag-nated the development of the City, but also degraded it to its nadir – where the civic amenities were at the brink of extinction. Yet, as is all too familiar in India, a change at the top can some-times change a lot. Since the ar-

the homeless poor, installation of water harvesting projects, development of the new nurs-eries (in order to increase the greenery in the city parks), and the betterment of main roads – are a few of the key works that need to be accomplished in the coming months. And I hope we will be able to meet the ex-pectations of the people,” said Dr. Praveen Kumar, Adminis-trator, HUDA.

HUDA Phase II - Beyond Demolitions

Ativa Auto Services has launched ‘White Xpress’, an auto-on-call service with the support of Bajaj Auto Ltd.

The autos are available from 6.30 am to 10 pm. Make online bookings at www.whitexpress.in or

call 0124-4811111. Autos will charge Rs. 40 for the first two kms, and

thereafter it would be Rs 8 per km.Call: 0124-4811111

Express Service at your Doorstep

{Inside}

NGO – Haryali

Featuring a genuine

green warrior – the

founder and chief of an

NGO, that has been

working incessantly to save

the environment in the

Millennium City.

...Pg 8

EWS Housing

Featuring the scam and

the scourge of EWS

Housing – that is yet to fully

play out. Surprisingly, no

demolitions of any of the

“illegal” ones yet.

...Pg 9

Art

Featuring a walk in the

park, with a difference.

The 3 km long Renge Art

Walk, that showcased over

a 1000 artworks.

...Pg 17

Sohna Road

Featuring the new

destination; the worthy

successor to MG Road?

...Pg 18

A Different High

Contd on p 19

P3

played golf, and learnt the ba-sics of maintaining a course. That has come in handy for me”, says Sehrawat. He presently has maintenance contracts for two courses in the City – includ-ing the prestigious NSG Golf Course in Manesar.

The biggest break for Seh-rawat came when a senior Gur-gaon official spotted his talent, and asked him to join the HUDA Gymkhana Club as a coach. “This was a major break for me, but my family refused to let me go. I had to twice run away from home, to come to this job. My mother did not want me to travel on the NH 8, as my elder brother had lost his life a couple of years ago at the Hero Honda Chowk,” he says softly.

But the hope of improving the family’s financial condi-tion brought him to Gurgaon; and Sehrawat says the decision proved to be momentous. Dur-ing his seven years stint as a coach, he cleared the Profes-sional Golf Trainers of India

the mainstream, and succeed in niche professions that were con-sidered mere hobbies.

Yes, they have managed to survive in this City - without be-ing a software engineer, a real estate dealer, an auto company employee, or a BPOite.

Friday Gurgaon met a unique sample, engaged as golf course managers, yoga practitioners, master brewers, cookery experts and health club managers.

We profile six such profes-sionals - who chose to be differ-ent, and attained success their own way.

Golf In My VeinsThe story of Rambir Seh-

rawat can be the story of many Indians who have gone from rags to riches – thanks to the liberalisation witnessed by the Indian economy. Gurgaon’s suc-cess is also in a way the by-prod-uct of the freedom granted to In-dians to become entrepreneurs, earn wealth, and compete with the world.

Sehrawat today drives a Maruti Swift car, and runs

a firm of about 100 people. They maintain golf courses in Gurgaon. Sehrawat is also involved in gardening and horticultural work; and has won contracts from major multi-national companies, for taking care of their premises.

He recalls, with misty eyes, the time when he was a young kid – and it was difficult for his family to ensure two square meals a day. A resident of Hassanpur village, on the out-skirts of Gurgaon, he says that his father had to work as a secu-rity guard after retiring from the defence services – because the income was meagre.

“It was at this juncture that I decided to join the Resort and Country Club as a caddie. I worked there for three years, and realised that I had a good talent for golf,” says Sehrawat. He learnt the nuances of the game while helping the guests at the resort.

His next stint was at the Classic Golf Resort, where he joined as a range supervisor. “I served there for three years. I

rival of Administrator Praveen Kumar, HUDA seems to have gone through a transformation; where Kumar is playing the role of Darwin – writing a new course of evolution for a City. But before further lauding Kumar, we de-cided to check whether the spot actions have endured; and the dreams talked of by him, have started taking shape.

“My aim is to make this City a perfect place to live in; and to

achieve this goal I can go to any extent. It is not correct to say that before my arrival HUDA was not working. Indeed it was; but yes, some changes have tak-en place, and now it is more ag-ile. We have started many works in the City – from removing traf-fic circles, to improving the con-dition of city parks. Yet, there are some major works to be car-ried out, with dedication and seriousness. Rehabilitation of

PRAKHAR PANDEY

Manisha Ahlawat Rupali Kalra Ishan Grover Krishan Shokeen Smita Bhavnani

02 9–15 March 2012 Coming Up

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RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319VOL.–1 No.–29 9–15 March 2012 MUSIC WORKSHOP HOLI CELEBRATION ART NIGHTLIFE TALK

NightlifeYo Yo Honey Singh@ Zygo Club, Metropolitan Mall, MG RoadMarch 10Time: 9 pm

Famous Punjabi Singer Honey Singh will perform at Zygo

once again. For registration, call 9899894520.

TalkMeet the Author@ Epicentre, Apparel House, Sector 44Date: March 9Time: 7:30pm

An interaction with Namita Gokhale, who has written

many novels, a collection of short stories, and several works of non-fiction.

WorkshopEffective Communication for A Happier Life@ Mind Cafe, Cross Point Mall, DLF Phase IVDate: March 14Time: 10 amEntry: Annual Members – Free; Non Members – Rs. 300

Learn effective communication and personal growth skills.

The Workshop will be conducted by Stefan Gebert, a sociologist and psychologist working as a consultant for organisational change and personnel development.

MusicGurgaon Utsav@ Biodiversity Park, GhitorniDate: March 11Time: 7 pm

Dr. Madan Gopal, along with Deepak Castelino, Pritam

Ghosal, and Gurmeet Singh will

MarathonRunning And Living Into Healthy Competition@ Leisure Valley Park, Sector 29Date: March 11Time: 6:15 am

Participate in the 10km and 5 km runs, for free. The

marathon is sponsored by Uninor. For more information, log on to: http://runningandliving.com.

inaugurate the new Amphitheatre. This will be followed by their interpretation of Bulleh Shah and Heer Ranjha; and Qawwali by the Qutubi Brothers.

Blokus Competition@ The Mind Cafe, GL -204-206, Cross Point Mall, DLF Phase IVDate: March 15Time: 6 pm

Participate in a Blokus Competition at the Mind Cafe.

Winners will be given prize money of Rs. 2,500, and an annual membership card. There are only 16 spots, and the entry is free. For registration, log on to http://www.themindcafe.co.in.

ArtJewellery Exhibition@ 605 Golden Apartments, GH7, Sector 47Date: March 12Time: 12 noon

Explore the vibrant colours of jewels, at the jewellery

exhibition organised by IndiaJewelryStore. For more information, call 9818009189.

COOKING CLASSES

Baking Italian cuisine

Continental cuisine Master Chef Kitchen’s

selected recipes

Chef VijaylaxmiTOP-4, MASTER CHEF INDIA-2

15% Discount for FG Subscribers

LimitedSeatsOnly

Classes are scheduled only for the weekends

Talent HuntHere Comes the Funny@ Power Play - The Sports Bar, JMD Regent Arcade, MG RoadDate: March 11Time: 8 pm

Participate in a stand-up comedy talent hunt, presented

by Cheese Monkey Mafia, and Power Play Sports Bar.

ArtFaith – Manu Parekh in Benaras (1980-2012)@ Art Alive Gallery, Sector 44Date: March 9Time: 11 am

A painting exhibition by the eminent artist Manu Parekh.

The exhibition showcases his work in Benaras, and is his first major solo show held in Delhi/NCR, in over six years.

ArtSolo Show by Dr. Naini Kumar@ Quill and Canvas, South Point Mall, DLF Phase V, Date: March 11 and March 12Time: 11 am

Apainting exhibition showcasing the oil and water colour

paintings by Dr. Naini Kumar. Dr. Kumar last exhibited on at the Old Chelsea Town Hall, Chelsea, London.

Famous Punjabi Singer Alfaaz performed at the Mojos, DT

City Centre. His hit numbers – “Haye Mera Dil”, “Yaar Bathere”, “Rickshaw” et all kept the crowd grooving. Ikraam Aulakh, the owner of the club, said “House music is an integral part of the culture at Mojos; however, with the changing times we will also focus on commercial entertainment via celebrity artists such as Alfaaz. His connection with the crowd, and song selection, was outstanding. He truly is a youth icon.”

Alfaaz At Mojo’s

9–15 March 2012 03Celeb Watch

The scorching sun didn’t deter the City’s art lovers from making

their presence felt at India’s first Art Walk, at the DLF Golf and Country Club. The Chairman of DLF Group, K.P Singh, who inaugurated the show, was seen appreciating the brightly coloured paintings on one side, and abstract art on the other. He was gifted a portrait painting of his, with a theme ‘Building India’. K.P Singh revealed some interesting anecdotes about M.F Hussain’s long-standing association with DLF.

Scindia GolfAn annual highlight of the golf calendar, the Madhavrao Scindia Golf

Tournament, took place at the DLF Golf and Country Club on Sunday. Golf lovers from across the country—Kapil Dev, Robert Vadra, Tikka Shatrujit Singh, Murali Kartik, Nikhil Chopra, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Pankaj Munjal, Rohit Rerlan, Amrit Mathur and others—took out time from their busy schedule, to come play. The event was a fund raiser organised by The Madhavrao Scindia Foundation, which works for the development of the underprivileged.

Nasya RocksNasya, a fusion rock band

based in Delhi, enthralled the local audience with a blend of Sufi, Haryanvi, and Punjabi folk and rock, at the SPOT Lounge and Bar. “Their performance is a fine balance of traditional Hindustani vocals with Western elements of jazz, blues, and rock music,” said one of the fans. Nasya has won several music competitions across the country – at Jamia Hamdard, PGDAV, Dyal Singh and CVS, to name a few.

Maple Pre-Holi BashThe Maple Town and Country Club

organised a Pre-Holi Bash for all their staff, along with their families. The evening rocked, as singer Shankar Sahney belted out popular numbers, that made most people hit the dance floor.

Renge Art Walk

04 9–15 March 2012 Reviews

BOOK

An Ode to a Legend{ Alka Gurha }

‘Flowers for My Father’, compiled and edited by Srimati Lal, is a defining

tribute to her father Purshottam Lal, a literary legend. The formidable writer, poet, translator and publisher, P. Lal, founded Writers Workshop in 1958 in Calcutta – and spearheaded the movement of Indo-Anglian Writing. Since then, P. Lal published over 3000 volumes by Indian literary authors – mostly in the English language; including poetry, fiction, educational texts, screenplays, drama, children’s books, and audio books. Writers Workshop is the renowned publishing house that has published several celebrated writers; often providing them a prestigious launch pad. The list includes Vikram Seth and Pritish Nandy.

P. Lal is perhaps best known for his translation of the Mahabharata. It is both poetic and swift to read; and oriented to the oral/musical tradition in which the work was originally created. P. Lal was also the recipient of the Padma Shri award in 1970. In addition to the Mahabharata, his translations from Sanskrit have included a number of other religious works – including 21 of the Upanishads, as well as plays and lyric poetry.

This heartfelt ode by a talented writer, Srimati Lal, an artist, poet, curator and a designer – is a scintillating tribute to a father, who remains atop a literary pedestal even after his demise. The book opens with Srimati’s bouquets for her Baba, and a few selected poems penned by P. Lal. Srimati reminisces, “The long poem, The Man of Dharma; and the Rasa

of Silence, written in his maturity, at a time when father was awarded a Nehru Fellowship, has been one of my greatest inspirations.”

This compilation, ‘ Flowers for my Father’, has several literary luminaries like Shashi Deshpande, Ruchir Joshi, Amitava Roy, James Wyatt Cook, Dr. Karan Singh and Suhel Seth offering

rich tributes to the legend of literature, P. Lal. While each tribute celebrates the illustrious journey of the legend, it is the personal anecdotes that reveal P. Lal as a real life hero – touching the lives of his followers

across nations. Since the book is a tribute, it disregards

any critical evaluation, and tends to border on hero worship of a father by a loving daughter. However, it remains a stirring tribute, and an intimate portrayal of the world inhabited by the literary genius, P. Lal. u

{ Vijay Kumar }

London Paris New York (LPNY) is un-der two hours long; its lead actors Ali

Zafar and Aditi Rao Hydari are in every frame of the movie (almost); they get to speak all the dialogues in the movie – and this contributes in no small measure to the movie turning out to be … well, I am afraid you will have to read a little more to get a hang of what I feel about the movie!

LPNY is a sort of family venture, with members of one family (rather, two families) playing dominant roles. Goldie Behl (son of Ramesh Behl, who produced the hugely successful college romance JAWANI DIWANI about 40 years back) is the producer; his sister Srishti Arya is the co-producer, and her husband Samir Arya is the cinematographer. The other ‘family’ is that of the Paki-stani actor Ali Zafar: he, besides being the lead actor, is also the lyrics writer, the music director and singer. I can’t recall any person other than Kishore Kumar who filled in all these roles!

Anu Menon’s directorial debut could be better. The story sounds hollow, and is not plausible; the foreign locales are not really relevant; the cinematographer could have used better looking back-grounds – while shooting in places like London, Paris and New York. And though

CINEMA

A Fresh Journey

they are regular now, the kissing sequenc-es are not really necessary.

But despite these observations, LPNY does exude a certain freshness not often seen in Bollywood; and the chem-istry of Ali Zafar and Aditi Rao Hydari is sizzling. This is Aditi’s first film as a lead actress, and she carries out her role with consummate ease. Ali Zafar, who has

been recently seen in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, is just as outstanding; his playful mannerisms remind one of Shah Rukh during his early days. The songs, composed and sung by Ali Zafar, are peppy – and fit the ambience very well. The director’s out-standing achievement is in not

allowing distractions to come in the way of storytelling; keeping the length short, and having the minimum number of characters on the screen. That allows her to define the lead characters with depth, and ex-ecute the scenes to near perfection. Even the ending does not look contrived.

So what if LPNY does not have the best shots of London, Paris and New York; it envelopes you with that fresh feeling that will stay with you well after the credits start rolling. u

FLOWERS FOR MY FATHERAuthor: Srimati LalPuBLIShEr: Writers WorkshopPrICE: Rs. 300GENrE: Non-fiction Anthology

FOOD

{ Aalok Wadhwa }

The Eurail pass allows you to traverse 21 countries in Eu-

rope – each with a strong culinary tradition of its own. Naturally then, as I enter the Eurail restaurant—named after the pass —at Golf Course Road, I hope to savour some of the wonderful tastes that the European continent offers. “We serve Europe on a plate,” reas-sures the young and enthusiastic management professional-turned-restaurateur Aditi Goel. And I begin a journey, in this spa-cious and ornate restaurant, which has been meticulously designed by her.

The table has fine glassware and cutlery. My first food stop is the amuse bouche – a small, daintily-plated potato croquette, with strawberry compote. It has a palate-tingling appeal. A handsome bread

Continental Fare

EuRAiLParsavnath Exotica Complex, Near Hotel ibis, Golf Course Road, GurgaonPhoNE: 0124 4928600CuISINE: EuropeantImING: 12 Noon to 3 PM, 7 PM to 11 PM

FG F I R S T

Masterchef (Season 2): Top 5 Vijaylaxmi

Spinach Chaat Ingredients

10 pieces Spinach leaves2 tbsp. Besan2tbsp. Corn flour½ tsp. Ajwain ½ cup Curd½ cup Mint chutney2 tbsp. Gur syrup (1 tbsp gur dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water)½ tsp. Black salt1 tbsp. Chaat masala2 tbsp. Pomegranate seed½ kg Oil for deep frying

Master Recipes

Method

Wash spinach, and dry on a paper towel

Mix together besan, corn flour, ajwain, salt in ½ cup of water, and make a batter

Dip spinach leaves in batter, and deep fry them

Now arrange the fried spinach on a serving plate, and spread curd, mint chutney, gur syrup, black salt, chaat masala, and pomegranate seeds on top.

Serve immediately.

weak vinaigrette, with too much olive oil and too little seasoning. The bocconcini is not fresh. The strawberries, caper berries and asparagus are sufficiently succulent, but unable to lift this salad.

For the main course I have ordered a grilled chicken cacciatore (Rs. 625). Cacciatore, meaning hunter in Italian, is a classic Italian sauce cooked the rustic way. What’s on my plate is roasted chicken on the bone, with an adapted sauce of roasted tomatoes, olives and bell peppers; with flavoured couscous and baked potatoes on the side. It is a tasty dish. The perfectly prepared couscous, I make a note, is amongst the best I have had in some time.

The final destination arrives, all dressed up and attractive. It’s an Anglo-Italian duet—carrot cake and tiramisu (Rs. 450). The tiramisu is light and ricotta creamy, and the oh-so-English carrot cake (voted as United Kingdom’s favourite cake in a Radio Times 2011 survey) is a pleasant mouthful.

Now in its third month of operation, Eurail is Gurgaon’s first truly European restaurant. Its menu boasts variety, and a fine collection of wines and single malts. I am sure that the food will settle into being consistently good over time. So whenever you do feel like having some Hungarian goulash or authentic Portuguese vinha d’alhos, you would know which way to go. u

LONdON, PARiS, NEW YORkDIrECtED By: Anu MenonCASt: Ali Zafar Aditi Rao HydariGENrE: Comedy

platter follows. Four home baked breads—pesto roll, whole wheat roll, raisin bread and crispy knackebrot —served with good quality olive oil and oregano, make for delicious bites through the rest of my meal.

Station two is the Provencal sounding bocconcini berry salad (Rs. 450); it is a disappointment. The arugula leaves are overgrown, and their rich texture and peppery taste have gone fibrous – and the flavours bitter. The dressing is a

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9–15 March 2012 Cover Story06

Contd from p 1

Rehabilitation of the PoorDemolition drives carried

out by HUDA in the months of November and December last year, had not only disrupted the illegal structures, but also the homes of many poor people who had been living there for a substantial period of time. At that time, HUDA had promised them rehabilitation in ‘pucca’ houses; but the poor did not buy this. However, now the promise made by HUDA seems to be taking some shape. Some houses made for the Below Poverty Line (BPL) people are almost ready for allocation. “Both the SDOs had been ordered to carry out a survey of the poor families who need to be rehabilitated; and, if I am not wrong, surveys are almost complete. HUDA has made one-bed room cemented houses for the poor, in Sector-47, and at a few other places. The Sector 47 houses are ready to be allocated, and we will soon take out the draw – after the completion of the survey process,” said Kumar. However, Kumar didn’t go into the legalities and other conditions for the allotment of the houses. Mahinder Singh, ADO (Survey) added, “The Survey has been done, and we have identified 2,500 such families, who would be allotted cemented

HUDA Phase II - Beyond Demolitions

Open Letter To Huda Chief

houses at the minimum rate – which is based on a no-profit-no-loss policy of HUDA. We were instructed that the family should be a BPL family, having lived in Gurgaon for at least 10 years. After a survey of almost a month, we have selected these 2,500 families. However, currently only the houses in Sector-47 are ready for allotment,” elaborated Singh.

Nurseries for a Greener Gurgaon“Gurgaon has a dearth of

greenery in its parks and other places, and we are committed to make it more green; because greenery directly effects peo-ple’s health in a positive man-ner. We have planned to make at least 45 more nurseries, which will help in increasing the green cover of the City. For this purpose, various teams of ex-perts have been sent to places like Saharanpur, Farukhabad and Jhansi, to get plants that consume less water – because in Gurgaon’s soil, ordinary plants need more water. In a year or so, we expect to plant at least 2 crore new (big and small) plants, in vari-ous parks and green belts of the City,” said Praveen Kumar. Later V.K Niralam, Executive Engineer, HUDA Horticulture Department, also confirmed HUDA’s efforts, “Administrator Sahab has instructed to estab-lish 45 new nurseries; but till

now only 21 have got the final nod, and the places for these have been allotted. Plans for some have already been set in motion, and our JEs have start-ed their work,” informed Nirala. However, ground realities seem different. “Although 21 nurser-ies have been sanctioned by the department, yet most of them have not started yet. I have been allotted 5 nurseries to work on, and till now we have only started planting stem plants. As far as teams visiting other States for

different plants, they have not brought anything significant,” said Narender Singh Yadav, JE, Horticulture.

Water Harvesting Projects Water harvesting is another

issue Gurgaon seriously needs to deal with, because it is the only hope that can resurrect the already depleting water table. “Water harvesting is a neces-sity for Gurgaon. As the City’s water table is getting worse with each passing year, rain water

List of 21 new NurseriesSector no Particular point RemarksSector- 52 (A) Tau Devilal Bio-Diversity park Set upSector- 38 Sports complex Set upSector- 56 Creek no-4 To be set upSector-45 Near Community Centre To be set upSector-46 Near Market Set upSector-43 Creek no-1 To be set upSector-16 Near boosting station To be set upSector- 31 & 32 (A) Near Jawala Service station Set upSector-15 (1) Near Rose Garden To be set upSector-22 TDL Park Set upSector- 23(A) Janam Divas Udyan Set upSector-22 Near Anand Farm gate Set upSector-10 (A) Near Krishan Mandir park To be set upSector-55 Smriti Vatika To be set upSector-10 Model park To be set upSector-4 Swarna Jayanti Park To be set upSector-5 Tikona park To be set upSector-10 RewariIndustrial area,

Model Town park To be set up

Dharuhera Green Belt To be set upSector-29 Plaza area To be set upSector-51 Near Police Station To be set up

{ Alka Gurha }

Sir,

Gurgaon, a happening enigma of contrasts, has been struggling with de-

velopmental pangs and civic negligence. The Gurgaon mod-el of development is akin to bright sequins being stitched on a fabric that is decaying. The decaying fabric contin-ues to be the civic mess, the pot-holed roads, the abysmal garbage collection, the wide-spread encroachment, and the bureaucratic hassles. The lack of co-ordination between vari-ous agencies, the leadership lacuna, and the blame-game has become the nemesis of the urban mess called Gurgaon.

To imagine that one diligent administrator can solve all the problems plaguing Gurgaon is a far-fetched idea. However, when I read about the various initiatives taken by HUDA un-der your leadership, there is a

sense of hope and renewed opti-mism among the residents.

The following headlines in the newspapers come as a breath of fresh air.

“Kumar empowers officers to fine offenders.”

The announcement that chal-lans will be issued to people who dump garbage in the open, or waste water, is a welcome initiative. However, the drive needs constant surveillance and thrust, because—like other ini-tiatives—it has a good chance of fizzling out. We hope that strict action is taken against those who are responsible for garbage collection from, and around, the MG Road. The entire stretch is littered with polythene bags and construction debris.

“HUDA vows to make the city green.”

During an inspection carried out by HUDA, it was found that the horticulture department

had failed to discharge its duties in several sectors. More such surprise checks are required, to pull up errant officials — for a greener Gurgaon. The fact that you are meeting RWA rep-resentatives on a regular ba-sis to improve the green cover is encouraging.

“HUDA administrator vows to revive City’s dying lakes.”

At a time when the water table is fast depleting, the promise of reviving old lakes is a welcome step. I would like to bring to your attention a natural water body adjacent to the Bestech Business Park in Sector 48. Last year, at-tempts were made to level the lake with truck-loads of mud. I would request you to ensure that this water body escapes the clutches of the land mafia.

Since there are no sewer lines, the rain-water harvest-ing pits are being used as sewer lines in some apartment com-

plexes. The residents claim that they have spotted the devel-oper’s maintenance team dump-ing the sewerage in storm water drains. Please take strict action against such errant builders.

“HUDA promises to take strict action against encroachers.”

I see your pictures tackling the land mafia. I do comprehend that such actions need guts and gumption. While it is difficult to fight the powerful lobbies, why is it so difficult to remove en-croachers and vendors from the MG Road metro station – near the Metropolitan Mall? I also hope that the area near Subhash Chowk, that has been grabbed by the encroachers, becomes a much needed green belt for Soh-na Road – which is permanently enveloped in a dust haze.

“HUDA Seeks authority to ap-prove local projects worth up to Rs. I cr”.

At present the local pur-chase committee has powers to take decisions involving ex-penses up to Rs. 5 lakhs only. However if the city wing of HUDA gets authority to ap-prove works costing up to one crore, more projects can be cleared at the local level.

I am not sure if Sohna Road comes under the jurisdiction of HUDA or MCG, but the road needs immediate carpeting and repair. Kindly expedite the process of repairing the stretch from Rajiv Chowk to the Badshapur crossing.

“Councillors, residents gain a lot from HUDA chief’s work.”

Apart from accountability, Gurgaon needs strict laws and stricter law enforcers. As a resident, I applaud the steps taken under your leadership. I hope that the Mess City trans-forms into a glorious ‘Millen-nium City’. u

With Be st WishesA Gurgaon Citizen

harvesting would help main-tain the water level. If we are able to maintain the status quo, it would be a great achievement. I have instructed our engineers to make estimates, and I hope that by the arrival of the monsoon, we would be able to put at least 50 water har-vesting units across the city,” said Kumar. “As of now there is no water harvesting unit being installed, yet the department is not sitting idle; we are busy in transforming the green belts into permanent rain water harvesting units. We are dig-ging green belts at least one feet below the level of the road, so that the rain water gets stored there – instead of getting into the sewers,” in-formed an official.

Repairing of roads“In the last two months we

have spent a hefty amount on repairing roads. I know that the condition of roads inside the City is not very good; and we realise our responsibility towards a common commuter who uses the road on a daily basis. We have not built any new road, but most of the potholes on the main roads have been filled by now. Most of the roundabouts have been removed, and traffic lights have been installed,” said R.K Kakkar, Superitending Engineer, HUDA. u

PRAKHAR PANDEY / JIT KUMAR

Listings

Police .............................................................. .......100 Fire Station ............................................................ 101 Ambulance .............................................................. 102 White Express Auto .................................0124-4811111 Gurgaon Traffic Police ............................................... 1073Railway Enquiry ................. ............................. ............139Women Helpline ........................................................ 1091Children Helpline ....................................................... 1098Senior Citizens Helpline ............................................ 1291LPG Helpline .................................................. 011-155233Weather Helpline ....................................... 18001801717Car Breakdown Helpline. ............................ 011-43676767Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway Helpline.........................................0124-4787828/817/853DMRC Helpline ............................................... 011-155370Disaster Management Helpline ................................. 1077Municipal Corporation (MCG) ...................... 18001801817Ambulance Service for Animals ..................... 9873302580

THE WEEKTHAT WAS♦ The Haryana Health Minister Rao Narender Singh said that, in order to promote medical tourism, the State has decided to give the status of Industry to any project with an investment of Rs 100 crores or more, in the Health sector. This is as per the new Industrial and Investment Policy 2011.He also said that the Govt of India has also chosen Haryana for setting up of a Pharma Industrial Park and Bio Technology Park – in the Global Economic Corridor, along the KMP Expressway. Also, the AIIMS – 2 project (an expansion of AIIMS, Delhi), was being set up at Barsa, in Jhajjar District.♦ The Inspector General of Police (Vigilance) Sheel Madhur addressed a seminar on “Social Awakening and Public Relations”, organized by the Samajik Jagriti and Jan Sahyog Manch, in collaboration with NGO Sadar

9–15 March 2012 07 Haryanvi Made Easy Get a taste of the local lingo1. Will you go out with me? Meri gella bahar chalega?

2. We can go and see a movie Film dekhna ja sake hai

3. I will pick you up from your house Tanne tere ghar te le lyunga

4. We can have dinner together Raat ne roti galle kha lenge

5. When do you have to get back? Ulta kis taem aana hai?

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India and Vigilance Bureau, Gurgaon office. Mr Madhur asked for mass co-operation against cor-ruption. He said that a complaint box would be kept in every Ward, in consultation with RWAs.The single member State Police Complaint Author-ity heard the complaints of the general public, about serious misconduct of police personnel in Gurgaon. The Chairman of the Authority, H.S. Rana, a retired IAS officer, has received about 50 complaints. The recommendations of the Authority are binding on the govt. An enquiry will normally be completed in 2 to 3 months. ♦ A sum of Rs 60.70 crores has been sanctioned, for the construction of roads and buildings, for 4 blocks of Gurgaon District, through the PWD (B&R), and Haryana State Agriculture marketing Board (HSAMB). For Gurgaon City, this includes a multi-purpose hall in Govt. College, Sector 14.♦ There was an earthquake, 4.9 on Richter scale, on Monday, with the epicentre in Bahadurgarh.♦ The Chaitra Mela at the Mata Sheetla Devi Temple, would be held between March 9 and April 12.♦ A call centre staff commits suicide.♦ Pub security supervisor beaten up, by bouncers.♦ A bomb hoax call in Genpact.♦ Arti Gupta is main accused in Rs 10 lakh credit card fraud.♦ A new union comes up at Maruti Suzuki, Mane-sar plant.♦ Toll Plaza relief plan put forward by the HUDA Administrator.♦ Cyber Cafes being authorized for facilitating on-line queries, and resolutions for multiple services/issue of Certificates, of MCG.♦ 3D Laparoscopy camera was used for the first time in a surgical conference in India. It was organized by the Association of Surgeons of India, Gurgaon City Branch, and Asian Bariatric, Ahmedabad. The Conference was inaugurated by the Health Minister, Haryana, Rao Narendra Singh. India is only the second country, after Germany, where this technique is being launched.Keeping the Climate Change threat in mind, the Department of Civil Engineering, ITM University, in association with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Centre for Water and Society, Michigan Technological University, Hough-ton, USA organised a two day Indo-US bilateral workshop on “Global challenges: Climate change, Water, Environment and Society” - sponsored by the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum. The objective of this workshop was to identify new areas for collaborative research - like integrated hydro-logical cycle, and watershed management.

9–15 March 2012 Civic/Social08

{ Abhishek Behl / FG }

Development should not come at the cost of en-vironment, as there is

already enough concrete in our lives. This is a firm belief held by Vivek Kamboj, the founder and chief of Haryali-an NGO, that has been working incessantly to save the environment in the Mil-lennium City; particularly its trees and green areas.

“The people in Gurgaon think that the heat and dust in the City will not affect them, as they have the money and resources to control the elements”, says Kamboj with a wry smile. In his fight to save trees in Gurgaon, Kamboj had to fight with his neighbours, powerful bureaucrats, rich businessmen and industrial-ists. He was even threatened by some of them, but he says nothing can stop him.

Kamboj says he has become an irritant for his neighbours, for taking up the cause of the voiceless trees. But his efforts have borne fruit, as his NGO Haryali has been able to plant around 48,000 trees, save hundreds of them from being chopped, and transplanted several others to safer areas.

Instead of blaming the gov-ernment, Kamboj says the citi-zens of Gurgaon need to under-stand the importance of trees, and the contribution they make in keeping the environ-ment clean, cool and dust-free – in addition to supplying

{ Hritvick Sen / FG }

In a City that offers pre-cious little, by way of public conveniences, the Haryana

Urban Development Author-ity’s (HUDA’s) initiative to in-stal new portable toilets is a pleasant surprise.

Gurgaon has sadly ignored the common person’s need to attend the call of nature in public spaces. There has been no relief to bursting bladders. Inevitably, the bushes and dark spaces, in and around bus/auto-stands, have been the main sol-ace for the man in need; and now most of these spaces stink of faeces and urine. Women, alas, stand discriminated here also.

A brainchild of the HUDA Administrator Dr. Praveen Ku-mar, a few portable toilets have been installed on a trial basis at IFFCO Chowk. Built and main-tained by a private company, ‘Shramik’, these brand-new red lavatories are clean, basic, and require minimum maintenance. Having a capacity of 200 litres, these new toilets are just what the doctor may have ordered.

But the sad truth is that, after decades of habitually relieving themselves on the streets and walls, commuters are having difficulty in shift-ing to a proper facility. Even if it is free. Even now, the area behind the toilets in IF-FCO Chowk is getting most of the business! A man who

Green Crusader

The water table has gone down, the City is fast moving towards

desert-like conditions, the average life span of the trees has reduced, and

the Aravallis are in danger of being deforested

was urinating on the pavement right next to the new toilet, was astounded to know that he was standing beside HUDA’s new toi-lets. “I never figured out this was a toilet,” he said.

Amitabh Manocha, the NCR Head of Shramik, says, “When HUDA Administrator Dr. Kumar approached us, we imme-diately set up four toilet stalls at IFFCO Chowk, on a trial basis. We are in the process of set-ting up 100 more such toilets, all around the City. Right now we are installing them in Sec-tor-31; and more locations will follow. Shramik will provide full maintenance of these units, for a monthly cost of Rs. 4,500 per unit. We are geared up to provide

maintenance across the City.” An official in the HUDA Ad-

ministration says, “We had in-stalled many toilets in the HUDA markets. Most of them have fall-en into disrepair, and forgotten. This new concept certainly has its virtues. A hard-body plastic urinal would be of no interest to vandals; and is long-lasting. If this trial works out, we would be more than happy to place a ten-der for 250-400 more toilets – to be stationed all over the City’s public places.”

MCG is still lagging in this matter. MCG’s Sanitary Offi-cer Aruna Sagwan says, “Right now, we don’t have any plans to construct public lavatories in the City. However, we do con-struct them on a request basis.”

The public seems to take a pessimistic view of the new de-velopment. “Everything in Gurgaon starts off with a bang,” says Umesh. “I’ve seen these toilets being set up, and it is certainly a welcome develop-ment. But that said, the author-ities have always fallen flat when it comes to the question of maintenance. Even now, I don’t see too many people us-ing the new toilets,” he says. “Instead, the people actually go around the toilets, to relieve themselves behind the said structures!” “It will take time,” says another. “Once more people are aware of the toilets, they will gravitate towards them – instead of the sidewalks.” u

What A Relief!A HUDA Contractor says, “These new-fangled

contraptions will not last the summer. When we had made the toilets, we had used the best-grade mate-rial available, as per the budget. The toilets we made had 300-litres capacity. Even then, the lavatories were misused – used like trash; and there was no maintenance undertaken. The new toilets are made of plastic; and there’s no guarantee of their longevity. Once one person urinates besides the toilet, others will follow suit. The truth is, people here do not know how to use public amenities. And they probably do not feel the toilets will be as ‘clean’ as an open land under the open sky!”

life-giving oxygen. “The people here cut trees just because the crown of their houses is not visible; the marble on their plaques cannot be seen; or their imposing iron gate loses its sheen,” he avers, pointing to an instance where a neighbour of his chopped a tree just because it barred the view of the building.

Haryali, he says, was formed in 2005, by a group of like minded individuals, who have passion for the environ-ment – as well as for the Mil-lennium City. “We fund this NGO from our own money, and take no donations. We pre-fer to work on the ground; plant more trees, and save them from being cut,” he asserts.

Haryali has also pioneered the transplantation of trees; and

this has saved quite a number. “We have ample expertise in transplanting large trees, and people from all parts of the City call us for doing this. Earlier, people from outside had to be called for this job,” he reveals.

Haryali is also proposing that the toll plaza in Gurgaon, as well as other parts of the coun-try, should become paper free – as a large amount of paper is wasted in the form of slips. He

says that the government must come out with a solution to this problem.

Citing an incident that speaks of the government apathy towards the environ-ment, Kamboj says that the Gurgaon Forest Department re-cently gave permission to chop Alastonia trees in Charmwood village in Faridabad, on the plea that these were once banned by the Noida authority due to some specious reason.  “I spoke to the Conservator Gurgaon; I even approached senior of-ficials and a Cabinet Minister, and told them that the Haryana government was itself distrib-uting the Alastonia saplings to people, so why were they chop-ping the trees,” reveals Kamboj. No action was initiated by any of them. It was only after he ap-proached former Union Minister and current MP Maneka Gan-dhi, that the forest officials in Gurgaon were forced to rescind the order – and the trees were saved. In Gurgaon, and even in Haryana, the Forest Department is a toothless tiger; as the range officers do not have resources and equipment to save trees and forests in the City as well as in rural areas.

The picture of urban forestry is also poor in the City. The of-fenders are not punished; and even if they are, the challan amount is compounded to a cou-ple of hundred rupees – that has no affect on the Gurgaon resi-dents, he says.

The green belts in the entire City have been en-croached by anti-social el-ements; and even affluent residents cut the trees to make way for parking. “If the

green belts in the City are re-claimed, we can plant at least 2 lakh trees in Gurgaon. You can imagine the change that will happen,” says Kamboj. He will meet the HUDA Administrator in this regard.

If this does not happen through the normal routine, his NGO is likely to file a PIL with the court, seeking directions in this regard.

“I have made some wise in-vestments, to ensure that home and hearth can run smoothly,” he says. His only grudge is that the citizens of Gurgaon do not share his passion for saving the trees; and this, he warns, could be detrimental for the future of this fast expanding City.

The water table has gone down, the City is fast moving towards desert-like condi-tions, the average life span of the trees has reduced, and the Aravallis are in danger of be-ing deforested, he says.

The fight, he says, is not his alone, but of the entire City; and the country. He points to the an-cient Indian values that respect-ed nature and its elements. “We must save the environment, else the City is doomed,” says Kam-boj. He was inspired to save the trees after he cut a Neem tree in his locality, and felt quite re-morseful for that act. To make up for that mistake, he planted a number of Neem trees, and took care of them until they grew strong and became a member of his street’s ecosystem. Point-ing to the Neem trees out-side his house, he says that these inspire him daily; and push him to work harder and honestly, to save the trees in this City. u

JIT

KUM

AR

9–15 March 2012 09Civic/Social

{ Hritvick Sen / FG }

In the week gone by, a 60-square yard tract of land in Gurga-on’s chaotic U-Block in DLF’s

Phase-III was reportedly sold for Rs. 83 lakhs. In that area stands a five-storey building, inhabited by tenants working in DLF’s Cy-ber City.

Places like U-Block, S-Block in DLF Phase-III, Unitech’s Q-Block in Sector 40, Ansals’ Palam Vi-har, and the area behind Nirva-na Country, are the hottest spots for rentals in the City. What is interesting is that these very areas were developed as resi-dences for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the society. Called EWS plots, these areas were designated by the government as places that the EWS people could buy, at subsi-dised rates – and build a home of their own.

The Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) says that 15 per cent of the area de-veloped by the builder has to be left/kept for affordable housing to the EWS. The provision of the Completion Certificate, by the DTCP to the developer, is affect-ed by this requirement in a ma-jor way. Once demarcated, these plots of land are to be handed to the poor – by draw of lots, or a lottery, or any suitable medium as decided by the authorities. This was the case when develop-ers like DLF, Ansals and Unitech released their properties for sale. Each EWS unit, in the demar-cated areas, was snapped up for prices as low as Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 60,000, for a standard 60-square yards of land.

Fast-forward to 2012. In

The 60 Sq Yd Scam

We have recently seen demolitions of various structures, uprooting

of many weaker section folk. HUDA has taken due credit. Why are unlawful EWS plot buildings still standing? Why are the

owners not from the EWS?

Many EWS flats built in private builder condominiums still lie vacant. Waiting for a Bonanza?

In Sector 47, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) is working to complete 22 four-storey buildings, designed to provide living accommodations to 528 EWS families. “Each building will have 24 flats each, having an area of 302.69 sq feet (or 33.5 sq yards) – with attached kitchen and bathroom,” says a HUDA of-ficial. “The cost per unit is coming to Rs. 3.5 lakhs to Rs. 3.8 lakhs. Instead of giving plots, we’re giving away ready-made flats, so as to avoid the current EWS scenario.”

This project is being built under the Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM), and the project is worth Rs. 18.90 crores. “We’re dedicating six acres of land for this project. The flats will be ready by May, and will be allotted by the Assistant Divi-sional Commissioner’s (ADC’s) office – either by lottery or draws, says the official.

From 60 square yards of land earlier, is not 33 square yards too small for human habitation? The official replies, “We are develop-ing the land and handing out ready-made flats. Even our costs have to be kept in mind.”

Assistant Town Planner Mandeep Sihag clarifies, “Regardless of condominiums or plotted colonies, 15 per cent of the developed area has to be demarcated for EWS units. The Town and Country Planning (TCP) allots the units to deserving people.”

How does the allotment procedure work? “Once the TCP gets the EWS units in its control, we instruct the builder on how and where to give advertisements, so as to inform the people. Then, when we get the applications, we separate the applicants into three tiers. The first tier consists of people who have valid identification in Gurgaon, and live in the City. Then come the people who have Gurgaon IDs, but live outside the City. And the third tier consists of people who work in Gurgaon, but have identification of other cities such as Bhiwani, Hissar, etc.”

Sihag continues, “Once we have completed the verification of the documents, we forward the details to the ADC’s office, so they can perform the on-ground check of the applicant families. Only after they validate the claims, do we allot the EWS units.”

In light of the rampant selling of EWS units, how is the TCP tack-ing the issue? “Once EWS units are allotted, it is mandatory for the people to stay in the dwellings for at least eight years, before selling or renting it,” he says.

New EWS Housing

many of those small pieces of land, rise four to five sto-reys of commercialisation. In the back-drop of the gleaming glass-and-steel expanse of Cyber City, small lanes snake amidst precariously-built residences. Only a few hundred plots in Gur-gaon’s EWS areas are the stan-dard two-and-a-half storey for-mat. The rest vie for more floors, to put up tenants. Mohit Aggar-wal (name changed for security reasons) says, “I was one of the first to apply for the EWS units in Gurgaon; and I’ve seen the people come and go. As of now,

I can safely say that there are no EWS people living in EWS societies in Gurgaon. I had no inkling that this area would have a growth rate similar to a wild weed. The people who had bought the plots originally, sold them off when they got offers ten to fifty times of what they had invested.”

Now, almost all the EWS plots have been taken over, and converted to Paying Guest homes. Each floor of-fers nothing more than a small studio apartment, and stairs to the next floor. Payel, who has just started working in Gurgaon as a call-centre em-ployee, says, “U-Block offers me a ten-minute ride to my of-fice; though it is very expensive, compared to the space and ame-nities. The water supply is spo-radic, and the roads are dusty

at every hour.” A floor in these EWS buildings is available for Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 a month, for semi-furnished studio apartments.

Aggarwal says, “The DLF maintenance agency takes care of the EWS units as well. When I settled here, our house got two hours of water twice a day, and faultless electricity supply. Now, we get 20 minutes of water sup-ply instead of two hours, and the electricity fails often. The sewer system is not enabled to

handle the current load of waste. But that is not the maintenance agency’s fault. When people per house unit has gone up by seven times, it is a credit to the mainte-nance agency that we’re getting amenities at all.”

Baljeet Singh, the General Manager of Maintenance in DLF, says, “We are fighting a constant battle in providing amenities to these areas. As a developer, DLF cannot take any action against these illegal con-structions. At best, we can give information to the DTCP that

building norms are being flouted in our area. Then, it’s their call.”

“On Tuesday, we carried out an extensive anti-encroachment drive, to free up the roads in U-Block; and we had demol-ished several structures,” Singh claimed. But even then, it doesn’t make much of a difference. “Unless the authorities crack down on these illegal con-structions, the situation is go-ing to get messier by the day.”

Ward 30 Councillor Nisha Singh says, “A woman came to me once, complaining about the high-rise being built in Q-Block of Unitech’s EWS area in Sec-tor-40. She said that the building being constructed next to her house was blocking the air and sunlight, besides the unbearable noise levels of construction of a six-storeyed apartment building in 60 square yards of land. She then complained to the DTCP, wrote them letters, met offi-cials – all to no avail.”

An official of the DTCP puts his hands up and says, “We don’t pass the architectural plans of these buildings. It is a law in Haryana that no residential building should be above two-and-a-half storeys in height, excluding a basement. These constructions do not have per-mission from us to build, but still they go on.” But the DTCP is empowered to take action against such illegal construc-tions. Why does it not do the needful? “We have issued sev-eral notices to the owners of these apartments. Apart from that, drives and demolitions have to be sanctioned by sev-

eral senior officers,” says the official.What is the scenario of EWS housing in the new sectors 58-115?

The President of the Fed-eration of Apartment Own-ers’ Association (Haryana) B.K Dhawan confirms, “The Apartment Act states that a certain percentage (15 per cent) of the area being developed has to be given for EWS housing. That means, if the builder de-velops 1000 units, area for 200 units has to be kept aside for EWS housing.”u

9–15 March 2012 Comment10

EDITORIALAtul Sobti

L E T T E R T O T H E E D I T O R

F A M O U S Q U O T E S

Good job, you’re doing great work.

Avinash Singh, on the article ‘Supreme

Justice’

Good work done by you. Keep it up Sir.

Amit Bagga, on the article

‘Supreme Justice’

I want to know God’s thoughts... the rest are details.

Albert Einstein

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal.

Henry Ford

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.

Dwight Eisenhower

We have little trust in government.We are not enamoured by the non-government – NGOs - either.

We believe they have hidden agendas.Until we or our family (or maybe a friend) do something, it is not credible.Now even the govt. (read, the PM) is not enamoured by the non-govt. – the NGOs against his nuclear commitment.Actually, not now really.It all began with Anna.Yes, he is the cause for this too.

We come across all kinds of NGOs.It would be hard to imagine certain activities/initiatives without them.With many Govt Organizations (GOs) failing for over 6 decades - on providing basic food, water, health, shelter, clothing, to we, the people – it has been left to the NGOs to pitch in and deliver.And they are all over – in every village, tehsil, district, town and city of India.Over 3 million of them….Most providing good, selfless service.

Some corporates too have been doing “NGO work” for long.The Tata Group clearly has been the most consistent.And now of course there is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mantra.Matched to/by the Inclusiveness political mantra (of course those are more outlays, than any outcomes).Other countries have NGOs that debate policy, and items higher up the Maslow ladder. We will get there – somehow.

However, let us get back to the NGOs at the base of the pyramid.The ones that work with the under-privileged and/or the over-exploited – in the animal, vegetable, and mineral worlds.Let us laud each one of them.For simply their willingness to have thought of another – of a life outside of their normal lives. Of spending time that they could have used for more selfish purposes. And even if time had hung on them when they started, they surely used it wisely. They have given a part of themselves to their cause; to other less-privileged lives.

For many of us who “really have no time” – not even for family sometimes – we should at least acknowledge, and actively support, a few of these NGOs.

The NGONo, most don’t ask for lakhs. Thousands is more the call. Of course, we also have in our midst those that cannot part with any amount; normally those that have too much anyway. We earned it the hard way, and we are not just going to dole it out; let the other person earn it from me. Crass are also those of us who would think of setting up NGOs to save tax; and launder “black money”. How does such a person look himself in the mirror ? Maybe he doesn’t – maybe he looks, but does not see. There are none so blind as those who will not see (“Butterflies are Free’).

The least that we can do, is not find fault.Of how inefficient they are; how limited impact they have; how publicity hungry they are; how they have other agendas – how we could do it so much better, and of course bigger – if only we had the time ! They may meet, party, get photographed; but if they purposefully add some value/provide some comfort to any under-privileged living being, they are better than us. Just ask the beneficiaries; and if they can’t speak, just feel it !Yes, there will always be exceptions – and that is precisely what they are. They never prove the rule.

What is most heartening is the attitude of the new generation, the youth.There seems a genuine concern, and sensitivity.It can be clearly seen in Gurgaon.Somehow a cosmopolitan culture helps.

It is said that what they, the NGOs (the do-gooders), do, is not “writeable” or “readable” – does not have inquisitive or entertainment or dramatic value. What sells is bad man and negative. We have happily carried an NGO entity of Gurgaon (from individuals to companies) in every issue this past 6 months. And shall continue.The Non Govt. Organization is an asset to society, and to the nation.It will yet play its role - even more, and more varied - as India becomes a “developed” nation. It will go where governments fear to tread – where no government has gone before. In fact, it is already there.Perhaps the time has also come to change their nomenclature. They are not Nons. They are Positives, they are Doers. Some already call themselves Civil Society Organizations (CSOs); or Social Benefit Organizations (SBOs).May their tribe flourish.Apne liye jiye to kya jiye.

Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.

Robert Half

You will find the key to success under the alarm clock.

Benjamin Franklin

Never look down on anybody un-less you’re helping him up.

Jesse Jackson

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot

read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

Alvin Toffler

The most difficult thing in the world is to know how to do a thing and to watch somebody else doing it wrong, without comment.

T. H. White

Never express yourself more clearly than you are able to think.

Niels Bohr

9–15 March 2012 11Kid Corner

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SolutionS Spot the Difference

1. Window on left changes 2. Mower loses wheel. 3. Another brick on wall. 4. Pot Plant smaller 5. Curtain loses stripe. 6. Dog’s tail appears 7. Man loses shirt pocket 8. Apples on tree 9. House qains chimney 10. Caterpillar vanishes

The DPS ParadeThe Primary Wing of Delhi Public School organised a lively parade of characters, as part of its

Book Week celebrations. Several students, dressed as their favourite story book characters, participated in the Parade. The lively procession was followed by an Assembly, that included an interactive quiz and storytelling sessions.

Banyan Leap ArtStudents of The Banyan Tree

World School participated in a fun and educative art activity, on the occasion of the Leap Day. Grades Nursery to III used the wax resist technique, to create the magical drawings.

Maple Cubs Annual DayMapleBear Pre-school celebrated its

Annual Day; the theme of the function was ‘Unity is Strength’. The event was

inaugurated by Hazel Siromani, Managing Director of the School, and Kalpana Chaudhary, Centre Head of the School. The students participated in a

skit; and that was followed by scintillating dance performances. The show

concluded with the distribution of session completion certificates.

9–15 March 201212 Kid Corner

DPS SlogansDelhi Public School, Sector 46,

organised a slogan writing competition for the students

of Classes III and IV. The students wrote meaningful slogans on the topic, ‘Oil and Gas Conservation’. The winners of the competition were Rishti Lakhanpal, Abhinav Mankotia, and Mayra James from Class

III; and Urjashi Laha, Eknoor Singh, and Vinayak Mittal

from Class IV. The awards were given by Mr. Mittal, from Indian Oil

Corporation, along with the Principal Ms. Aditi Misra, and the Junior School

Headmistress, Ms. Guneet Ohri.

Ryanites Show and TellYoung Ryanites were provided an opportunity to display their

narrative skills, at a Show and Tell activity organised by its Montessori section. The students recounted experiences of their visit to a shopping centre, with the help of props.

Spring Carnival @ FastrackidsFastrackids celebrated a spring carnival last week. Kids

participated in various events – such as fashion show, Cute Kid of The Year contest, drawing competition, and much more. Besides, the kids enjoyed a range of games, rides, and delicacies. The contests were sponsored by Apollo Munich Health Insurance, Coochi Coo, and Aviva.

9–15 March 2012 13Kid Corner

Literary Flourish

Once upon a time, there was a young boy – Aryan. He lived alone in America, and was very poor. The government of America asked Aryan to go for a trip to Pluto. Aryan agreed, and went to the spaceship terminal. He sat in the spaceship and carried a few bullets and bombs. He took 3 orbits of the Earth, and then started his journey. When he reached Mars, some aliens attacked his spaceship. Aryan shot bullets at the aliens. They got scared and went back to Mars.

After one year, Aryan went out of the Milky Way. He saw a new planet that had a rectangular

shape. He landed his spaceship on the rectangular

planet and saw aliens made of chocolates and

candies. He took two of the aliens along

and came back to Earth. Aryan became famous,

as he had taken 1000 special chocolates

from the space. Later, Aryan took up the profession

of astronaut and lived happily ever after.

A Chocolate Planet

Shivang Mittal, Class 3, Lancers International School

Naisha, Class I, The Banyan Tree World School Tanya Jain, Class V–C, Delhi Public School, Sector 45Muskaan Saund, Class I, The Shri Ram School – Aravalli

Artistic Strokes

Scottish High International held its Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony for the children moving to the Primary Wing. The celebrations included songs, and

the distribution of certificates, by the Initial School Head, Ms. Rupa Chauhan.

Casio Love organised a Music Workshop for the students of

Classes VI to X, at the Shalom Hills International School. The Workshop began on a musical note, when Devyansh of Class VIII played a musical instrument, as well as sang a lilting number—‘A Hundred Miles’—on the stage. This was followed by a game, in which the children had to hear and then identify the different musical instruments played. Also, a digital dictionary was shown to the children, and they were then asked to articulate certain words.

Shalom’s Musical Notes

CCA School bagged the first prize in

the Inter-School Floral Rangoli Competition, held at Leisure Valley Park. The series of competitions, which form a part of the prestigious Annual HUDA Flower Show, have attracted notable schools of Gurgaon for the past several years. CCA claimed the first position in the Rangoli Competition for the second time in a row. While last year CCA Rangoli highlighted the “Year of Forestry”, this year the theme was based on Education. The vibrant colours of the Rangoli, carrying the slogan "Har Bacha Likhe Padhe, Haryana Aage Badhe” conveyed the significance of Education.

CCA Wins It With FlowersStudents of Shakuntalam Shiksha Kendra enjoyed a day out at the Leisure Valley

Park. They participated in various activities – including three-legged race, singing competition, poem recitation contest. The children were served chocolates, snacks, and fruits.

Shakuntalam At Leisure

Scottish High ‘Graduation’

14 Kid Corner9–15 March 2012

Friends are our most valuable possession – that is the lesson these Jataka tales impart. The wise, like Nigrodha Kumar, cherish their companions. Pottik’s selfless loyalty is rewarded by unexpected riches. On the other hand, for the selfish ingrate Shakha there awaits only a shameful loneliness. Rich or poor, ugly or handsome, powerful or help-less, a friend is one whom you can trust. And for this luxury, you should repay your friend with respect and honour.

© 2011 Amar Chitra Katha Private Limited, All Rights Reserved

1

4 5

2 3

– Atullya Purohit, V B, Blue Bells Model School

Star Fun

Baby Blues

Dogs of C-Kennel

Animal Crackers

Two Wise Men

The Better Half

9 to 5

159–15 March 2012 Wellness

{ Jaspal Bajwa }

Fenugreek stems, leaves and twigs are used for their nutritional value – in cooking as well as in medicinal for-

mulations. In particular , the leaves and seeds of the plant pack a solid punch.

The earliest mention of this wonder herb is around 1500 BC, in Egyptian liter-ature – for various dietary and medicinal uses. It has been known in India (as Methi ) since the 10th Century A.D.  Fenugreek extract was originally used as an analge-sic, anti-pyretic, and in phlegm disorders. Methi (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is a widely used Ayurvedic herb. It is report-ed to have anti-carcinogenic properties , can help reduce blood cholesterol levels, and has been used as a laxative.

Over the centuries, fenugreek has had quite a reputation as a cure for a long list of ailments – such as indigestion, respira-tory infections, skin wounds and inflam-mation, kidney disorders and arthritis. Today, fenugreek seeds are mostly used to ease digestive-tract disorders; and externally to soothe and promote the healing of minor skin wounds and infections. It is also used to relieve bronchial congestion, calm coughs, and to ameliorate menstrual and menopausal complaints. The list of benefits of fenu-greek continues to grow, as more studies yield data.

The seeds of fenugreek are hard brown, red, and yellow. Fenugreek seed powder in regular diet reduces blood and urine sugar. This leads to im-proved glucose tolerance, and man-agement of diabetic symptoms. It also

Health & Vitality... Naturally!

A Bitter Wonder Herb

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{ Alka Gurha }

We all know strawberries are deli-cious. They are also a nutritional powerhouse. Courtesy Gurgaon’s

supermarkets, and the local vegeta-ble vendors, fresh strawberries are available in the market this season. Since the fruit has various health benefits, adding fresh strawberries to a diet – whether in salads, smooth-ies, or on their own – is a great way to achieve a healthy immune system. A key benefit is the fruit’s high wa-ter content. This means that you feel fuller on a smaller amount of calories imbibed. Strawberries, therefore, are an excellent food for losing weight; or main-taining your current weight. Another health benefit is that they help keep your skin hydrated; which leads to healthy, glowing skin.

Unfortunately, strawberries are quite perishable as well. So purchase fresh strawberries only a few days before they are to be eaten. Choose strawberries that are plump, firm, free of mold, and have a deep red color. Unlike other fruits, strawberries do not con-tinue to ripen after they are picked; so be sure to choose the ripest, reddest strawberries – as they will provide the best taste and the highest nutrient den-sity. Many people find that medium sized strawberries are sweeter and more fla-vourful than larger ones. When buying pre-packaged strawberries, be sure that the berries have not been packed too tightly; as this could cause them to be crushed, or otherwise damaged.

Beri Beri Good to the fruit. The most obvious benefits of strawberries are their high Vitamin C content; which helps boost immune sys-tems and prevent diseases.

One cup of strawberries contains 21 per cent of manganese, an essen-tial nutrient that acts as a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflamma-tory agent. The manganese con-

tent helps in fighting the battle against free radicals and oxi-dative stress; and is said to

lessen cellular inflam-mation -- another cause

of numerous cardiovas-cular diseases. Strawber-ries are also very good in

potassium and magnesium content, both of which are

very effective in lowering high blood pressure caused by sodium.

Joints The degeneration of muscles and tis-

sues, drying up of the fluid that helps mobility of the joints, and accumula-tion of toxic substances and acids (such as uric acid) in the body, are some of the ill effects of free radicals present in our body. These are primarily responsible for arthritis and gout. Strawberries, with their team of anti-oxidants and detox-ifiers, can effectively help push away joint problems.

EyesThe Archives of Ophthalmology

recently published a study, in which they contend that three or more servings of strawberries (and other fruits) per day can decrease the possibility of contracting age-related macular degeneration by over one-third. The primary reasons for almost all the

problems of the eyes are free radicals, and deficiency of certain nutrients. With age, and lack of these protective nutrients, the harmful oxidants or free radicals cause heavy damage to our eyes; such as the drying up of our eyes and the degeneration of optical nerves. The anti-oxidants, such as vitamin-C and flavonoids present in strawberries, can help avoid this situation to a great extent. One more factor is ocular pressure, i.e. the pressure of the eyes. Any disturbance in it is also harmful for the eyes. Here too, strawberries are helpful, as they contain potassium – which helps maintain the right ocular pressure. u

Handle strawberries properly, and store them well after they have been pur-chased. Like all fruit, strawberries should be washed thoroughly, prior to eating or storage. Any strawberries that show signs of mold should be dis-carded at once; as they will contami-nate the remaining strawberries. The strawberries should be placed in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, and kept in the refrigerator. Fresh strawberries will keep in the fridge for a few days.

Health Benefits These potent little packages have vari-

ous benefits, apart from protecting your heart, increasing HDL (good) cholesterol, lowering your blood pressure, and guard-ing against cancer.

Strawberries contain a chemical com-pound called phenols. Anthocyanin, a particular phenol abundantly found in strawberries, lends the rich red colour

portant antioxidant micro-nutrients. Apart from providing energy and

roughage, fenugreek prevents consti-pation, improves digestion, stimulates the liver and spleen, purifies blood, and serves as an appetizer.

Due to the cooling and soothing effects of fenugreek seeds, they are considered beneficial in skin irritation and inflam-mation. The twigs and leaves of the plant can also be used as a poultice for ulcers, boils and abscess. Fenugreek seeds can

For relief from a stomachache, boil 1 tsp. of

chopped ginger in 1 cupof water; add a pinch

of salt, and drink.

be boiled and made to a thick paste, and applied on skin injuries—like rashes, wounds and boils—as a first-aid measure. The seeds of fenugreek have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, and can be used for relieving pain.

Fenugreek is one of the richest sourc-es of phytoestrogens, and is thus a very useful spice for women who have low es-trogen levels – especially in early meno-pause and surgical menopause cases.

As fenugreek is shown to partially re-verse both the metabolic changes in the lens, and to reduce the density of the cataract, it could be effective as a prophy-lactic agent against cataract formation in diabetics.

The seeds of fenugreek are beneficial for diabetic patients. When regularly given in varying doses, they reduce re-active  hyperglycemia  in diabetics. Clini-cal studies have found 25 grams a day of fenugreek seed can lower blood-glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

A word of caution: Some people have reported nausea as a side effect, while others have reported gastrointestinal discomfort. Also, when using fenugreek topically on the skin, it is important to watch out for skin irritations and rashes. In Ayurveda, fenugreek seeds are consid-ered hot; hence patients suffering from high blood pressure and haemorrhagic disorders are advised not to take it in high doses, and for a long period. u

Registered Holistic Nutritionist (Canadian School of Natural Nutrition)

For education purposes only; always consult a healthcare practitioner for medical conditions

lowers raised levels of cholesterol and triglyceride. Fenugreek seeds are a rich source of fibre - mucilaginous fibre and total fibre - to the extent of 20 per cent and 50 per cent .

Tip of the weekFenugreek decoction can be made

with a tablespoon of powdered fenugreek seeds, mixed in a cup of warm water, sim-mered for ten minutes, and strained. This extract, when used for gargling, gives re-lief to a sore throat.   For relief from sinusitis; one tablespoon of fenugreek seeds can be boiled in 300ml of water, and reduced to half. Drinking this mixture regularly for ten days can provide relief from sinusitis.

It is always better to use fenu-greek at least 2 hours before or after oral drugs.

Nature’s Wonder Food of the week: Fenugreek

Fenugreek seeds are rich sources of carbohydrates, proteins, diosgenin, Vi-tamin A and C, iron, calcium, potassium and other minerals. Fenugreek is one of the richest sources of selenium and mag-nesium – which are among the most im-

16 9–15 March 2012 Bon Vivant

{ v.k Gaur }

Each of the 12 signs of the zodiac have a specific ap-pearance, and a habitat. Their impact on a jatak (person) born in the concerned lagna rashi are

shown in italics.

Makar (Capricorn) Rashi has the front part like a deer, shoulders like a bull, eyes of an elephant, and the rear part of an alligator. It dwells in the water. The Rashi represents the knees of the Kaal Purusha, and its favour-ite places include rivers, watery resorts, forests etc.

The tenth sign of the Rashichakra, Makara (Capri-corn), is all about hard work.

The Rashi makes Jatakas true workaholics, who see the world as a harsh and exacting arena – with no short-cuts. Often tending to be cold and snobbish, they are also lazy; but prove dependable friends. They are calm, prac-tical and serious. They aim to reach the top; and their ambition and determination gets them there. Practical, meticulous and realistically pragmatic, they are extreme-ly dedicated to their goals – almost to the point of being stubborn. They reap the benefits of success – fame, prestige and money. Diligent, conscientious, hardworking, ambi-tious, cautious, tolerant, patient, disciplined, calculating, and confident, Makar jatakas seldom allow any sort of permissiveness – which makes them the most reliable people to work with. They withstand hardships. With a deep sense of duty, selflessness, and devotion, they are admired for their tenacity of purpose, and strong will power.

They are lean and thin, have long necks, fragile teeth, strong bones, and a huge body. They have hard hair on their scalp, and a sharp chin. However, they suffer from ailments associated with allergies, hypertension, and backache problems.

Ruled by the Shani, the spiritual Saturn, the Ma-kar jatakas set high goals. They make shrewd business people, and avoid rash decisions. Academics, industry, ag-riculture, and antiques open successful avenues for them.

Saturn, like an interfering parent, puts a rein on them. They are romantics, yearning for true love. Vrishabh, Vrischika and Kanya make good partners for Makar jatakas; who love a stable home, and are fiercely loyal to-wards their spouse.

Kumbh (Aquarius) The image of Kumbh (Aquar-ius) Rashi is like a man holding a pitcher on his shoul-der, and wearing wet clothes. It represents the thighs of the Kaal Purusha. Kumbhs are progressive, and have many friends and acquaintances. Shallow areas, lands producing coarse vegetables, gambling dens, mar-

Know Your Rashi – IV

Living Room Inspirations{ Bhavana Sharma }

From the staid brown-maroon plastic covered, dust gath-ering artefact kind of pre-

privatised India, to the more streamlined European-inspired contemporary one of the 21st century, the living room has been the centre of much fam-ily camaraderie. With a few tips, you can ensure good Chi to this living space, and allow your energy to grow and bring you happiness.

Chi-c-TipsThe layout of the living

room should be such that the furniture is not pushed

We are starting a Q&A section on Astrology, where Mr. V.K Gaur will be answering your questions.

Along with your question, you may scan and send us your horoscope; or alternately, you could provide

your Name, Place of Birth, Time and Date of Birth, and mail it to us at q&a@fridaygurgaon.com.

Get Answers To Your Astrological Queries

against the walls. The living room should ideally face the main door, to give the area an ‘outdoorsy’ feel. The furniture can be arranged in a circular fashion, so that your guests can face each other – and hold con-versations. Create more Yin at-mosphere, if you want to bring more comfort, and reduce argu-ments and tension at home. Use a large cushy sofa, long rich curtains, soft natural materi-als, and carpets – in any com-bination of deep green, light brown and golden colours. Try to buy only furniture and sofa sets with nicely flowing round corners. Decorate with curvy items and round shapes.

Bring in plants with large round-shaped leaves; as accord-ing to feng shui, soil chi will help to calm the fire chi in the room.

Flower PowerPick out real flowers to

bring in positive energy; steer clear of artificial arrange-ments. A huge glass bowl can be placed in the middle—on the table—perhaps filled with floating candles and rose pet-als every evening. This will add a gentle glow, and boost the positive chi in the room. For displaying family photo-graphs, choose a mix of metal and glass frames; and keep them in the south west corner of the living room. Success in Profession

Place a horse in the South-East corner of your living room. Just make sure the horse doesn’t look wild; have one that preferably does not have its front legs raised – as this can make you ruthless in your pur-suits. To increase the aesthet-ics of your living room, place a wind chime in the North-West corner, and hang it on the win-dow—or on a door—that opens out into the garden.

Aroma MagicYou could also stimulate the

chi of your living room by tak-

ing equal parts of olive oil and lemon juice, and add a dash of your favourite aroma oil. Rub this mixture on your polished furniture; and immedi-ately feel the difference.

CandlesLight up pink, orange and

yellow candles, in decorative glass votives – as this will add romance, and improve your so-

cial life as well. Make sure you light them, and keep them burn-ing, in the South-West corner of the room. Floating candles with fresh rose petals can be kept on the centre table; as this brings in a lot of positive vibrations.

Arts in MotionChoose paintings with a

single theme for your liv-ing room; be they animals, flowers portraits, or anything else. And do not purchase art because a particular artist is making waves. Buy art that touches you, one that you can relate to. Avoid abstract paint-ings as these may leave people a wee bit confused. Try choos-ing a single arresting paint-ing; frame it ornately, and hang it under a spotlight – to bring out the positive effects and aura of the colours. Avoid previ-ously owned items, as these can have accumulated bad chi from their past owners. Many times powerful negative energy radi-ates for years; and if kept close to you and your family, it can cause all types of difficult prob-lems, illness or bad luck. You can also keep a family pho-tograph in the living room, as this will give you a feeling of ownership. u

Tarot Card Reader bhavanashar-ma89@yahoo.com

QUICK FIXES Choose paintings that appeal to you. Use frames of a single texture and colour, to provide cohesiveness. To attract the right kind of people into your life, and boost your social circle, use the right kind of light in the South-West area – to give your space an instant lift. Go for paper mesh lanterns of orange, yellow, and red only. Hang a decorative crystal chandelier in the middle of the living room. Keep an idol of a deity directly facing the main door of your house. To keep negative chi away, keep your house clean, open the windows every day, and let the natural light in.

kets of bird, alcohol, and women, are the places of its dwelling.

Its colour resembles a camel. Its shape and size is me-diocre.

The eleventh sign of the Rashichakra dream to im-prove the world around them.

Jatakas of Kumbh (Aquarius) Rashi are humanitar-ian, philanthropic, and keen to make the world around them a better place. They are cold, detached and devoid of emotional attachment; as well as ruthlessly impartial. They believe in the freedom of movement, thought and life. They love research and invention projects. They are technical, and their ideas at times change the world. They are forever changing ideas, and cannot go with the peo-ple who do not think like them. They are modern in their outlook. They forever expand the horizons of their knowl-edge; and their analytical minds draw them towards sci-ence. Though not easily agitated, being patient and perse-vering, it is difficult to change their opinions.

Sympathetic, sensitive, philosophical, equipped with strong intuitive powers, friendly yet distant, they make it very difficult for others to get involved with them. They often end up being lonely. They admire beauty, but their behaviour is unpredictable. They love their privacy, and intrusions are not very welcome. The ones to fall in love with them will most likely share their artistic and intel-lectual interests. Their approach to love and marriage is logical and intellectual; therefore they love with their

mind, as well as their eyes.Money matters never bother the Kumbh jata-

kas. They are charitable, and often indulge in char-ity; and love travelling. They are apt to suffer serious losses too. They do well in artistic pursuits. Most of them are brilliant scientists and physicians. Law is an-other field they can pursue, without serious difficulties. Apart from fellow Kumbh jatakas , Mithun and Tula ja-takas are ideal partners for them.

Meen (Pisces) Like a pair of fish, the last Rashi of the Rashichakra, Meen (Pisces), denotes the feet of the Kaal Purusha – and it dwells in the holy places of religious, divine and social importance. As it is also the final sign in the Rashichakra, this Sign brings together many of the characteristics of the eleven preceding signs.

Meen Rashi, the twelfth of the signs, is the most in-tuitive of all in the Rashichakra.

Meen jatakas are selfless, spiritual, and focused on their inner journey.They are compassionate, un-less pushed to the wall – when they can be very caustic. They are spiritual, charitable, compassionate, empa-thetic – and love to help others in the most imaginative of ways. Kind and sympathetic, they possess a charm-ing and carefree approach. At times they pour out their emotions in creative arts; or in poetry or short verse. But they seldom open up to those around them on a person-al basis. Meen are brave, and prefer a lot of independ-ence. They are fascinated by the occult-tantra-mantra. Meen jatakas do well in performing arts. In science, they tend to work in the fields of either physics or medicine; and also do well in ocean-based occupations, or working with animals. They normally have talents that get them money and fame. They never like to lean on others for happiness or professional growth. They are ever ready to help the needy, without being much concerned for reciprocation.

They, however, can also be unnecessarily suspicious and jealous; and this might cause a lot of heartache. Al-though their unpredictable moods are the reason for some tension at times, their gentle, sensitive, and romantic na-ture establishes a loving relationship.

Meen jatakas can be very romantic. They are generally gentle and relaxed people, and modest to the point of im-practicality. Loving and caring, Meen are extremely crea-tive. They value fidelity in a marriage, and will be kind and affectionate to the spouse – and let the partner take on a dominant role in public; but at home, they rule the roost.

Vrischika (Scorpio), Kark (Cancer), and Meen (Pi-sces) make ideal partners for Meen jatakas. u

(In the article, he is used for he/she)

179–15 March 2012 Art

{ Srimati Lal }

The ‘Renge Art Walk’, held on 3rd and 4th March 2012 at the DLF Golf Club, was

inaugurated by the venerable DLF Moghul K P Singh. He was presented a surprise gift – ‘A Portait Of K P Singh As A Street-Labourer’. This star-tling 5.5 ft x 3 ft Charcoal on Paper artwork, by the young painter Vikas Bhardwaj, de-picts K P Singh as a humble, elderly mazdoor – in a torn t-shirt, his head laden with mitti and bricks. The ship-shape DLF Gateway Building acts  as a dramatic backdrop. As the dar-ing artist Bhardwaj explained to me, “I wanted the world to see that many humble hands have built Gurgaon: that we must all respect one another.” Amid gasps, a wave of approving laughter, and a sharp, apt com-ment from the audience - “those must be gold bricks !” - the 80-year-young KPS mockingly complained that he was not that old. He then proceeded to entertain his audience with apocryphal anecdotes about his meeting and association with artist M F Husain. 

After the revelry at the inauguration, it was time to face some harsh realities, in the form of Nature’s relentless energies - forces that affect even art-kismet. 

In the course of Day One at the 3-km-long Art Walk - that contained over a thousand artworks in the open - on a

A  Windy  Art-Walk!From Kolkata, senior

maverick painter Asit Poddar presented three of his quintessential Expressionist landscapes, inspired by Souza and other leading Modernists. 

Alan Dougans, an Aus-tralian engineer domiciled in Gurgaon, sportingly showed his Indian heritage-photos, subtly transferred onto canvas.

From the Emirates, Jyoti Nagpal displayed lovely Im-pressionist-inspired landscapes, in a vintage French mode. An MA in French Literature from Boston, Mrs Nagpal is a self-taught artist, who applies a unique mode of ‘wet-on-wet’ layers to her oil-paintings. 

Pooja Manchanda’s charming, colourful tile-artworks brought a touch of Mediterranean whimsy to the dusty walkways.

A bright-yellow abstract canvas by the Triveni student, Sangeeta Singh, was picked-up as a purchase by K P Singh, on his walk. 

   The timing (more in win-ter), and the “props”, I am

sure would be better the next time round. 

The concept of an open-air Art Walk

(specially featuring young artists) was interesting. u

Artist, Writer, & Curator

balck sculptures, constructed painstakingly from recycled metal and rubber car-tyres, by Sukhant Parigrehe from Mumbai, stood as a striking centrepiece. 

Adira Andlay’s stylised, dark bronze sculpture, Death by Silence, was no less powerful. 

Young sculptor Gauri’s bright-yellow acrylic pop-art statue of a girl was rivetting. 

And there were scores of eloquent and beautiful paintings, in a myriad styles, showing immense promise.

There was the 13-year old student, Meher Singh’s, won-derful garden-scapes; and the deaf, impaired artists - the Shukla brothers’ - intricate, realistic collages from Mumbai. 

Among the most skilful draughtsmen at the show was young and unassuming Meena Devi - a tribal art-student from Manipur - whose vivid, romantic and figurative portrayals of her childhood days bore the panache and emotion of a mature painter.

blazing hot day, the wind-speed was so strong that many beautifully-painted canvasses were swept off !  

Art is a precious commo-dity. Simple cloth tents, awnings, and gazeboes could have been constructed for the 2-day display. Day Two of the Walk had some of the artworks laid out on the grass.

There were powerful sculptures and hundreds of sensitive paintings, created by many divinely-gifted, humble, visionary minds. While most of the artists were young, emerging art-students, there were seniors too.

Rearing Horse and El-ephant, two 300-kg-weight deep

PRAK

HAR

PAND

EY &

JIT

KUM

AR

18 9–15 March 2012 Bon Vivant

{ Shilpy Arora }

Standing at the top of a high-rise, I view a 7-km long Sohna Road, sur-rounded by golden dusty lanes. The

movement of vehicles reflects the mood of the road. The construction sites on both sides of the road reveal its future. The sun is shinning on Sohna Road; it is on its way to becoming the next hotspot of Gurgaon. Friday Gurgaon takes you on the journey of Sohna Road.

From Crops to RoadThree decades ago, the land around

Sohna Road was just another verdant paddy land. Areas such as Malibu Towne, South City II, and Uppal South End were cloaked in expansive groves. But by the time the late 1990’s had rolled in, residential complexes began to sprout. Townships, offices, and malls made their way. People from all parts of the City were beginning a move towards Sohna Road – that offered economical

“As you drive from the National High-way to the Sohna Road, the first thing that strikes you is that everything is in disorder. Roads are bad, medi-ans are broken, there are no street lights, no pedestrians sidewalks, no signals, inadequate parking, and no public transportation. One hardly finds a traffic constable on the road. It is only the real estate boom that Sohna Road is cashing on; that too is a product of the private sector (to overcome the inadequacies of the government),” says Rajender Yadav, Councillor of the area.

The New Destination

was divided to make a two-lane road. In May 2011, HUDA announced a plan for Sohna Road; and then a Master Plan this year. There is a long way to go, as not even the first phase of the project has been initiated.

“As you drive from the National High-way to the Sohna Road, the first thing that strikes you is that everything is in disorder. Roads are bad, medians are bro-ken, there are no street lights, no pedes-trians sidewalks, no signals, inadequate parking, and no public transportation. One hardly finds a traffic constable on the road. It is only the real estate boom that Sohna Road is cashing on; that too is a product of the private sector (to over-come the inadequacies of the govern-ment),” says Rajender Yadav, Councillor of the area.

As per the new Master Plan, Sohna Road will be upgraded to a 6-lane road. Also, there will be bus stops, foot bridges, zebra crossings at various intersections, and iron fencing on the median. More-

over, the stretch between National High-way and Badshahpur will cut across the Southern Peripheral Road. This stretch will have more high-rises and shopping complexes. However, till the time these projects come on the floor, the lack of proper planning and the shortcuts taken by builders, will result in nightmares on the road.

“There has been a constant increase in vehicular movement on Sohna Road. Trucks and dumpers, loaded with con-struction materials, make the situation worse. If you look at the figures, on an average this road witnesses one acci-dent per day. Not only traffic remains a difficult task, but even finding clean air to breath has become impossible,” says Raman Sharma, President of the Pro-gressive Forum of Gurgaon. Raman has filed an RTI application for providing civic amenities to Gurgaonites.

MG Road vs. Sohna Road As a new road, Sohna Road may

not have the character and soul of the roads like MG Road and Golf Course Road; but it is well on its way. That is why Sohna Road is now marketed as the future MG Road.

“In the area around Sohna Road that barely existed 10 years ago, there are now over half a dozen shopping malls, and some of the most popular restaurants. The advantage of Sohna Road, over MG Road and Golf Course Road, is that there is stiff competition among multiple builders. This has helped in keeping the property price low, and conse-quently a higher rate of occupancy,” says a property dealer.

The arrival of renowned brands, such as Shoppers Stop, McDonalds, Pizza Vito, and Bikanerwala, are likely to bring a lot of shoppers.

When asked about the customer re-sponse to the newly opened Shoppers Stop on the Sohna Road, a manager re-veals, “Since the launch, the store on Sohna Road has seen unprecedented flow of customers – from nearby townships like South City II, Nirvana, and Malibu Towne. While most of the customer base has been within the four km radius, we have also started receiving an in-flow of shoppers from Manesar and Sohna town.”

For Priyanka, a resident of Vatika Tower, the influx of the top brands and restaurants on Sohna Road has proved to be a blessing. “We always felt cut-off from the rest of the City, due to the unavail-ability of some basic stuff in this area. Thankfully, the situation is getting better. But, lack of hospitals and schools in this area is still an issue.”

While the arrival of new townships and more brands bodes well for the peo-ple of nearby areas, those living in villag-es like Islampur, Badshahpur, Fazilpur, and Khatola, are upset over the infra-structural development. “Swanky malls and luxurious cars don't bring any busi-ness for us. We are, in fact, losing in terms of civic amenities. The arrival of townships has cast a gloom over the development of villages. There is no sewerage system. Builders are en-croaching our lands. Recent develop-ment around the Sohna Road has add-ed to our woes,” says Nawab Singh.

The developments of the MG Road and Golf Course Road are both a mod-el, and a cautionary tale. Sohna Road must emulate the growth, but avoid the dysfunction. Also, the authorities can't bring about lasting reform overnight. “The major reason why authorities are dysfunctional here is the lack of initiative by residents. People don't have the time to file complaints. It is important to realize that the will to change rests with us. The solution is present in us. Let us begin by raising our voice,” guides Raman Sharma. u

residential space. “The Road was like a muddy pit where

man, beast, and nature engaged. There was hardly any vehicular movement. During the rainy season, we used boats to travel to areas like Badsha-pur and beyond. Gradually, trees were mowed down, and the land was flattened, to make way for life around Sohna Road,” reveals Nawab Singh, a resident of Islampur village, who has been living in the area for the past 45 years.

An Unplanned BoomOver the last decade, shiny new build-

ings, townships, shopping malls, and schools sprouted along the Road. There has been no plan for facilitating the easy movement of traffic; or for creating bet-ter living conditions around the road. Some five years ago, the one-lane road

9–15 March 2012 Cover Story 19

Contd from p 1

exam, and obtained professional certification to become a coach. “I also played professional golf for four years, and enjoyed the game as a player,” he says. “Golf has given me everything. If it was not for golf I would have been working in one of the factories in Gurgaon,” he asserts.

He says his family and friends, including his wife, have been a great support in his journey; although no one believed that he could become a successful man through golf. “Golf is in my veins. You come and see the world class machines and trained manpower I have, for coaching and maintaining courses. I be-lieve we can be the best in the world, provided we get the opportunities; and we are ready to struggle for what we want”, says Rambir Sehrawat.

Brew my passionIshan Grover wanted to stand out from the crowd

of doctors and engineers, that he feels are typical of the Indian middle class. His father, who works in Pepsi, also wanted him to work in the production industry – specifi-cally into the quality aspects.

“When I came to know about the course in brewing being offered by Herriot Watt University in Scot-land, I decided to pursue it. I had an interest in spirits and enjoyed drinking; so I decided, why not become a brewer,” he says.

During the course, he says, the students were taught the basics of brewing, and how to ensure that the qual-ity of produce remains the best. Presently working at the newly opened Lemp micro-brewery at Star Mall.

“The raw materials come from Europe and USA, to ensure the quality is at par with Lemp USA – as we are a franchisee,” he says. A beer takes at least 21 days to get ready. The concept of fresh beer that has been brewed in a day is complete hogwash.

“The beauty of a micro-brewery is that we can cre-ate as many flavours as we want, (he has 6 as of now), while keeping the quality top class. The bottled beers cannot compete with us, on account of quality and variety,” It is very important for micro-breweries to maintain quality. The Lemp brewery also has a labora-tory, where he carries out tests and chemical analysis – to ensure the quality of the brew is top class.

His passion for brewing has also led him to dou-ble up as an online evangelist for his brewery. “I spend a lot of time online, and promote beer, and create awareness in the people,” he says. On a brewing day he spends an average 12 to 13 hours in the brewery; as the entire process of milling, malting, fermentation is man-ual – and requires him to oversee it through out the day.

“The expressions on the faces of the customers, who sip and appreciate our beer, is my greatest kick,” says Grover. He enjoys this job, as he can start the day with a beer and close it with another one!

A Different High

Contd on p 20

Cooking My HighFor Rupali Kalra cookery runs in her blood – as her

mother also runs cooking classes in Delhi, and is quite famous. Kalra, however, started reluctantly; and it was only after her marriage that she realised her inherent talent, and decided to work on it.

After working on her cooking skills for some months, and taking classes with her mother, Kalra started on her own in 2002 – when she and her husband Vipin Kalra moved to Sushant Lok in Gurgaon. “I started with a few courses, and never thought that cooking classes would become such a big part of my life,” she says with a smile – sitting besides her husband, who has constantly sup-ported her in this role.

Today she has 50 courses in her repertoire, and teaches around 300 students in a month.

“I generally take 12 to 15 students in a class, and teach them five to six recipes – depending on the course on that day,” she informs.

“Most of the Gurgaon women want to cook exotic dishes and cuisines, that are normally available in restaurants. In the coming days I am thinking of starting a class for the young girls interested in cooking. I am also surprised by the eagerness of girls who are just-getting-married, to learn some fine dishes – as they want to impress the in-laws,” she says with a smile. She asserts that the recipes she has fine-tuned can be learnt in a matter of days.

Cooking has also given her stardom, as she has been presenting a television programme on cook-ing for a TV channel, for the last 2 years. “I am the host as well as the cook on this show; and it is watched by a lot of people,” she says. Cooking has given her a chance to touch the lives of people with the aroma of spices.

She says that being at the right place at the right time (in the Millennium City) gave her so much of the success.

My Yoga MissionInspired by her father, who was an Air Force pilot,

Smita Bhavnani initially took to yoga to keep fit. But her passion soon turned into a profession, as she ob-served that a large number of people could be helped though this ancient technique, to stay fit and healthy. She specialised in Yoga from Sivananda Ashram in Kerala, and went through an intensive course.

“I spent time with experts and the learnt finer points – that helped me to help the clients,” says Bhavnani. She decided to teach yoga to children most in need i.e the differently-abled kids who are suffering from Autism, nerve and motor disorders, and Attention Deficit Syndrome.

“After moving to Gurgaon I found that there are a large number of ‘special kids’ who need help. Since Yoga can help them, I set up a studio here – and also take one-on-one classes with these kids,” says Bhavnani.

She teaches around 50 kids in a month, and also vis-its a number of schools in Gurgaon to teach yoga to the

kids. “Yoga can help students to become more centred, fit and grounded,” she says.

“The concentration and motor skills of the special kids improves greatly. After three months of practice, parents can witness subtle changes in their wards,” she asserts. The fees of her one-on-one class is Rs. 500 per sitting; and the fees is different for group classes.

For her, yoga has been a source of fitness as well as professional satisfaction – as it gives her a chance to work at her own pace.

She is currently learning a specialised form of yoga from a Chennai based school, that uses yoga for curing diseases. “I want to use my skills, for curing the diseases, to help the residents of Gurgaon,” she says.

My Gender FitnessThe idea of women having their own gym and health

club had few takers – till Manisha Ahlawat came up with Vivafit, a Portugal based fitness studio company that caters exclusively to the fair sex.

Ahlawat, who has worked in leading retail companies in India and the United States, says that she wanted to do something on her own. “I got my MBA from Atlanta in USA. Despite working for the corporate sector, there was an inherent desire to become an entrepreneur,” she says. Doing something different, and with passion, was her criteria for branching out.

Surprisingly, it was her father who inspired her to work in the fitness space – as he observed that there was need for such a service in Gurgaon. “I explored various options, and it was only after discovering Vivafit that I finalised my future game plan. I went to Portugal, and understood this new concept,” she says. The firm pro-vides world class customer service, sales and support to its franchisees.

Vivafit caters to the specific needs of women – from as young as 14 years, to those who are as old as 80 years. “We have trained physiotherapists who personalise and customise the fitness regime for the members, so that they do not suffer injuries during the programme. We also take into account the medical history of members,” says Manisha.

“Our members have to do just 30 minutes of special-ised circuit training thrice a week, and that is enough for them. But they are also advised on eating properly, and adding proteins – while restricting fried foods,” she suggests.

Manisha says the Gurgaon residents need to become more aware about their health, and learn to spend more on themselves. “Women, especially, must spend more on living healthy – whether it is going to a gym or coming to

20 9–15 March 2012 Business

{ Abhishek Behl / FG }

After making a successful foray into the coaching in-dustry, Career Launcher

–   India’s premier educational corporate – is now trying to rede-fine the mainstream education. It would set up schools that have a blend of traditional values and holistic education. Satya Nary-anan R, the young and dynamic CEO of the company, who found Career Launcher in 1995, told Friday Gurgaon about how he sees education as a transform-ing force for the country.

“I look at education as a means to systematically trans-form the students, so that they can realise their potential. The broad purpose is to discover the real talent, and help a student become a better musi-cian, painter, or an engineer,” says Satya. He has ridden the growth of the education indus-try quite successfully in the last 16 years.

The core purpose of Career Launcher is to help people re-alise their potential, and achieve their goals, he says. Likewise, the Indus World Schools, be-ing set up by his company, try to help students – by being very child-centric.

When a child comes to school, he/she has to undergo three phases – Ananda, for kids at beginning of school life; Jigyasa, for students in grade 3 to 8; and Sadhna, for students in higher grades.

“Students in the Gurgaon campus were recently taught the working of a ceiling fan, as part of this programme. They were taught how to repair and assem-ble a fan. This helps students to explore new things, and become more aware of the things around

Education As Infrastructure

us,” says Satya. He wants edu-cation to move away from rote learning, and put more emphasis on building skills that are useful for life.

Satya says theirs is the only school that concentrates on life-centric teaching, and the knowl-edge and skill to do so comes from the years of experience and hardwork done at Career Launcher. “We have done a lot of research at Career Launch-er, and have come to know the weaknesses and strengths of Indian kids,” he asserts.

Education as of now, in his opinion, is more attuned to cre-ating clerks – as nothing much has changed since the time Ma-caulay created the framework for education here. The times have changed, and so have the needs of the economy. In such a scenario, education needs to become more realistic, says the CEO.

“I am happy that the pattern of entrance for IITs and IIMs has changed; and there is more focus on testing the aptitude of a candidate,” says Satya. He emphasises that change will

come slowly, but definitely – as the social milieu is changing in the country.

When asked about his expec-tations from the government, to bring about a transformation of the education sector, Satya says that the role of the govern-ment should be reduced, and more reforms be initiated. “In my view, the investment in education should be treated as creation of   social infra-structure, and given special support. The companies and schools operating in this sector must be given tax re-bates, as is being done to promote IT,” says Satya. He also wants the government to ensure that the entry in the education sector is made easy for entrepreneurs.

Opening a school, running and managing it, should be freed from red-tape – as there is need for 20,000 schools every year in India, he says. “The Government must spend at least 5 to 6 per cent of the GDP on education; else we will be left behind,” he says. He refers to a scheme of launching 6,000

model schools in India, that has remained a non-starter.

In addition to the ITI insti-tutes, there is also need for bringing vocational education to the schools. Satya says the drop-out rate in schools is very high, because the children—es-pecially in rural areas—do not learn skills that are essential for families to earn a livelihood.

Many new developments can take place in education, if we focus on Public-Private Part-nerships (PPP), he says. “The private sector has the skills and ability to transform education; but the government must come up as a worthy partner, to make such programmes successful,” says Satya.

When asked about the recent fiat by the Haryana education authorities, to ensure that 25 per cent of students come from weaker sections of society, Satya says that this directive is wel-come, but the authorities must give the schools some leeway in implementing it. “The schools cannot shun their social com-mitments; but the government must not micro-manage things. We must provide education to students from the weaker sec-tions, but there are some limita-tions. What the schools can do is run evening shifts for these students, using the same facili-ties and faculty – and ensure quality education for them,” he suggests.

It is important to give op-tions to school managements. They have to cater to parents who come from diverse back-grounds, and have very exacting demands. At the Indus World School, a lot of attention is also given to parents – so that their expectations from their wards are redefined.

Satya says that generally the parents in Gurgaon want their kids to speak fluent English, and become geniuses in Maths. “We tell the parents to take it easy, and let their children learn with the flow. Our teachers are highly trained and experienced, and they are called mentors,” he says. They are expected to bond with the children.

At Indus World School, Satya says that children are treated as competent partners in learning. “We refrain from prescribing to them, and try to create a secure environment – where children can explore new things in life,” he says. The fast-changing so-cial mores also demand that students are keen observers in life.

In the coming weeks, the school is taking them to a sur-vival camp in a village, where they will be asked to survive on Rs. 26. Why this amount? Satya says that this is the rate at which an average Indian is known to survive; and below which he is termed as living be-low the poverty line.

“I want the kids to respect the dignity of labour, and under-stand the importance of small things in life – that come to some very easily; but to others are as difficult as climbing Mount Everest,” he says.

An interesting point that he makes is that it is easier to deal with children, as they do not have any prejudice – as com-pared to some parents, who are deeply conditioned. “We have to work more with parents, and tell them to let their children be free,” he says. It is time for the education system to move away from entrance systems, and be-come more child-centric.

“I am waiting for the day when students stop killing them-selves for at least 2 years, to en-ter the IITs and other medical schools,” he concludes. u

PRAK

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Contd from p 19 A Different High

Vivafit. They don’t mind spend-ing thousands on family, but when it comes to themselves, the Gurgaon women (as all women!) become stingy,” she says with a smile. Vivafit, she says, will slowly change this perception, and bring more fitness into the lives of women here.

The fees at Vivafit is around Rs. 2,000 per month. Helping

people lose weight and be-coming more confident, she says, is the greatest kick she gets from this profession.

Trained To ProtectKrishan Shokeen joined the

BSF to serve the country, and secure its frontiers; but due to family reasons he had to leave the force. Shokeen, a trained sol-

dier, thereafter decided to serve the society as a Personal Securi-ty Officer (PSO) – and joined the growing private security indus-try in Gurgaon. Presently serv-ing at the City-based SLV Group, Shokeen has been in this profes-sion for the last seven years. He has served with top corpo-rates, expat CEOs, celebrities, and rich industrialists – who dot the landscape of the Mil-lennium City.

Shokeen says that every indi-vidual has different needs; and they are trained by the forces, as well as SLV, to assess an alarm-ing situation and act according-ly. “We get trained for physical fitness, driving, and communi-cating with clients. This helps us immensely, and has kept me in good stead,” he says. 

An average day for him starts at 6 am, and ends around 7 PM. It includes picking and dropping the client to office, driving him around the City, and ensuring that he is not taking unneces-sary risks.

Harish Popli, Vice Presi-dent, Operations, SLV Group

says that the first priority for a Personal Security Officer is to protect a client – and evacuate in case of emergency. “This is a high pressure job. The PSO needs to take care of his weap-on, himself, and the client – and this requires quick thinking and action.” His company employs around 65 PSOs; who are hired by high profile clients, as well as celebrities who come to Gur-gaon during events.

Shokeen says that the aver-age salary of an PSO is between Rs. 28,000 to 40,000. Most of the PSOs are ex-servicemen, who are trained at NSG or with the Special Task Forces, he informs. 

The greatest kick that he gets while being on the job is the com-fort that he sees in his employ-ers when he is protecting them. “Those who hire my services feel comfortable and confi-dent, and this is our greatest reward,” he says – without removing his ‘black glasses’, as he assesses us without giving an inkling of his emo-tions. All part of the job, he says. u

G lobal 219–15 March 2012

{ Ingo Senft-Werner / Berlin / DPA }

Europe’s extensive and mod-ern rail network means it can be easily explored; and

for the past 40 years the Inter-Rail ticket has offered young and old alike the cheapest method of experiencing the many high-

{ Sid Astbury / Sydney / DPA }

Snow blown into the Ant-arctic Ocean, from the frozen continent, has

triggered an algal bloom so large—and so vividly green—it can be seen from space, me-dia reports said Monday.

The bloom, captured by Australian scientists moni-toring a NASA satellite 650 kilometres above the earth, is about 100 kilometres north-to-south, and 200 kilometres wide.

Europe By Rail Algal Bloom Spotted In Antarctica

alongside my eight-month long trip around the world,” he explains.

The Eurail Group last year sold 248,000 tickets; but the variety of options on offer is not comparable with the original concept. Prices are based on the number of countries being visited, as well as the amount of days a per-son wants to travel by train.

The number of countries that can be explored on an InterRail ticket has also increased over the years. The figure has risen to 30 countries today; and since 1985 it is also possible to travel by ferry in the Baltic and Medi-

TRAVEL LIGHT: German Manfred Weis managed to travel 36,000 kilo-metres by rail in just four weeks.

UlI Deck

Moonlighting Swiss Style{ Bernhard Krieger / St. Moritz/Poschiavo, Switzerland / DPA }

Piz Bernina in Switzerland glints majestically in the moonlight. Like a sleeping

giant, the 4,049-metre peak - the highest in the eastern Alps - stands out against the backdrop of a jet black sky.

The lunar light, and the stillness of the night, create an almost mystical atmosphere at the Diavolezza Berghaus hut – which lies 3,000 metres above sea level. Five times a year, skiers can sample these slopes – on the border between the Engadin valley and the Italian-flavoured valley, Val Poschiavo. The impressive experience is known as “Gluena Plaina”, or Romansh for “full moon.”

These days, any mention of “Gluena Plaina”—around St. Moritz and Poschiavo—is bound to refer to the nocturnal ski events, which take place on the trendy snow slopes and downhill runs of the Engadin. The night owls come out to enjoy the glistening magic. They descend the Diavolezza slopes, to the valley, under the bright light of the moon.

“Skiing when there is a full moon, and without any artificial light at all has a fairytale quality to it,” says mountain guide Angelo Baggenstos – recounting the tale of “the beautiful she-devil”, after whom Diavolezza is named.

Once those taking part have

CREATING MAGIC: Until springtime arrives, it is possible to ski right into the centre of the Swiss resort, St. Moritz.

Bern

hArD

krI

eger

SKI COURSE: Skiers can whiz down the glacier to the valley, and catch the Rhaetian Railway – for a trip to the Swiss town of Poschiavo.

times called the “foam al-gae”, that is present in all the world’s oceans.

Curran told Austra-lia’s AAP news agency that the bloom had lasted 20 days so far, and would eventually dissipate.

“They die off; things like bacteria come through there, and feed on the material, and then the material eventu-ally will sink to the bottom of the ocean - whatever hasn’t been consumed by predators

terranean. There are now over 40,000 railway stations in the InterRail network, spread across the length and breadth of Europe.

The advent of high-speed trains means, for example, it takes just under two hours to get from London to Par-is; while Barcelona can be reached in less than three hours from the French capi-tal. “The trains certainly travel much faster today,” agrees Weis. He is surprised that his InterRail record, which is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records, has stood for so long.

The arrival of low-budget air travel has seen the Inter-Rail holiday lose its unique status; but it still remains a popular way for young people to explore Europe on a limited budget. According to the Ger-man rail company Deutsche Bahn, four out of five Inter-Railers are under the age of 27; while the over 60s make up just four per cent of the total. How-ever, some young people believe that the new zoned tickets have destroyed the original InterRail concept, which allowed unlim-ited travel over a set period.

Not surprisingly, an InterRail community has grown up over the years, and there are annual meetings across Europe.

For many, travelling by rail between cities, towns and villag-es, and watching the world go by, also offers a much better way to explore a country than air travel. “I think it’s terrible to simply arrive at night in some air-port, without actually know-ing where you are,” says Weis. “I need to experience the slow arrival at my destination.” u

lights the continent has to offer.Launched on March 1,

1972, the first InterRail ticket was targeted towards backpack-ing students under the age of 21, travelling around Europe on a limited budget – and cost around 118 euros (158 dollars). The new concept offered freedom and adventure, as well as a cheap way to visit the great European metropoles of Paris, London, Madrid and Rome. Over 85,000 tickets were sold in the first few months of its existence, and it is estimated that around 8 million Europeans have enjoyed an InterRail holiday in the past four decades.

An indication of how acces-sible the InterRail ticket made Europe for budget travellers, is evidenced by the achievement of German Manfred Weis – who 25 years ago managed to trav-el 36,000 kilometres by rail in just four weeks. “It’s the best thing I have ever done,

UNUSUAL BLOOM: Images of the bloom were captured by Australian scientists (taken from the Modis instrument on the Terra satellite)

The snow contains minute quantities of iron, that stimu-lates the growth of nutrients.

University of Tasmania gla-ciologist Mark Curran said the monster bloom had sparked a food chain, starting with krill and plankton, and going all the way up to seals and whales.

The bloom is thought to be phaeocystis algae, a single-cell photosynthetic algae some-

higher up the food chain,” he said.

Researchers from the Aus-tralian Antarctic Division, aboard the Aurora Australia research vessel, hope to reach the bloom before it disappears.

The ship left the Tasmanian port of Hobart for Australia’s Mawson Station in Antarc-tica, and will pass through the bloom en route. u

got used to the pale light, and the remarkably loud sound of skis blades scraping on crisp snow, the moderately challenging course is a joy to negotiate.

On cold nights, skiers might like to warm themselves up behind the Berghaus, in the loftiest outside whirlpool in the alps. The hut also offers comfortable accommodation. After a good night’s sleep, skiers can get up at sunrise, and then whiz down the glacier to the valley. They can catch the Rhaetian Railway, for a trip

to the Italian-speaking Swiss region of Val Poschiavo.

In springtime the contrast between the two areas could hardly be more pronounced. Sweeping down from the fields of eternal ice on the Diavolezza, the visitor is whisked—within the space of an hour—into a little town with almost Mediterranean flair.

Poschiavo nestles among the snow-capped peaks, and visitors tuck into generous portions of locally made ice cream at the

numerous street cafes which line stone-paved squares. These are surrounded by handsome, shuttered mansions, painted in various pastel hues. In the evenings the local speciality –Pizzocheri, a flat-ribbon pasta – is a must for gourmets.

Suitably fortified guests might like to try a hike, or else hire a mountain bike, for an energetic excursion around the alpine meadows that ring Poschiavo. On the way, they can pay a daytime visit to “the beautiful she-devil.” u

MOONLIGHT TREK: Nocturnal ski-ing is a big favourite on the slopes of Diavolezza.

22 G lobal9–15 March 2012

Chinese Democracy{ Michael Kirner and Andreas Landwehr / Beijing / DPA }

The National People’s Congress, according to China’s constitution, is the highest state body, and the

country’s only legislative house. In actuality, it is an instrument of the ruling Communist Party.

- The National People’s Congress first convened in 1954, and promulgated the first constitution of the People’s Republic of China.

- The body has about 3,000 members, making it the world’s largest parliament. It meets for 10 to 12 days every March, in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

- The delegates are not freely elected, but chosen every five years by provincial people’s assemblies. Ethnic minorities are to receive equitable representation in the Congress.

- The National People’s Congress approves laws, amends the constitution, confirms the government, approves the

budget, and discusses China’s problems.- Lively debates or controversial

votes occur seldom. Important decisions are made before the Congress meets; by the party’s Central Committee and its powerful Politburo, led by party leader and state president Hu Jintao.

- The Congress has yet to reject any legislation. In 1992, however, at least a third of its delegates refused to approve the construction of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River.

- But the party claims it is developing “socialist democracy”, and trumpets the increasing openness of the National People’s Congress to minor debate and media access over recent years.

- An annual advisory body, the 2,250-member Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, meets around the same time as the Congress, and makes recommendations to the higher forum. The Congress and the Conference are popularly known as the “two sessions.” u

Shoot And Earn{ Peter Zschunke / Berlin / DPA }

A flood of digital pictures is taken glob-ally every second. Some have strong personal meaning. Many others have

commercial potential.It’s easier than ever for amateur pho-

tographers to try to make some cash from their snapshots – even if it’s just a small honorarium. But it’s not as easy as just snapping a pic-ture. Different agencies have different standards, and each knows exactly what it wants.

The practice of link-ing hobbyists with profes-sional agencies is known as micro stocking. These internet agencies, where pic-tures are offered for sale, let shutterbugs get a small sum - sometimes just a few cents, but usually a few euros. And there are cases where the money is a lot better.

One of the biggest movers in the business is the Cana-dian picture agency iStock-photo, which has belonged to Getty Im-ages since 2006. Getty in itself one of the world’s biggest photo agencies.

“The original idea was very simple,” says Sven Ole Schubert, an iStockphoto manager based in Berlin. “Profession-al, amateur and casual photographers are given a global platform to offer up their work.”

Clients are usually small and mid-sized companies, bloggers, non-governmental organizations, clubs or educational asso-ciations. The basic fee for non-exclusive pictures is about 15 per cent of the sale price. Depending on the deal, this might rise to 45 per cent, says Schubert.

Fotolia, a New York-based agency, has a database with more than 14 mil-

lion photos. “Fotolia is good for people who want some money, as recognition for their photographic skills and publication of their work in the media; and not just virtual confirmation in social networks or communities,” explains marketing manager Murat Erimel.

At Fotolia, the commission for non-ex-clusive pictures is between 20 and 46 per

cent of the price: with exclusive deals, it falls between 35 and 63 per cent.

There are countless other similar agen-cies – like Dreamstime, Aboutpixel, PantherMedia, Zoonar or Crestock.

“Basically, it’s important to read the participation instructions thorough-ly, and check who keeps the copy-right,” advises Constanze Clauss of the German Photo Industry Association.

Photographers can set their own price for their pictures on websites like www.fotocommunity.com, where they display it as one of the millions of pictures fight-ing for attention. Membership of these exchanges is generally free, but there may be a fee for additional functions like offering pictures for sale. u

TAKING STOCK: Taking your own digital photos of stock subjects can be a money earner.

{ Andy Goldberg / San Francisco / DPA }

The Apple Express just keeps rolling on. This week the company, founded by Steve Jobs in 1976, became one of

only six companies in history to pass the market valuation of 500 billion dollars – just a month after passing the 400-billion- dollar mark.

Apple is almost universally expected to keep growing. Only a third of the world’s major cellphone carriers cur-rently offer their customers iPhones; leaving plenty of space for Apple to fur-ther expand sales, say analysts. Apple also has only a relatively muted presence in China, which it sees as its main avenue for growth; and is also devoting almost 1 billion dollars to an ambitious expansion of its high street stores.

Then there are the products. Apple’s latest iPhone 4S, introduced late last year, proved to be the company’s most popular device ever. But it will be

What Could Upset The Apple Pie?Tech analyst Carmi Levy notes that Apple’s current success is the direct result of the vision of Steve Jobs.

{ Diana Renee / Brasilia / DPA }

Brazilian authorities announced new measures aimed at halting the appre-ciation of the country’s real currency

against the dollar.“We are indeed worried about this

monetary tsunami caused by devel-oped countries, which are not using fiscal policies to expand investment capacity – but instead pour 4.7 trillion dollars onto the world,” said Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff. She complained further about a “currency war based on an expansionist monetary policy.”

Rousseff accused industrialized na-tions of compensating their “fiscal rigidity with a monetary policy that is absolutely inconsistent from the point of view of its repercussions in international markets.”

Earlier, the Brazilian government an-nounced that tax on financial opera-tions, which currently imposes a 6 per cent levy on foreign funds that leave the country within two years, will from now on be applied to funds borrowed abroad that exit Brazil within three years.

“We are discouraging the entrance to Brazil of short-term capital. This is because today there is excessive li-

A Familiar BRIC Issuequidity in the international market. There is too much money,” said Fi-nance Minister Guido Mantega.

Mantega noted that Rousseff would keep defending the country from an in-ternational environment that stimulates imports, and provokes a loss of competi-tiveness for Brazilian exports.

“Monetary expansion policies devalu-ate the currencies of other countries, and cause an appreciation of Brazil’s curren-cy. The government will not just stand there watching the currency war. We have to defend ourselves,” Mantega said.

He said, however, that now restrictive measures would be adopted to halt the arrival of foreign funds, either to produc-tive activities or the stock exchange.

“The government has no plans to tax foreign direct investment. We have not done it now and we have no intention to do it. It is healthy to have foreign direct investment in Brazil, because it creates jobs and pays taxes. We also think that the capital market is positive to grant firms cheap financing,” Mantega explained.

He also stressed that the Rousseff government intends to stick to the floating exchange rate that is currently in place, for all its shortcomings. u

superseded this year by a completely redesigned iPhone 5 – that will fur-ther spur sales. Apple fans are also squirming with anticipation about the expected announcement of the iPad 3.

There’s increasingly plausible speculation about Apple’s plans to do to the TV market what it did to the markets for cellphones and PCs - com-pletely revolutionize it with a new product that re-imagines how users interact with their device, and how

content providers serve them.The company’s efforts so far with the

iTV have certainly been underwhelm-ing; but Jobs hinted before his death that he believed he had cracked the TV conumdrum. Such initiatives have prompted giddy predictions about the company’s future.

Yet, for all the cheering, there are some worrisome clouds in Apple’s blue sky. Due to a com-bination of hubris, changing mar-kets, and insularity, many previous giants have fallen from peaks that at the time seemed unassailable. Exxon is the only previous company to pass the 500 billion mark and retain anything even close to that value.

Of the others, Microsoft is now worth 267 billion dollars, GE about 200 billion dol-lars, and Intel and Cisco about 100 billion dollars each.

Tech analyst Carmi Levy notes that Apple’s current success is the direct re-sult of the vision of Steve Jobs. While his replacement, Tim Cook, has proved an exemplary manager, he’s not known for the kind of groundbreaking inno-vation that Apple needs to continue its growth. “Cook can’t simply con-tinue to extend legacy products; he needs to create legacies of his own,” Carmi told dpa. “It risks being eclipsed by hungry Android vendors with nothing to lose,” says Carmi.

Add to that the organizational chal-lenge facing Cook, in preserving Ap-ple’s DNA and inspiring its legions of workers, and Apple could quickly lose its shine. u

Kai Remm

eRs

Special 232–8 March 2012

Happy Women's Day

Two call-centre staff robbed and m

ugged by people offering lift

in a Santro. They were picked up around Shankar C

howk. They

were forced to reveal their ATM

passwords, give up their valu-

ables, and were dropped off separately at tw

o different isolated

points after being mugged.

Hotel m

anager robbed of car, valuables in Palam Vihar

MN

C executive robbed, brutally assaulted by m

iscreants in a

Vol. 1 No. 20 Pages 32

` 7

RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319

Contd on p 8

6–12 January 2012

{ Maninder Dabas / FG }

An

edu

cated E

nglish

In

-

dian calls it ‘In

flation’; h

is

Hin

di cou

nterpart

spouts

Mu

drasphiti’; an

d the com

mon

folk—

wh

o do

not

un

derstand

this

concept,

wrapped

in

the

confu

sing tapes of econ

omics—

just call it M

ehn

gai. Bu

t di�er-

ent n

ames by di�

erent people

don’t curb its catastroph

ic e�ect;

and every In

dian, irrespective of

his/ h

er status, k

now

s the taste

of this bitter pill very w

ell. (Ha-

men

) Meh

ngai m

aar gayee.

Ou

r govern

men

t h

as m

ade

man

y prom

ises to

curb

infl

a-

tion; bu

t it seems th

at neith

er its

words, n

or its capabilities, are

very credible. Ou

r leaders, along

with

th

eir econ

omic

advisors,

don’t seem

to

un

derstand

the

pain of a com

mon

man

, wh

o is

still reeling—

for years now

—u

n-

der the bu

rden of In

flation

(still

9.39 per cent o�

cially). Associat-

ed Ch

ambers of C

omm

erce and

Indu

stry of India (A

SSOC

HA

M)

have predicted h

igh In

flation

for

anoth

er fiscal year; so it w

ould

contin

ue to h

aun

t the com

mon

man

with

a min

imu

m presen

ce

of 8 per cent for a year or so.

Gu

rgaon is often

termed as a

city of the n

ew rich

, with

a ca-

pability to become an

econom

ic

powerh

ouse, an

d even o�

er sti�

competition

to Mu

mbai in

the

not-so-distan

t distan

t fu

ture.

Bu

t as of now

, this b

igger th

an

‘the-su

m-of-its-p

arts’ su

bu

rb

of Delh

i, is givin

g sti� com

pe-

Gurgaon Priced Out

On The Prowl Again...

Contd on p 9

BEST OF 2011

We’ve Com

e a Long Way, Gg But

We have M

iles To Go...

Why FG

We Can M

arvel at our Metro W

ith

Eyes Wide Open; W

e Can Shut

our Eyes But the Stench Won’t

Go Away

Good Law & Order a Benefit

for Gurgaon

Farrukhnagar’s Forgotten

Monum

ents

RWAs – W

orking for a

Better Gurgaon

Municipal Corporation... Still

Awaiting Transfer of Sectors

HUDA – Prime Developer...

Deserves Credit... and Blame

Toll Plaza (killing)

The Invisible Colonies, 74

unauthorized settlements

Traffic Volunteers

Every Agency Has A Role – DC

Malls of Gurgaon (M

G) Road

An Apartment-ful Of Troubles

Money Can’t Buy You Peace (Plots

to Condominium

s)

Will W

ater Be Our Water-loo?

City Transport, City Roads Don’t

Take Me Hom

e

New HUDA Adm

inistrator

Park Your Ride – But Where?

The Medical Vedanta

– Dr. Trehan’s Way

Diesel – Saviour Today, Nemesis

Tomorrow

The New M

illennium

– A Guarded Life

House That, For Living It Up

Great Expectations – Mega

Infrastructure Projects

Demolition Debut

Citizen Attack

Female Foeticide, Silent Cries In

The Wom

b

Towards a Road Sense

Blog – A Way of Life

Setting A Standard

Gurgaon Needs A Nodal Body

The Aftermath

tition to th

e nation

al capital

in term

s of the cost of liv

ing

(inclu

din

g th

e food

p

rices).

Usu

ally a su

bu

rb of an

y M

et-

ro city o�

ers a lower cost of

livin

g; bu

t it seems th

at Gu

r-

gaon

has

becom

e h

abitu

al

at beatin

g set notion

s. Be it

vegetables, fru

its, eggs,

meat,

fish

or any oth

er item related to

food, Gu

rgaon is a m

atch to th

e

nation

al capital. Noida an

d Ga- ziabad, th

e other tw

o subu

rbs

of D

elhi,

pale in

com

parison

to Gu

rgaon.

Th

ere are various factors

respon

sible for th

is, for Gu

rg-

aon b

ecomin

g a special v

ictim

of the ever-risin

g infl

ation.

Less d

eman

d, yet m

ore prices!

Th

e price

of an

y produ

ct

usu

ally depends on

the con

cept

of deman

d and su

pply. Bu

t here in

Gu

rgaon, th

is notion

seems to

have been

challen

ged. Gu

rgaon,

with

a population

(deman

d) of

aroun

d 20

lakh

, is

about

one

tenth

of Delh

i only; an

d yet the

prices of

food produ

cts h

ere

are almost th

e same (in

some

cases h

igher)

as th

ose in

th

e

nation

al capital. “Yes, prices are

high

here, despite h

aving less

population

and less dem

and in

Rs. 1393 crores sanctioned

for Gurgaon, of w

hich key

projects are:

Rs. 498 crores – for w

ater

supply, water recycling and

treatment, sew

erage, irrigation,

landscaping.

Rs. 260 crores – recharging

the ground water, and raising

the water table.

Rs. 381 crores – for m

aster

sewerage schem

e and water

distribution and re-cycle,

for new sectors (Sector 58

onwards); and strengthening of

Sohna road.

Special Gurgaon

Infrastructure Budget

{ Hritvick Sen / FG }

I t’s not ju

st the safety of girls

that is im

portant n

ow. W

ith

the crim

e spree reachin

g new

lows, th

e police and people h

ave

taken extra m

easures to be safe.

If you’re lookin

g for a cab

at n

ight,

out

on

a road,

and

a car

slows

to give

you

a

friendly lift, stay pu

t. Be alert.

After

a h

iatus,

car-nap

-

pin

g is back

– with

un

wary

comm

uters

bein

g rob

bed

and

m

ugged

(an

d

worse)

by

car-born

e miscrean

ts.

In

view

of th

is city-w

ide

threat, com

panies an

d enterpris-

es have geared u

p to go that extra

distance, to provide secu

rity for

their em

ployees.

A

year ago,

the

Gu

rgaon

police, un

der the form

er police

chief

S.S D

eswal,

broke a

gang w

hich

had been

spreading

terror in

G

urgaon

, Jh

ajjar,

Dh

aruh

eda –

and

even

as far

as B

hiw

ani.

Accordin

g to

a

DURGADATT PANDEY

HA

PP

Y N

EW

YE

AR

- G’D

AY G

’CIT

Y

{Inside}P5

Vol. 1 No. 18 Pages 32 ` 7

RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319

Contd on p 8

23–29 December 2011

{ Abhishek Behl / FG }

There w

as a time w

hen peo-

ple w

ould w

rite diaries

to express their angst, to

write about personal issues,

and vent anger. Writing a dia-

ry was considered a cathartic

experience, as it helped peo-

ple unwind and de-stress. B

ut

it remained very personal.

The advent

of the

Inter-

net has changed it all – the

personal is

no m

ore private.

People prefer

to w

rite online

diaries—called blogs—

that can

be accessed by anyone. These

bloggers w

ant their

private

thoughts to be read by more and

more people – and hope to share

comm

ents, and even form com

-

munities, to drive an agenda.

Blogs, and the advent of so-

cial media such as Facebook,

Twitter and O

rkut, have helped

merge

the private

and the

public. People

these days

do

not mind sharing their inner-

most

thoughts w

ith m

illions

of folks out there.

The kick is in the

instant consum

p-

tion/gratification

of/from the infor-

mation

that they

put out on blogs

and social media,

say bloggers.

The M

illennium

City also has a num

-

ber of such people,

who

write

about

personal and

public issues.

They have a good following in

the online world; som

e of them

have become celebrities in their

own right. They are follow

ed by

hundreds of people on Facebook

and Twitter. N

ot surprisingly,

the wom

en in the city dominate

Cinem

a Listings & H

elplines

...Pg 7

The Week That W

as...P

g 7

Learn Haryanvi

...Pg 9

Realty R

ates...P

g 25

Regular Features

Blog H

er blog is funny and she loves

to take potshots at every one –

including herself.   “My w

rite-

ups reflect my state of m

ind,

so one can expect anything

– from a M

alayalee’s fascina-

tion for lungi, to parenting

(that parents

seem

to have

outsourced to their maids), to

even the pigeon menace that

people staying in a high-rise

face”, she says with a sm

ile.

Purba says

that w

hen she

started her blog, she did not

think anyone would be inter-

ested in reading it. “You can

imagine m

y surprise when m

y

blog gathered a steady stream

of followers.  T

he appreciation I

get from m

y readers inspires me.

It makes m

e happy when som

e-

one from H

yderabad or Banga-

lore, or even Atlanta, w

rites to

say that my posts cheer them

up, and helps them de-stress.

And

of course

the encour-

agement

and support

I get

from m

y husband and daugh-

ter inspires

me

to do

my

best.”, she says.

Design as Art

We focus this w

eek on

wom

en designers

whose w

ork enlivens our

living spaces....P

g 6

Know Your

Gurgaon (KYG)

We take you to G

arden

Estate, a prem

ier—in

more w

ays than one— colony

in the Millennium

City

...Pg 9

Pet Hospital

Anim

als clinics we do visit,

but an animal hospital?

We bring you D

LF’s CG

S

Hospital, a m

odern faciltiy

equipped with all the m

edical

care for our best friends – the

pooches

...Pg 12

Yuletide

I n this Merry Season, w

e

meet up w

ith mem

bers of

the Christian com

munity in

the city; and discover their

changing face...P

g 13

Gurgoan’s Got Talent

The popular talent hunt,

in its second season,

gave many G

urgaon kids an

opportunity to showcase their

skills – singing, dancing, and

drama

...Pg 19

The Realty Show

Realty in G

urgaon is top

business. We focus on

the players that make it all

happen – the opportunties

and challenges...P

g 24

the blogosphere – as they write

with w

it, style and panache –

on issues as myriad as baking,

homem

aking, politics, and infra-

structure.

Deeba

Rajpal,

a popular

blogger, who w

rites about bak-

ing on

her blog

Passionate

about Baking says, “It took m

e

some tim

e, as blogging initially

was

very intim

idating. B

eing

a baking blog from India w

as

somew

hat unnerving, as most

baking ingredients at the time

were hard to com

e by – even

though I had been baking for

many years. T

he net can be

quite frightening,

yet quite

empow

ering”, says

Rajpal,

while sitting in her kitchen at

her Sector 23 House.

Her kitchen is her laboratory,

she says.

She had

fixed two-

minute

wookies,

and O

range

Olive

Butter

Milk

Pound

Cake

in the

morning

– all

made

from

locally available

material.

Rajpal,

who

was

kind enough

to share

the

delicacies with us, believes in

sustainable baking and cooking.

“I believe

in reducing

the

carbon footprint”,

she says.

At one tim

e she worked w

ith

British A

irways.

While baking is her first pas-

sion, blogging has become the

second – as she has found a large

fan following in the last couple

of years. “The experience has

been an imm

ensely enriching

and satisfying one. The feedback

and connect with readers of m

y

blog, and with fellow

food blog-

gers, inspires me to explore com

-

mon ground. I

feel hum

bled

when I get feedback in m

y in-

box”, she reveals.

The attraction

of blogging,

and

connecting w

ith

people, is such that

it forced

Purba

Ray, another popu-

lar Gurgaon blog-

ger, to leave her job

– and take to writ-

ing perm

anently.

Purba, who w

as a

top computer fac-

ulty with a South D

elhi school,

had taken leave for six months

– as

she w

as feeling

bored,

and wanted som

e change from

the routine.

During this break, she started

to write on her blog ‘A

-Musing’,

and has never looked back since.

The Blogosphere

A Web Of Life

Gurgaon Bloggers

Vol. 1 No. 17 Pages 32 ` 7

RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319

Contd on p 8

Female Foeticide

Silent Cries In The Womb

16–22 December 2011

{ Maninder Dabas / FG }T he other day, my friend

asked me a simple question.

‘When did you last feel com-

pletely secure?’ I dramatically

answered – ‘definitely in my

mother’s womb.’ That answer,

unfortunately, is not universal.

Definitely not in India. Yes, in

many parts of our country,

girls are silenced; even be-

fore they set their first foot

outside their hallowed first

home – their mother’s womb.

Fanatical patriarchy has domi-

nated the Indian social contours

for long. It has helped breed this

heinous and inhuman crime

of female foeticide. It stains

our identity as the first ci-

vilised race.Even in these modern times,

this shameful and inhuman ‘tra-

dition’ is practised – only now

mostly behind the curtains. In-

dia is one of those few countries

where the gap between male

and female numbers is wide –

and further widening in many

places. Haryana, a State that

takes pride in calling itself

one of the fastest developing

states of the country, is in Towards A Road Sense

{ Hritvick Sen/FG }B harti Arora, the Deputy Com-

missioner of Police (Tra c)

for the city of Gurgaon, says

it as plain as possible, “We’ll al-

ways be short of manpower. Yes,

we have more inspectors on the

road now – but we will always

need, and want, public support.”

As this year draws to a close,

the DCP talks about the achieve-

ments of the city’s tra c police,

what they are working on, and in

what ways they are attempting to

shepherd Gurgaon’s

flock

(read commuters).

“What the city expects is a per-

fect tra c situation. That can’t

be done by just imposing heavy

fines, and strict policing. We want

the citizens to come forward and

adopt good commuting. They

should say that ‘We’re proud to

follow tra c rules’. Only then can

the city’s chaotic jams have a sem-

blance of civility,” she comments.

Cinema Listings & Helplines...Pg 7

The Week That Was

...Pg 7

Learn Haryanvi

...Pg 9

Food Prices

...Pg 13

Realty Rates

...Pg 24

Regular Features

They satisfy their soul by saying, “I’ll get her a brother.”fact the worst when it comes

to female foeticide, and the

male-female ratio. Gurgaon,

the most ‘advanced’ District of

the State, carries on this notori-

ous legacy – and ranks among

the worst districts.

Past transgressions and

present status

At present, India has 940 fe-

males per 1,000 males. It is a

marginal improvement over

2001, when the ratio was 933 fe-

males per 1,000 males. Of grave

concern is the child sex ratio

(0-6 years), which has in fact

reduced – from 927, to 914

(from 2001 to 2011). It was

976 in 1961. Our patriarchal

customs and beliefs have made

our society short-sighted, if not

blind. Haryana, a state that was

ranked the worst in 2001, with

a sex ratio of 861, has made

some improvement – with 877

females per 1,000 males now. It

is the best figure the State has

acquired since 1901. However, it

still bears the title of being the

state with the worst sex ratio,

closely followed by Punjab (893)

and Uttar Pradesh (908).

V

Art

A picture is worth a

thousand words. We

explore contemporary Indian

photography, through the

works of four lensmen,

currently on exhibit in

the city

...Pg 6

Know Your GurgaonC ontinuing our effort to

acquaint you with the

city, we take you to the

very popular Sector 14

Market, to check out what

makes this Delhi style

market so popular

...Pg 11

Meet Your MLAA n interview with Rao

Dharampal, MLA,

Badshahpur, focuses on and

ways to improve the city...Pg 13

Know Your Councillor

W e catch up with

Mahesh Dayma,

Councillor Ward No. 32 to

get his take on the problems

that beset his constituency...Pg 13

Management Institutes

T here has been a

mushrooming of

B-Schools in the city. MDI

clearly stands out

...Pg 23

Vaastu H aving introduced

Vaastu, we now provide

Vedic tips for selecting a site...Pg 20

{Inside}

P5

Contd on p 9

DURGADATT PANDEY

JIT K

UMAR

Vol. 1

No.

1

Pag

es 3

2 `

7

26

Aug–

1 Se

p 20

11

We’

ve C

ome

A Lo

ng W

ay, G

g

Bu

t W

e H

ave

Mil

es t

o G

o...

PRAK

HAR

PAND

EY

{ FG

Bur

eau

}

Harya

na,

a s

tate

th

at b

oast

ed o

f a

pave

d ro

ad a

nd

elec

tric

ity

in

ever

y vi

llag

e,

in

the

1970

s,

seem

s to

h

ave

gon

e ba

ckw

ards

, in

ci

vic

infr

astr

uct

ure

. T

oday

, its

Mil

len

niu

m C

ity,

Gu

rgao

n, h

as s

carc

ely

star

ted

on t

his

jou

rney

.T

he

road

s h

ere,

in

m

any

sect

ors,

are

wor

se

than

th

ose

of

Har

yan

a of

th

e 70

s, o

r ev

en t

hos

e of

mos

t ci

ties

of

Indi

a to

-da

y. M

ost

of w

hat

wor

ks

con

sist

entl

y in

Gu

rgao

n,

is c

ourt

esy

priv

ate

ente

r-pr

ise.

Th

e re

st r

esid

es i

n

the

prev

iou

s m

ille

nn

ium

. T

he

max

imu

m i

mpa

ct

zon

e, f

elt

by a

ll c

itiz

ens

and

resi

den

ts,

ever

y da

y is

—O

n T

he

Roa

d. B

e it

R

oads

, P

ubl

ic T

ran

spor

t,

Par

kin

g,

Tra

�c,

Si

de-

wal

ks—

thei

r la

ck o

r ex

cess

  ca

use

s se

vere

dis

tres

s in

Gu

rgao

n, d

ay a

fter

day

.T

he

trag

edy

is

com

pou

nde

d by

th

e fa

ct

that

th

is c

ivic

in

fras

tru

ctu

re m

iser

y is

not

du

e to

a

lack

of

fu

nds

—w

hic

h

is

the

case

w

ith

m

ost

citi

es i

n I

ndi

a. T

he

prob

lem

un

fort

un

atel

y se

ems

to b

e a

lack

of

wil

lin

g-n

ess,

a l

ack

of

sen

siti

v-it

y; a

cas

e of

mis

plac

ed

prio

riti

es.

Or

may

be

it

is

just

ba

sed

on

a si

mpl

e as

sum

ptio

n

that

, w

hen

yo

u

hu

rt

bad

enou

gh,

you

wil

l ta

ke c

are

of i

t yo

urs

elf—

as m

any

hav

e do

ne

for e

lect

rici

ty, w

ater

, tr

ansp

ort,

sec

uri

ty…

Th

e A

dmin

istr

atio

n

nee

ds

a w

ake

up

call

. Su

rely

it

is n

ot w

aiti

ng,

li

ke th

e n

eigh

bou

rin

g ci

ty,

for

an A

nn

a m

omen

t !

Gurg

aon

is

a ci

ty o

f ab

out

20 l

akh

pe

ople

. It

is

a h

appe

nin

g ci

ty—

wh

eth

er f

or r

esid

ence

, com

mer

ce, o

r in

dust

ry. N

ew G

urg

aon

is d

evel

opin

g as

a g

loba

l cit

y.T

he

profi

le i

s m

ain

ly o

f yo

un

g pe

ople

, edu

cate

d, c

osm

opol

itan

(fro

m

acro

ss

Indi

a),

wel

l-to

-do,

h

avin

g yo

un

g ki

ds.

Gu

rgoa

n i

s al

so h

ome

to

man

y m

ult

i-n

atio

nal

co

mpa

nie

s an

d ex

patr

iate

s.

We

dese

rve

our

own

pap

er.

Wel

com

e th

eref

ore

to

Fri

day

Gu

rgao

n,

a co

mpa

ct

wee

kly

new

spap

er

for

all

citi

zen

s an

d re

side

nts

of

Gu

rgao

n.

It i

s ou

r ow

n

new

spap

er,

of

and

for

Gu

rgao

n—

publ

ish

ed fr

om G

urg

aon

.A

tea

m o

f ov

er 2

0 fr

esh

an

d ex

pe-

rien

ced

empl

oyee

s h

as b

een

set

up—

acro

ss e

dito

rial

, de

sk,

desi

gn,

pro-

duct

ion

, dis

trib

uti

on a

nd

busi

nes

s.F

rida

y G

urg

aon

is

a

32-p

age

qual

ity

wee

kly

new

spap

er,

usi

ng

impo

rted

, su

peri

or n

ewsp

rin

t—an

d o�

ers

an

all-

colo

ur

pres

enta

tion

. It

is

an

ex

citi

ngl

y vi

sual

pa

per,

co

urt

esy

a te

am o

f ph

otog

raph

ers,

an

d an

illu

stra

tor.

FG

o�

ers

Gu

rgao

n 3

60 c

over

age.

It

is

a fa

mil

y pa

per,

for

adu

lts

and

chil

dren

. It

cove

rs m

ult

iple

are

as o

f in

tere

st—

life

styl

e, c

ivic

, so

cial

, bu

si-

nes

s &

rea

l es

tate

, w

elln

ess,

spo

rt,

and

past

imes

.We

o�er

a s

peci

al s

ec-

tion

for

kid

s; a

s w

ell

as a

un

iqu

e gl

obal

co

vera

ge.

We

feat

ure

lo

cal

colu

mn

ists

, an

d w

ill

prom

ote

citi

zen

jo

urn

alis

ts.

A

web

site

w

ill

com

plem

ent

the

prin

t ed

itio

n; a

nd

wil

l o�

er m

ult

ime-

dia

and

inte

ract

ivit

y.F

rida

y G

urg

aon

h

opes

to

ke

ep

som

e fi

ne

trad

itio

ns

aliv

e, b

y be

ing

cred

ible

an

d re

leva

nt.

New

s, a

fter

all

, is

a p

ubl

ic t

rust

. We

defi

nit

ely

wou

ld

like

to

pres

ent

both

, or

all,

side

s—as

w

ell

as o

ur

corr

obor

atio

n.

We

wil

l of

cou

rse

info

rm, a

nal

yse,

in

terp

ret,

in

vest

igat

e, e

duca

te,

and

guid

e—bu

t eq

ual

ly im

port

antl

y, w

e w

ould

like

to

buil

d ag

enda

s, t

o ad

d va

lue,

to

urg

e ac

tion

. W

e be

liev

e ou

r re

ader

s w

ant

us

to g

o be

yon

d th

e h

eadl

ines

. W

e w

ant

that

ou

r re

ader

s sh

ould

rea

d...

feel

... p

onde

r...

act.

Kee

pin

g in

ste

p w

ith

you

ng,

mod

-er

n In

dia,

Fri

day

Gu

rgao

n w

ould

like

to

fin

d an

swer

s, a

nd

be a

par

t of t

he

so-

luti

on—

not

ju

st t

hro

w u

p qu

esti

ons,

an

d re

mai

n a

par

t of

the

prob

lem

. We

mu

st b

uil

d h

ope,

not

cyn

icis

m —

even

, an

d es

peci

ally

wh

en, c

onfr

onte

d w

ith

n

egat

ive

new

s.T

her

e w

ill

be

new

s,

revi

ews,

fe

atu

res,

co

lum

ns,

sy

ndi

cati

ons—

acro

ss

a va

riet

y of

to

pics

, an

d ac

ross

G

urg

aon

36

0.

Th

ese

wou

ld

be

info

rmat

ive,

in

sigh

tfu

l, se

riou

s,

fun

ny—

and

very

vi

sual

, ve

ry

par-

tici

pati

ve—

espe

cial

ly

wh

en

inte

-gr

ated

wit

h t

he

on-l

ine

site

. In

su

m,

Fri

day

Gu

rgao

n w

ould

be

cred

ible

, re

leva

nt,

hop

efu

l, ad

din

g va

lue

and

urg

ing

acti

on.

Wh

y F

G

MON

EY S

HARM

A

PRAK

HAR

PAND

EY

Vol. 1

No.

13

Pag

es 32

`

7 1

8–24

Nov

embe

r 201

1

RNI N

o. HA

RENG

/2011

/3931

9

{Ins

ide}

It’s a

Teen

s Life

Spo

tligh

t on

teen

s in

the

Mille

nium

City

, who

like

thei

r cou

nter

parts

in a

cros

s th

e w

orld

, are

belie

ved

to b

e en

joyi

ng

unin

hibi

ted

freed

om ..

.Pg

6

Know

You

r Cou

ncillo

rs

Thi

s w

eek

Cou

ncill

ors

Man

gat R

am B

agri

for

War

d N

o. 1

0, a

nd T

aro

Dev

i for

War

d N

o. 1

6—

both

from

‘Old

’ Gur

gaon

—

hold

forth

on

issu

es

plag

uing

thei

r War

ds ...P

g 9

Serv

ice C

harg

eA

Rat

e C

hart

of m

aint

e-

nanc

e ch

arge

s pa

id b

y

apar

tmen

t and

con

dom

ini-

um re

side

nts

...

Pg

11

A Lif

e of S

helte

rA

visi

t to

Arus

hi, t

he

Gur

goan

bra

nch

of

Sala

m B

alak

Tru

st’s

hom

e

for

orph

aned

or a

band

oned

girls

, sho

ws

how

the

NG

O

is n

urtu

ring

the

lives

of

thes

e un

priv

ilege

d ch

ildre

n

...

Pg

12

Child

ren’

s Day

A co

lour

ful p

hoto

-feat

ure

that

cap

ture

s C

hild

ren’

s

Day

cel

ebra

tion

acro

ss

Gur

gaon

sch

ools

..

.Pg

16

Cin

ema

List

ings

& H

elpl

ines

...P

g 7

The

Wee

k Th

at W

as...

Pg

7

Food

Pric

es

...P

g 8

Lear

n H

arya

nvi

...P

g 9

Laug

hing

Sto

ck

...P

g 11

Sec

tor W

atch

...P

g 13

Rea

lty R

ates

...P

g 24Regu

lar F

eatu

res

Dies

el –

Savi

our T

oday

Nem

esis

Tom

orro

w{ M

anin

der D

abas

/ FG

}C

ities

ble

ssed

with

fam

e an

d gl

ory

ofte

n co

nstr

uct

thei

r ow

n tr

uth—

far

from

rea

lity.

In

Indi

a, G

urga

on

is o

ne o

f th

ose

citie

s w

hose

glit

teri

ng fa

me,

and

eve

r

risi

ng g

lory

, has

mad

e ev

en t

he g

ods

feel

env

ious

. But

com

e re

ality

-sho

w-ti

me,

this

city

cru

mbl

es li

ke a

hea

p of

dry

leav

es.

Ele

ctri

city

- one

of

the

grea

test

inve

ntio

ns o

f hu

man

-

ity—

was

onc

e on

e of

the

pilla

rs o

f th

is c

ity’s

inex

orab

le

rise

. But

tod

ay, t

he s

ituat

ion

is g

rim

, as

Dak

shin

Har

y-

ana

Bijl

i Vitr

an N

igam

(D

HBV

N)

falls

dra

stic

ally

sho

rt

in m

eetin

g th

e ci

ty’s

dem

and.

Thi

s M

ille

nniu

m C

ity

is

anyw

ay p

ower

hun

gry.

It n

ever

stop

s or s

leep

s, a

s bus

i-

ness

and

life

hav

e in

ter-

twin

ed.

The

hung

er f

or p

ower

need

s to

be

fed

cont

inuo

usly

.

Ente

r Th

e G

ener

ator

; Ent

er D

iese

l-to

ener

gise

tha

t po

wer

.

At

pres

ent,

the

dist

rict

has

a d

eman

d of

alm

ost

135

lakh

s un

its (

13.5

MW

) pe

r da

y; w

here

as t

he S

tate

onl

y

man

ages

to

prov

ide

102.

74 l

akhs

uni

t (1

0.27

MW

) [n

ear

Diw

ali t

he d

eman

d w

as 18

8.5 l

akhs

uni

ts (1

8.85

MW

)]. T

he

curr

ent s

uppl

y ca

n’t

keep

the

city

aliv

e an

d ag

ile. D

iese

l

gene

rato

rs b

alan

ce t

he

defic

it,

as t

he C

ity

guzz

les

over

100

,000

(1

lakh

lit

res)

of

dies

el, w

orth

alm

ost

Rs.

50

lakh

s ev

ery

day,

to m

eet t

he d

eman

d le

ft un

at-

tend

ed b

y th

e St

ate.

Thi

s is

in

the

best

of

tim

es!

For

a fe

w d

ays

in O

ctob

er it

was

trip

le. A

nd

com

e su

mm

er, t

his

wil

l re

peat

. And

the

hung

er i

s in

crea

sing

by

a w

allo

ping

20

per

cent

eac

h ye

ar. G

urga

on h

as a

bout

600

hig

h-ri

se b

uild

ings

-com

mer

cial

and

resi

dent

ial-

and

alm

ost

half

of

them

are

equ

ippe

d w

ith t

hese

Cap

-

tive

Pow

er P

lant

s (C

PPs)

- pop

ular

ly k

now

n as

DG

s (D

ie-

sel G

ense

t). O

n an

ave

rage

, the

City

cur

rent

ly e

xper

ienc

-

es a

pow

er c

ut o

f ab

out 2

hou

rs d

aily

; and

die

sel fi

lls th

e

vacu

um c

reat

ed. M

any

days

in O

ctob

er w

ere

far

wor

se;

whe

n th

e ci

ty h

ad p

ower

cut

s of

8 h

ours

a d

ay.

“Yes

, we

know

that

ther

e is

sca

rcity

of

elec

tric

pow

er.

But

we

are

tryi

ng o

ur le

vel b

est t

o im

prov

e th

e si

tuat

ion.

In O

ctob

er, o

ur p

ower

pla

nts

in K

heda

r, Ya

mun

anag

ar

and

Pani

pat

wer

e no

t fu

lly i

n op

erat

ion,

and

the

im

-

port

of

coal

from

oth

er s

tate

s al

so g

ot d

elay

ed. B

ut n

ow

thin

gs a

re im

prov

ing

and

I hop

e G

urga

on w

ill g

et e

noug

h

elec

tric

ity to

sile

nce

thes

e di

esel

guz

zler

s. W

e ar

e co

m-

mit

ted

to p

rovi

de a

t le

ast

22 h

ours

of

elec

tric

ity

to

Indu

stri

es (i

nclu

ding

Com

mer

cial

), 23

hou

rs to

res

i-

dent

s, 1

2 ho

urs

to v

illa

ges

of th

e di

stri

ct a

nd a

t lea

st

8 ho

urs

of e

lect

rici

ty f

or

agri

cult

ural

pur

pose

,”

said

Cap

tain

Aja

y Y

adav

, the

Pow

er, F

ores

t an

d E

n-

viro

nmen

t M

inis

ter

of H

arya

na,

duri

ng a

Sum

mit

orga

nise

d by

the

Gur

gaon

Udy

og A

ssoc

iatio

n in

the

city

rece

ntly

. On

bein

g as

ked

abo

ut th

e in

crea

se in

the

use

of

dies

el, t

he M

inis

ter

said

, “I

know

the

lack

of

elec

tric

ity

supp

ly h

as fu

elle

d th

e us

age

of d

iese

l in

mal

ls, r

esid

en-

tial b

uild

ings

and

indu

stri

es. B

ut th

is u

sage

is n

ot g

ood

in

the

long

run

; bec

ause

die

sel i

s ve

ry c

ostly

, and

it p

ollu

tes

the

envi

ronm

ent

too.

I h

ope

the

situ

atio

n w

ill im

prov

e,

and

in th

e ne

xt c

omin

g m

onth

s w

e w

ill s

ee a

sig

nific

ant

impr

ovem

ent i

n el

ectr

icity

sup

ply—

and

con

sequ

ent d

e-

crea

se in

the

use

of d

iese

l.”

Com

mer

cial

use

“Her

e in

DT

City

Cen

tre

Mal

l,

we

have

thr

ee

dies

el g

ense

ts,

with

a ca

paci

ty o

f 750

KVA

each

.

How

ever

, pos

t Diw

ali,

the

elec

-

tric

ity s

uppl

y ha

s im

prov

ed.

Cont

d on

p 1

Mod

ular K

itche

n &

War

drob

es w

ith h

igh cl

ass

fittin

gs (H

ettic

h, Ha

ffle,

Gras

s, Ka

ff)

All k

inds

of a

pplia

nces

(Micr

owav

e, Ov

en,

Dish

wash

er, S

ink,

Hob

, Chim

ney)

AG’s

BATH

‘n’ K

ITCHE

N

21-A

, Gro

und F

loor, O

MAXE

City

Cen

tre, S

ohna

Road

, Gur

gaon

PH.

0124

-4102

257,

9312

2551

21

252-C

, San

t Nag

ar, M

ain R

oad,

Opp.

Chur

ch,

New

Delhi

-65 PH

. 91-1

1-262

2353

0, 98

1007

8263

Win

an A

ssur

ed g

ift o

n bu

ying

any

Kaff

Appli

ance

Now

Open

in

Presents

Email

: age

esba

th@gm

ail.co

m W

ebsit

e: ww

w.ag

eesb

ath.co

m

DURG

ADAT

T PAN

DEY

Vol. 1 No. 16 Pages 32 ` 7

RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319

Contd on p 8

Citizen Attac

k

Beware – Do Not Be An Easy Picking

Vo

9–15 December 2011

Art presents a

tete á tete

with Krishen Khanna

...Pg 6

Know Your Councillor

features Councillor Gaje

Singh Kablana (Ward 5)

...Pg 10

Outsourced @ Home: A

look at outsourced cooks

and tiffin services,

in the city...P

g 13

A peep into life

in the BPO world ...Pg 25

{Inside}

P5

{ Maninder Dabas / FG }

Prosperity

has always

been plundered since the

inception of mankind.

Earlier, those plunderers tar-

geted cities; in the modern

world, they target citizens.

The enemy then was with-

out; the enemy now is with

in.

It started with

the robbing of

the rich. Today, all citizens

of a growing and prosper-

ous city like Gurgaon have

become easy targets for the

goons. These rogue elements

are plagued with greed – one

of the deadliest of th

e cardi-

nal sins.

A most basic need of a citi-

zen is security – fo

r oneself,

one’s family, and one’s prop-

erty; at all times. Of late,

there is a disturbing trend

discernible. Citizens are

being robbed, quite literal-

ly, in broad daylight.

This year, 81 chain

snatching incidents

have taken place

here – the high-

est in Haryana.

And these are

just o�cial, re-

ported figures.

Vol. 1 No. 10 Pages 32 ` 7 28 Oct–3 Nov 2011

{Inside}

Water ‘mined’ out...Cultural Treat

The much awaited 11th All India Dance and

Drama festival organised by the Nishtha Sanskritik Manch begins next week. A curtain raiser

...Pg 6

Know Your Councillor

Councillors Sunita Yadav (for Ward No. 33),

and Subhash Fauji (for Ward No. 25) share their perspective on issues, and their plans.

...Pg 9,10

A Party Man

G L Sharma, the President of the urban

unit of the Gurgaon District Congress, speaks his mind on the roles of the party and the government.

...Pg 12

Saksham Education

A spotlight on an NGO—Saksham—that has

been empowering the underprivileged kids of Gurgaon, for the last almost 20 years.

...Pg 17

Travelography

We catch up with Ajay Sood, the founder

of Travelography—an organisation that combines the fun of travel and photography. One more outlet for your creativity, in a city never short on options.

...Pg 19

Sporting Excellence

The spirit of sports was rekindled during

the 25th Haryana State Olympic Games, held in Gurgaon. We capture the great spectacle of the sporting jamboree on

...Pg 22

RNI No. HARENG/2011/39319

Will Water Be Our Water-loo?

Laughing Stock...Pg 6

Cinema Listings & Helplines

...Pg 7Sector Watch

...Pg 9Learn Haryanvi

...Pg 11Food Prices

...Pg 12The Week That Was

...Pg 12

Regular Features

{ Hritvick Sen / FG }

Today, Gurgaon needs more than 85 million gallons of water a day (mgd).

From the Yamuna waters, through Sonepat, the water is treated at the plant in Basai. This pumps around 40-45 mgd, which is piped to the Gurgaon urban areas, according to HUDA o�cials.

Borewells supply the rest of the water. And taking water from them, water tankers do roaring business, providing anything between 20-30 mgd a day—to a citizenry in dire need of water.

Ageing water supply infra-structure makes life di�cult for residents, who even get contami-nated water.

Gurgaon’s piped water sup-ply—a most basic civic fa-cility—only takes care of

half the city’s requirement. The water crisis enveloping the city is known to everyone who lives here. The proof of this state-ment lies in the hundreds of borewells, and an even greater-number of water tankers, that criss-cross this thirsty city. For a city that has shot to figurative superstardom in a matter of decades, the support structure for the population of millions is woefully inadequate. And this fact is best borne out by the paucity of man’s most basic need. Water.

Tracing the water from the Yamuna to the Basai Plant, is the Gurgaon Water Channel. The Basai Plant has four min-iature lakes or ‘tanks’. From the tanks, the water undergoes ex-tensive treatment and chlorina-tion, to purify it for human con-sumption. “The plant pumps out 45 mgd, or near about 170 mil-lion litres of water a day (mld), for Gurgaon district,” says a technician at the Basai Water Treatment Plant.

From there, the millions of litres of water flood towards the city through pipelines. They first head towards boosting stations, for ex-ample the one in the Public Health Depart-ment. From there to smaller boosting stations, and are then piped to your home. But as every Gurgaonite knows, this is all theory. Water is the city’s biggest crisis. Piped water supply does not reach all homes—due to cracked and broken pipes; or reaches feebly, due to low pres-sure. And sometimes, the water does not reach, due to no elec-tricity at the pumping/ boosting stations. The piped water any-way cannot meet the city’s total

needs. Therefore, the crushing need for borewells, and water tankers. In short, private water supply.

The scenarioAll of this means that the

groundwater level of Gurgaon is depleting at an alarming rate. As Treasurer of the Society for Urban Regeneration of Gurgaon (SURGE), Darshan Singh says, “This is an activity similar to

mining ore. Once you extract the mineral, it’s gone. It’s not coming back any time soon. The situation is the same when extracting groundwa-ter. It’s like we’re ‘water-mining’. So if the city con-tinues to get water from the ground, it’s going to hit ‘rock-bottom’. And then, what will be the answer?”

The city’s piped water sup-ply has always been a pain for

residents. Rakesh, a resident of Old Gurgaon, says, “It’s terrible how we have to su�er daily, for the want of proper water supply. When we get water, the pressure is too low. And the water pipe-lines are getting old; they’re cracking every now and then.”

Superintending Engineer D.S. Bajwa, of Public Works Department, says, “HUDA has the responsibility of supplying water to over 80% of the city. We provide water supply to (Old) Gurgaon. For that, we take 6-8 mgd from the HUDA Water Treatment Plant at Basai.”

He refutes the claim of poor water supply in (Old) Gurgaon. “We have enough booster sta-tions all over the area. The wa-ter supply is okay. And anyway, we have already handed over the sewage work to MCG; and the water supply will also be handed over within a month.”

Talking about the increas-ing water demand, a senior

water executive says, “The current supply of water comes from the Gurgaon Water Channel. This channel has a capacity of 175 cusecs (cubic feet of water per second), or roughly 113 mgd. At current water levels, the channel provides an average of 60 cu-secs (which translates to 40 mgd). Now, the

Rs 250-crore project of the NCR Water Channel is com-ing into play. That will boost the water supply capacity to the city up to 500 cusecs (approxi-mately 323 mgd). That should be enough to supply all the city’s water demands.”

Of course, there are many assumptions here. First, that there will be enough water in the canal, to provide the in-creased flow (we get less than half of the capacity even to-day). Second, that the water treatment capacity would be increased in proportion, (and in time); and finally, that pumping/boosting pipelines would not be a constraint (due to capacity, power fail-ure, or cracks and breakage).

Gurgaon is running out of water... not steam, hopefully

Contd on p 8

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