Conserving Biodiversity in Urban Life!

It is that range of biodiversity that we must care for - the whole thing - rather than just one or two stars of ratings... David Attenborough.

We all have a terrace or balcony now a days to our flats, some more luckier have got garden also to their homes or flats! It's important how we utilize the space. Many a times its saddening to see that the terrace place is being used for dumping the surplus items in the house where as we can use the same place for some planters as not only they give a nice look but they can give shelter to many a species around. With increasing urbanization around which is a fact we are forgetting a major aspect & that is reducing habitat ie space for other species. Not many years ago the city has sighting of many birds right from "Bhardwaj" to "Bamni maina"  & even Bats at late evening time & now days we don't get to see even common Sparrow leave apart Bhardwaj! All we can see but pigeons that too pet types by few of the street people having them. The reason behind this phenomenon is trees are giving away for buildings & though there is new plantation it will take time tow grow at it fullest & not many trees planted newly are fit to accommodate the bird species around. Like a Chafa tree may look very nice & flowering but because of its leaf & branches arrangement no bird makes its nest on Chafa tree! New building does have trees planted but till the time those trees grows a life cycle got disturbed & broke. It will take many years to restore the same & see the birds back in city & this will need a combined effort from all segments of the society. Local body's like PMC are doing there bit by making gardens & builders have been mandatory to plant one big tree per 80 sq m of plot area but then what is an individuals role in this? We  all must try to promote the plantation in whichever way & conserve the biodiversity is one sure way we can do.

Recently I had been to Singapore & as I have always mentioned the city never stops in trying hard to conserve the nature. In one such effort they have made a largest confined bird park naming Jurong Bird Park. Here they have made special bird feeder trays so as the birds can drink water & eat their food  from visitors making the common man expose to various species & creating a sense of belonging towards the birds over there. I have seen similar trays in many of the Singapore residences in their balconies amongst planters. Important is they understand the need of conserving biodiversity in concrete jungle & are doing their bit & that's why in cities like Singapore you never feel getting lost in gray shade of buildings but both i.e  trees giving shelter to birds & buildings sheltering human beings survives together!

After coming back from my trip the first thing I did was called my fabricator & got a bird feeder designed which will have a water bowl & grain bowl & got it fixed at my office terrace & amazing results its giving! With numbers of birds coming to feed as well bath also as have got some bathing bowls at terrace for birds! What one has to take care is have planters in the terrace so as the birds will be at ease while coming to the feeder. I have came across many a people who does try on their own things like keeping water bowls or container with grains in their terrace but the birds don't visit is their complaint! Well we need to understand that species like birds are very careful while visiting any new place as they have to ensure their privacy as well safety first! If we keep it in too open then they might not come also as I mentioned have some planters first so the greenery will make them at their comfort & then they will start visiting slowly.

In city like Pune there are many stories of individual’s efforts about tress & birds conservation with number of citizens trying their share on the front. Need is to understand the concept of conservation & then act. Many a feel what’s so fuss about it? What’s big deal if we don't see some sparrows or crows regularly? Are not there are enough gardens as well trees for them? Then why one has to do it by individual & waste the place like terrace or balcony when the prices of homes are so high? Well remember when on any vacant land there isn't any building then the piece of land is shelter for many species right from termite to rats to ants & obviously some birds who can wander there undisturbed. But once a building comes up there the whole life cycle gets disturbed & the species get dispersed from the land for making human homes. And this damage can’t be balanced by making some gardens rather creating a small piece of biodiversity in each of home is proper way to doing it.
 
Reducing biodiversity is cause of concern in urban development & as adhering to Attenborough's quote its not just to show or for some rating but its for the true cause we all should work on this front. And trust me it's a great relaxation also to watch those birds come & chirp around your little terrace. Then you will realize what you were missing in your city life & give you satisfaction of having the full value for the money you paid for your home!

Plz contact us for any assistance at...

sales@sanjeevanideve.com / technicals@sanjeevanideve.com

Cell no of atul ( fabricator)  -9422031832

Click the link below for snaps..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/sets/72157629212383505/


Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjeevani Dev.

Envo-Power Committee, Credai, Pune

Please do visit my blog to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani !

http://visonoflife.blogspot.com/

Social Side of Sanjeevani !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/sets/72157628805700569/

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com

Seeing the Forests!

If you cut down a forest, it doesn't matter how many sawmills you have if there are no more trees. Susan George.

How perfectly put & yet we ignore the importance of forests even when we visit them!
 

Winter has its own charm in Knaha ! And I agree to it fullest ,though was a bit scary about the temperature which drop to sub zero at a times. Yet to visit Kanha is such a desire that it overcomes the fear of the cold & ultimately the wish to be in forest wins as usual! However chill the winter cold may be yet the forest never stops amazing you by the constant action happening within provided you should have an eye for it! And the fact that Kanha is a Sal tree forest mostly so the temperature is further down because its always green in compare to other forests where winter makes trees shade the leafs!

Each specie has got its way to tackle with cold but with their natural limitations most prefer to be in huddle & stay close & share the warmth of each others body! The owls are classic example,they will huddle in a hole of a tree & what a sight they make! Even the monkey cubs keep sticking to their mothers to beat the cold. Visiting forest in such extreme seasons shows us so many things & make us think how lucky we are for being human beings as we have so many ways to protect our self from the extreme weather! Though not all are lucky for eg the forest guards who have to patrol on feet or mostly by cycle in the forest exposing not only to the cold but to many a wild animals which can be dangerous if came across at wrong timing! Like you cycling right in the path of a mating couple of Tiger, the animal is very moody at such times & can attack any intruder! Imagine the helplessness of the guard whose only weapons are his two legs & how fast he can run or climb on a near by tree! Visiting forest for fun or for wild life seeing is one thing but living their for your work for life time is different ball game. I have never understood why the govt can provide proper infrastructure like good vehicles or proper attire with equipments to the guards on whom task like protecting the forest is depending! Very basic things like waky-talky or guns also are not with all guards leave apart things like battery operated bikes or vehicles! It always hurt my mind when I see the forest guards with bare minimum equipments or nothing! I With all due respect to forest department we need to improvise a lot on this front is a fact. And we expect the forest to grow & the animals to survive!

Same is with many local people who works in forest as labors for their daily survival. The visitors when they ask each other "sighting hui kya?" A common question exchanged between the roaming tourists, means "have you seen the tiger?" It's unfortunate they unsighted such sights of people working bare foot in forest in cold & think of doing nothing for contributing to improve their condition & the list includes so called many VIP's from govt who can surely make the difference if the see with open eyes the forest & the people working in it! The term sighting is restricted to Tiger rather whenever any one asks me have I had sighting my reply is there is so much to sight that any time you spend in forest is less! The forest is never dead,its always alive with something & this one needs to look for with open eyes. Once you achieve that vision then the sighting is all around you & not restricted for the tiger only!

Another factor which concerned me is at Pench Tiger Project right outside the boundary of the park I saw boards saying many plots are available for sale & resorts are mashrooming around. With growing numbers of tourists at such places its bound to happen but important is we need to keep a buffer zone for expansion of the forests to accommodate species like Tiger. As to my knowledge each tiger has its own territory & if we need to increase numbers of tigers then we need to give the space which they requires! And each tiger territory is in a way life system in itself including plants & the prey animals like dear. When we say to conserve the forest its not just taking care of existing forests but to plan for their expansion also so as more & more land should come under forests! While making future plans of urban growth around the forests this aspect has to be taken in account which seems missing presently.


To achieve that one has to ask himself why are you visiting the forests? Does our trip ends just at the sight of Tiger? Again sadly most of the tourists visits places like Kanha for fun & don't feel any responsibility towards the forest. The laughter & the noise many groups make while moving through the forests is shocking ,as if they are on beach or in some fun fare & the only target for many is to see the tiger that's all! I won't blame the tourists right from the tour operators to guides to Gypsy drivers too even the tourism departments of govt all are busy in luring them on the name of Tiger! Naturally the person visiting is seeing for Tiger other than the sighting any thing in forest! Some where the system related to the forest needs to understand this & change the pattern of adverting forests. "The Land of Tiger" must be advertised as "The Land of Forests", so the visitor will be mentally open what he is going to see & then he can sight what is need of the time & the job of forest department will be much easier!

I think that's real meaning of visiting the forest or else its like visiting any urban shopping center, you go there shop & forget about the place once you are out of it! What we see that only will make us act & for that we have to learn to see the forest as whole & not just one Tiger as we can't save the poor guy individually but only making the entire surrounding survive can help  & that's we need to sight!


--
Sanjay Deshpande
Sanjeevani Dev.

Envo-Power Committee, Credai, Pune

Please do visit my blog to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani !

http://visonoflife.blogspot.com/

Social Side of Sanjeevani !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/sets/72157628805700569/

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx
Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com

Designing a Home!

If we create from the heart nearly everything works; if from head then almost nothing...Anon.

Every time while working on planning of a new complex or building rather home is proper term,  I always wonder to what I should give priority? Is it the Club House or Party lawns or swimming pool or Entrance lobbies which make a complex more salable or valuable or a simple strait user friendly planning of the home they will be buying? What people look in the home they are buying is very complex question! It is as difficult as understanding a woman's mind, which even God's can’t do!

Joke apart you open any news paper & see the advertise of any housing complex, the race is on to give as many amenities like I mentioned above & many more & innovative too like Yoga Room etc! Good for the customer sure but with due respect to all those who advertise such amenities & which too is important in marketing our product, somewhere the main focus is getting shifted from the home to other factors is what I feel! As at the end of the day a person is going to settle down in his four rooms which he call home & not in any such facility of the complex & we need to understand this very fact. A real comfort giving home is the one which makes you feel so, as comfort is something like winter one has to feel & not to be said in words or explain! Yet we can work out the way to have that feeling & that's where the planning of the home comes in picture. One have to understand use of every room of the home & its relation with other rooms as the combine effect is what makes the home good or bad.

Here is where importance of planning the home comes in picture. Each room should serve its purpose to fullest for example a bed room, it should not be too large or too small but it should accommodate the bed of proper size & moving space around the same. Whether to fit in sitting or other utilities comes later & depending up on the class of clientele you are looking for but majority of the people wants bare minimum this much & yes proper natural light & ventilation which is a must in which ever room you move in the home. A little privacy also is a must as we moved from wada's to apartments & obviously we have changed the culture of the community living in a way, so are our needs from the home in which we live in! Our residences are reflection of our culture, as see the old city where togetherness was of prime importance & that's why right from entrance to washing places to the chowks in the central part of wada or chawl, every space is mostly for common use! The days have changed & so as our expectations from the home &  it has to get reflected while planning the present homes. Many a times we advertise terrace flats & mostly all the present flats have a small attached terrace to bedroom or living. It’s a must as some open space adjoining to home from where you can watch your piece of sky is necessary to relax you. But does we see the utility of the same i.e. does it got some privacy or else you are standing in your terrace with cup of tea in morning & entire complex can have a look at you! Can you enjoy such scene? certainly I won’t & here is where planners skill comes in picture as to look for the smallest details like this & placing the orientation of terrace such that it will have some privacy for which it’s use is expected.

Relation of the rooms within the home is another such aspect. Each room has got its privacy as well its easily accessible to other rooms; it’s a tricky situation & there lays the real challenge of planning. As with constantly increasing prices every square inch of the flat is important as someone has to pay his/her fortune for that space & keeping this fact in mind we have to design the hone so we can give value for every single rupee of the buyer spending for the home!  Here an important thing is there is a strong need to educate or make aware the customer about this aspect of home. And for that we as developer have to acknowledge that what we are building the structure which is going to become a home for many! It’s not the amenities or the specifications around which a home is being panned but it’s around the home all the amenities are being created. As a buyer also one should understand that why he/she is looking in the home they are buying, is it amenities or the pure home within which you will be spending most of your time & all this at what cost! The soul of the project should be the home & its internal planning keeping in mind use by the end user & not just the surroundings or the specifications of the home!


Lastly the home should be big enough to accommodate your all needs at the same time it should be small enough for you to maintain as well use it to fullest! And for that as the quote said one should plan it from the heart & not just by head. As this is one product where sentiments are going to be preserved for generations to come & they only can be understood by the heart & acted up on by the brain! That's the job of the developer!

--
Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjeevani Dev.

Envo-Power Committee, Credai, Pune

Please do visit my blog to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani !

http://visonoflife.blogspot.com/

Social Side of Sanjeevani !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/sets/72157628805700569/

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com

Development Plan ie DP & Challenges of Future!

I never think of the future - it comes soon enough...Albert Einstein.

This quote is key of the planning especially when we draft development plan of a city like Pune! So fast the days pass & even we have planned for 20 years we never know how the time has tickled down & again its time for new plan! Such must be the feelings with planning team at most of the urban metros & Pune isn’t exception for the same! The new DP i.e. Development Plan has been tabled & is under discussion in the City Improvement Committee. Like a box of Pandora each day we keep on hearing something about it but let’s look at some of the key issues in DP.

Pune being a conglomerate of old i.e. historic as well new development, it’s always a challenge for any planner to balance the both segments  of the city! It is interesting to see how our planners have taken the challenge especially when city needs more space for housing as well other supporting needs for the same. The old wads of Pune has always been pride of the city yet because of the type of construction i.e. clay & wood as basic ingredient over the years many wadas are in structurally critical state & with more number of tenements its impossible to redevelop the same. The new DP has given a special thought for the cause & increased FSI has been given to accommodate the existing occupants as well the new residents in such development. Redevelopment of the old city is very important factor in the growth of our city as unless the old structures don’t come for redevelopment road widening in the central part of the city is impossible increasing the traffic problems & this issue seems to have given importance this time in making DP. Similarly diminishing biodiversity in old city is also an area of concern. This also can be balanced by creating more space in new development as the new structures will have to follow new norm like side margins & open spaces giving more space for plantation which too is a need of time. The old city needs to retain its charm no two minds about it but at the same time it has to change as per the needs of time & for that lots of out of the box thinking is a must.
This DP has sure done some out of the box thinking as for the first time a thought has been given to old establishments in A zone area which is not gaothan. Here for many those who don’t understand the concept right from British raj a city or town has been divided in gaothan & outer area i.e. congested part of town like in our case Peth areas where FSI is 2 & even more. But there are many areas in old city which are not part of gaothan so the fsi has been restricted to 1 only & as these structures are also old needs to be redeveloped. But because of fsi restriction it wasn’t possible now they can avail TDR & redevelopment is possible here too. As earlier TDR was allowed to utilize in B, C & D zones of the city only & now it has been allowed A zone also. Most important factor here is the process as well making TDR available at faster rate as for now unfortunately the process of getting TDR which is a problem, making it impossible for common man to have it! The DP should have some solution for the same.

Similarly will like to see the DP from the eyes of so many citizens who cant buy a home in this city because of ever increasing rate & for that scarcity of the space is the main reason. We need to build more homes which will be dear to the pockets of the common man & in short time, for millions who are constantly migrating in this city & the city needs their services. And for this we need policies which will make it possible as well making the space available for such homes. And the DP is the main source for such planning which is need of not only future but present too!

Another important aspect is for the first time the planning authority has taken in to consideration problems of accommodation for the students or individual accommodation. The city is now educational hub not only country wise but globally & thousands of students come here each year for education. They all need accommodation & at affordable cost! And with the new DP announcing additional FSI for the establishments where hostels will be developed in 200 meter distance fro the educational institutes, more accommodations will be available for the students. Only thing is one should get such open lands near vicinity of educational institute, what I feel is there should not be such distance limit considering the need of the single room accommodation. At the same time we can think of giving such additional FSI to the institutes itself so as encouraging them to build the hostels. Because being an education hub doesn’t mean just to have educational institutes but to have a proper infrastructure for the same.

All the time we keep seeing many of the roads getting dug up even when they have just newly done. The scene is common though my statement will hurt to some but its outcome of poor planning is a fact. And the DP is supposed to avoid such incidences. Here a common man will ask what’s DP’s role in it? Well a well planned DP with deciding all services at one go & execution accordingly will certainly avoid such needs of digging the roads repeatedly.

Another important aspect is conservation of biodiversity in & around the city. With increasing building as well developments around the natural habitats of the birds as well other species are reducing fast & it’s high time the city should have proper places for species other than just human beings. And what better that a properly planned city can have which will balance the living of all species together!

Last but least it will be interesting to see about the provisions for public transport & ambitious projects like Metro as it’s very nice & good to announce such projects, important is to lay a plan to execute the same! And here there will be test of DP making team to make these dreams come true. I am no expert on planning yet what a common man's feel is, it's necessary to know & study the reasons why the previous DP's implementation wasn’t up to mark in the time span for which it has been made. And accordingly take in account those mistakes while presenting this DP!

There are many dimensions to the DP & time & again we will be discussing more about the same but let’s remember DP isn’t job of some single department of PMC but as a citizen we all become part of it & we should understand our responsibility towards the same & execute it, then only it will be a real thing & not just a futuristic planning!

--
Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjeevani Dev.

Envo-Power Committee, Credai, Pune

Please do visit my blog to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani !

http://visonoflife.blogspot.com/

Social Side of Sanjeevani !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/sets/72157628805700569/

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com

Uniquely Singapore!

My main mission when I became Prime Minister, was to keep Singapore going and Singapore has been kept going. So, I'm happy with what I've done for Singapore..  Goh Chok Chnag.

These are the words I remember during my latest I visit the unique city Singapore! I have already wrote about few of the aspects of the city but every time I visit it I found something new the city has adopted & it don't stop amazing me with what it has adopted! Whenever name of Singapore is mentioned it is mostly in reference with tourism, a great holiday destination for fun, food & shopping but beyond that there is much to see & learn. Like when ever we mention forest it's for seeing the Tiger but we forget Tiger is just a link may be central one in entire chain of biodiversity! Similarly shopping is just one aspect the city has to offer to its residents & visitors amongst the multiple other aspects of living. Shopping is just one of them but because the other aspects are so well balanced we can enjoy the shopping experience in more better way!

Every time on each front there is a change may it be Garbage collection to parking systems or MRT i.e. Metro Rail or SBS ie  Singapore Bus service like the Environmental science is daily evolving the urge of Singapore rulers for making the city better keeps on evolving & so it gets reflected in every aspect of city living. Here I will like to share some of my experiences with you which we will speak in detail later. Scene one : You land on airport & there is a display of Singapore guides in 4 different languages giving detailed information about do's & don't's in city as well places to visit with detailed maps of Public transport including tariffs!  And these all brochures are free of cost! Scenene two : You are moving in heavy traffic of Singapore at peak work hours & yet you don't find any traffic cop on streets to control the traffic & yet no traffic jams of honking of horns are there! Scene three: A Garbage collecting truck crosses your vehicle & the driver is with smiling face & you don't even notice the stingy smell of Garbage truck! Scene four: December  is rainy season here & it rains heavily every day usually late noon. And you don't see water getting clogged any where on road & all roads are clear of water immediately after the rains get stopped!
Scene five: At MRT station your money you put in ticketing machine but you don't get ticket issued, you tell this to the clerk near by at customer service center & smiling she apologizes & give you another ticket without even asking that whether you have put the money in the machine! Scene six: At taxi stand when your number comes for taxi & the taxi driver isn't going in the direction which you want to go he apologizes & leave without taking any traveller ie empty & let the taxi behind him takes you & this continues til you get the taxi to your destination!

So many such scenes are happening in the city at various public places & here lies the success of Singapore as a city & its uniqueness! Many a times while moving through the city & looking around I wonder whether the city has planned & developed at one single time, such is the monolithic development there! Nothing seems out of proportion or getting detached from surrounding & that's the success of the proper planning which is missing from our cities! As to plan is first step & to execute what you have planned is second! They do have the problems just any other developing urban metros are having like population, vehicles, garbage, concretisation causing lesser area available for greenery but important is the way they have balanced all these issues & making policies for the same & adopt them!

Like they have now started keeping four types of Garbage bins at all public places for collecting the garbage in segregated forms & look at the way they are doing it so beautifully! I couldn't stop remembering our garbage bins overflowing with all kind of waste getting dumped in mix form & to segregate the waste in itself is a major job for the public body. Innovation is the key & same thing has been kept in mind even while collecting the garbage. Our containers just stinks & for interest look out for the faces of drivers of our garbage trucks as well the labors working on it, they are grim & never smiling. And you can understand it because of the conditions they have to work in. But reverse was the case here, I could see the smiling face of the garbage truck driver in Singapore as the way capping has been done to the garbage that there was no foul smell in which he has to drive the vehicle!

With all due respect to the best public transport system which includes perfect combination of Metro rail & Bus service yet the number of private vehicles has been increased alarmingly even in Singapore. Yet you don't see a single traffic police on road as each street & chowk is covered by camera surveillance! And do mind fines are heavy! There are parking places created in every new commercial buildings & whats best is the information of parking lots available in adjoining buildings is displayed in every square via digital billboards,making it easier for commuters to find the parking lots without making them wait along the roads & causing traffic jams! 

Making the public transport system better & better seems to be the main goal of the city & in that zest they are innovating like anything! Bus stop at Singapore is a subject of study in itself, every time they keep on modifying the same for the better convenience of commuters. All the bus routes, destinations,timings of buses & fare to each destination is displayed on every bus stop. Not to forget the cleanliness maintained as well the sitting arrangements & commercial aspect for using the billboards for advertising! In Metro ie rail system the signage is such that even a new comer to city can find his destination with minimum guidance. Not only there is a display of stations in each boogie but on which side door will be opening that also is displayed at each station making it easier for the commuters to decent from the train. Reserved seats for elderly people, pregnant women & physically handicap persons are specially made & mentioned in each boogie & they are located near the door for their easy use. Surveillance cameras are at every entrance of the station as well on platforms & they are monitored round the clock. At the same time we have to respect the civic sense of the people as when there is red light & green for pedestrians not as single vehicle crosses over by an inch on the the zebra crossing! Imagine a signle without a policeman in our city & you will know importance of such civic sense!

Reducing greenery with the urbanization is a big threat to biodiversity & hats of,what an effort of making people aware about wild life conservation as well biodiversity! There are centers like Jurong Bird Park where they have merged the same with entertainment & commercialized the concept,making tourists enjoy the entire learning as well seeing all those exotic species who needs attention or else they will extinct soon! At all major cities we should adopt the concept, we have some but the awareness part through various shows they conduct at Jurong Bird park making visitors & birds get together!As such developments only will make common people get exposed to rare species of animals & make them realize what they will be missing if such species get extinct! Will be posting more snaps. each tree is aligned with the big trees on both sides & exotic flower beds aligned all along the road segregating main roads & foot path as well cycle tracks. This scene is common all over the city & even bridges have been landscaped by nice crippers like bougainvillea covering the concrete parts.There are cycle tracks & you can actually drive cycles over them unobstructed!

Terrace farming is anew thing in there. Most of the multi storied buildings terraces have been used for farming & Air conditioning plants recycled water is used for the same. This has been a big solution for reducing land for farming the vegetables which is the main need of the population of the city.

Not stopping at just infrastructural things the govt does take the cognizance of controlling property rates too by making policies so. As the goal is all the needy ones should get the houses in affordable prices & for that they have Housing Development Bord who builds nearly 60% houses in the city & makes them available to the residents in lowest possible pricing.

All in all the experience makes you know why the city has risen to such a popular destination for every body & you cant stop loving it more & more with each passing day you spend in there. But we should not forget its not been achieved in a single day but years of meticulous planning & efforts put in executing the planning which has made it possible. So bringing back just few momentos & shopping items can't be a tribute to the city & its makers , if at all we can bring back from there then we should bring back the attitude of every Singaporean towards his city & try to cultivate here in our town then only our visit to the great city has really paid off!




--
Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjeevani Dev.

Envo-Power Committee, Credai, Pune

Please do visit my blog to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani !

http://visonoflife.blogspot.com/

Social Side of Sanjeevani !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/sets/72157627904681345/

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com

DP, Mirror of City Future!

To create architecture is to put in order. Put what in order? Function and objects...Le Corbusier

Many a must be wondering by reading the news about the DP in papers & why so much of importance is given to same & what’s the difference its going to make with the life of a common citizen? Questions like this must be coming to mind of most. Well as the quote says DP i.e. Development Plan is like mirror of what city is going to be in coming years!
It is the simple words planning our tomorrow. Here many typical Punekar may ask "So what happened yesterday that our today is such!" Well, can’t blame them totally as the present DP, in fact the past DP is correct term as its life has already come to an end in 2007, we are not definitely up to the mark in implementing the same. Here one will ask what it means end of life of a DP? For that it’s necessary for us to understand the concept of DP or for instance any planning of the infrastructure which is related to the city. Here consider example of Victoria Terminal which we today know as Chatrapati Shivaji Terminal i.e. Railway Terminal of Mumbai. British have planned it nearly some 150 years back & it’s for the purpose of carrying the Mumbakiars to & fro from the great city. The structure was planned when the city must be having population hardly 1 lac & look today its grown over 1 crore & still the same building is fulfilling the needs for what it has been build & planed for! This is outcome of proper planning.

A DP is made up of accommodating such number of structures & places for them as well their expand & purpose. DP is a master plan of a city or town fixing its boundaries & defining various uses of the spaces which are going or supposed to serve the population of the city for their various needs. We may think what’s so big deal about it, hasn’t the city grown in past so many years when there was no DP from the time of Peshwa's! The answer is yes & no both. Because even the Peshwas have some planning for e.g. look at the way various Peths( Localities) have been build, they have been build around Shaniwar wada as central structure & many of them are as per the use of a particular profession like Bhande aali, Tambat aali, Kumbhar wada & many so. All this hasn’t happened without planning. That was done as per the need of the time & life style then, now we are in different era, the city has not only expanded physically but the social & cultural needs also have changed.

We need clean & big Roads, Play grounds, Medical facilities, Shopping, Cinema halls, Hostels, Parking places, different means of Transportation for going places, Schools & Colleges & above all homes which can be affordable by every segment of society at the same time balancing the Environment of the city! A DP is amalgamation of all such services as well uses. In DP all these uses are quantified in proportion to the growth of population of the city & various land spaces are notified as per the use. For e.g. some area will be shown as residential where you can build houses but not industries. Some areas will be shown as gardens while some as play grounds, such specified land use for the services is called as Reservations! Now its job of the civic body to acquire these spaces for purpose they have been reserved for & give them final form for which they have been planned for. The first DP has been made way back in 66 & it’s life was ten years. Means what ever has been planned was supposed to execute in ten years & by the end of it new DP was to be prepared for coming years. But its got delayed & the next DP took 83 to come in existence & it’s prepared for 20 years. So what ever has planned in this DP was supposed to be completed by 2003! Well the city has definitely grown much more than what has been expected & some where its defeat of the planners that we failed to judge the growth & need of the city. When it’s said that the DP has been executed 50% or 60%, means the services structure which has been planned has been executed in that percentage. For e.g. if the road net work of 100 km has been designed in a DP which is made for 20 years then at the end of the life of DP its decided by the length of road net work actually completed  that how much efficiently the DP has been executed on road front. A properly planned DP should be backed up by an execution plan also; some how in earlier era this fact was neglected is a fact. That’s the important aspect rather challenge for the new DP makers, to go through the reasons of poor execution of earlier DP & cover them in the new one.

The new DP was supposed to be ready by 2003 but some how understanding the fact to make Plan for such a big city & with so less data as that our 'Kamjor kadi “i.e. weak point, is definitely a tough task & it has taken 2011 for finalizing the DP.  We have never been famous for proper data about the information of the infrastructure. Even the basic stuff like number of patients of a particular dieses for defining need of number of medical centers & that’s actually a back bone to make any DP. Because if you don’t know how many old wada’s are there in city or how many educational institutes are there in a particular zone, how you are going to plan the policy for them? This DP consists of many new concepts keeping in mind the changed face of the city. Right from accommodating need for hostels for students of the city which is now known as educational hub to redevelopment of old city wadas many new dimensions have been acknowledged. Water, Drainage, Traffic are very basic issues & indeed they are important but a city needs many more things than that & this is what a DP should identify! Every single aspect in itself is a subject of discussion & going through many such discussion City's Planning Administration prepares a DP which is required to be sanctioned by City Improvement Committee & at last the General Body of Municipal Corporation. Such DP then goes for suggestion objection of citizen & then to State Govt's Urban Development Dept which at end sends it to Chief Minister who is head of UD! Husshh, it’s a long way affair & the journey has just started by civic administration putting forward the DP to City Improvement Committee!

Remember DP is not a magic wand which when unveiled will clear all the problems we face in the city! It’s as I said just a mirror showing us how the things have planned, it’s up us as citizen to make the rulers answerable to perform as per the DP or else we are mere observers & then there is no point & ending up as the famous Marathi fraze "Bail Gela an Zopa kela"!

Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjeevani Dev.

Envo-Power Committee, Credai, Pune

Please do visit my blog to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani !

http://visonoflife.blogspot.com/

Social Side of Sanjeevani !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/sets/72157627904681345/

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com

"Kitana deti hai ?"

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. ..Benjamin Franklin.

We are in December & the New year is on the edge now! There is so much to discuss,speak about the various aspects of the growth of this very city that how a year has passed I really didn't noticed but kept writing on this blog!

Recently saw an advertise series on TV , in one of the ad a guy has been shown explaining NASA rocket to bunch of Indian tourists & at end of his small speech, an Indian Tourists asks casually
" Kitna deti hai?" obviously stunning the NASA guy with the question, as this question is about average of the rocket! Moral of the ad was our country is obsessed with mileage of a vehicle & not any other quality it has. Come to real estate & one question haunts every person who is looking for the investment opportunity in the segment & that is " Next year how much will be the rate here?"

Now here the quote of Franklin come in to the picture as no one is interested in investing in knowledge but wants direct result. Investing in knowledge means get the information about the real estate! Many a goes by the stories like "Gold rush" in USA in early 20's where all are thinking the investment just get doubled in some six months in real estate! Well unfortunately its true in some cases but not in most is a fact! One needs to take a close look the way city has grown in past few years & study the pattern of this growth & then should decide how much & where & why you are investing in real estate.

Remember flat,shop or piece of land is one of the costliest investment at any time in compare to other commodities like shares or gold which you can buy in smaller quantity. That option isn't here as you can't buy just one room or few sq fts as per your budget. Rather in our country most people buy home one time in their life span & that what makes its a good investment option, as demand is the key! If on one hand increasing population of our country is a curse on other hand it acts as a boon to real estate. Land we can't create so the more population grows the more scarce land is going to become is a fact. If we observe the last decade, urbanization is a reality & which is going to stay. More & more people are & will be migrating from smaller places to bigger towns, making Towns as Cities & Cities as Metros! In this process one factor will be vital, the city which will offer more jobs & better living standards will have maximum preference. And here on this front Pune is on top of chart in our State!

Now we have to look for the options the city offers for real estate investment. First of all we have to decide the time span for which we want to invest as well the budget. As in any investment its always better to enter at lower end to get maximum returns. But at the same time we should know that real estate is one of the most unorganized sector in our country so we have to choose real carefully with the people with whom we will be investing. So personally speaking I will give maximum weightge to the pay degree of the developer or builder or the persons from whom you will be buying the flat or piece of land. rather again my personal view is if you are not in real estate development line by yourself then stick up to buying flat/office or shop instead going for a raw piece of land. Here many will judge my opinion but day by day its difficult to maintain a open piece of land is a fact. Its not only physical encroachment but legal encroachments also from which one has to protect the land. Legal encroachment means changing of bylaws or zone or reservations about the land. For eg the current issue of BDP i.e. bio diversity park over the hill top hill slope zones. There are hundreds of cases where when common men have bought small piece of lands few years back thinking of good investment near by city or even for building their own home & now the whole lands has been in jeopardy of making it no development zone or minimum FSI like 4%, making its value far below than what these people might have expected. Similar things happen about road widening as when you buy you may feel its adjoining to existing road & the in regional or development plan the road gets widened & you found your piece of land has gone under road widening! Agreed there is TDR value but its a long process for a common man to get the TDR! So unless you are not in day to day touch position with your piece of land physically as well legally its better to go for something which you can keep in lock & key & ready to use form like a flat! Though one can always think of some thing in plotted sanctioned lay out from competent authority like Municipal Corporation of Collector! There its much safe game. But then the price of investment is obviously higher here.

Once we have zeroed down about going for built in thing then the search mode should focus on time span. Never go for the short cuts is the first principle as in real estate look for minimum of 3- 5 years time span which is ideal to ripe the investment. I haven't yet come across a person who has invested in buying a flat or shop & after 5 years he thinks he has wasted his money! Again in investing flat or row house is ideal option as when you go for buying the shop, the developer has all ready charged the premium on it so you mostly enter at high end. Still look for the kind of growth potential in the neighbouring area & choose the size as well location of shop. In our city mostly only the shop fronting to main road & at ground floor fetch good premium rate is a fact & keep it in mind choosing the one. Big sized show rooms often find difficult for takers latter on & only if you are ready to wait a bit long of looking for giving it rental on long lease then only serves good.

Flats / Row houses if budget permits are the safe bait in compare to any other option. Here don't just look for the rent they will offer as that equation will never match ,rather look at the rent as bonus as your basic investment keeps growing with each passing year & yet you keep on getting some rent as incentive. While selecting residential options look for the trend of growth & rates varied in adjoining suburbs. Rates are bound to go reducing as you go away from city center but its not always true like in Baodhan rates are higher than Bhusari colony or in Baner higher than some part of Aundh Gaothan. Its the physical as well social infrastructure around that decided the demand of any particular area & which in end decides the appreciation in that area. Many a times in our country we find buildings get developed first & infrastructure like roads, water, drainage follows later. So don't just go by the present scenario but make one thing sure that what ever building you have been choosing has a legal/ official road existing to reach the same. As that's one thing which after making no developer can guaranty about making the same.

Similarly take total information of surrounding development as today's open plot adjoining may be tomorrow's reservation which may affect the price of your investment. And this information you can easily get by asking few questions around at proper places & that's why its very important to choose proper developed who will not only provide you a brouture of his own project but will give you detail & true information of surrounding also.Usually a two BHK flat is best for selling as well for rentals as that size has been always in demand is a track record. Three BHK is better if you what to keep both option i.e. selling your existing home & shifting to new one. One BHK is best for sole selling purpose as rent isn't a much attractive issue here.

About selecting location see the way surrounding suburbs have developed in recent past & pattern of their growth i.e. what kind of constructions have come up there. The areas who offers jobs & eduction facilities are the best potential for real estate growth as people prefer to live near by the work place & in most cities especially in Pune public transport is weak naturally all are depending on private transport,so to avoid time in travel people choose near by destinations. That's why at Nagar road first the IT hubs grew & the the residential a growth followed which in turn attracted shopping malls type development & hotels. Similar pattern is being seen on western suburbs around Bangalore-Mumbai by pass as Hinjawadi infotech park lots of educational institutes & PCMC industrial area is on this side of city. Most of the time its seen that any city grows towards the bigger city adjoining to it. Its natural phenomenon, see Nagar, its growing more on Pune-Aurangabad stretch than Kopergao-Solapore stretch. Aurangabad has grown more on Pune side & so is Kolhapur. With same logic Pune is bound to grow along the stretch of Mumbai-Bangalore way,though it has Nagar & Solapur on East & Northen side respectively.

Frankly when this country's millions of people are homeless & needs home as there first basic requirement , looking real estate as an investment option is on one hand means making the homes costly! But to every bright side is there is dark side too, all we need to do is balance the coin!
 

Last but least remember the one who can see tomorrow today ,he only can get best returns on investment in real estate! And for that as the quote says knowledge is the key! So go ahead welcome the New Year with best of the investment & be part of this city's growth & beneficiary too!

Sanjay Deshpande

Sanjeevani Dev.

Envo-Power Committee, Credai, Pune

Please do visit my blog to know about our philosophy at Sanjeevani !

http://visonoflife.blogspot.com/

Social Side of Sanjeevani !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/sets/72157627904681345/

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

http://www.punecorporation.org/GRS/Complaint/LaunchComplaintCitizen.aspx
Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com