Green Thyagraj Stadium gets IGL gas for power

It's the first green stadium and come April, it would be able to generate its own power for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

Delhi government's Thyagraj Stadium will be getting natural gas from next month onwards, enabling it to become one of the first buildings in the city to be self-sufficient, power-wise. The government, which has tied-up with IGL to supply 30,000 square cubic metre (scm) per day to the gas turbines at Thyagraj Stadium, is all set to start generation soon. Said a senior PWD official, "The power generated would not only take care of the needs of the stadium but after the Games, will support the needs of the city as well.''

As part of the agreement, IGL will supply 30,000scm per day of natural gas for the 3.5MW gas turbines installed at the stadium, which would be producing power on the principle of co-generation where waste heat from turbine exhaust would be used to run 1,300 TR VAM for air-conditioning. According to sources, IGL has already laid the pipeline to connect to the stadium. The installation of metering and regulating station is almost complete and the gas supply is expected to start in the last week of March, 2010.

According to PWD officials, the gas supply will start this month-end, with the stadium scheduled to be inaugurated on April 2. Incidentally, the power generated will be more than enough for the consumption of light and air-conditioning of 1,300 tonne for the stadium without any additional cost. This would be through a vapour absorption machine using exhaust gases generated by the turbine. The 3.5MW of power, after the Games, will remain available for Delhi or it may be fed to the national grid.

Thyagraj Stadium has been constructed as per green building concept which includes rainwater harvesting and rainwater use, effluent treatment plant, use of fly ash bricks, heat insulation through cavity walls, glazing with double insulated glass and thermal insulation on roof and wall, conservation of water through use of recycled water for flushing and horticulture and adjustable flow taps with censors and dual knob flushing, solar power generator of 1MW, use of clean fuel i.e. gas turbine type generator sets and heat recovery for use in chillers.

Apart from the green stadium, government officials say the greening efforts in the city have been on-going for some time now. Delhi has the largest CNG-operated vehicles in the country. To address the increased demand of CNG in Delhi, efforts are on to commission 55 new CNG stations out of which 21 have been commissioned.

Chak de India: Milkha sells story for Re 1

One rupee. That's the princely sum for which Milkha Singh - The Flying Sikh - has handed over his life story to filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

Milkha has his reasons for turning down the eight-figure sum offered to him. If 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' were to become a hit like 'Rang De Basanti', inspire our young people and result in India's first Olympic track gold, that's reward enough for him.

Singh says, "This is the year of the Commonwealth Games. I feel sad to say that 52 years after I won a gold in the Cardiff Games, India hasn't been able to win a gold in track events."

Milkha is counting on Mehra's biopic to inspire India's youth with the story of an unassuming athlete who fought mind-numbing hardship and personal loss to win universal acclaim through sheer grit and determination.

And who among the Bollywood A-listers could best essay him on screen? Milkha is non-committal, saying the cast has not been finalised. But the buzz is that it could be 'Khiladi' Akshay Kumar, the most sporty of our heroes with Deepika Padukone, with her special badminton genes, playing the female lead.

Born in Lyallpur (now in Pakistan) in 1935, Milkha was a battle-hardened soul even before he let go of his childhood. As a 12-year-old during Partition, he was witness to the spine-chilling sight of his parents being butchered in front of his eyes.

A few sobs later, his heart was in his mouth as he escaped the clutches of death, concealing himself among corpses on the train to India.

Recovery wasn't easy but Milkha conquered the odds and before long, had won the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold in 1958 and famously lost the 400m bronze in the Rome Olympics by the proverbial coat of paint.

"I want Indian youth to understand what determination and purpose can achieve. If a Milkha, who didn't have access to even basic necessities of life, can aim for the skies, why not others who've been provided the best of facilities?" he asks.

After threat mail to CGF, complaint lodged in Delhi

The Special Cell of Delhi Police has registered an FIR after the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) recently alerted the organising committee officials here about a threat of possible attack on officials during the October 3-14 event.

According to senior officers, the city police, after registering the FIR on February 10, are trying to locate the origin of the email and its sender.

The CGF office in Lancaster, England, received the email on January 26, after it emerged that the Games Federation’s official website had put up a distorted map of India. The map on www.thecgf.com showed some areas of Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat as parts of Pakistan.

CGF Chief Executive Officer Mike Hooper had apologised after the error was spotted, and the correct version of the map was put on the website.

But before the correction was made, an email that landed in the mailbox of the CGF security advisor at Lancaster warned of possible attack. Besides asking the CGF to correct the map, the email stated: “You have given (a) wrong Indian map on your website. You have shown some parts of Gujarat and Kashmir as parts of Pakistan.”

The email also threatened that “many Commonwealth Games officials would be killed during (the) Games”, the FIR says. Newsline has a copy of the FIR.

According to the FIR, “The email was sent to (security) advisor in Lancaster from an email ID lanchasterman@sport.com. An initial was sent from another email identity, m.aslam@leaderinv.com.”

The CGF security officer in Lancaster forwarded the mail to the organising committee security advisor in Delhi, Ranjeet Singh Dal. After Singh further forwarded the complaint to the Special Cell, an FIR was registered under the Information Technology (IT) Act on February 10.

A Games official said the organising committee and the Delhi Police are not taking any chances since many Commonwealth officials would be in the Capital during the sports event.

MCD plans 300 world-class toilets

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) plans to set up 300 world-class public toilets in public-private partnership. A brainchild of Amiya Chandra, the officer on special duty with the civic body, the initiative is timed to coincide with the Commonwealth Games in October this year.

The corporation would give parcels of land for constructing toilets, while giving companies the right to commercially develop a fifth of the land.

McDonald’s and Airtel are among the companies keen to partner with MCD in this initiative.

“When McDonald’s is operating an outlet close to a toilet, it cannot afford to have it dirty, because it will affect its own sales. In return, it is getting the space,” Chandra said on the sidelines of the tourism conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

The first such facility would be ready in 45 days.

Taking cues from private sector players on how they maintained wash rooms inside malls and restaurants, MCD came up with the idea of involving corporate players.

The civic body would give 800-1,200 acres for the project though a tender. The companies would have to keep 80 per cent of the total area for toilets, but would be free to use the rest for their business.

The government would also allow construction of one floor on the land given for commercial purposes.

“Big corporate players have shown interest in this project. The sanitary parameters have to be met by the developer,” said Chandra.

A minimum investment of Rs 30 lakh would have to be made for constructing one toilet. The government would not have to spend any money to maintain these facilities.

The community toilet will have washrooms, nappy-changing stations and other such amenities found in international washrooms.

Delhi security up to scratch

Delhi Commonwealth Games organisers are gradually convincing expected participants they'll scrape together decent security for the October event.

The men's Hockey World Cup has been the highest profile test, supplemented by shooting, archery and boxing events which have passed muster in the eyes of Commonwealth delegations.

New Zealand chef de mission Dave Currie, who has returned to his job as Black Caps manager, believes Delhi is at last promoting the right message.

"I went there pretty grumpy and somewhat cynical, thinking 'you guys are going to have to work hard to convince me' and, by and large, they did.

"The World Cup hockey security started a bit scratchily," said Currie, "but after a week it was impressive.

"For example, going to the stadium meant your first stop was about 800 metres away. Mean-looking commando-type dudes were always parading around. There was a higher level of visible security than I've seen anywhere. And let's face it; the risk of not doing it is enormous when you consider the Cricket World Cup is there early next year.

It's not to say other devices mightn't go off in Delhi and around India because that happens quite often around soft targets. But I am more comforted that they're working hard on it. The level of security for the risk is appropriate now. However, in six months you don't know what might happen."

Black Sticks coach Shane McLeod is of a similar view, having been involved directly in that test event for two weeks in a stadium and hotel described by various media as fortresses.

"Waiting in Perth, Australia, was actually the worst part of the trip because of the anticipation. However the security fulfilled expectations and I think the organisers would have learnt a lot because teams like Canada and England could be pretty demanding.

"There was a visible presence. When we left the hotel there wasn't too much screening but when we returned there were plenty of metal detectors. It was always a worry organisers wouldn't live up to their word but at this stage I'd have no hesitation going back."

Shooting team manager Laurie Gray says security was under control: "We have issues to deal with every time we travel around the world, due to the paperwork associated with firearms, but the five athletes we took [to the test event] were treated like royalty."

Currie said accreditations worked because the right people got into the venue and the hotel.

"Bags were checked thoroughly. Transport was manned by security and there were forces in front and behind. Police were also 'parting the Red Sea' at intersections. However, I can't imagine Delhi residents will find it that easy to get around when roads are closed".

Volunteers launch Delhi clean drive ahead of Commonwealth Games

As Delhi gears up to host the 2010 Commonwealth Games later this year, hundreds of volunteers have joined hands with the officials of civic bodies to take on the task of cleaning the city.

As part of a campaign called, Let's Do It Delhi, volunteers swept the streets and collected garbage outside Bhikaji Cama Place in South Delhi, to reflect the message that if they can clean Bhikaji Cama in three hours and keep it clean, why not the whole of Delhi.

The campaign is aimed at educating people about the need to keep the city clean as it prepares to host the mega sports event in October.

Professionals, students and senior citizens pitched in with contributions for the initiative.

"School children, senior citizens and professionals, all have come here and supported the cause to make it successful," said Monika Bhatia, a volunteer.

They say that public participation is very important to make the campaign successful.

"If the public supports us then we can definitely clean Delhi. Without public's participation, we cannot clean Delhi," said Air Commodore S K Meda, a volunteer.

The 19th Commonwealth Games, to be staged in New Delhi between 4 to 14th October, 2010, will be the country's biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games.

New Delhi is only the second Asian city to host the Commonwealth Games after Kaula Lumpur.

Premier office complex cleaned up for CWG

At least 1,000 people, comprising employees of leading corporate groups, the civic wings of the Delhi government, street vendors and individual volunteers, Saturday mopped up more than 500 tonnes of litter from the Bhikaji Cama commercial complex in south Delhi in a unique citizens' initiative that aims to clean public spaces in the capital before the Commonwealth Games.

The initiative, "Let's Do It Delhi," is modelled on a clean-up campaign in the Baltic nation of Estonia where 50,000 people removed 10,000 tonnes of garbage in five hours May 3, 2008, the organisers of the campaign said.

"I saw a video clip of the Estonia clean-up on YouTube in mid-January. It was a source of inspiration. I always felt that the city was in a mess and someone had to take the responsibility to clean it up, Anita Bhargava, the brain behind "Lets Do It Delhi" told IANS.

"It was not possible to do so as an individual. I gathered a few friends, became proactive and started talking to people, including government agencies. I realised we could do a lot together," she added.

Since 7 a.m., the beige and red ultra-urban concrete office complex, often hailed as a contemporary architectural masterpiece, was a hive of activity.

Volunteers clad in white T-shirts with \"Lets Do It\" logos, gloves and caps scraped dirt and picked garbage from every nook and cranny of the complex and dumped it into giant bin bags.

Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) workers, who had turned up in their hundreds, sprayed the complex with water and acid to remove stench and stains from the facades and the sprawling forecourts.

Smaller alleyways, choking with dirt and dry leaves, were opened up after the three-hour clean-up. The area was divided into 15 zones for the drive.

The complex is home to corporate giants like the Mahindras, Jindal Steel, Punjab National, Jindal South West (JSW), Engineers India Limited (EIL), Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and PTC apart from key government offices like the ministry of finance, income tax department, passport office, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Competition Commission, Central Information Commission (CIC), Life Insurance Corporation
of India (LIC) and the Indian Railways.

Hotel Hyatt Regency occupies pride of a place next to the corporate complexe.

Bhargava said her team chose Bhikaji Cama complex because of "its fantastic location".

"The objective is to develop a cleanliness model for all the office complexes and commercial spaces in the capital before the Commonwealth Games," she said.

A former IT professional in the US, Bhargava had earlier, along with her team, purged the Rose Garden opposite the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) of 1,300 kg of litter in January.

"Corporate support for the project has been overwhelming," said Prableen Sabhaney of FabIndia, the apparel chain that pitched in with manpower and infrastructure for the initiative.

The ICICI Bank sent a team of 200 employees led by their Mumbai-based senior general manager Sachin Khandelwal.

\"We are so busy chasing professional targets that we rarely have time to set social targets. The amount of garbage I personally removed in a day was the amount I would create in a month. I would love to see European-style street corner fresco dining facility in a place like the Bhikaji Cama complex,\" Khandelwal said.

Sarat Kishor Panda of Jindal Steel, who oversaw the preparations for the campaign since 3.30 a.m., said: "It is the duty of the occupants of a place to clean up the environs.

People have to be counselled against misusing public places."

Jindal Steel has been trying to clean up the complex for a long time. \"At night, the place is used as a watering hole by idlers and criminals. During the day, people use it as a public toilet in defiance of the rules," Panda said.

The occupants aside, the clean-up drive was supported by NASSCOM, ICICI, FabIndia, Nimbus Harbor, MCD, DDA, SC Johnson, KPMG, Hotel Radisson and several others with working bases in the capital.

Street vendors, corporate hands clear Delhi garbage

At least 1,000 people, ranging from employees of leading corporate groups and the civic wings of the Delhi government to street vendors and individual volunteers, Saturday cleared more than 500 tonnes of litter from the Bhikaji Cama commercial complex in south Delhi in a unique citizens’ initiative that aims to clean public spaces in the capital before the Commonwealth Games.

The initiative, ‘Let’s Do It Delhi,’ is modelled on a clean-up campaign in the Baltic nation of Estonia where 50,000 people removed 10,000 tonnes of garbage in five hours May 3, 2008, the organisers of the campaign said.

‘I saw a video clip of the Estonia clean-up on YouTube in mid-January. It was a source of inspiration. I always felt that the city was in a mess and someone had to take the responsibility to clean it up,’ Anita Bhargava, the brain behind ‘Let’s Do It Delhi’ told IANS.

‘It was not possible to do so as an individual. I gathered a few friends, became proactive and started talking to people, including government agencies. I realised we could do a lot together,’ she added.

Since 7 a.m., the beige and red ultra-urban concrete office complex, often hailed as a contemporary architectural masterpiece, was a hive of activity.

Volunteers clad in white T-shirts with ‘Let’s Do It’ logos, gloves and caps scraped dirt and picked garbage from every nook and cranny of the complex and dumped it into giant bin bags.

Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) workers, who had turned up in their hundreds, sprayed the complex with water and acid to remove stench and stains from the facades and the sprawling forecourts.

Smaller alleyways, choking with dirt and dry leaves, were opened up after the three-hour clean-up. The area was divided into 15 zones for the drive.

The complex is home to corporate giants like the Mahindras, Jindal Steel, Punjab National, Jindal South West (JSW), Engineers India Limited (EIL), Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) and PTC.

Key government offices located in the complex belong to the finance ministry, Income Tax department, passport office, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), Competition Commission, Central Information Commission (CIC), Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and the Indian Railways.

Hotel Hyatt Regency occupies pride of the place next to the corporate complex.

Bhargava said her team chose Bhikaji Cama complex because of ‘its fantastic location’.

‘The objective is to develop a cleanliness model for all the office complexes and commercial spaces in the capital before the Commonwealth Games,’ she said.

A former IT professional in the US, Bhargava had earlier, along with her team, purged the Rose Garden opposite the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) of 1,300 kg of litter in January.

‘Corporate support for the project has been overwhelming,’ said Prableen Sabhaney of FabIndia, the apparel chain that pitched in with manpower and infrastructure for the initiative.

The ICICI Bank sent a team of 200 employees led by their Mumbai-based senior general manager Sachin Khandelwal.

‘We are so busy chasing professional targets that we rarely have time to set social targets. The amount of garbage I personally removed in a day was the amount I would create in a month. I would love to see European-style street corner fresco dining facility in a place like the Bhikaji Cama complex,’ Khandelwal said.

Sarat Kishor Panda of Jindal Steel, who oversaw the preparations for the campaign since 3.30 a.m., said: ‘It is the duty of the occupants of a place to clean up the environs. People have to be counselled against misusing public places.’

Jindal Steel has been trying to clean up the complex for a long time. ‘At night, the place is used as a watering hole by idlers and criminals. During the day, people use it as a public toilet in defiance of the rules,’ Panda said.

The occupants aside, the clean-up drive was supported by Nasscom, ICICI, FabIndia, Nimbus Harbor, MCD, DDA, SC Johnson, KPMG, Hotel Radisson and several others with working bases in the capital.