And to make the structures a "scenic wonder", special LED lights would illuminate them by night.

The project, titled `Sprout', aims to symbolise progress made by the country since Independence, and its march forward. "The plan of installing a steel sculpture came up two years ago during a book release function attended by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit," N C Mathur, senior project manager of `Project Sprout', said. "She expressed her concern over getting the city ready for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in time, and we offered help."

Punde's architecture firm Design Cell is giving finishing touches to the work.

The steel installation will be designed by city-based artiste Vibhor Sogani; Chief Minister Dikshit chose his design of a large steel globe supported on a steel pillar for the project. There will be eight 40 feet installations at one traffic island, and 400 smaller ones on another island, at the roundabout. "The design shows the progress being made by the country's youth," Mathur said.

As India's public spending has been constrained by large budget deficit, a substantial portion of investment in infrastructure will come from private sector, report said. It further mentioned that public-private partnership has emerged as an effective method to attract private investment in infrastructure. By 2006, the government had awarded 86 PPP contracts.

A HOUSEBOAT in an artificial waterbody is set to be the biggest attraction of the new Dilli Haat that will partially open in Pitampura on March 18. The houseboat idea, not surprisingly, has come from the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department.

P K Dey, Executive Engineer (Civil), Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, who is in charge of the Pitampura Dilli Haat says an amphitheatre in the new Haat will be open in two weeks with a function being organised to launch the attraction. The full Haat, which is about 70 per cent ready now, will be completed by October this year.

Gold souks, wedding malls, festival city, boutique malls! The region is finally going to wake up to speciality malls. Other than a wedding mall that is coming up in Patiala, at least two Gold Souks are expected to come up in two cities of Punjab, including Ludhiana. A boutique mall and the Festival City are expected to come up at Ludhiana.

How is a speciality mall different from a normal one? Unlike the normal malls, speciality malls focus on a specialised product category. In a real estate mall, for instance you can walk in and out with keys to your dream house and in an auto mall, you may shop around for the latest car of all possible brands under one roof. The economics of these malls is also different from the retail ones. The footfalls in these malls, though less than a normal one, will see only the real buyers.

Whenever a house builder tries to depart from the old and bad methods of construction, a mason's standard reply is: " If you want to differ, I won't be responsible for the consequences." The builder is caught in a dilemma. For safety in construction, don't allow mason's dictum to prevail. Follow engineer's advice. This way economy and durability in construction shall be achieved besides, quality and safety.

Here are a few bad methods of construction. Avoid these:

RB roofing in housing
It is a major practice followed in India. Reinforced Brick (RB) roofing in houses is more common than the strong, impervious and economical RCC. There prevails a belief that RCC roofing develops cracks while RB roofing does not. RB roofing has bricks laid on edge and covered with a 40 mm thick layer of concrete. Steel reinforcement is laid in the gaps left between the bricks laid on edge. A bottom cover of 12 mm is provided to the reinforcement. Total thickness of slab works out to be 167 mm. Spacing of reinforcement gets decided by the brick laying arrangement in this type of roofing. On the other hand, RCC roofing laid under similar conditions is just 113 mm thick. The designer decides its reinforcement spacing. In the long run, RCC roofing, in fact, proves cheaper.

As and when RB roofing is laid, bricks being highly porous, soak water from concrete resulting in cracks in top layer of concrete. Steel bars placed in between bricks come in contact with them and rusting of bar occurs after a few years. There is then no remedy except dismantling the slab. The only factor that goes in favour of RB roofing is the low thermal conductivity of bricks. This may help in lesser expansion of slab and better insulation to heat. However, this factor weighs little against the drawbacks this type of roofing suffers from. If proper end treatment is given to RCC slabs by providing a 6 to 8 mm gap, filled with asbestos filler and a 10 mm bearing plaster is provided at the base, no cracks will appear in the RCC roofing.

Hand mixing of concrete
Indian specifications sometimes allow 'hand mixing' of concrete. Whatsoever, precautions you may take, hand mixing will not produce desirable blending of concrete ingredients. Cement consumption will also increase. Water-cement-ratio will also not remain under control. Therefore, avoid hand mixing. If unavoidable, allow it for lean concrete only. Non-uniform mixing of ingredients in hand mixed concrete means lack of workability, strength and density of concrete.

Uncontrolled concrete
Some specifications and common schedule of rates widely followed in execution of works allow use of un-designed concrete in construction of houses and buildings. Naturally, specified minimum cement content factors for this concrete are very high as compared to the cement required for designed concrete. There is a double loss on use of undesigned concrete. More cement is used resulting in higher expenditure. Secondly, you are not sure about the strength of concrete. Mere addition of extra cement doesn't assure strength and durability. Proper mix design is necessary.

Click on "Full Story" For Read These Points..

• Reinforcement in beams

• Non-usage of admixtures

The expenditure finance committee of the Delhi Government has given its nod to 10 projects amounting to Rs 201 crore. Six pertain to the PWD and one each to Transport, Training and Technical Education, Health and Family Welfare and Education Departments. The projects were cleared at an EFC meeting chaired by Delhi Finance Minister A. K. Walia today.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Dr Walia said the EFC had approved an amount of Rs 125 crore for upgradation of streetlighting on Delhi PWD roads before commencement of Commonwealth Games 2010. “This would also go a long way in making Delhi a world class city with modern and uniform streetlighting on all important roads”, he added. A power point presentation of the project was given by the PWD.

Dr Walia further said Rs 5.65 crore would be spent on a transport demand forecast study for the development of an integrated road-cum-multi-model public transport network in Delhi The transport department had proposed that based on the study an effective, reliable, affordable, convenient and user-friendly mass transit system in Delhi would be designed.

Dr Walia disclosed the benefits of the system would be long term for the public at large with efficient public transport system and consequent reduction of congestion on roads. There would be considerable reduction in consumption of precious fuel on private vehicles. Dr Walia added the public transport system in Delhi needed to be substantially augmented with improvement of service for its proper planning, detailed study of existing traffic and infrastructure available along with projections for the future requirements.

With this, the total number of SEZs approved by the Union government has gone up to 164.

A month back, the empowered group of ministers (e-GOM) headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee had lifted the cap on allowing SEZs that was earlier set at 150.

The panel had, however, put a rider on fresh approvals. Following reported resistance of Finance Minister P. Chidambaram citing revenue implications, the e-GOM had decided not to go ahead with fresh cases before at least 75 zones take off on the ground.

The panel had also decided to review the policy norms within five-six months before allowing the Commerce Ministry to approve fresh proposals for SEZs.

Commerce Minister Kamal Nath too had stated that though the cap on the number of SEZs had been lifted, new approvals have to wait till 75 zones take off on the ground. Yet, the BOA headed by Special Secretary in the Commerce Ministry Gopal Pillai cleared 14 new proposals, said a Finance Ministry official who requested anonymity.

However, Commerce Secretary S.N. Menon said: "there is no such rider for approving fresh cases".

"The projects have been cleared to provide smooth flow of traffic in different parts of the city in view of the Commonwealth Games," finance and PWD minister A.K. Walia said after a meeting of the expenditure finance committee, which cleared the projects.

Aiming for seamless traffic flow towards the transYamuna areas from ITO, the PWD will construct an underpass with four cloverleaves, a cycle track and two slip roads at ITO Chungi. To be located near the Games Village on the Yamuna bank, officials said that this would be an engineering marvel.

To further boost connectivity with the trans-Yamuna areas, the PWD will also construct a grade separator (multi-layered flyover) at Raja Ram Kohli Marg intersection on Marginal Bandh Road, Geeta Colony. A bridge across the Yamuna connecting Shanti Van on Ring Road to Geeta Colony is already under construction and expected to become operational next year. "These will result in smooth traffic flow from Noida to Old Railway Bridge over the Yamuna and beyond," Walia added.

East Delhi, in the spotlight for the Commonwealth Games, received another bonanza with the committee meeting clearing the construction of a road underbridge connecting road No 58 and 64, passing below Delhi-Ghaziabad railway line near Jhilmil colony.

The fourth project is a grade separator at Mangolpuri crossing on Outer Ring Road.

The petition filed by `Society for Safe Structures' claimed that the very existence of DDA has become infructuous in the wake of the 74th Constitutional Amendment, which empowered panchayats and local municipalities to frame building bye-laws and development plans.

It is beyond my comprehension why the Government has not been taking any interest in the development of Badarpur . It is not only the apathy of the Delhi Govt under whose jurisdiction it falls but also Haryana Govt and the Central Govt which are guilty of  destroying such beautiful heritage.  For umpteen years the Ministry of Road Transport, NHAI, Delhi Govt have been boasting of a Flyover which unfortunately has just remained an illusive dream . Flyovers have come up on roads where non were required , surprisingly it does not exist where some believe it is required.

Remember the last time, when the Asiad happened, the main issue was the cows and bulls in front of all the houses. The then government led by congress cleared all that *mess* giving an option of Mother Dairy to Delhi and that concept clicked.

I am working with an MNC in gurgaon in software firm. I commute daily through the roads, flyovers and am a part of the traffic jams. But only with the hope that things are getting better. Read news papers to know the status of the end of this trauma. There is more to come, its just a begining. More commertialisation is about to happen. Many advertisements and products are going to come in order to make money its going to be pain in the neck for some for next, say 5 years, and good news for many sporty.

The point is what is happening about our athletes, what is being done for them, where is the news about the people who are participating in the games, where is the statistics and the data required to know and understand our athlete folks. WHERE ARE THEY ? Or may be we know that we can't benefit in medals it's just commertialization thats gonna help the country

THE PLAN to modernise the Delhi and Mumbai airports got a leg-up on Tuesday when an experts committee headed by DMRC chief E. Sreedharan said only one bidder -- GMR Fraport -- had scored more than the qualifying marks of 80.

The committee downgraded the Reliance-ASA consortium from the previous score of 80.6 to 79.4 on account of managerial ca pability and transition plan.

Subject to ratification by the eGoM headed by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee later this week, GMR-Fraport is likely to get Delhi airport while Mumbai airport is likely to be awarded to the Airports Authority of India, which in turn will create a special purpose vehicle in which it will rope in international partners and investors.

The Sreedharan panel submitted its report to the B.K. Chaturvedi-headed committee of secretaries (CoS) set up by the eGoM. The committee wants Delhi airport to be on the fast track as the Capital will host the Commonwealth Games in 2010. The modernised airport needs to be handed over to the administration by December 2009.

Sources say the CoS is expected to discuss the recommendation again on Thursday before the eGoM meets later that evening. The sources add the views of the expert panel are not binding on the eGoM.

Modernisation mantra ¦ Subject to the eGoM's ratification, Delhi airport is likely to go to GMRFraport and Mumbai airport to the Airports Authority of India ¦ Also, there is talk that for Mumbai airport, the eGoM may ask five remaining bidders to submit fresh bids within a fortnight ¦ Sreedharan panel wants Delhi airport to be on the fast track as the Capital will host the 2010 Commonwealth Games

In a written reply, Minister of State for Railways R Velu said as announced in its budget for 2005-06, Railways have planned to develop important stations in metro cities into world class ones through the proposed RLDA.

To another question, he said 41 surveys for new lines have been included in the budget 2004-05 and all of them had been targeted for completion during 2005-06.

He said the Railways' Users Consultative Committees at zonal and divisional levels had been constituted for a period of two years with effect from August 1, 2004.

In these committees, Velu said representation was given to local chambers of commerce and industries, trade associations, passenger associations, agricultural interests, Consumer Forums Hndicapped Associations, representatives of state government, state legislatures, MPs, etc.

In addition, some members are also nominated to represent the interests of these users who have not been otherwise given representation, he said.

# Computers in Madras High Court inadequate
# It needs 250 more computers

CHENNAI: With a view to moving towards a `paperless court' concept, an e-filing regime will be introduced in Tamil Nadu from June 2006, Chief Justice of the Madras High Court Justice A.P. Shah said here on Monday.

Addressing at a function presided over by Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran, he said advocates could file their petitions in electronic format from June. However, the system would be tried only in cheque bounce cases on an experimental basis.

He said the computerisation programme in the High Court and subordinate courts in the State was "still in infant stage." "The number of computers provided in the High Court is inadequate. Those provided to the subordinate judiciary 10 years back have become antiquated and outdated."

He said the grants allocated to the Madras High Court were meagre as compared to those given to the Bombay High Court.

Digital archives were the need of the hour. Entire court records could be scanned and stored electronically with the help of document management software. "This will be helpful in retrieval of information and also in saving the much-needed storage space." The High Court needs a minimum of 250 more computers. According to Mr. Justice Shah, while the overall computerisation programme for the High Court would cost Rs. 5 crore, the subordinate judiciary would require at least Rs. 15 crore.