PUNE METRO - A Case of “Biting” Off More Than You Can “Chew”?

I wrote this post in June 2012, when the Pune Metro was approved/announced.

In typical laid-back “Puneri” style – nothing much has happened since then.

However, there are some murmurs in the media about a difference of opinion about the Pune Metro – should it be elevated – or should it be underground?

I suggest a third option – why not scrap the Pune Metro metro – and if the powers-that-be are hell bent on building a metro in Pune – why not have the Metro on a “ring” route?

I wrote this more than two and half years ago, in June 2012 – and it holds good even today – since, like I said above – nothing much has happened since then.

So, here is the post once again as food for thought. 

PUNE METRO
A CASE OF “BITING” OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN “CHEW” ?

Ramblings of a Retired Mind
By 
VIKRAM KARVE

Pune was once a lovely city – a salubrious pensioner’s paradise with a laid back culture. 

Pune had a distinct charm – both parts of it – the “city” which was the Oxford of the East and the cantonment or “camp” – verdant, spacious, well-laid out.

I don’t know why the powers-that-be are hell bent on ruining the charm of Pune. 

First they “industrialized” Pune.

Then they made it an “IT Hub”  and an “Auto Cluster”.

Now they think they can make it a “metro” by building a metro (pun intended).  

Try as you may, it is difficult to suddenly change the culture of a place – especially Pune’s laid back culture. 

It seems the planners haven’t learnt their lessons from past infrastructure debacles and those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it.

Let’s take a few examples.

The ambitious BRTS (Bus Rapid Transport System) is an unmitigated disaster. 

This grand public transportation project was supposed to be a panacea for transportation ills which would solve Pune’s transport and traffic problems and be a boon for commuters. 

More than 10 years have passed, the BRTS is still incomplete, and has proved to be a massive failure with huge amount of public money gone down the drain. 

Further, the PMPML Bus System which operates the BRTS is so inefficient that public transport has become a curse for commuters – a bane rather than a boon. 

Someone said that the BRTS is successful in Ahmedabad – but then Pune is not Ahmedabad.

Likewise the Metro Railway may have been successful in Delhi – but then Pune is not Delhi.

Pune has its own pace of work, especially as far as infrastructure is concerned. 

Roads are dug up for months without end as repairs and the never-ending road widening work goes on endlessly. 

To cite an example, road widening work on a 100 metre stretch of road from Wakad Chowk to the Hinjewadi Flyover is going on for more than 3 years with no signs of completion in the near future and the road is dug up again and again causing traffic congestion, danger and inconvenience to everyone. 

Road widening (for BRTS) from Aundh to Chinchwad and Hinjewadi (a 10 Km stretch of road) started more than 5 years ago and is progressing at snail’s pace with the end nowhere in sight. 

The “prestigious” Baner Road built for the Commonwealth Youth Games is still incomplete in patches.

We have even forgotten when these Commonwealth Youth Games were held – maybe it was more than 6 years ago. 

Pune does not have a civilian airport and depends on the air force airport for operating civil domestic flights (for international flights you have to go to Mumbai). 

Plans for constructing a civilian international airport were conceived more than 10 years ago but these still remain on paper. 

Meanwhile, in much less time, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kochi (Cochin) were able to create world-class international airports.

Unlike other cities, Pune is not geared up to take on large infrastructure projects. 

In Pune, things move slowly in quite a laid-back lackadaisical haphazard fashion.

Before embarking on a flight of fancy like a Metro Rail, it is time to do a reality check. 

If you are a Punekar, tell me, in your wildest imagination, do you think it is possible to complete the proposed Pune Metro Railway Project in 5 years? 

Don’t you think it is better to first complete the unfinished work on ongoing infrastructure projects like BRTS and Road Widening and focus in vital issues like improving Water and Electricity Supply instead of indulging in flights of fancy and building castles in the air and wasting resources on unfeasible, unviable, ambitious pipe-dreams like the Pune Metro.

I shudder to think of the scenario if and when construction work starts on the Pune Metro – Debris, Pollution, Obstructions, Dug-up Roads, Disruption of Telephone, Electricity and Water Services due to the digging, Traffic Chaos due to diversions – it will be a terrible nuisance and the inconvenience will be awful, and from past experience of Pune, the work will go forever endlessly till eternity. 

They want to make crisscross metro lines right through the crowded congested city from Kothrud to Kharadi and from Katraj to Chinchwad. 

Tell me, is it practically feasible to easily implement such a mammoth and difficult work on ground in these densely populated areas? 

Just imagine the chaos it will cause. 

And will the Metro Railway really benefit a majority of Punekars and will it actually lead to de-congestion of traffic on roads? 

Has any study been done on this as to how many people will actually use the metro rail on the routes planned and are the routes planned really optimal. 

If you are determined to build a metro in Pune, why not have a “ring” route connecting Hinjewadi, Katraj, Kondhwa, Hadapsar, Mundhwa, Kharadi, Wagholi, Talegaon, Hinjewadi with feeder bus services into the city.

Though it is claimed that the Pune Metro will be completed in 5 years, we know from past experience that it may even take more than 25 years – and even then the work may not be fully complete.

In Pune, there is a penchant for leaving work incomplete and sometimes it seems that there are vested interests who benefit from these inordinate delays since time overruns result in concomitant cost overruns too.

So let us not bite off more than we can chew. 

Dear Powers-that-be:

Let Pune be as it is. 

No more “modernization” and “development”  please. 

This so-called “modernization” and “development” has already caused enough damage.

For example, the season of winter has disappeared in Pune. 

Rainfall has reduced with every passing year. 

Before taking up ambitious ventures, let us tackle the existing problems first (water scarcity, electricity shortage, terrible traffic and pathetic public transport).

Let us not take up more than we can deliver.

Let us not bite off more than we can chew. 

Why embark on ambitious projects like the Pune Metro which may take many years to fructify and may not be of much use in mitigating problems.

Let us deploy our resources on making Pune a better place to live in as it is here and now.

Please let Pune be as it is. 

With each passing day of “modernization” and “development” Pune is dying.

Do not kill Pune – but please try to revive it. 

If you want a modern cosmopolitan metropolitan city why not build a new satellite city nearby with state-of-the-art facilities, amenities and infrastructure (like airport, transport, roads, metro and what have you) or townships planned in advance. 

Yes, if all these IT Firms had built townships for their employees within their campuses we would not have this huge traffic problem and dense concrete jungles in the city of Pune. 

In Pune, where there is no place left to build infrastructure, the best way to solve the transportation problem is to minimize the need for transportation by building “walk to work” townships and satellite self-contained suburbs. 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
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Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

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Revised Version of My Article PUNE METRO - A PIPE DREAM Posted by Me  Vikram Karve in my Academic and Creative Writing Journal Blog on 28 June 2012 at 6/28/2012 11:37:00 AM at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/06/pune-metro-pipe-dream.html

HOW TO LECTURE

HOW TO LECTURE

An Apocryphal Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

I have been invited to deliver a lecture. 

Before I start speaking, I must tell myself this apocryphal story:

A renowned Management Guru entered a large lecture hall to deliver a lecture on Motivation to the employees of a large industrial organization.

To his horror he found that the large hall was empty except for a young man seated in the front row.

The Management Guru asked the solitary audience who he was.

“I am a Cook in the Industrial Canteen,” said the young man.

The Management Guru, pondering whether to speak or not, asked the Cook, “You are the only one here. Do you think I should speak or not? Tell me frankly, should I deliver my lecture?”

The Cook said to the Management Guru: “Respected Sir, I am a simple man and do not understand these things.  But, if I came into the Dining Hall and saw only one man sitting there, I would certainly give him food.”

The Management Guru took the Cook’s insightful answer to heart and with full gusto began to deliver his lecture.

He spoke passionately for over two hours delving in great detail on each and every aspect of the theory and practice of Motivation.

Immensely proud after his virtuoso performance, the Management Guru felt highly elated, on top of the world, and wanted his audience to confirm how fantastically illuminating and effective his lecture had been.

So the Management Guru pompously asked the Cook, “How did you like my lecture?” 

The Cook answered, “Respected Sir, I told you already that I am a simple man and do not understand these things very well. However, if I came into the dining hall and found only one man sitting there, I will certainly feed him, but I will not make him eat all the food I had prepared in the kitchen. Yes, I will give him enough food to fill his stomach but I will not give him all the food available in the kitchen just because I have prepared it.”

MORAL OF THE STORY

While teaching and lecturing, I have a tendency to talk too much, since I am passionate about teaching and I love to talk. 

So I need to remember this story.

When I speak, I must certainly “feed” the audience. 

But I must not try to “feed” them all the “food” I have prepared in my mind.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

NB

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like this story?  

I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
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http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

COCKTAIL ebook

If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie I am sure that you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@hotmail.com

Twitter: @vikramkarve

      

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

ONLINE REPUTATION AND WEB IDENTITY - HOW TO MANAGE THEM

ONLINE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

Tips for Building and Managing Your Web Identity

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Disclaimer: These are my personal views. I am not an IT Professional or SEO Expert, but just a simple Blogger and user of Social Networks

ONLINE REPUTATION

In today’s world you have two reputations:

1. OFFLINE REPUTATION (in the physical real world)

2. ONLINE REPUTATION (in the virtual world or cyberspace)

Unless you are a celebrity, your “offline reputation” is restricted and known to only those persons in your proximity, at work, in your social circles and personal life.

However, your “online reputation” is all pervasive and is available for scrutiny by anyone throughout the world who has access to the internet.

If I want to know about you, all I have to do is to “google” your name or search your details on websites, search engines or social networks.

Potential employers, or prospective spouses, or those desirous of getting into a relationship with you, can easily carry out a basic background check on you by just surfing the internet.

(Earlier, before the advent of the internet, you had to ask some mutual acquaintance or make discreet inquiries or hire a detective to find out information about somebody)

The fact of the matter is that, in today’s connected world, your online reputation is easily accessible and matters more than offline reputation.

In the same way that your personality (real-world offline identity) is important for your offline reputation, your online identity plays an important role in determining your online reputation.

ONLINE IDENTITY

Your online identity consists of two things:

1. What you say about yourself on the internet (your “Owned Identity”)

2. What others say about you on the internet (your “Earned Identity”)

Your OWNED IDENTITY comprises whatever information you upload on the internet.

Your owned identity will comprise so many things like:

1. Whatever you upload on social networking sites like Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter etc including your profiles, pictures, photos, status reports, tweets, comments – anything and everything you upload about yourself.

2. Your Blogs

3. Your Websites (personal, professional and company)

4. All your writings and postings on the web which you post on the internet on various websites, online journals and e-magazines, forums, networks, groups, emails, documents, presentations – anything and everything you put on the internet.

5. Various “profiles” and “avatars” you create on the web – like, for example, your profiles on job search sites and matrimonial sites.

To put it metaphorically, your owned identity is like having a permanent tattoo – it can never be fully erased.

Your EARNED IDENTITY is what others “say” about you on the internet.

Your earned identity includes:

1. Information about you on Social Networking Sites like postings about you on Facebook by your friends (status, tags, pictures, photos, comments), recommendations and endorsements on LinkedIn, Re-tweets and Mentions of your Tweets on Twitter etc

2. Articles, Blog Posts, Wikis, Biographical Writings etc written about you which are available on the internet (these are things written about you by others - what you write about yourself on the internet becomes a part of your owned identity)

3. Various “profiles” created by others about you at various places on the web.

4. Various networks and websites that link to you

5. Miscellaneous information about you available on the internet – for example, your examination results uploaded online by your university, education board, UPSC etc or results of job selection interviews promulgated online.

To use a metaphor, your earned identity is like “branding” where a permanent mark is stamped on you by someone else.

YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION DEPENDS ON BOTH YOUR ONLINE IDENTITIES – OWNED IDENTITY AND EARNED IDENTITY

Your “owned identity” is in your control.

You must be circumspect about what you put on the internet as even a small slip-up like an injudicious writing, indiscreet photo, imprudent relationship status update or careless comment has the potential of harming your reputation in future.

Your “earned identity” is not in your control.

Sometimes, this matters more, since people may be curious to find out what others have to say about you than what you say about yourself.

Even if you avoid the internet altogether, you cannot avoid having an “earned identity” since someone else may upload some writing or material about you on the web, especially if you are a celebrity or remain in the news for something or the other.

That is why famous people, like ancient philosophers and writers, who lived much before the advent of internet, have “earned identities” and consequently they have “online reputations”.

So remember, going offline and avoiding the internet is not the solution.

MANAGING YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION

Do a simple experiment.

Just “google” your name and see the results of the search.

What are the top few results?

How many are “owned reputation” and how many are “earned reputation”.

If you want to manage your online reputation you must ensure that links pertaining to “owned reputation” (what you say about yourself) appear as the top search results as compared to “earned reputation” (what others say about you).

As far as your online reputation is concerned, what you “say” about yourself (owned reputation) must have more prominence than what others “say” about you (earned reputation).

Remember that your “owned identity” and “owned reputation” are in your control because you can always control what to “say” about yourself on the internet.

But your “earned identity” and “earned reputation” may not be in your full control since you cannot control what others “say” about you on the internet.

Therefore, in a nutshell, if you want to control your online reputation, you will have to “say” more about yourself on the internet than others “say” about you.

How do you do this?

It is simple.

Get active on the internet – blog regularly, tweet vigorously, and maintain a dynamic presence on social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Quora etc and various Forums and groups, and make sure you network effectively.

You must be conscious of your online reputation because with the proliferation of the internet, your “online reputation” will overshadow your “offline reputation”.

Remember, if someone wants to do a background check on you, for whatever reason, to hire you for a job, to check you out as a marriage prospect, or they just want to find out more about you, all they have to do is to “google” your name, ingeniously delve a bit and explore your online identity (web shadow) and discover your online reputation – yes, all that will matter is your online reputation.

It is, therefore, imperative that you establish an effective web presence and be careful to build a good online reputation and make constant efforts to monitor and manage your online reputation.

VIKRAM KARVE 

Copyright © Vikram Karve 

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

NB:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve - all rights reserved

Did you like this blog post?

I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
To order your COCKTAIL please click any of the links below:
http://www.flipkart.com/cocktail-vikram-karve-short-stories-book-8191091844?affid=nme
http://www.indiaplaza.in/cocktail-vikram-karve/books/9788191091847.htm
http://www.apkpublishers.com/books/short-stories/cocktail-by-vikram-karve.html

COCKTAIL ebook

If you prefer reading ebooks on Kindle or your ebook reader, please order Cocktail E-book by clicking the links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGERZ6
SMASHWORDS
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87925

Foodie Book:  Appetite for a Stroll
If your are a Foodie you will like my book of Food Adventures APPETITE FOR A STROLL. Do order a copy from FLIPKART:
http://www.flipkart.com/appetite-stroll-vikram-karve/8190690094-gw23f9mr2o

About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer and blogger. Educated at IIT Delhi, IIT (BHU) Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and an anthology of short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories and creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional  and academic research papers in journals and edited in-house journals and magazines for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing and blogging. Vikram Karve lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
Vikram Karve Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/vikramkarve
Vikram Karve Creative Writing Blog: http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com/blog/posts.htm
Email: vikramkarve@hotmail.com and vikramwamankarve@gmail.com

Twitter: @vikramkarve

      

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.