Capital City Of India Research Articles

URBAN GROWTH IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION OF INDIA: TESTING THE DIFFERENTIAL URBANISATION MODEL

ABSTRACTRecent research on the differential urbanisation (DU) model has examined the successive stages of concentration and dispersal of population in a set of hierarchy of cities at the national scale in many countries. Delhi, the capital city of India, and its adjoining areas, have experienced dramatic growth in recent years. In order to mitigate the adverse impact of growth, a National Capital Region (NCR) was delineated for co‐ordinating growth related activities within the region. Based on the postulates of the DU model, we explore the urban structural pattern of the NCR over the past three decades. Our empirical findings of the growth of cities and towns within the core and periphery of the NCR support the usefulness of the DU approach in assessing the urban regional development patterns. Urbanisation trends, as observed in the hierarchical restructuring of population would have implications for regional development policies and programmes.

Experimental Evaluation of Shear-Strength Behavior of Delhi Silt under Static Loading Conditions

The capital city of India, Delhi, lies in the Indo-Gangetic alluvial trough. The soils of the region are known as Delhi because of the dominance of silt and, by and large, are nonplastic. The strength properties of silt, which contains either 60% or 20% sand, are experimentally evaluated with samples prepared using a slurry deposition technique in the laboratory and a stress-path triaxial system. Stress-strain-volume change and pore pressure behavior of these specimens under conventional triaxial compression (CTC) and the reduced triaxial extension (RTE) test for four values of confining pressures were measured, and strength properties are reported. These strength parameters as well as stress-strain volume change/pore pressure response were also compared with the results reported by other researchers; the observed behavior of silt is in good agreement with that of other silts reported in the literature. The study corroborated that the nature of silt is transitional, that is, it can be described by neither a sand nor a clay type of framework. All aspects of the mechanical behavior captured in this study (e.g., stress-strain volumetric response, pore pressure, and shear strength) were found to be affected by the amount of fines present in the sand and the loading conditions.

Effects of air pollution on the respiratory health of children: a study in the capital city of India.

Urban air pollutants cause a wide range of acute and chronic effects on the respiratory system of children that can be devastating. In this study, the respiratory health of children was assessed in the capital city of India where the level of air pollution is much above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The study was carried out in Delhi, and the findings were compared with those of rural West Bengal and Uttaranchal. The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was determined through a structured respiratory symptomlogy questionnaire and personal interviews. Air quality data were collected from Central and State Pollution Control Boards and also obtained by direct measurements using a portable aerosol monitor. Based on the data collected on the cohort of children participating in this study, 32.1% of children in Delhi suffered from respiratory problems in contrast to 18.2% of rural children (control). The respiratory symptoms were more prevalent in girls than in boys. A strong, statistically significant positive association was observed between PM10 level in Delhi’s air and the prevalence of lower respiratory tract symptoms.

Urban sprawl and water stress with respect to changing landscape: Study from Lucknow, India

Lucknow is the capital city of India’s most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. Urban growth currently is largely on par with other cities of similar size, and is anticipated to be slightly faster in the immediate future. The better economic prospect has lead to an increase in the urban population of the city during last few years. It has lead to large-scale urban sprawl and the inherent distinctiveness of hydrological environment is being neglected in urban planning. With the expansion of the urban sprawl and the increasing population, there has been a surmounting pressure on a) natural and built drainage systems b) surface/subsurface hydrological storage units, of Lucknow. The anthropogenic factors have also contributed to the presence of heavy metals in the hydrological units of the city. Upto now the regeneration of water by nature kept the surface and subsurface water ecosystem pure, satisfying the urban and peri-urban requirements. But during last few years, increasing demands from new urban extensions as well as intense agriculture and irrigation practices in surrounding rural areas have stressed the hydrological cycle considerably, raising questions over the sustainability of the water resources in the city. This paper attempts to highlight some important environmental criteria and propose methodology to achieve it, during the design of master plan with a focus on surface and subsurface water integrity of Lucknow building upon city’s natural and built environments. Changes in land use and land cover are estimated with respect to urban sprawl from year 1973 and 2005 based upon Survey of India toposheets and satellite data of IRS -1D LISS III PAN Sharpened. Drainage network map is overlaid with land use patterns drawing implications on water environment. Key words: Urban sprawl, water, master plan, land use, drainage.

Determination of arsenic and mercury metals in suspended particulate matter by flame/flameless atomic absorption spectrometer

A method has been developed for the accurate determination of arsenic and mercury deposited on suspended particulate matter (SPM) collected by high volume sampler (HVS) from various locations of Delhi (Capital city of India) by using hydride generator with flame/flameless Atomic Absorption spectrometry (AAS). Several diverse sites has been monitored for arsenic and mercury content in environment by analyzing the samples by the method proposed, but in the present study we are reporting data from seven diverse sites Ashram (S–1; heavy traffic zone), Azadpur (S–2; industrial zone), Loni Road (S–3; densely populated + traffic zone), Pitampura (S–4; urban background zone), Highway no. 56 (S–5; traffic zone), Naraina (S–6; industrial zone) and NPL (S–7; mix zone).The standard deviation of the measurements has been calculated on the basis of six observations of two replicates (three each) of each analyzed species and was found to be less than 3.5% by the proposed method. The validity of the method proposed has been established by standard addition of arsenic and mercury in the procedureal blank (without sample) and also to check the loss during the process. It has been found that in five replicates, arsenic and mercury recoveries were 99.3±0.4% and 99.1±0.6% respectively within 95% confidence level. The method proposed is highly reproducible and can be used for accurate determination of arsenic and mercury in the atmospheric particulate matter samples. The arsenic concentration varied from 1.3±0.11ng/m3 to 5.1±0.27ng/m3, while concentration of mercury varied from 1.4±0.21ng/m3 to 12.5±0.81ng/m3, in seven diverse sites of the Delhi.

Air Pollution and its Impact on Lung Function of Children in Delhi, the Capital City of India

Air pollution is a major contributor to several respiratory problems, it affects the whole population in general but children are more susceptible. Exposure to automobile exhaust is associated with increased respiratory symptoms and may impair lung function in children. In view of this, the study was conducted among the children of Delhi, the capital city of India, where ambient air quality was much above the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The study was conducted in children aged 9–17 years. Pulmonary function test was carried out following the guideline of American Thoracic Society using a portable, electronic spirometer. Air quality data was collected from Central and State Pollution Control Boards. In addition, the level of particulate matter in indoor air was measured by portable laser photometer. Lung function was reduced in 43.5% schoolchildren of the urban area compared with 25.7% of control group. The urban children had increased prevalence of restrictive, obstructive, as well as combined type of lung functions deficits. Besides higher prevalence, the magnitude of lung function deficits was also much more in them. After controlling potential confounders like season, socioeconomic conditions and ETS, PM10 level in ambient air was found to be associated with restrictive (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.07–1.58), obstructive (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.16–1.82), and combined type of lung function deficits (OR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.37–2.71) in children. Spearman's rank correlation test reaffirmed the association. The study confirms that the level of air pollution is affecting the children.

Variations in Mixing Ratios of Ambient Ammonia, Nitric Oxide and Nitrogen Dioxide in Different Environments of India

° 38'N, 77 ° 10'E; 220m m.s.l.), India (Figure 1) during July 2009. Delhi, the capital city of India, located in the northern part of India. It is one of the ten most polluted cities of the world and third most polluted city of the country having numerous industries in and around the city. The total number of registered vehicles in the city Abstract Mixing ratios of ambient NH3, NO and NO2 were measured over three different environments viz Delhi, Dibrugarh and Thiruvananthapuram during 2009-10 to study their diurnal variations, concentration and source strength. The average mixing ratio of NH 3 over Delhi, Dibrugarh and Thiruvananthapuram were recorded as 13.24 ± 0.39, 13.46 ± 2.52 and 12.65 ± 1.51 ppb respectively. The average mixing ratio of NO2 was recorded as 12.69 ± 0.39 with maxima of 20.22 ppb and minima of 0.75 ppb over Delhi whereas, the mixing ratio of ambient NO 2 ranges from 0.65 to 3.65 ppb and 0.83 to 3.02 over Dibrugarh and Thiruvananthapuram respectively. The mixing ratio of NO and NO2 varying significantly at all the three locations except NH 3 might be due to source strength and meteorological conditions of the locations. Result reveals that the mixing ratio of ambient NH 3 is positively correlated with ambient temperature (r 2 = 0.872) and NO2 (r 2 = 0.975) over Delhi whereas non-significant at other locations.

Seat Belt Law and Road Traffic Injuries in Delhi, India

Road traffic injuries have become a serious health burden all over the world in general and in cities of low and middle-income countries in particular. Delhi, the capital city of India, records the highest number of road traffic fatalities of all cities in India. This study evaluates the effectiveness of the mandatory seatbelt law enacted in Delhi in 2002 in terms of observance of the law and estimated reduction in fatalities due to road traffic crashes. Seat belt use was monitored by roadside observations at one location in 2001, a year before the compulsory use law. Roadside observations on belt use were taken every year in March/April for the period 2002-2005 after the notification of the compulsory use law. Seat belt use by front seat passengers averaged 72% for the 4 years 2002-2005 (drivers 79%, passengers 58%). Belt use by front seat by passengers was about 25% lower than that by drivers in all the years. Since car occupants comprise only 2-3% of the fatalities in Delhi, the belt law may have resulted in an overall fatality reduction of less than 1%, an estimated 11-15 lives/year.

A case of a municipal solid waste management system for a medium‐sized Indian city, Aligarh

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess the current practices and state of solid waste management systems (SWMS) in one medium‐sized Indian town, identifying main issues and problems to its ineffectiveness, inefficiency and to gain some suggestions and recommendations to improve the SWM infrastructure and practices in such Indian towns.Design/methodology/approachA medium size city, Aligarh, having a population of about 0.7 million and situated 130 km from the capital city of India, Delhi, was selected for this study. An extensive literature review was conducted to establish a theoretical framework. Field visits were conducted to collect the primary data and to understand the SWMS of the city, including interaction and interviews with the various officials and workers of the municipality responsible for SWM and residents of the city. A protocol was developed to analyze the sources, quantification, and to determine the composition of waste streams. Existing reports related to SWM and recommendations of planners/NGOs/consultants for improving the system were studied.FindingsDespite all efforts being made by the local municipality within their limited resources, the solid waste management situation in Aligarh is still not adequate. The waste is being dumped on low lying or open areas in the outskirts of the city without engineering and scientific methods. This situation of SWMS can be compared with other Indian towns of similar size.Originality/valueThe paper discusses problems, opportunities and perspectives in the existing solid waste management system in Aligarh city and assesses the potential for its improvement.

Indoor air quality assessment in and around urban slums of Delhi city, India

The present study aims at investigating the indoor air quality (IAQ) in selected households in one of the urban slums i.e. the Nizamuddin slums in Delhi, the capital city of India. The study includes investigations and assessments on associated health effects on the occupants living in inefficiently designed houses having poor ventilation. The monitoring of indoor air pollutants e.g. the respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM), the carbon dioxide (CO2), the carbon monoxide (CO), the sulphur dioxide (SO2) and the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) for all three seasons i.e. summer (April-June 2004), rainy (July-September 2004) and winter (December 2004-February 2005) have been conducted. In addition, the spirometry tests on the occupants, particularly the womenfolk and children have been performed to determine the incidence of acute respiratory infections (ARI). Questionnaire survey has also been conducted in the households during the study period to investigate the sick building syndrome (SBS). The study reveals maximum concentration of indoor air pollutants in households during winters (December 2004-February 2005) associated with aggravated respiratory problems like cough, phlegm, wheezing, and breathlessness among occupants particularly the women occupants. Besides, decrement in lung function indices (i.e. FVC and/or FEV1) due to increased concentrations of RSPM and CO2 indoors during winter period has also been observed in the women respondents. The study concludes that women and children indoors are most vulnerable to respiratory problems compared to other sexes. A high SBS score is observed in these 'urban poor' households because of inadequate ventilation. 'High indoor airborne pollutants during winter are associated with respiratory problems for women and children in houses in urban slum in Delhi. The work demonstrated the need of further studies of indoor air quality for the 'urban poor' in developing countries.'

A study of information needs of Members of the Legislative Assembly in the capital city of India

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the information needs of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of Delhi. It aims to provide a study of information sources used by them. It also includes the library use by MLAs, their awareness about various library services, and deals with the problems/hindrances faced by MLAs during the process of information seeking.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted with the help of a structured questionnaire and semi‐structured interview schedule. The respondents marked their response on a graphic scale which was converted into a rating scale for obtaining the inferences. The analysis of data is done with the help of weighted mean. A histograph has been used to make the matter more understandable.FindingsThe results of this research show that only a few MLAs are aware about the usefulness of library/information services. They are dependant on non‐documentary sources of information. They are not fully satisfied with the present system of information gathering, where they have to devote more time and energy.Research limitations/implicationsThe present research is applied only to the information system available to the MLAs of Delhi. The findings can not be universalized to all the MLAs in the different states of India.Practical implicationsIn the last part of this paper an outline for the proposed information system for the MLAs of Delhi has been provided. These suggestions will be useful to the policy maker when making an electronic based information system for the MLAs of Delhi.Originality/valueThere has been no study carried out on the information needs of MLAs in India prior to this research. The study will help the authorities to build/rebuild/improve the information system for MLAs in Delhi.

Bioleaching of heavy metals from anaerobically digested sewage sludge

The effects of sulfur concentration, initial pH of the sludge and sludge solid content on metal bioleaching were examined using anaerobically digested sewage sludge procured from a typical sewage treatment plant in Delhi, the capital city of India. Experiments on effect of sulfur concentration were carried out using 0–4 g L−1 of elemental sulfur to optimize the concentration of elemental sulfur for efficient bioleaching. For the type of sludge (20 g L−1 solid content) used in the present study, 2 g L−1 of elemental sulfur was found sufficient in metal bioleaching in the following order: Zn 86%, Cu 71.5%, Mn 70%, Ni 58.3% and Cr 43.8%. Changes in pH, sulfate concentration and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) as a function of time were experimentally monitored. A rapid change in the above parameters took place in 4–6 days followed by a slow change until the 10th day. The change in pH with time was observed to vary at different initial pH values (pH 7 to pH 3) of the sludge; however, there was not much difference in the final pH achieved and final metal solubilization which ranged from: Cu 83.6–94.2%, Ni 27.7–29.8%, Zn 89–94.8%, Mn 67.5-79% and Cr 34.1–44.1% The results of the present studies strongly indicate that using 2 g L−1 elemental sulfur, indigenous sulfur oxidizing microorganisms can bring down pH to a value needed for significant metal solubilization. Also, bioleaching can be carried out successfully over a wide range of initial pH values of the sludge. Further, at higher sludge solid concentration than 20 g L−1, lower metal solubilization was achieved due to the buffering capacity of the sludge.

Grey modelling of solid waste volumes in developing countries

Successful planning of a solid-waste management system depends critically on the accuracy of predictions of solid waste generation. In developing countries a lack of historical data means accurate forecasting of solid waste becomes a challenging task. Grey theory has been implemented successfully to model a system with incomplete information. The quantity of solid waste is also influenced by socio-economic factors. To overcome the problem of data scarcity, a methodology based on grey modelling is proposed in which a forecasted series is adjusted for ‘similar series’ of influencing factors using artificial neural network techniques. The ‘similar series’ of influencing factors is identified by grey relational analysis. The proposed methodology is applied to solid waste data for Delhi, the capital city of India. The results show an improved accuracy of predictions.

A study of the spectral characteristics of traffic noise attenuation by vegetation belts in Delhi

Traffic noise attenuation at different 1/3-octave frequencies is measured at three vegetation sites and a control site in Delhi, the capital city of India. The study indicates that attenuation generally increases with frequency. At low frequencies, maxima (between 10 and 16 dB) in relative attenuation are observed in the frequency interval between 315 and 400 Hz. Comparatively greater relative attenuation (>20 dB) is observed in the high frequency range between 10 and 12.5 kHz. A significantly higher relative attenuation of more than 24 dB is observed characteristically at 3.15 kHz at all the vegetation sites. The results indicate that vegetation belts could be used as effective barriers for traffic noise control along the roadsides.

Impact of Energy on Quality: A Case Study

The components of any business process are enabling conforming products and services to the highest satisfaction of all interested parties. Any mismatch there from in meeting the Total requirements for these customers may only entail increased entropy of the system. This has been reiterated in the capital city of India, where the quality of transportation energy based environment was impacted tremendously to ultimate respite of the global world. In unanimity with the expectation and belief of this interrelationship between the energy and the quality of life, a study was undertaken with a view to a) justify b) quantitatively establish and analyze the interrelationship and finally c) engineer a systematic methodology to improve energy efficiency while improving product quality synchronously. The battle-field chosen was to be energy intensive ferrous foundry sector, encompassing 40 SME’s (small and medium enterprises). It was envisioned that the success of the latter is likely to be dependent on the outcome of the former, i.e. higher the extent of relationship, larger will be the leverage to control the two parameters into a single handle. The proceedings exhibited a high correlation of 75%.

Landfill Surface Runoff and Its Effect on Water Quality on River Yamuna

During 2000, the estimated quantity of solid waste generated in Delhi, India was more than 9000 tones per day. This is one of the biggest sources of environmental degradation in capital city of India. Since 1950's over 12 large landfill have been packed with all kinds of nonbiodegradable and toxic waste of Delhi. The area covered is at least 1% (14.83 square kilometer) of total Delhi's area. All the landfill sites except Tilak Nagar, Hastal, and Chattarpur are located very closely (0.5–6 km) to the river Yamuna. It contributes the pollution to river Yamuna in a significant way in a form of surface runoff from landfill site especially in rainy season. The chemical analysis of leachate produced by these landfill sites and corresponding river section (at five river points) has been performed for 16 selected parameter (Temperature, Odor, pH, Turbidity, Conductivity, COD, Total Solids, Sulphide, Chloride, Nitrate, Iron) in the first stage and for 8 parameters (pH, Conductivity, COD, Total Solids, Chloride, Nitrate, Iron) in second stage. The study was conducted between August to October, 2000 (rainy season). It is clear from the study that the river water quality is affected by the presence of landfill surface runoff. Its impact can be seen in the region where the drains are meeting the river. This is one of the causes of river pollution apart from other major municipal and industrial sources.

Transport and land-use policies in Delhi.

Current transportation policies in mega-cities worldwide lead to major threats to health through traffic injuries, air pollution, noise, reduction in physical activities, and adverse impact on urban quality of life. In addition, a large section of the population in cities in low-income countries has to live in informal-sector, substandard housing. Many transportation policies fail to take enough account of their impacts on poverty and social exclusion, and they neglect the access and transportation demands of the more economically disadvantaged groups of society, who rely mostly on public transportation, walking, and cycling. Delhi, the capital city of India, is an interesting case because failure to consider the broad spectrum of health effects that may result from transport and land-use policies and investments has resulted in decisions that penalize the least affluent groups of the population and make it more difficult for them to get to jobs, education, health care, amenities, and services.

O13. Trends of homicides in capital city of India

O13. Trends of homicides in capital city of India

Status of underground space utilisation and its potential in Delhi

Urban living in metropolitan cities of India is getting difficult day by day. It is difficult because the growth of population in cities is at a faster pace than the development of the cities. To avoid this situation underground or subsurface facilities have been created in developed countries. Japan has used underground facilities to a great extent in view of less land space available. The paper discusses some aspects of developing underground facilities in Delhi, the capital city of India, and the possibility of a road traffic by-pass tunnel. It is necessary that a master plan is prepared for underground space development in Delhi for its sustainable growth. Creation of an underground space city shall be the dream of all rock engineers and scientists of India for good of the mankind.

Aircraft-Induced Noise Levels in Some Residential Areas of Delhi

The measurements of aircraft-induced noise levels in some residential areas in the capital city of India were carried out in the month of April and May, 1996. Four areas were chosen which were located underneath the flight path. It has been found that average increase in noise levels over and above the background levels is more than 20 dBA except in case of the most distant site where it is ∼11 dBA. A good correlation has been found between average peak noise levels (dBA) and the population response in terms of annoyance.