Recycling Tree Guards

Photographs
show
stifled
tree
growth
&
wasted
tree
guards

Between 1996-2000, massive plantation drive was undertaken in Dwarka sub city. Tree plants of various types were planted along both sides of wide roads, parks, DDA pockets, etc. Tree guards were used to protect these plants. Design of tree guards was such that two circular halves were hingeable on one side & screwable on opposite side. This design helped easier installation around plants of different age & sizes. Hinge & screw design also enabled easy removal of tree guards after tree trunk grows thick enough to sustain itself.

Unfortunately, recycling of tree guards has taken a back seat. Authorities would rather procure new tree guards at increasing prices than bother to take trouble of recycling old ones. Look at the pictures. Tree guards have become part of tree trunk in first photograph. Or these are hindering the growth of tree itself, as seen in second photograph.

In this era of recession, conservation & recycling should be the norm. DDA (Dwarka) is requested to reuse old tree guards & save . This step would also help tree to grow normally.

Public Transportation in Dwarka

Movement within & from Dwarka sub city has remained an issue in last 10 years of its habitation. Movement of DTC / blueline buses on northern road of Dwarka was the only connectivity option for Dwarkaites. Slowly, bus services were introduced on select roads & destinations. Even on those select roads, periodicity and frequency of bus service leaves lot to be desired

Recent announcenments made by DTC of basing 200 buses in Dwarka is surely a welcome move. Installation of signboard declaring arrival of DTC Terminal in central Dwarka in sector-10 is huge positive development.

It is hoped that DTC terminal would receive right priority & become a reality very soon. Routes - intra-sector as well as intersector - connecting all parts of Dwarka to different parts of Delhi would inspire citizens to leave their private vehicles behind & move to public transportation.

Thanks But No Thanks

It was nice of Chief Engineer, DDA (Dwarka projects) to take cognizance of 'Hazardous Footpaths of Dwarka' published on March 10. 2009 and act swiftly by placing back 9 inspection covers on open manholes in sector-10 & 11. 4 covers were missing on footpath along Muthoot hospital road & 5 were missing on footpath along road leading to Sector-11 Metro station from Pratibha Vidhyalaya.

4 Covers of correct size have been put back on footpath along Muthoot hospital road, but ALL 5 covers placed along Metro station road are undersized as seen in the photograph. Slabs do not cover the manholes fully. As the streetlight on this road is mostly off in the evenings, there are very good chances of someone hurting himself / herself at these 5 places of half-hearted attempts.

DDA is requested to place correct size inspection covers on all 5 manholes on footpath leading to Sector-11 Metro station of Dwarka.

ATM Freedom??

After RBI's announcement that cash withdrawal & balance enquiry services can be obtained from ATM of any bank without charges with effect from April 1, 2009, life seemed easier. This ATM freedom removed one more worrry of locating ATM of one's bank.

On the first bank-working day of new financial year i.e. April 2, 2009, banks did not seem to have geared up for this free service. In Dwarka sector-5, I tried ATM's of IDBI Bank, Federal Bank, Indian Bank. ICICI Bank to withdraw cash using SBI Debit card without success. Ultimately, SBI ATM of sector-11 came to my rescue & cash withdrawal could be completed.

Is it because banks are not in agreement so far over charges to be levied for such interbank transactions? Or the technical backend for information sharing is not in place? As the cutoff date had been decided, banks should have sorted out all technical or commercial issues by this time. Why should they make customer suffer?

This ATM freedom would help both banks & their customers.