A Problem worthy of Geospatial Data ?

 

 

Here is a challenge for :

Shri Rohan Vermaji ( MapmyIndia )

Shri Sajid Malikji     ( Genesys )

 

Context :

How MapmyIdia is charting the metaverse territory  /  Business Line  /  30 Nov 2021

Extract :

With over 2,000 customers across map-as-a-service, software-as-a-service (SaaS), IoT solutions and application programming interface (API), the IPO-bound tech company MapmyIndia is looking to create mapping solutions that will be high definition, 4-dimensional and built for the metaverse, showing a realistic view of the entire world with granular data points to help both the public and private sector use cases.

We are looking at creating a realistic view of the real world or a real metaverse in a high-definition 4D digital model. There will be use cases across consumers, enterprises, government, gaming, developers and automotive,” Rohan Verma, CEO and Executive Director, MapmyIndia { rohan@mapmyindia.com }

“Secondly, this is more relevant even now, our digital address system called eLoc.

Through this, any location or address in India can be represented in six characters.

It will be as helpful for delivery executives looking for a specific location as for a government which wants to know whether a particular location has got a gas connection in every household,” he said.

MapmyIndia has over 80 per cent market share in the mapping solutions category for the automotive sector in India. Beyond that, it has been working with various consumer-focused apps and the government for population-scale platforms and geospatial transformation projects.

===================================================

Context :

NITI Aayog CEO launches Genesys International's digital twin platform  /  Eco Times / 03 Dec 2021

Extract :

Genesys International launched its pan India program to make the Digital Twin of entire urban India

The creation of this very accurate 3D data will mean a host of applications would open-up high definition mapping, which was hitherto not possible, for Smart Cars, e-Commerce, Logistics, gaming, utility planning for next generation networks in telecom, renewable energy and Disaster Management ,and Emergency Response

Genesys has a constellation of advanced sensors in India, consisting of aerial mobile and terrestrial systems capable of imaging at very high speeds and resolutions

Genesys has also filed patents for unique Geo-coding for addressing 3D data as well as automated capture of features from 3D Street Map Imagery

Sh. Sajid Malik, CMD, Genesys International (sol.malik@igenesys.com ), mentioned :

" The digital twin platform of urban India will herald a transformation in map usage in this country as we have mapped – literally – every inch of the city. These highly accurate 3D data – a step towards Metaverse – will mean an essential part of Digital India economy system . Now data of this kind would be available for license to a host of users “

 

MY  TAKE :

 

Dear Shri Rohan Vermaji / Shri Sajid Malikji,

 

No doubt private sector users will come forward and ask you :

“ Can your innovative Geo-Spatial Technology, help to solve XYZ problem ? “

But, it is highly unlikely that any Government department / Transport Ministry, will approach you and ask :

“ Can your Technology :

#   Help rapid change-over to Non-polluting Electric Vehicles ?

#   Help India achieve Net Zero carbon position by 2030 ?

#   Motivate people to give up private / personal vehicles and start using Public

     Tansport ?

#   Bring in Rs 1.3 lakh*crore worth TRANS-TAX based on HARM QUOTIENT of

     each vehicle ? “

 

On the other hand, I urge you to examine my following suggestion and – if convinced that your technology can, emphatically answer “ YES “, to questions listed above, then send in your proposal to Shri Nitin Gadkariji :

Ø  Transport : an Integrated Logistic Plan ? …………………………[ 20 Nov 2018 ]

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh / hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 04 Dec 2021

 

Related Readings :

 

Gadkariji : From a Vision to a Mission …………………………………[ 17 Dec 2020 ]

Congratulations, Avinash Dhakneji ………………………………………[ 15 Dec 2020 ]

Pigovian Tax for Polluters ?                                              [ 03 Apr 2019 ]

National Clean Air Tax ? – a Pigovian tax ?                         [ 11 Jan 2019 ]

Traffic Congestion ? Finally, a solution in sight ?.................[ 31 May 2019 ]

 FAME II > FAME III > FAME IV………………………………………………[ 05 Mar 2019 ]

Trans-portability Theory ………………………………………………………..[ 10 Dec 2018 ]

PUBLIC TRANSPORT AS A SOLUTION ?..............................[ 15 Feb 2016 ]

 

CC :

info@iutindia.org	[  Institute of Urban Transport – India  ]
director.iritm@gmail.com	[  Director – IRTS ]
ctm@irte.com	[  Institute of Road Traffic Education  ]
mobility@itdp.org	[   Institute of Transportation & Development Policy  ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community Kitchen ? Never too late !

 

 

Context :

Group of 8 secretaries to create National Policy for Community Kitchens   /   Hindu   /   25 Nov 2021

Extract :

·          With the Supreme Court’s three week deadline looming, the Food Ministry on Thursday formed a group of eight State Food Secretaries to create the framework for a community kitchens scheme.

·          At its last hearing on November 16 on a petition regarding starvation deaths, the apex court had questioned the government’s commitment to run community kitchens, saying the first responsibility of every welfare state should be to provide food to people dying of hunger.

·          The petition had urged the formation of a national food grid as well as a community kitchens scheme to ensure that “no person should sleep on an empty stomach” and rued that there is no official data available on death of persons owing to starvation although India accounts for almost a quarter of the world’s hungry people.

·          The court pulled up the Centre for its lack of progress in framing a national policy to run community kitchens in consultation with State governments, including funds required, and gave it a three week deadline to do so.

·          Setting up the group of Food Secretaries, Mr. Goyal said a new community kitchen scheme needed to be simple and transparent and build on the four pillars of quality, hygiene, reliability and the spirit of service.

·          The Minister emphasised the need to distribute quality food grain to deserving beneficiaries on the basis of need, for “a focused and identified set of people who are vulnerable especially women and children including homeless, slum dwellers, workers on industrial and construction sites”.

 

MY  TAKE  :

 

I urge the Group of Food Secretaries to consider following suggestions when formulating the Scheme :

[ A ]   Involvement / Participation

Ø  This scheme should involve total involvement of all the States. They should be made responsible for its implementation and monitoring ( within their respective States )

[ B ]    Organizational Framework

Ø  Much similar to GST COUNCIL , this scheme must have an MANAGING COUNCIL, consisting of Food Secretaries from ALL the States

Ø  This Council may be named “ No One Starving Or Hungry in India ( NOSOHI ) “

Ø  NOSOHI will formulate Framework - Rules – Regulations – Systems – Procedures etc re this scheme

Ø  Proposed Framework may incorporate the desirable elements of Co-operative Movement , enshrined in the examples of AMUL / LIJJAT Papad / Anganwadi etc., which would convey the “ Spirit of Service “

[ C ]     Generation of Self Employment 

Ø  The scheme should enable a large number of destitute women to participate and become Self-Employed

Ø  In the towns / villages / cities, selected by the State Governments, some State Ministry must be tasked with the job of encouraging formation of Women’s Community Kitchen Co-Op Societies, who shall manage these Community Kitchens

Ø  To each such “ approved / enlisted “ Society, State Government will make available the physical premises ( with water / power ). The size of premises will be linked to the number of poor hungry persons to be fed by the Society, every day ( pre-determined )

Ø  To each such Society, the Central Government shall make available ( free of cost ) :

#  All Kitchen equipment ( including Gas Chulhas + Gas Cylinders ). In course of time, when available

    commercially, these gas stoves should be replaced with Solar Cookers / Chulhas .

#  All tables / chairs required for the Dining Area ( No food shall be allowed to be taken out )

#  All Storage equipment, including Refrigerators ( for Cereals  and for cooked food ) 

#  All Ancilliary equipment ( including cleaning equipment )

 

Downside of my above-mentioned suggestion :

Ø  Creation of such a huge infrastructure is very difficult in a short time

Ø  Once created ( at a huge Capital and Recurring Expense ), it is very difficult to administer

Ø  There will be leakages and corruption ( in Supply Chain )

 

I urge the group of Secretaries to also consider following alternative :

NGO serves up free meals for kin of poor patients at JJ hospital    /   TOI   /   28 Nov 2021

Highlights :

I found that an NGO distributes free food here,” said Patil. 

He is among 600 people , all relatives of patients, who benefit from the scheme of Fazlani Aishabai and Haji Abdul Latif Charitable Trust. ( info@aishabaitrust.com )

“ Relatives of many patients eat a vada pav for lunch or dinner. Two square meals a day in Mumbai costs Rs 150 – 200, and the poor cannot afford this “, trust Chairman Abdul Kader Fazlani (roc.fazfoundation@sopariwala.com)

 had said earlier

Procured from an ISO-certified caterer, the free meals are given twice a day.

“ As per our Chairman’s instructions, the food should be NUTRITIOUS and there should be no compromise on QUALITY. We have kept it VEGETARIAN so that nobody has any hesitation in accepting it “ , said Trust CEO Shabir Mushtaq Mir, adding that they often make surprise visits to the caterer’s kitchen to ensure QUALITY and HYGIENE

“ Beneficiaries get food coupons a day ahead so that the trust’s VOLUNTEERS know the NUMBER of FOOD PACKETS they need to arrange for that day. We ensure ZERO WASTAGE for the FOOD “, said Mir

 

Dear Secretaries :

While drafting your Community Kitchen Scheme , irrespective of its proposed structure, I urge you to incorporate the following provisions :

Ø  Hungry person who queues up to collect COUPONS  or FOOD PACKET, will NOT be asked  ANY QUESTION, whatsoever . Please do not HUMILIATE a poor hungry human !

Ø  He / she will not be asked :

       #    Domicile – Nationality – Name – Address – any Identity Card /

             Document – Community – Religion –Caste –Age – whether employed /

             jobless etc

             

Ø  Although you may recommend installation of a FACIAL RECOGNITION system at each kitchen, it will be for the sole purpose of keeping count ( of the numbers served each lunch / dinner ) and to avoid DUPLICATE issues to same person.

Ø  No beneficiary will be allowed to take the FOOD PACKET, outside the kitchen. It must be consumed inside the kitchen’s  Dining Area only

Ø  However, your scheme should provide for taking home the Food Packets, in cases of OLD-SICK-INVALID-BED RIDDEN, poor humans who just cannot walk up to the nearest kitchen. In such cases, relative / family member / friend or an NGO volunteer may be allowed to take out the food packet, after entering  full “ SICK BENEFICIARY  DATA “ in a centrally computerized system

Incidentally, all over India, religious trusts are running FREE " Bhojanalaya " , serving meals to thousands of devotees every day. One such Community Kitchen is at Sarangpur in Gujarat which claims to be running this service for past 100 years ( 24 x 7 ) , with 30 lakh ( 3 million ) being served every year

   

With regards,

Hemen Parekh /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com / 02 Nov 2021

 

Related Readings :

 

Thank You, Smt Smriti Iraniji ………………………………………. [  08 Nov 2021 ]

BANMALI arrives : Named as Poshan Tracker…………………[ 17 Apr 2021 ]

A Mobile App named " BANMALI "………………………………….. [ 15 Sept 2016 ]

BANMALI is the TOTAL SOLUTION …………………………………..[ 14 Nov 2016 ]

Can Akshay Patra Banish Malnutrition ? ………………………….[ 05 June 2017 ]

Thank You Madam Maneka Gandhiji ………………………………..[ 21 Dec 2018 ]

Saving 1.2 million Kids …………………………………………………… [ 29 June 2016 ]

 

 

 

 

 

 

         

Thank You, NITI Aayog

 

 

Context :

NITI Aayog bats for incentives to segregate waste at source /  Eco Times  / 01 Dec 2021

 

Extract :

 

NITI Aayog has proposed imposing a fee on waste disposal to disincentive households to throw waste and instead be compelled to segregate it at source.

The proposal is part of the fiscal incentives and disincentives proposed by the Aayog to encourage source segregation as India grapples with the surge in waste generation which is expected to increase three-fold by 2050.

The Aayog has proposed introduction of ‘Pay As You Throw’ policy which will entail a waste collection fee from the waste generator in proportion to the total quantity of waste being disposed of.

“Waste generators will be incentivized to segregate, treat and dispose-off waste at source, leaving a smaller amount to be handed over to the municipal system,” it argued.

India generates about 49.8 million tonnes of solid waste annually while globally over annual waste generation is pegged at two billion tonnes. This is expected to grow to 3.4 billion tonnes, which is an increase of 70% by 2050.

Further, the Aayog has suggested that private operators of landfills should be incentivized to minimize landfill dumping if the duration of their landfill operation permit is determined by airspace available in the landfill, and not on number of years of operation.

“This will, on the one hand, encourage waste recovery, and on the other it will incentivise waste minimization and segregation in the upstream of the solid waste collection system,” the Aayog said in its report on Promoting Behaviour Change for Strengthening Waste Segregation at Source

As per the report, the government should adopt a green public procurement policy that can be a powerful catalyst for promotion of recyclables. “Mandatory or preferential procurement of products that have recycled waste content above a prescribed threshold may be considered for adoption,” it said.

===================================================

MY  TAKE :

Incentivize Housing Societies  ………………………….[ 27 April 2016 ]

 

Extract :

This is because current perception of the garbage generating households ( and of the office bearers of the housing societies ), is :

 

 “  Garbage collection / disposal is Municipality's responsibility “

 

This problem will persist till we succeed in changing this perception to :

 

"  Garbage disposal is our responsibility "

 

 This change of attitude can be brought about by " incentivizing " the members of the Housing Societies

 

Here is how :

 

*  The society where I live ( Marol / Mumbai ) has 200 Members ( flats )

 

*  Each member pays monthly Municipal Tax of ( approx ) , Rs 600

 

*  That translates to Rs 1.2 lakh per month ( Rs 14.4 lakh / year )

 

*  In 5 years , Society pays to Municipality, Rs 72 lakhs

 

*  Govt / Municipality to make it compulsory for each big society ( size to be

    decided ), to install on its premises :

   

      [ A ]

 

         Methane gas generating plant or Compost Fertilizer plant

          (  to take care of wet / organic garbage )

  

     [ B ]

           Water recycling plant ( to filter and reuse water from shower / wash

           basin / kitchen sink for toilet flushing purpose )

                   

    [ C ]

           A Compacting Press for dry waste ( paper / bags / cartons etc )

 

 

*   Towards installation of such plants, Municipality to give a discount of 25 % to

     the Society in monthly taxes , for a period of 5 years

     

     That is a rebate of Rs 150 / month / flat for 5 years

 

     This would work out to a saving of Rs 18 lakh ( 25 % of Rs 72 lakh )

 

*   This amount should be sufficient for the Society to invest in these plants and

     for paying wages for persons needed to look after their operations

      

I believe such a positive incentive will motivate most of the Societies to undertake to install such facilities

 

 As a negative incentive, Govt / Municipality should levy additional surcharge of 25 % on the monthly taxes ( ie raise to Rs 750 / month in our case ) to those societies which fail to implement this scheme within ONE YEAR of notification

 

It is high time citizens are involved and motivated ( through negative as well as positive incentives ) in keeping their cities clean and its environment pleasant

 

 

===================================================

With regards,

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  02 Dec 2021