When I got up in the morning they was slight drizzle. I hoped it would stop by the time I go for my morning walk, un encumbered with an umbrella.

Got my wish.

While on a three lane concrete road saw a phenomena which intrigued me. 

Of the tree lane concrete road, the centre lane was still wet and glistening where as other two lanes on either sides were absolutely dry.

All the lanes were built almost at the same time. Same concrete mix. Same process. Same contractor, then why such diverse reaction to water. One

retaining wetness others bone dry.

Unable to come up with logical explanation.  

Wet centre lane. Dry side lanes.

Letters to Editor The Hutavada.

"Forest Department accomplishes Target of planting 33 cr seedlings". This news item, published in big bold letters ​in The Hitavada, ​Drew my attention.​ This was not the only news item, there have been many others ​    ​wi​th similar news published in recent past.

Not only local news papers but such news items are also seen in National ​News papers.

All these organisations, leaders and officials who sho​u​t their feats of achieving tree plantation ​targets​​miss the woods for the trees.

Put intended.

​Absymal survival rate of such 'target achieving' tree plantation drives are common knowledge.

​​All these people claiming achieving plantation targets  must be told ​that, ​what matters is not how many seedlings were planted but "HOW MANY SURVIVED"

We will be better off even if ​targets are reduced by half​,​ BUT proper care​,​ ​post plantation, ​is taken to ensure survival rate of at least 80 - 90 percent.

No thinking ! No imagination !!. Chalta Hai Attitude.!!!

In my beloved Nagpur.

We have this.

Why we can not have this.

Two pictures above show one and the same thing.

Provision to access valves of under ground water supply lines.

Picture on top shows how it is achieved in Nagpur. Just one hole is provided in properly built pavement of interlocking blocks. Due to traffic interlocking blocks are dislodged. Hole  turns in a pothole and becomes a potential accident spot. It is obvious those responsible have not applied their mind to provide proper facility for covering the valve opening.

Lower photo shows how it should be done. Those authorities do this because they apply their mind,have imagination !!. Do not have Chalta Hai Attitude.!!!    

Letter to Editor City mail.

 After a long time wrote a letter to Editor.
Potholes Repair.

The Hitavada quite  prominently printed action taken by ​Mpl ​Ccommissioner after getting a rap from High Court.

Writing to National Highways Authority, Nagpur Improvements Trust, G M Maha Metro, Public Works Department etc.​ ​was totally on expected lines.
Reading the Hitavada report gives the impression that Municipal Corporation ​oOf Nagpur has ​NO RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER in maintenance of roads within the municipal limits.

Classic case of passing the buck. It can now be claimed that most prompt action was taken by Mpl Commissioner's office.

 If ​road condition does not improve​,​ it would be fault of na​med agencies.

If​, based on Hitavada report,​ Honourable High Court takes suo-Moto cognizance​ of pathetic condition of fo​otpaths​ one can be sure that another letter will go to all imaginable agencies to take prompt action to repair the footpaths.

​No action taken to relieve the miseries of the common man.

​PM Velankar

Morning walk vignettes.

During my morning walk saw this Bull Buffalo.

Took me back almost 60 years plus down the memory lane. A Time when I was growing up in villages.

Rich land lords often reared (bull buffalo) for mating. 

Another aspect for keeping such creatures, which was of  great prestige was bull buffalo fights in Dushera Maidan on Dushera Day.

Months before the Dushera, bull buffalo was not released for mating. 

Given special diet worth hundreds of rupees per day. All to prepare the bull for Dushera fights. ( SPCA did not exist those days.) 

For the land lord honour of winning the bull fight was all that mattered.

Money spent was of no consiquence.

I hvae no ideaif such fights taking olace on Dushera day any where in Nagpur. Would be interesting to witness one after so many years. 

Bull Buffalo -Morning Walk sighting.i

Signboard Snafu.

Strange are the way was our organisations work.

A Sign board is put up for information of public.

Need for one more signboard is felt to clarify the matter.

So second signboard is also put up. 

This is what happens.

1st Signboard.

2nd signboard.

Labourer who installed it may be excused. What do you say about the supervisors 

Short term bussiness opportunities – India.

Short  term  business  opportunities – India.

India  is a country  where  opportunities to open short term business  abound . 

Every Indian festival, irrespective of religious  beliefs, presents an opportunity to open short term business. No need to mention numerous festivals.

Festival Business in India are like mushrooms in monsoon . Come monsoon mushrooms are around in abundance. With end of Monsoon mushrooms also vanish. Festival Business are like that . With festival they abound and found every where, On footpaths, temporary shades , hand carts or ant available space.  These businesses also vanosh once festival is over.

With approach of Ganesha festival this is time for business of Ganesh idols to grow like monsoon mushrooms. Process has started.

 Such scenes will now proliferate.   
  

Business of Ganesh idols being setup.

METRO NEWS : Subash Nagar Metro Station.(SNMS)

I had last seen and reported progress of work at Subash Nagar Metro Station on 20 uly 2018.
Thereafter my friendly Supervisor went to work in Sector 71(?).
I used to notice the way things were coming up during my morning walk. Wanted to check the progress. Despite my best efforts I was not allowed access. My request to Akhilesh was of no use. Used to feel frustrated almost every day.

Yesterday had a wind fall. Saw my friendly supervisor. He had come to supervise joining / filling the gap with RCC between the last track segment with the platform of Subash Nagar Metro Station.
Took me along with him to where the RCC work had to be done.
He carried on with his work. And I went berserk taking photos and absorbing the progress achieved between 27/7/2018 and 16/2/2019.
Stayed for almost 45 mts to an hour. Took more then EIGHTY photos.
Only selected ones are being put up in the blog. Those interested can see complete album on  by a click on  HERE.

Main staircase. Work on steps with jet black granite work in progress.  

Staircase and Escalator.

Platform Subash Nagar Metro Station.

View of Metro track towards Hingna T point from SNMS

View of road from SNMS

Concreting of the gap between SNMS platform and track segment.

Bucket full of concrete slurry to fill gap between SNMS platform and track segment.

Rear Staircase.

Panoramic view from Platform of SNMS

View from Platform of SNMS.

 View from Platform of SNMS.

View fom Platform of SNMS.

Platform of SNMS.

Panoramic view from Platform of SNMS

Panoramic view from Platform of SNMS

 Platform SNMS

Panoramic view from Platform of SNMS

Staircase seen from top.

Commercial space(?) SNMS

Stair case going up.

PS : 

We are leavinf for our Egypt trip tomorrow. Next METRO NEWS may be after 1 March after our return.

A modest but praiseworthy effort.

Some thing good is happened in our neighbourhood.
During my morning walk today I saw a modest crowd at one of the traffic island at mangalmurthi Chowk.. Ladies in white salwar kameez were conspicuous in the centre of the crowd. 

I went closer to see what it was all about. The ladies were members of our Adhyapak lay out - Jalvihar Colony Yoga Club. To promote environmental consciousness they had under taken distribution of potted plants of various types.

Potted plants for distribution.

A passer by receiving gift of a plant.

Potted plant being distributed.

I also received a Pipal and alovera plant from Mrs Kalambe & Mrs Sathe

A wonderful and praiseworthy effort.

Raising of environmental consciousness is the crying need of the hour. I sincerely hope that people Nagpur emulate this wonderful example set by the ladies of our neighbourhood.

WELL DONE LADIES.

​The Hitvada Impact.​

Our local news paper The Hitavada​, regularly​ highlights social and environmental

Issues. For example ​bad road conditions, garbage all​ all over, etc​

More often than not it makes no difference as authorities concerned do not pay any heed and go about their merry ways.

Recently the Hitavada has taken up the issue of gradual death of trees due to constructions and r​oa​d works.

Authorities are still not concerned. Some social organisations have sta​rted some work as can be seen in the photos.

Concerned authorities shame on you.

All photos between Hingna T point and Sitlamata mandir.

POST SCRIPT.

The letter was published in City Line The Hitavada, dated  6 May19.

Apparently they are kind to bureaucrats.

Jawa Event.

JAWA EVENT.

L - R, "SU" Soares, "Babu Moshai" Shyam, "Velu" Velankar, "Bhaggu" Bhagwat and "Pash" Pshupatuhi.

The caption on the photo is wrong. This was in Kalaikunda in 1971

Our B&W photo on Jawa bikes has gone viral.

It has spread like wildfire and the way it is being shared on hundreds of social media groups is just amazing.

When the event was held no one, not the Jawa fellows who organised the event, not we, who were in the photographs, not the special invitees, not the Officers from Kendriya Sainik Board, would have imagined that the event and the photo will become so popular in such a short time.

Fact is This photo has been on the Internet since 2006 when my son Anuj put it first in his blog "My Daddy Strongest" and then another blog "The Jawa Gang" 2006. The link to the Jawa gang blog written by Anuj is here.

To add to all those countless posts, here is my take on the Jawa Event.

I received a call from Wg Cdr Varma, Flight Commander22 Sqn when we attended the 50th Anniversary functions at Hasimara in 2017. He informed me that Jawa people had wanted to hold an event for which they wanted to contact pilots who figured in a photo. The same photo has now gone viral and given above.

Told him no problem sharing my number with them. Mr Vikram from Jawa contacted me.

I, along with others, was invited to attend the function on 24 Apr 19 at Manekshaw Center, Cantt New Delhi.

The Story.

Classic Legends is re-launching Jawa Motorcycles in India in a new avatar.

Some time back in Mumbai, they auctioned 13 Jawa motorcycles for almost 1.5 crores.

An event was planned at Manekshaw Centre Delhi on 24 June where a cheque for that amount was to be presented to Kendriya Sainik Board, an organisation which manages Flag Day funds for the welfare of defence veterans.

Someone from Jawa had come across this photo of 5 of us, 22 Sqn pilots with our Jawas. In the photo, We are from L - R, "SU" Soares, "Babu Moshai" Shyam, "Velu" Velankar, "Bhaggu" Bhagwat and "Pash" Pshupatuhi. Photo was taken in 22 Sqn dispersal in 1971, before Bangala Desh War.

The planned event was connected to this photo by Jawa fellows and event dubbed as 'forever heroes'.

Jawa had invited 4 of us surviving fellows for the event.

They had even brought 5 new avatars Jawa bikes. Everything was arranged and we posed in almost the same pose in which the 1971 photo was taken. " Missing Man" Pashupati, on the fifth bike was represented by a helmet. (After a fatal flying accident during formation flypas the formation is flown where the position of one formation member is kept vacant to represent the departed pilot. This flypast formation is called the "Missing Man Formation")

It was a small crowd consisting mainly of one of the three Jawa promoters, Mr Anupam, Jawa CEO Mr Joshi, Jawa Staff, Brig Mregrandra Kumar boss of Kendriya Sainik Board, other defence staff from Kendriya Sainik Board, some corporate honchos, Ms Gul Panang, one time Miss India, actress, model and daughter of Gen Pagang.

The event concluded with cocktails and lunch.

A well-organised function.

1971 Photo which started it all. Who so ever captioned and put up this photo got it all wrong. Neither Bareilly Nor 1966. It is KKD & 1971.

Manekshaw Center, New Delhi.

Jawa Event.  Diaplay.Manekshaw Center,

Jawa Event. Manekshaw Center,

"SU" Soares, "Babu Moshai" Shyam, "Velu" Velankar, "Bhaggu" Bhagwat .

The reason for which Jawa Event was held.

Ajeet Velankar with Gp Capt PM Velankar(retd), ( Velu)

Shyam, Su , Gul Panang, Velu. Jawa Event.

Anupam, Shyam, Bhaggu, Gul, Velu, Su & Joshi.

Jawa Gang in 2019.

Manekshaw Center, New Delhi..

For ALL the photos of the event I could lay my hands on, a total of 32, go here.

Jawa Event.

Someone from Jawa had come across this photo of 5 of us, 22 Sqn pilots with our Jawas. In the photo, We are from L - R, "SU" Soares, "Babu Moshai" Shyam, "Velu" Velankar, "Bhaggu" Bhagwat and "Pash" Pshupatuhi. The photo was taken in 22 Sqn dispersal in 1971, before Bangala Desh War.

Some time back had a call from Varma, Flight Commander,22 sqn when we had attended 50 th Anniversary functions of 22 Sqn at Hasimara in 2017.

He informed me that the Jawa people had wanted to hold an event for which they wanted to contact pilots who figured in a photo in which the pilots were seen on Jawa.

The same photo has now gone viral.

Told him no problem sharing my number with them. Mr Vikram from Jawa contacted me.

Classic Legends is re-launching Jawa Motorcycles in India in a new avatar.

Some time back in Mumbai, they auctioned 13 Jawa motorcycles for almost 1.5 crores.

An event was planned at Manekshaw Centre Delhi on 24 June where a cheque for that amount was to be presented to Kendriya Sainik Board, an organisation which manages Flag Day funds for the welfare of defence veterans.

The planned event was connected to this photo by Jawa fellows and the event dubbed '"FOREVER HEROS"

Information on the Jawa Event, my version, is given here briefly.

Jawa had invited 4 of us, the surviving fellows from that photo for this event.

They had even brought 5 new avatars Jawa bikes. Everything was arranged and we posed in almost the same pose in which the 1971 photo was taken. " Missing Man" Pashupati, on the fifth bike was represented by a helmet. ( After a fatal flying accident during formation flypast the formation is flown where the position of one formation member is kept vacant to represent the departed pilot. This flypast formation is called the "Missing Man Formation")

It was a small crowd consisting mainly of one of the three Jawa promoters, Mr Anupam, Jawa CEO Mr Joshi, Jawa Staff, Brig Mregrandra Kumar boss of Kendriya Sainik Board other defence staff from Kendriya Sainik Board, some corporate honchos, Ms Gul Panang, one time Miss India, actress, model and daughter of Gen Pagang.

The event concluded with cocktails and lunch.

A well-organised function.