Pick a hobby; it will help you uplift your spirit!
Do you like to stroll in the mall? Do Bollywood beats make you tap your feet? Does nature make you strap on your hiking boots? Are you a religious yoga buff?
If yes, you may be unknowingly doing a lot of good for your health, says Dr. Kavita Nikam, physician at the Healthspring Clinic at Palava. Read on the find out the how your hobbies are keeping you fit! Take that time out for them, they are doing you good!
Hike to build a robust heart
“Trekking is a good exercise to keep the heart healthy and agile. As one engages in cardio exercise while trekking the heart pumps blood vigorously and helps in strengthening the cardiac muscles,” says Dr. Nikam. It may not be such a bad idea after all to take a holiday every quarter for a quick trip to the hills.
Shop to burn off sugar
A visit to the mall does more than simply elevate your mood, says Dr. Nikam, and adds “Regular walking for 30 minutes helps cut down the risk of type 2 diabetes by 60%.” Now block your calendar for a stroll every day; remember you can choose the location or the store of your choice!
Dance away your stress
“Any high intensity dance form with upbeat moves helps release mood-improving endorphins,” explains Dr. Nikam. Zumba, Kathak, Bhangda, take your pick and step into the groove. It is time to let the music play!
Swim to beat insomnia blues
“Swimming is the best exercise for peaceful sleep at night,” advises Dr. Nikam, “and it was reiterated by the findings of a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation.” After all a few laps followed by a plenty of refreshing dips isn’t really exercise, it is more of unwinding in bliss.
Flex to boost immunity
“Study has shown that regular practice of yoga helps build the immune system and fight off infections,” reveals Dr. Nikam. A recent Norwegian study revealed that yoga helps in changing gene expression that positively impacts the cellular composition. Hurry! Grab your yoga mat today!
Sky lanterns or floating lights have today become a part of pop culture though their origin can be traced back to 3rdCentury BC. From battlefields to cultural ceremonies and wedding traditions to festive rituals, sky lanterns have been a part of many ceremonies across China, Thailand, Taiwan and the rest of Asia.
During the Three Kingdoms Era, the sky lanterns were used on the battlefield to communicate with one another, and once peace settled the peasants and royalty used them to thank God for all the blessings, cast away fear and wish for a prosperous future. A wedding that is symbolic of newlyweds beginning a journey together often sees the couple light one lantern together and the wedding guests light others with personalized wishes for the couple’s future. In Thailand green lanterns are lit for personal growth and purple ones carry personalized wishes. In China, the final New Year celebrations is the Lantern Festival during which locals release Chinese New Year taboos.
Be it prayers for good health, happy marriage, good harvest season or relief from worries; a sky lantern is believed to make wishes come true.
It is believed that the longer and higher the sky lanterns float, the more likely the deities will receive your requests. The sky lantern ceremony has come to represent the releasing of one’s deepest fears and desires. It is a symbolic cleansing, a letting go of everything that troubles you. It is also the beginning of a new, enlightened you, with the light illuminating the path of knowledge and righteousness.
This Palava Weekend, we will be celebrating the joy of Diwali with a sky lantern show on the 29th of October, 2016. Join in to count your blessings.
Find out how urban city development initiatives are fulfilling India’s need to comply with the smart city trend.
Ever since the Narendra Modi-led NDA government assumed office in Delhi, the public discourse on urban development in India has been dominated by “smart cities”. However, debates on this topic have often been misinformed since there is a lack of clarity on what is smart city mission or what exactly a smart city is. Interestingly, the guidelines of the government’s Smart City Mission itself state that “there is no universally accepted definition of a Smart City” since “it means different things to different people”.
While globally the term has become synonymous with the use of technology and data for improving various aspects of a city, in India the usage has been less precise. Much of the initial discussion implied that smart cities would be entirely new cities. The 2014 election manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party promised to build “100 new cities; enabled with the latest in technology and infrastructure”. It was only in June 2015 when it officially launched the Smart City Mission that the contours of India’s smart city policy got some clarity.
One year after its launch, it’s now clear that the Smart City Mission is not about building 100 new cities– it instead aims to make existing cities, in fact only certain designated areas within them, smart. While the Mission also requires each city to have a pan-city initiative, the thrust is to develop a compact area within a city through retrofitting or redevelopment of an existing built-up area or greenfield development of a vacant area.
While smart cities in India are now closely identified with the Smart City Mission, the vacuousness of the term has led to it being invoked for various forms of urban development. If we examine just Mumbai and its surrounding areas, we can get a sense of how different kinds of smart cities are sought to be created in different locations. The list of smart cities in India includes Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Chennai, Meerut, Erode, Salem, Thane, Nashik, Kalyan-Dimbivli, Surat, Ahmedabad, and so on.
The many smart cities of Mumbai
Under the Smart City Mission in India, there are four different smart cities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region- Greater Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan-Dombivili.
The smart city project proposals of these cities focus on developing certain pockets of the city– Lower Parel in the case of Mumbai and Koperkhairane in the case of Navi Mumbai– and also promote the deployment of smart technologies. Interestingly, the municipal corporations of some of these cities had expressed reservations about the governance structure of the proposed smart cities and eventually, none of the cities in the region were selected in the first round of funding under the Mission.
Independent of the Smart City Mission, the City and Industrial Development Corporation, a state government agency, is developing the seven southern nodes– Kharghar, Kamothe, Kalamboli, Pushpak, Panvel, Ulwe and Dronagiri– in its Navi Mumbai (South) Smart City project. The Corporation also has a greenfield urban development project near the new Navi Mumbai airport called the Pushpak Nagar Smart City, spread across 230 hectares. Much of the developments in the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area, which covers 561 sq. km are also marketed as a “smart city”.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority is the other state agency that has caught the smart city bug. It is developing Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex as a smart city by providing Wi-Fi connectivity, surveillance systems and a smart parking facility. It is also developing 5 hubs along the proposed 126-km Virar-Alibaug Multi-Modal Corridor– Vasai-Virar, Bhiwandi, Greater Kalyan, Greater Panvel and Pen-Alibaug– as smart cities.
Along with state agencies, some private players are creating their versions of smart cities in the Mumbai region. Palava built by the Lodha Group is the most prominent example of a private smart city. It has partnered with IBM to introduce smart governance through measures like intelligent security systems. Another interesting initiative near Mumbai is the Khalapur Smart City where a set of farmers in 11 villages have pooled 3,550 hectares of land to create an integrated township in partnership with the City and Industrial Development Corporation.
Smart Cities as a marketing trope
As the case of Mumbai illustrates, multiple avatars of smart cities are being built in various locations. The narrative on smart cities in India is hence not restricted to cities under the government’s Smart City Mission. Rather, the term is being invoked for a variety of modernist urban projects whether it’s building new cities, applying technological fixes to existing cities, developing hubs along industrial corridors, retrofitting certain areas within a city or building private townships. By invoking the term “smart city”, these varied urban developments can legitimise and market themselves better.
Indian cities are dominated by unplanned developments, an informal economy and messy local politics. This urban reality is increasingly coming under challenge in the post-liberalised era with private capital seeking to reshape the nature of the city. In this context, smart cities are being promoted by the state and the market to create more ordered forms of urban development. The term “smart city” has thus become a trope for promoting a variety of capital-driven planned urban initiatives that are at odds with the predominant forms of urban reality in India.
This article first appeared on Scroll
Lodha, Building a Better Life, the Right Way
At Lodha, guided by our vision of ‘Building a Better Life’ we follow transparent and ethical business practices. We have stringent anti-corruption, anti-bribery and anti-money laundering policies that are binding to all our associates, contractors, suppliers, subsidiaries, affiliates and sub-contractors. We ensure adherence to a high level of social, ethical and responsible practices in any business dealings by having multiple checkpoints and processes in place. Any suspected instance of policy violation is deftly investigated and appropriate disciplinary action, including suspension & termination of service or initiation of civil and/or criminal proceedings, is undertaken. Coupled with our commitment to nurturing an environment that enables growth and fulfils ambition for all our stakeholders and consumer trust in the brand; Lodha is India’s leading realty player
Smart cities are the need of the hour and they have to adopt and take advantage of information, communication technologies and data analytics to improve the management of traffic, solid waste, energy, water and citizen services.
Nestled in 330 acres of sylvan surroundings and home to over 5,000 residents, India’s Rashtrapati Bhavan is being given an ‘intelligent’ makeover with smart technologies and devices like smart meters and smart security, water and waste-management solutions besides smart citizen services.
To ensure that all these services are connected and work seamlessly but without destroying the iconic institution’s heritage, the self-sustained presidential estate in New Delhi now has an Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) that was launched by President Pranab Mukherjee on 19 May.
The IOC system, implemented by International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), has been integrated with the electrical billing system to provide data on consumption patterns of consumers, public and common areas within the estate. Given that Rashtrapati Bhavan consumes over 100,000 units of electricity daily, the move will help optimize energy management.
Additionally, newer eco-friendly technology such as solar power, LED lamps for street lighting and other applications to reduce energy consumptions are deployed. IBM has also mapped all water domain assets such as underground water reservoirs, pump locations and tube well assets the entire water distribution pipeline on a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) layer to enable faster diagnostic and resolution of water incidents, and allow residents to track complaints in real-time.
IBM has also mapped waste management from waste bin collections, rickshaw routes, disposals, landfill, and processing onto its IOC system. A mobile app platform assists teams in maintaining a cleaner estate. Besides, a Citizens Mobile App, created by IBM’s IOC allows residents to report issues using the web and mobile. The data will be supplied to city offices which can use the insights to make informed decisions.
“The move to convert the Rashtrapati Bhavan into a smart city is unique not because of the significance of that institution but because we also had to preserve its heritage, which means that we could not simply redo the place and put up a lot of instrumentation that would mar the look of the place,” Prashant Pradhan, director-smarter planet business, IBM India and South Asia, said.
As with the work done in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, a poster-boy for the government’s Smart Cities vision, a typical smart city would take advantage of information and communications technologies (ICT) and data analytics to improve the management of traffic, solid waste, energy, water and citizen services. While smart transportation can reduce traffic congestion and air pollution with the help of parking meters and sensors, enhancing surveillance systems can reduce the crime rate and create a smart public safety system. A smart city’s power distribution infrastructure would be built on smart grid technologies and integrated with power demand patterns and grid supply variations.
Cisco Systems Inc. has been collaborating with several state governments in India for Smart City projects across areas like surveillance, smart cities, automation, etc. Cisco recently named Jaipur as the first Smart + Connected Community Lighthouse City in South Asia. The Cisco Lighthouse City status credential is assigned to a select list of cities all over the world.
Cisco has also established a Smart City surveillance system in Lucknow with 280 cameras, 10,000 drones and night-vision mobile vans. Smart surveillance projects that drive citizen safety with round-the-clock monitoring will make digital crime fighting a key focus area.
Vizag Smart City is equipped with the Andhra Pradesh (AP) fibre Net, a state-wide broadband project. Cisco has announced an Internet of Everything (IoE) Innovation Centre in Vizag and is also deploying technologies like Smart Wi-Fi, Smart Safety and Security, Smart Lighting, Smart Parking, Smart Transport, Smart Bus Stops, Smart Kiosks, a Remote Expert for government Services (REGS) and Smart Education.
Microsoft Corp. has partnered with the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) in Gujarat to transform Surat; the hub of India’s diamond trade into a smart city. Surat is the fourth-fastest growing city in the world, with a population of 5 million and a business hub that processes 80% of the world’s diamonds and meets 40% of India’s demand for textiles, according to Milind Torawane, Surat’s municipal commissioner. SMC is working with Microsoft and its partners to develop solutions for water management and urban planning (building plan approvals). Surat has already implemented several e-governance and citizen-centric solutions developed on Microsoft technologies, including those for property tax and revenue collections and material management. Microsoft has also created a city dashboard that provides a customized view of key performance indicators for the city.
Palava’s smart technology, for which it has partnered with IBM, also extends to 500 surveillance cameras that capture real-time data and, in future, will support face recognition for entry and have panic alarms every 200 metres. A smart card given to all Palava citizens will allow cashless transactions at retail centres, access to bus service, public Wi-Fi within the city’s premises, buildings and commercial points of entry.
The fact that cities are bursting at the seams is not lost on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which, on 29 April 2015, signed off on a plan to create 100 ‘smart cities’ and the rolling out of a new five-year urban development mission for 500 cities. The combined cost: Rs.1 trillion. This January, the government selected 20 cities, including five state capitals, to launch its larger urban makeover plan—the first phase of the larger plan to set up 100 smart cities. The next round of the competition is to select 40 cities this year.
To be sure, there are major challenges that the government needs to address as it goes about the task of building smart cities. Besides, building a smart city is “not always about IT but is more about smartly designing a city” according to Jaijit Bhattacharya, partner, infrastructure and government services, at consulting firm KPMG.
Bhattacharya pointed out that most of the work that technology companies are doing for the designated smart cities so far has been ‘pro bono’, implying that now tenders will have to be floated to execute the projects. According to Bhattacharya, a “command and control system (referring to the IOC) is important but there is also a need for a common IT architecture for all states, failing which they (the states) will have to retrofit this”.
Another hurdle is that India has a federal democratic structure, so it needs the cooperation and coordination of states, coupled with that of urban local bodies, to build smart cities.
This article first appeared on Live Mint.
Read more to find out how Palava has adopted smart technology for a brighter future on Palava’s website.
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Representational image
Will reduce travel time from Mulund to Palava to 30 mins
The Airoli-Katai Naka Freeway is not just an infrastructural marvel but a transformative project for the Navi Mumbai - Palava - Kalyan region. As per the latest report, Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project is expected to be completed by December 2024. Once ready, the 12 km long Airoli-Katai Naka Freeway will provide direct and quick access to people travelling from Mumbai to Kalyan and the Badlapur region. This freeway will significantly decongest heavy traffic, enhancing connectivity and bringing Palava closer to Mumbai, cutting travel time significantly.
Additionally, the work on the Palava Junction flyover will now be fast-tracked owing to the approval from Central Railway. This development will further alleviate traffic flow and provide a seamless route into Palava.
The Airoli-Katai Naka Freeway is being constructed in three phases:
Phase 1: A link between Thane-Belapur Road and NH48 (old NH 4) via a 1.7 km twin tunnel through Parsik Hill.
Phase 2: An elevated road connecting Airoli Bridge to Thane-Belapur Road.
Phase 3: A direct connection between NH48 and Katai Naka via an elevated road.
The Airoli Katai Naka elevated road map aims to enhance connectivity, benefiting nearby areas like Palava, which will be 20 minutes to Airoli and 30 minutes to Mulund.
Snapshot of work in progress of Airoli Katai Naka road:
Phase 1:
The elevated road connecting Thane-Belapur Road to the Airoli side of the Parsik Hill twin tunnel is complete
Work is currently underway on the Kalsekar side of the Parsik Hill Twin Tunnel and the connecting road
NH48 end of Phase 1 is nearing completion
Phase 2:
The Airoli Bridge connection work is nearing completion
Girder erection in progress to link Phase 2 with Phase 1 near the Thane-Belapur end
With these enhancements, the Airoli Katai Naka tunnel latest news indicates a transformative impact on commuting times and regional connectivity. Additionally, the upcoming Airoli Katai Tunnel opening date is eagerly anticipated by residents and businesses alike, as it promises a more efficient transportation network.
Airoli Katai Naka Freeway Phase 3 which is yet to commence will further solidify this infrastructure's role in the Navi Mumbai - Palava - Kalyan region, improving access to key locations and boosting real estate prospects.
Palava: A Key Beneficiary of the Airoli-Katai Naka Freeway
Palava, spread over 5,000 acres, is already home to world-class amenities and residential projects. With the upcoming freeway, the area is set to benefit tremendously from enhanced connectivity, making it even more attractive for homebuyers and investors. The Palava Junction Flyover will provide traffic-free access into Palava, further easing the commuting experience for its residents.
Additionally, Palava City by Lodha offers homes that cater to diverse needs, alongside a host of facilities like world-class educational institutions, a sports complex with an Olympic-sized pool, a 5 lakh sq. ft. Xperia Mall, and much more.
As the Airoli-Katai Naka Tunnel Road nears completion, the region’s real estate market is set for an exciting phase of growth. The benefits of faster commutes, enhanced infrastructure, and better connectivity make this a highly anticipated project for both developers and residents
Discover the latest updates on the Airoli-Katai Freeway progress.
Watch out for the upcoming Casa Carnival
Casa Carnival is a fun-fair evening organised in Palava by the Palava Citizen Management Association. To be held at the Amphitheatre, by the Rio riverside promenade, it promises to entertain all with funfilled games, delicious food, shopping avenues and more. The last carnival saw over 800 residents revel together from the Casa Bella neighbourhood.
The second Casa Carnival was held at the Rio amphitheatre at Palava on 17th April 2016. With an array of mouthwatering snacks, beautifully handcrafted goods and electrifying performances it enthralled all family and friends. There was something for everybody, shoppers indulged in beautiful artifacts and jewellery, friends competed at game stalls and kids bounced high in air castles. The evening was enlivened by a series of dance performances beginning with little ones dancing to Bollywood beats, followed by folk dances, Garba and a dash of hip hop! And in addition to this action, guests were treated to two flash mob performances! The Palava Citizen Management Association was delighted to host wonderful guests, and make the evening bigger, better and bolder for them all. Here are some glimpses of that weekend. For those who missed out, we hope to see you at the next one!
A number of stalls were set up where our citizens displayed their handicrafts, jewellery, home made food and much more.
The air castle was every child’s favourite spot.
The amphitheatre was packed with people. From the minute the electrifying performances began, till the very end, the audience was absolutely entertained.
Everyone was surprised by the flash mob. It definitely was the highlight of the evening!
Palava laid the foundation of a green future for generations to come with the Go Green initiative that kickstarted in May last year. Organised by PCMA with the support of the citizens, this initiative encourages each to do their bit for the environment while enjoying fun weekends bonding with their neighbours.
The Go Green initiative held across the weekends saw young and old citizens plant over 5,000 saplings of various trees including Coconut and Sita Ashok, across the neighbourhoods of Palava. Guided by the city’s expert horticulturists, the citizens planted saplings from the Palava’s own nursery located at Posari, a few kilometres away from the city. With each passing weekend, citizens participated with double the enthusiasm, toiling with shovels and getting their hands dirty in the mud.
Palava’s Go Green initiative has been immensely successful, thanks to the overwhelming support from its people. Citizens of all ages came out on the weekends, put on their caps and planted several saplings. While parents felt there was no better way to have their children bond with nature, children couldn’t get enough of the saplings and gave them each a nickname to remember!
Palava citizens appreciated the initiative that made their environment greener and cleaner. Owing to the success of the events and the spirit in which Palava citizens participated, Go Green initiative led to the onset of Go Green tours that took citizens to spend an afternoon at Palava’s nursery. Such has been the support towards this initiative that now Go Green activities are being featured regularly in the city calendar through the year. Today, Palava is home to over 20,000 trees and the number only keeps growing!
Palava Tarang is the city’s cultural festival that brings together some of the most renowned names from the field of art, music, and theater together to Palava. It keeps in mind the city`s vision of promoting various arts and culture initiatives.
‘Palava Tarang’, the festival that celebrates performing arts and culture began in 2015. Last year the event showcased maestros of music, dance, and theatre. The event took place over a period of four weeks and it explored the diverse art forms from across India. Artists such as Padmavibushan Hariprasad Chaurasia and Padmashri Ustad Rashid Khan enlivened the Palava Amphitheatre with their soulful performances.
This year things are a little different at Tarang 2016. The lineup this year includes the Indie rock band Indian Ocean, who are widely regarded as one of India’s foremost indie-rock band along with the folk-rock band Swarathma, who are known to leave the audience enthralled. The show also brings to you one of India’s finest sitarist Niladri Kumar.
As we see a day of incredible performances from some of India`s best-known artists we also see an entire day dedicated to the young ones in the family. To get your kids in a creative mood we have Rob, India’s biggest and most popular kids’ icon conducting his workshop ‘Mad Stuff With Rob’. Meanwhile, to bring back your childhood memories we have an enchanting retelling of Alice in Wonderland in the form of ‘Dastan Alice Ki’. We end the day on a happy note as Story Circus performs Tik Tak Tales, it’s fun Hinglish play which can be enjoyed by people across all age groups.
Schedule:
Saturday, 17th December
4 pm – MAD Stuff with Rob | 6 pm – Dastan Alice Ki | 8 pm – Tik Tak Tales |
11 am to 9 pm – Flea market & exciting cuisines
Sunday. 18th December
3.30 pm – Kramashah | 4 pm – Swarathma | 5.30 pm – Indian Ocean | 7.30 pm – Niladri Kumar |
11 am to 9 pm – Flea market & exciting cuisines
So, come along to celebrate art, music and our vibrant culture at Tarang 2016. Book your tickets now on bit.ly/Tarang-2016 to have a memorable weekend!
Palava’s football field became the arena for excitement and fun as the second edition of the Palava Junior League took centre stage over the weekends of 29-30th September and 6-7th October, 2018.
The Palava Junior League is a 7-a-side football tournament that takes place across three main categories- Under 10, Under 12 and Under 14. This year, the championship saw an unprecedented number of teams participating and the ground was packed with cheering parents and lived ones.
Among the 154 of clubs and schools across Mumbai participating in this competition with over 1500 players, The Rising Star took the Under-10 title, while Father Agnel’s took the Under-12 and Braveheart Academy was crowned the Under-14 champions.
