Seminar on GIS and Remote Sensing

I inaugurated a seminar organised by the Institution of Surveyors. The topic was "Role of GIS and Remote Sensing in Surveying and Land Management".

I asked why we cannot start upwards, adding value, to digitised maps available in the public domain like google maps but must always re-invent the wheel by starting from NRSE data/ maps.I asked why there is such a disconnect between institutes and departments who use GIS.

The seminar was in the new auditorium at Nalban. It was made by BENFISH. It is called Rabindra Kanan Hall. Fairly OK, air-conditioned hall.

Sewage Fed Fishery at Kalyani

Today I went to Bhatpara and Kalyani to see site of proposed Sewage Treatment Plant Projects. At Kalyani, I saw how sewage water was being used for fish cultivation. Synergy between th two depatments I now hold !

I am Secretary of Fisheries too !

Today afternoon, I took charge of Principal Secretary, Fisheries Department. This is in addition to my existing charge of UD

Meeting with Statnding Committee of Parliament on Tuesday last

I attended the meeting with the Committee of Parliament on Minority Affairs. Chief Secretary represented the state govt; I and other secretaries were also there. This was on the 14th Feb, Tuesday.
In the report by UD Department, we indicated that in the 10 towns (other than Kolkata) which had Minority Population more than 20%, the percentage of minority beneficieries in BSUP houses was 22%

Sustainable Cities

I attended the conference on Sustainable Cities yesterday. It was organised by CREDAI and ICC. Besides chairing a technical session and making a presentation myself, I was also present in the inaugural session.
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There has been two references in today's newspapers: in The Telegraph and Indian Express. The links are as follows:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110212/jsp/calcutta/story_13568969.jsp

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bengal-finally-wakes-up-to-frame-its-housing-policy/749189/

IIT Kanpur Seminar on Sewage Treatment through PPP

Finished the ice-cream served in Rajdhani express. I just boarded the Howrah bound Rajdhani express. From Kanpur. I reached IIT today morning itself.
The problem in PPP for urban sectors - unlike Delhi T3 airport, for example - is that revenue earning is poor in fields such as sewage treatment. IIT posed the following model:
Treat sewage as a source of water, like ground water, for instance. Treat it. After a tertiary treatment, the water is clean. Cost is about 1 p per litre. PPP SPV can sell it to Municipalities and they will be refinanced by NGRBA. Municipalities can supply the treated wastewater to bulk industrial consumers, or agriculture or even for ground water recharging.
Sounded interesting.

Govt of India Survey on Women Elected Representatives in Municipalities

I got a DO letter from Govt of India. This stated that a study was done on women elected to urban local bodies  to assess their training needs.
The study is available at:
http://niua.org/Publications/research_studies/Impact_assessment_women_elected_Representatives/Impact%20assessment_summary.pdf
Interesting read