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THE TIMES OF INDIA, NEWDELHITUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 20144 TIMES CITY

Guj trumps Delhi in smart traffic

HOW SYSTEM SMARTLY

MANAGES TRAFFIC

1 The smart cameras and probesinstalled alongside the roadobtain information from traffic onthe road. They detect the speedof vehicles, density on road andother movement patterns

2

4

3The cameras andprobes transmitthe data tocellphone towersthrough whichthe data is furthertransmitted tocloud servers

Traffic police can also get real-time

information about jams, congestionsetc and make arrangements to deploypersonnel accordingly. They can also studyhistorical data and make long term plansfor benefit of commuters

Data is analysedautomatically and theprocessed informationis displayed on trafficboards. Drivers getreal-time information oftraffic jams, alternativeroutes etc

THE ITSFROMAHMEDABAD

Idea of the project:Showcase the utilizationand importance of ITSfor effective trafficmanagement

Being implemented inAhmedabad, Gujarat

Is a pilot project over a10km stretch

To start from October

The stretch will have14 cameras and four VMS(variable message sign)electronic LED boards

FEATURES

Project usesminimalmunicipalityinfrastructure

Uses mobilecommunicationnetwork,removing the needfor digging and layingcommunication lines

Makes use oftaxi probe and

mobile phoneprobe information

Self-sustainablebusinessmodel: usingtraffic informationtogether withadvertisement revenue

Rumu.Banerjee@timesgroup.com

New Delhi: Years after Delhi de-clared it would use the intelligenttransportation system (ITS) dur-ing Commonwealth Games in 2010,Ahmedabad is poised to beat thecapital in its implemen-tation. A pilot project in-volving a simple technol-ogy to run the system inAhmedabad will take offnext month.

The project, whichwill be implemented overa10km stretch, will use 14cameras and four VMS(variable message sign)boards to gather, inferand disseminate informa-tion to commuters usingthat stretch.

Much like the parking boards setup in Palika Bazaar or the ones putup by NDMC in Connaught Place,these four boards will give informa-tion on the number of vehicles on aroad, the average speed of vehicles,whether there is a diversion, etc. A

driver can then decide whether togo ahead or take a detour.

B Mallesh of Zero-Sum, the com-pany that is implementing the pilotproject for Ahmedabad MunicipalCorporation, said, The driver willbe provided with all the available

data. This will help bringdown congestion on roadsconsiderably. Zero-Sum,which is being funded byJapan International Co-operation Agency (JICA),has also pitched its tech-nology to other cities, in-cluding Surat, Rajkot andVadodara.

No extensive diggingor cabling is needed toinstall the system. Ac-cording to Mallesh, the

data from the cameras istransmitted to the central serverthrough mobile communication net-works. The central server will not bea physical entity but a cloud-basedone. The cameras will record eachvehicle passing by and its speed tocalculate the average speed of traffic

on the stretch. This data will be sentto the server, which in turn will dis-play it on the VMS board. The traf-fic police will also have access to theserver to communicate importantinformation like a diversion on theroad or a detour planned in case ofan accident, said Mallesh.

The routing of infor-mation through mobilenetworkseach sub-zoneof the ITS network willhave a dual network forreliabilitywill keep thesystem from collapsingif one mobile networkis down. The businessmodel is also viable andself-sustaining.

The revenue from theadvertisements on theboards, which will havededicated space, willmake the project lu-crative, said Mallesh.

Also, if the project in-volves a public-private part-nership, the temptation for adver-tisement revenue will ensure thecompany keeps the VMS func-tional at all times.

This system could bethe answer to Delhis traf-fic problems. The city hasover 80 lakh registeredvehicles. With a finite road

network, the increase in vehicles,without proper traffic management,can deepen the chaos on Delhiroads. Thats where ITS comes inhandy.

Delhi has been struggling to finda holistic system to manage traffic.

Though surveil-lance cameras havebeen installed atvarious intersec-tions, the trafficneeds to be stream-lined, especiallywhere a set of ar-terial roads, likeRing Road, carrythe maximum load.Mallesh added, Alarge number ofvehicles use the

arterial roadsto reach theirdestinations.I n f o r m a t i o n

on alternativeroutes is not provided,

leading to concentration ofvehicles on the main roads.

Such a system also helps indeployment of personnel. Thesystem can be used to plan howmany personnel to deploy at aparticular intersection based oninformation gathered throughITS, added Mallesh.

Ahmedabad to have intelligenttransportation system that Delhiplanned to implement in 2010

DATA FROM THE

CAMERASARE

TRANSMITTED

TO THE CENTRAL

SERVER THROUGH

CELLPHONE

NETWORKS. THE

CENTRAL SERVER

WILL NOT BE A

PHYSICAL ENTITY

BUT CLOUD-BASED

New Delhi:Yamuna Biodi-versity Park scientists, alongwith the forest departmentand DU, are trying a uniquemethod of restoring biodi-versity in the Ridge. They

will prune canopies of Proso-pis julifloraor vilayati kee-kar, a highly invasive speciesthat has usurped the Ridge.

These little gaps in the ca-nopy cover will ensure thatsunlight reaches the forestfloor where the team is plant-ing 15 native Aravali species.The project will first be im-plemented in the NorthernRidge, also called the KamalaNehru Ridge.

Centre for Managementof Degraded Ecosystems un-der DU had earlier developedthe cut-root-stock methodfor lantana, another invasivespecies, that is now used inmany protected areas. Imcertain that dry, deciduousforests and grasslands can berestored with the canopy gapmethod. This year we willplant about 5,000 saplings ofnative trees. We are workingwith the forest departmenton pruning the branches ofProsopis juliflora to makesure there is enough sunlightfor native trees to grow fast.Now, the floor is very dark.The native grasses will beplanted later, said C R Babu,

DU professor emeritus,CEMDE.

The team has started theproject with students fromHans Raj College and DDAstaff. In the next six days, oth-er Delhi University NorthCampus colleges will help.We will support the native

species by adding microbesto the soil, Babu said.

Faiyaz Khudsar, scientistin charge at Yamuna Biodi-versity Park, said they mustremove invasive pods. Thespecies are likely to increaserelative humidity and ensuremore precipitation. Theridge can provide a massiveecological service if Prosopisis fought off, added Babu.

Khudsar, who is fighting acase in Supreme Court for re-location of Asiatic lions fromGir to Kuno wildlife sanctu-ary in Madhya Pradesh, itsformer geographical range,said Asiatic lions were in theRidge during Mughal times.During Mughal period,Asiatic lion and other wildanimals used to roam theRidge. During the British pe-riod, Prosopis juliflora wasintroduced. It has completelydestroyed the native flora ofRidge, he said.

On Monday, 500 specieswere planted. Monika Kaul,assistant professor at HansRaj, said students are eager togo back and see if their sa-plings have grown.

Invasive trees tobe pruned forRidge diversity

NATIVE SPECIES THATARE BEING PLANTED

HE SILENT INVADERDudhi, Kullu, Kem, Siris, Bahera,Aaonla, Amaltas, Mahua, Kaitha,Jamun, Bel, Bans, Chilbil, Kachnar

NATIVE GRASSES THAT WILL BEPLANTEDVetiver grass, Cenchrus, Heteropogon,Eremopogon

WHAT IS PROSOPIS JULIFLORA?Its a thorny shrub native to Mexico,central and northern South America.It thrives in most soils within analtitude range of 300-1,900m above sealevel. Prosopis juliflora can be a veryaggressive invader, it replaces nativevegetation and takes over rangelands.Negative effects include complete lossof pasture and rangelands for bothdomestic and wild ruminants.

Other invasivespecies: Lantana andParthenium

Jayashree.Nandi

@timesgroup.com

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