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The informal sector occupies a significant position and proportion of modern-day configuration of global e-waste recycling networks. The internal governance in the work and life of informal waste actors is crucial to sustain the spatial coordination of used goods trade. Using the global production network (GPN) framework, this paper investigates the value of trust and social networks in organising the predominantly informal e-waste processing activities in India. Based on an extensive primary research conducted between 2011 and 2013 in Delhi and a subsequent revisit to the field in 2018 and 2021, it provides a much-needed analysis of the robust informal linkages in the political economy of e-waste in the country. The GPN literature has not sufficiently explored the significance and interplay of trust in informal governance relationships in waste management. Drawing from the rich scholarship on trust and social network to analyse the empirical evidence, this research argues that inter-personal ties, shared norms and clustering practices nurture trust that is fundamental for constructing and regulating informal business endeavours. It contributes to the GPN understanding of vertical and horizontal network governance by demonstrating how the cohesive power of trust vitalises the recycling landscape and consolidates the position of informality therein despite recurring legislative endeavours to stifle informal operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes and applies a novel interdisciplinary framework to study peri-urban land use dynamics in India, which is theoretically embedded in the concepts of land use transition, land change science and neoliberlisation of nature. The framework is operationalised by a mixed methods approach cutting across scale and time to provide a comprehensive understanding of land use transitions. The paper proves the applicability of land use transition theory in India by establishing that the core state Delhi is in the "urbanised/industrialised" stage of land use transition, whereas the peripheral states are in a transition from "frontier" to "agricultural" stage of land use transition. The paper also provides evidence for different political economy-derived logics of nature's neoliberalisation. Field visits as well as expert and household interviews uncover a nexus between the state, civil society and economy in exploitation and degradation of natural resources for their vested interests. The use of local and global open access data in the framework makes it transferable to similar regions of the Global South facing data constrains. • Interdisciplinary framework is applied to India's land use transition analysis. • Theoretical approach is embedded in land change science and political economy. • Mixed methods approach cutting across scale and time is applied. • Stages of land use transition trajectory are detected for peri-urban areas in India. • Urban expansion is faster than population growth and depleted arable land and water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Characterization of MIBA from 3 MSWI plants in Delhi to assess disposal or reuse. • Compilation of 50 studies on MIBA leaching to identify CoCs critical to fate of MIBA. • Comparative assessment of CoCs to evaluate variability across countries. • Emphasis on mandatory inclusion of the identified CoCs in future studies. Present study characterizes municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (MIBA) from three incineration plants in Delhi with an intent to serve the dual objectives: a) assessing the disposal/reuse options for Delhi MIBA, b) evaluating variability in results across the countries (including India) and assessing if is significant enough to influence the fate of MIBA of varied origin. A review on leaching studies of MIBA (50 research papers) was conducted which aided in achieving both the objectives. Delhi MIBA samples were analysed for chemical composition. The two commonly adopted leaching tests i.e., TCLP and EN 12457–2, were conducted and the results were checked against regulatory threshold levels (RTLs) to achieve the first objective. Leaching concentration of the contaminants was compared with the compiled literature and RTLs to accomplish the second objective. The compendium of literature most importantly revealed the physicochemical parameters which are pivotal in determining the fate of MIBA but have been missing from many studies. Ten such parameters were identified: Cr, Cu, Mo, Sb, Cl - , SO 4 2- , Cd, Pb, Ni and Zn and are referred as contaminants of concern (CoCs). Delhi MIBA was found suitable for disposal to non-hazardous waste landfills and unsuitable for unrestricted reuse. CoCs identified in Delhi MIBA were identical to those observed in literature (except Cd, Pb and Zn). The variability in leaching concentration of CoCs, observed from comparative assessment of results, spanned nearly 2 to 3 log 10 magnitudes for Cu, Cr, Pb, Sb and Zn while 1 to 2 log 10 magnitudes for Mo, Cl - and SO 4 2-. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world struggles to cope with the pressing matters of global warming, rising temperature, and environmental degradation, the need for sustainable practices has become more urgent than ever for individuals and other establishments. Organizations across industries recognize the importance of adopting sustainable practices, not only to meet societal expectations but also to achieve long-term success. This research paper studies the influence of sustainable marketing on customer loyalty, focusing on the consumer electronics sector in India. A mixed-methods approach incorporating descriptive and causal research methods was used; with data collected from 302 participants from India's capital, Delhi and its nearby regions. Structural equation modeling was employed to establish multivariate relationships and Smart PLS 4 was used to analyze the data. The results suggest that sustainable marketing practices positively influence brand image and loyalty. Additionally, brand image acts as an intermediary between sustainable marketing and customer loyalty. These results provide valuable insights for managers aimed at fostering customer loyalty through sustainable practices, particularly in the consumer electronics sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian coal power capacity has doubled in the last ten years, and its coal pipeline is the second largest on the globe. This paper analyzes the political economy determinants of India's reliance on coal in the power sector. We base our analysis on a novel theoretical framework to assess how actors having different objectives shape coal investment decisions in India. Our results are based on the analysis of 28 semi-structured expert interviews conducted in Delhi. We find that India's substantial expansion of coal power can be explained by the following factors. First, the power sector was liberalized to ensure sufficient supply. This resulted in large industry conglomerates investing in coal and securing long-term profits as renewable energy support was ineffective. Second, the planned public investments in new coal capacity are motivated by securing the long term availability of electricity. Third, the reliance on coal in Eastern India for jobs, and the presence of local vested interests, are major barriers to a transformation away from coal. Fourth, pollution regulations that would limit coal use are ineffective because of the strong political influence of coal-proponents. • Understanding the political economy is crucial to prevent further coal development. • Coal has been historically important for regional economic development and jobs. • Public coal investments are driven by long-term energy security concerns. • Environmental protection has gained salience, but enforcement remains limited. • A just transition requires an inclusive process considering coal regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In India, different layers of Government control different policy instruments to tackle transport externalities which might result in coordination problems and possible efficiency losses. This paper, therefore, addresses the coordination problem resulting from the division of policy instruments between two different government levels that face different types of externalities in varying degrees of magnitude in the urban transport sector by developing three types of theoretical models: the Full Control Centralised Model where the state government has full control over all pricing instrument; a Nash equilibrium model where each of the government levels controls only one instrument and takes the behaviour of the other as given; and a Stackelberg equilibrium mode where the behaviour of the state government is influenced by the fact that one of the price instruments is controlled by the local government. With an empirical illustration of the model for Delhi, the paper finds that since there are many interactions and many externalities between the two levels of government, a division of roles between them does not guarantee an efficient pricing outcome and the efficiency of pricing would depend on the institutional set up and on the correspondence between the objective functions of the two government levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Climate change is a global problem and across the world there are major difficulties being experienced in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The transport sector in particular is finding it difficult to reduce CO2 emissions. This paper reports on two studies carried out by the authors in London (UK) and Delhi (India). It considers the common objectives for transport CO2 reduction, but the very different contexts and baselines, potentials for change, and some possible synergies. Different packages of measures are selected and scenarios developed for each context which are consistent with contraction and convergence objectives. CO2 reduction potentials are modelled and quantified by package and scenario. London is considering deep reductions on current transport CO2 emission levels; Delhi is seeking to break the huge projected rise in transport CO2 emissions. The scale of policy intervention required to achieve these goals is huge and there is certainly little public discussion of the magnitude of the changes required. The paper argues for a ‘strategic conversation’ at the city level, using scenario analysis, to discuss the priorities for intervention in delivering low carbon transport futures. A greater focus is required in developing participatory approaches to decision making, alongside network investments, urban planning, low emission vehicles and wider initiatives. Aspirations towards equitable target emissions may assist in setting sufficiently demanding targets. Only then is a wider awareness and ownership of potential carbon efficient transport futures likely to take place. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This article addresses issues of the development of transport systems taking its examples from Delhi and Stockholm. The introduction of the first bus rapid transport corridor in Delhi and the congestion tax in Stockholm is presented and discussed in terms of modernisation and sustainable transport. This paper explores the perceptions of politicians and examines some transport plans in the search for the driving forces for transport policies. The continuing presence of a high proportion of non-motorised modes of transport and use of public transport in Delhi over the past 50years gives it a greater political opportunity for creating a more inclusive city than Stockholm. Whereas, in Stockholm, awareness of the influence of emissions on climate change makes the inhabitants more inclined to accept fees for the use of city streets where sustainable transport and modernisation of transport systems are seen as key activities, but are perceived and operationalised differently in Delhi and Stockholm. Despite all the differences, some similarities in the development of their urban transport projects have been found. This paper inquires into the planning and operationalisation of transport modernisation and the politics of sustainable transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper develops the model and methodology to estimate the marginal external cost of urban road transport, which is necessary for analysing optimal urban transport prices. Four major marginal external costs analysed in this paper include the marginal external costs for congestion, air pollution, road accidents and noise. The paper estimates the marginal external costs for cars and buses in peak and off-peak periods for Delhi urban agglomeration for the year 2005. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Photovoltaic–thermal (PV/T) technology refers to the integration of a PV and a conventional solar thermal collector in a single piece of equipment. In this paper we evaluate the performance of partially covered flat plate water collectors connected in series using theoretical modeling. PV is used to run the DC motor, which circulates the water in a forced mode. Analytical expressions for N collectors connected in series are derived by using basic energy balance equations and computer based thermal models. This paper shows the detailed analysis of thermal energy, exergy and electrical energy yield by varying the number of collectors by considering four weather conditions (a, b, c and d type) for five different cities (New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Srinagar, and Jodhpur) of India. Annual thermal and electrical energy yield is also evaluated for four different series and parallel combination of collectors for comparison purpose considering New Delhi conditions. This paper also gives the total carbon credit earned by the hybrid PV/T water heater investigated as per norms of Kyoto Protocol for New Delhi climatic conditions. Cost analysis has also been carried out. It is observed that the collectors partially covered by PV module combines the production of hot water and electricity generation and it is beneficial for the users whose primary requirement is hot water production and collectors fully covered by PV is beneficial for the users whose primary requirement is electricity generation. We have also found that if this type of system is installed only in 10% of the total residential houses in Delhi then the total carbon credit earned by PV/T water heaters in terms of thermal energy is USD $144.5 millions per annum and in terms of exergy is USD $14.3 millions per annum, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world caused by spectacular vehicular growth in the past 2–3 decade. To restore the air quality and refurbish its image, a number of command and control policy instruments have been implemented in Delhi. The paper attempts to investigate whether the enactment of policy instruments and the efforts have led to commensurate fall in air pollution in Delhi. The analysis shows that the imposition has not resulted in concomitant improvement in ambient air quality. One of the reasons is reliance on new vehicles, with little emphasis on in-service vehicles. Even with new vehicles, the focus is on emission limits not on the limit on ambient air quality. With between 370 and 600 new vehicles being registered every day, any expectation of improvement in air quality is far-fetched. The paper concludes that the containment of vehicular pollution requires an integrated approach, with combined use of transport policies and air pollution control instruments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Urban freight flow estimation for developing urban settings like India. • Integration of direct flow estimation models with origin destination synthesis model. • Spatio-temporal Kriging and machine learning direct flow estimation models performance comparison. • Demonstration of road link speed estimation using map application programming interfaces. This paper presents an innovative methodological framework for determining urban freight flows using a multimodal origin–destination synthesis (ODS) model, which we ran with a novel combination of primary and secondary data. Primary data included classified traffic volume counts at limited locations, whereas secondary data, enriched with certain techniques, came from (a) map application programming interfaces used to extract real-time speeds and calibrate a disaggregated speed–volume relationship and (b) advanced techniques for estimating direct flow models (e.g. spatio-temporal Kriging and machine learning models). The paper also discusses the sensitivity of multimodal ODS models to variations in base–seed matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enormity of air pollution has always been a matter of concern due to rapid development and urbanization over a long period. The increasing level of pollutants in ambient air in 2016-2017 has deteriorated the air quality of Delhi at an alarming rate. This brought us to focus our study on air quality in Delhi region. The prediction of future air quality has been carried out by analyzing the pollutants using data analysis techniques. In our previous study, we had analyzed the data from 2011-2015. Detailed analysis from 2009-2017 of air pollutants has been proposed in this extended paper along with the critical observation of 2016-2017 air pollutants trend in Delhi. Descriptive analysis and predictive analysis have been used to study the trends of various air pollutants like sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), suspended particulate matter (PM), ozone (O 3 ) carbon monoxide (CO), benzene, and forecast the future trend. We have observed through data analytics techniques that SO 2 is likely to increase by 1.24ug/m 3 , NO 2 is likely to increase by 16.77ug/m 3 , O3 is likely to increase by 6.11 mg/m 3 , benzene is likely to reduce by 1.33 mg/m 3 and NO 2 is predicted to reduce by 0.169 mg/m 3 in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide insights into improving school performance through a twofold analysis: identifying the schools and zones most suitable for carrying out interventions, and determining the key factors that affect education delivery in schools. Over the last few years, India's central and state governments have started to collect data on several aspects of education at the school level. These data are available in raw form as well as descriptive reports and need to be explored for key policy insights. Hence, this study adopts a combination of descriptive and inferential statistical analyses to identify the improvement areas. The study uses box plots, chi-squared test, geotagging, and multiple linear regression analysis on three years of data from about 800 government schools in Delhi, India. The results indicate that the school's performance depends on its location, as evident from chi-square tests carried out over three academic years. Some zones experience deteriorating performance over the analysis horizon, while some remain consistent. Multiple regression analysis reveals seven statistically significant terms that explain approximately 35% variation in test scores. There is a statistically significant association between school performance and the existence of playgrounds, number of inspections, the primary medium of instruction delivery, number of books in the library, student attendance in the initial months, and proportion of female teachers. The measures suggested here incorporate both strategic and operational aspects that affect education delivery. • Provide insights to improve school performance. • Identify schools/zones most relevant for interventions using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. • Results indicate that the performance of schools depends on geographical location. • Determine a set of interventions for policy makers using multiple regression analysis. • Analysis reveals statistically significant associations of school performance and seven factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India's nearly 1-million strong band of quasi-volunteer accredited social health activists (ASHAs) have been key actors in government efforts to control COVID-19. Utilizing a nationalist rhetoric of war, ASHAs were swiftly mobilized by the government in March 2020 as 'COVID warriors' engaged in tracking illness, disseminating information, and caring for quarantined individuals. The speed at which ASHAs were mobilized into mentally and physically grueling labor was all the more stunning given these minimally paid community health workers have long been seen to have low morale given their precarious, informalized work arrangements. Building on work examining the spatialities of global health governance alongside literature on geographic contingency, this paper explores the ways that nationalist COVID-19 war rhetoric promulgated from Delhi worked as a technology of health governance to propel ASHAs into certain forms of action, yet also opened up spaces of potentiality for them to reimagine their relationship to both the state and the communities they serve. In particular, in our analysis of in-depth telephone interviews with ASHA workers in the state of Himachal Pradesh, we find that their hailing as COVID warriors inspired patriotic calls to duty and legitimized their (long over-looked) roles as critical governance actors, yet also was subject to resistance and reworking due to a combination of institutional histories, local politics, as well as happenstantial everyday encounters of ASHA work. The precarious employment of ASHAs – in terms of basic remuneration as well as the great on-the-job risks that they have faced – underscores both the fragile nature of India's health governance system as well as possible political movements for its renewal. We conclude by calling for geographers to give greater attention to community health care workers as a key window into understanding the uneven ways in which health systems are made manifest on the ground, and their ability to respond to citizens' healthcare needs – both in the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the highly mediatised mobilisation of the urban middle class in Delhi, India, against two social events, the anti-corruption movement in 2011 and the movement against sexual violence in 2013. It uses the perspective of resource mobilisation theory and, more specifically, the resource typology for social movements for a systematic and comparative analysis of middle-class mobilisation. The inclusion of a category of institutional resources is proposed, because of the important role played byjudicial institutions to frame demands for change in both instances. Findings from this investigation reveal that the urban middle class in Delhi has approached these two movements using similar cultural, human and institutional resources, but it has significantly diverged in its usage of social-organisational resources. This study contributes to the ongoing discussions about the potential new role of the diverse urban middle class in Indian politics beyond electoral processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID) is a major public health challenge in India. This paper examines PWID in Delhi who also have male-to-male sex with a focus on overlapping HIV risk behaviours and the psychosocial correlates of a history of male-to-male anal sex. Methods We analysed data collected in April–May of 2012 from a community-based sample of 420 male PWID in Delhi obtained using time location sampling. Results One third (37%) of the men reported a history of anal sex with men, among whom just 16% used a condom at last anal sex. Almost all (93%) participants who had a history of anal sex with men also had sex with women. Chi-square tests revealed that a history of anal sex with men was associated with a higher number of female sexual partners and sharing of needles and syringes. Additionally, unprotected sex at last sex with a male partner was significantly associated with unprotected sex at last sex with regular and paid female partners. Multivariate binary logistic regression revealed that the psychosocial correlates of a history of anal sex with other men were: being aged 18–24 (OR = 2.4, p = 0.014), illiteracy (OR = 1.9, p = 0.033), having never been married (OR = 2.6, p = 0.007), a main source of income of crime/begging (OR = 3.1, p = 0.019), a duration of injecting drug use greater than 20 years (OR = 3.4, p = 0.035) and suicidal ideation (OR = 1.7, p = 0.048). Conclusion Male-to-male sex was associated with psychosocial vulnerability, including a longer history of injecting drug use, suicidal ideation and socio-economic disadvantage. Given the extent of overlapping HIV risk behaviours, HIV programs for PWID would benefit from a strong focus on prevention of sexual HIV transmission, especially among male injectors who also have sex with other men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Despite growing interest in, and government support for, ISO14001 certification across Asia in recent years, little is known about issues surrounding the uptake and the effectiveness of environmental management systems in this region. There is a particular void of academic work in relation to ISO certification in India and the country's large number of small and medium enterprises; a field of inquiry this paper seeks to advance. Specifically, as a means of providing a basis for classification of firms for an analysis of the state of ISO14001 in India we test the adequacy of critical factors such as nature of business, size, year of establishment and internationalisation among small and medium enterprises and industry best companies. An analysis is presented of secondary data derived from the websites of a sample of ISO14001 certified firms located in the cities of Delhi and Noida. The data show that in the area of manufacturing the highest number of ISO14001 certifications can be recorded and that established small and medium enterprises with high turnover are more likely to adopt ISO14001 certification compared to low turnover firms. The findings inform the status of environmental management systems in India and have implications for government policy intended to foster ISO14001 uptake by Indian firms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the factors that prevent slum children aged 5–14 from gaining access to schooling in light of the worsening urban poverty and sizable increase in rural-to-urban migration. Bias against social disadvantage in terms of gender and caste is not clearly manifested in schooling, while migrated children are less likely to attend school. I argue that the lack of preparation for schooling in the pre-schooling ages and school admission procedures are the main obstacles for migrated children. The most important implication for universal elementary education in urban India is raising parental awareness and simplifying the admission procedures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper revisits the City Profile for Delhi, the first article ever published in Cities in 1983 (Datta, 1983). Thirty years later and following the centennial anniversary year of Delhi’s establishment as the capital of India in 2012, this article makes a wide-ranging survey of Delhi in the administrative, socio-economic and environmental arenas. By tracing the history of urban planning in the city to the present and examining the issues facing Delhi, we then critically examine its institutional arrangements with respect to the outcomes of recent developments that have occurred in the city. These aspects are then evaluated in the context of the future development of the city; a city which still faces numerous local challenges but also houses the government of an emerging superpower that will play an increasing role both regionally and globally. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In Delhi, between 2008 and 2011, at seven monitoring stations, the daily average of particulates with diameter <2.5 μm (PM2.5) was 123 ± 87 μg m− 3 and particulates with diameter <10 μm (PM10) was 208 ± 137 μg m− 3. The bulk of the pollution is due to motorization, power generation, and construction activities. In this paper, we present a multi-pollutant emissions inventory for the National Capital Territory of Delhi, covering the main district and its satellite cities – Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad. For the base year 2010, we estimate emissions (to the nearest 000''s) of 63,000 tons of PM2.5, 114,000 tons of PM10, 37,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 376,000 tons of nitrogen oxides, 1.42 million tons of carbon monoxide, and 261,000 tons of volatile organic compounds. The inventory is further spatially disaggregated into 80 × 80 grids at 0.01° resolution for each of the contributing sectors, which include vehicle exhaust, road dust re-suspension, domestic cooking and heating, power plants, industries (including brick kilns), diesel generator sets and waste burning. The GIS based spatial inventory coupled with temporal resolution of 1 h, was utilized for chemical transport modeling using the ATMoS dispersion model. The modeled annual average PM2.5 concentrations were 122 ± 10 μg m− 3 for South Delhi; 90 ± 20 μg m− 3 for Gurgaon and Dwarka; 93 ± 26 μg m− 3 for North-West Delhi; 93 ± 23 μg m− 3 for North-East Delhi; 42 ± 10 μg m− 3 for Greater Noida; 77 ± 11 μg m− 3 for Faridabad industrial area. The results have been compared to measured ambient PM pollution to validate the emissions inventory. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Pedestrians on Delhi roads are often exposed to high risks. This is because the basic needs of pedestrians are not recognized as a part of the urban transport infrastructure improvement projects in Delhi. Rather, an ever increasing number of cars and motorized two-wheelers encourage the construction of large numbers of flyovers/grade separators to facilitate signal free movement for motorized vehicles, exposing pedestrians to greater risk. This paper describes the statistical analysis of pedestrian risk taking behavior while crossing the road, before and after the construction of a grade separator at an intersection of Delhi. A significant number of pedestrians are willing to take risks in both before and after situations. The results indicate that absence of signals make pedestrians behave independently, leading to increased variability in their risk taking behavior. Variability in the speeds of all categories of vehicles has increased after the construction of grade separators. After the construction of the grade separator, the waiting time of pedestrians at the starting point of crossing has increased and the correlation between waiting times and gaps accepted by pedestrians show that after certain time of waiting, pedestrians become impatient and accepts smaller gap size to cross the road. A Logistic regression model is fitted by assuming that the probability of road crossing by pedestrians depends on the gap size (in s) between pedestrian and conflicting vehicles, sex, age, type of pedestrians (single or in a group) and type of conflicting vehicles. The results of Logistic regression explained that before the construction of the grade separator the probability of road crossing by the pedestrian depends on only the gap size parameter; however after the construction of the grade separator, other parameters become significant in determining pedestrian risk taking behavior. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sustainable urban infrastructure interventions can help achieve both public health and low-carbon goals in cities. This paper explores the extent to which civil infrastructure (i.e., water, sanitation, energy, transport and building infrastructures) and environmental factors (e.g. air and water quality) associated with these infrastructures shape current urban health outcomes in cities in Asia using Delhi, India as a case study. Current mortality data for Delhi are used as context to estimate the extent to which urban health outcomes are shaped by infrastructure and infrastructure-related environmental factors, some of which could directly or indirectly reduce mortality through low-carbon interventions. Mortality data along with a preliminary survey of expert opinion indicate up to 19 percent of all recorded deaths in Delhi may be infrastructure-related. More detailed epidemiology studies and infrastructure models are needed to confirm these initial findings. The findings suggest public health outcomes may be a large factor in motivating low-carbon development in Asian cities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Traditional focus of transportation planning has been to improve mobility of motorized vehicles measuring benefits as increased speed and saved travel time. Since 1950s, indicators are being developed to evaluate accessibility and safety of different types of road users like non-motorized transport (NMT) and public transport (PT) users. However, the application of the indicators is still limited to evaluate the impacts on one type of road user only. The paper proposes indicators to evaluate the impact of a transport project on all types of road users and on the society as a whole. Both conventional and proposed indicators are applied to evaluate the Delhi-BRT corridor stretch of 5.8km. The conventional approach showed reduced personal vehicular speed and delays at junctions. Whereas, the proposed indicators of accessibility measured number of relevant destinations that are within reach of different types of road users which were not within the reach before and the number and type of road users for whom the accessibility has increased. The safety indicators evaluated the change in interaction between different road users and safety of different types of road users. The indicators also evaluated the change in competitive position of different modes that may result in causing modal shift. The proposed indicators are suggested to be used along with the traditional indicators for complete evaluation of transport projects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Landfills are important anthropogenic sources of methane (CH4) emission especially in fast urbanizing countries. This paper presents the CH4 emission estimations carried out using the in-situ CH4 measurements, IPCC 1996 Default methodology (DM), Modified Triangular Method (MTM) and First Order Decay (FOD) method for the three landfills currently operational in the capital city Delhi of India. The in-situ methodology has yielded the landfills specific methane emission factors (EFs). The annual average methane emission rates from three landfills namely, Ghazipur (GL), Bhalswa (BL) and Okhla (OL) are 14.6, 23.6 & 7.5 Gg y−1 by DM; 13.3, 10.6 & 7.2 Gg y−1 by the FOD; 17.0, 13.7 and 10.7 Gg y−1 by the MTM; and 4.6, 4.2 and 1.4 Gg y−1 by the in-situ measurement method respectively. The CH4 EFs have been found to be 9.7 ± 2.6, 5.5 ± 1.6 and 5.5 ± 1.7 g kg−1 of waste respectively for the GL, BL and OL landfills in Delhi. The study reveals that in-situ methodology seems to provide better representative emission estimation compared to other methods. The FOD method also yields comparable results with that of in-situ methodology in cases where good waste composition data is available. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper magnetic property of the Delhi topsoil has been used to characterize the potentially polluted areas in terms of magnetic minerals and grain (Magnetic Domain) concentration as a factor of toxic metals and other mutagenic pollutant concentration. The Saturation magnetisation (Ms) and Saturation remanence (Mrs) has been taken as proxy for ferrimagnetic mineral concentration. However, delineation of anthropogenic magnetic fraction from lithogenic (geogenic) magnetic fraction has been done by the paramagnetic/diamagnetic contribution of soil with the fact that the fresh soil contains higher paramagnetic and diamagnetic minerals than polluted. Predominantly, the topsoils of Delhi are dominated with ferrimagnetic minerals (Magnetite and Maghemite phase). Significantly the industrial areas contain highest concentration of the ferrimagnetic minerals with negligible paramagnetic/diamagnetic fraction which leads to anthropogenic contribution. Heavy traffic and densely populated areas of the Delhi exhibit moderate to low soil pollution while green areas show lowest with higher paramagnetic/diamagnetic contribution. The soils in Delhi are dominated with Pseudo-Single Domain (PSD) magnetic grain, though the industrial areas in Delhi show coarser Multidomain (MD) grains in comparison to Stable Single Domain (SSD) in forest areas. Our study reveals that the fine grain particle does not show significant link with higher concentration of ferrimagnetic minerals at least in soils. The presence of the lithogenic magnetite crystal in the forest soil and anthropogenically produced spherules in industrial areas and higher concentration of the heavy metal in Delhi soil strengthen our findings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Towards formulating guidelines for performance evaluation of buildings to site-specific earthquakes, studies are reported in literature on the effect of various critical parameters. No study is, however, reported on the effect of depth of soil stratum. In this paper, a methodology is proposed and applied for performance evaluation of buildings for site-specific earthquakes including depth of soil stratum as a parameter. The methodology integrates independent procedures meant for performance evaluation of buildings and site-specific seismic analysis. Application of the proposed methodology enables to determine performance point of a building in terms of inelastic displacement and base shear. Numerical application of the methodology is demonstrated using the particulars of Delhi region. Two typical RC buildings (B1 and B2) with significantly different inelastic behaviour, assumed to be located on soil depths ranging from 10 to 200m are chosen for the application study. Capacity spectra of the buildings are generated from nonlinear static analysis. Studies indicate that for building B1, with elasto-plastic behaviour, the depth of soil stratum strongly influences demand on inelastic displacement compared to that on inelastic base shear. For building B2, with continuously varying inelastic behaviour, the depth of soil stratum is observed to have significant influence on both the inelastic base shear as well as inelastic displacement. Responses of the buildings are compared with that obtained based on design spectrum of Indian seismic code. For both the cases, inelastic displacements as well as inelastic base shears are underestimated by Indian seismic code for certain depths of soil stratum. Proposed methodology enables the calculation of realistic values of inelastic base shear and corresponding displacement of a building for site-specific earthquakes by considering the actual characteristics of soil stratum. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper describes the seismic assessment of the Qutb Minar in Delhi, India. Three models with different levels of complexity and simplification were developed. The use of these models allows one to overcome the complexity of the study of the seismic behavior of ancient masonry structures; by combining the results of the different models it is possible to obtain a better and more comprehensive interpretation of the seismic behavior. The models were used for non-linear static (pushover) and non-linear dynamic analyses. The static and dynamic analyses give different behaviors, indicating that the push-over analysis should be used carefully in the seismic assessment of masonry structures. For the static analysis, the base of the tower is the most vulnerable part; while according to the dynamic analysis, it is the upper part of the tower. This last behavior is according to the historical damage suffered by the tower due to earthquakes. The different behaviors can be explained by the influence of the higher modes of vibration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This report explores how vulnerability to HIV/AIDS applies to women in the reproductive age range living in the slum areas of Delhi and Hyderabad. The paper is based on a qualitative study of AIDS awareness levels conducted during the summer of 2006. It offers insightful narratives from a sample of 32 women, providing an in depth view of their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS due to their precarious socioeconomic conditions and low AIDS awareness. The women cited lack of education, low empowerment in expressing and accessing information related to sexual matters, and poverty as key factors to vulnerability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The accelerating pace of waste generation from used electrical and electronic equipment is of growing global concern. Within this waste stream, computer hardware is quite significant in terms of both volume and risk to the environment because of the hazardous materials within it. The waste management hierarchy of prevention, reuse, recycle, treatment and disposal in landfill is accepted as a universal guideline for waste management. The contemporary concept of integrated solid waste management is very complex comprising of not only the environmental aspects or the technical aspects of the waste management hierarchy, but also incorporating economic, institutional, perceived risk and social issues in the context of complete life cycle of waste. Moreover, when to shift from one stage of hierarchy to another, is an involved decision warranting inclusion of several case specific issues. This paper presents a life cycle based multi-objective model that can help decision makers in integrated waste management. The proposed model has been applied to a case study of computer waste scenario in Delhi, India, which apart from having computer waste from its native population receives large quantities of imported second hand computers. The model has been used to evaluate management cost and reuse time span or life cycle of various streams of computer waste for different objectives of economy, perceived risk and environmental impact. The model results for different scenarios of waste generation have been analyzed to understand the tradeoffs between cost, perceived risk and environmental impact. The optimum life cycle of a computer desktop was observed to be shorter by 25% while optimizing cost than while optimizing impact to the environment or risk perceived by public. Proposed integrated approach can be useful for determining the optimum life cycle of computer waste, as well as optimum configuration of waste management facilities, for urban centers where computer waste related issues are of growing concern. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper uses spectral methods to analyze changes in air quality at a single monitoring site in Delhi since 2000. Power spectral density calculations of daily concentration data for particulate matter (PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) and oxides of sulfur (SO x ) reveal the presence of trends and periodic oscillations for all the pollutants. Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) is used to decompose daily data into statistically significant non-linear trends, seasonal cycles and other oscillations. Periods of sharp reductions were observed for both SO x and CO concentrations in 2001 and 2002, respectively. NO x concentration trends show a sustained rise from 2000 to 2004, followed by small decline thereafter. PM10 concentration trends remain essentially unchanged over the time period. All pollutants also show strong annual and biannual cycles. The observed trends in CO and NO x likely relate changes in Delhi''s vehicular traffic emissions. The sharp drop in both the trend and amplitude of the seasonal cycle of CO coincides with the switch to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as a fuel for Delhi''s public transport fleet. Observed changes in SO x and PM10 concentrations were most likely caused by sources unrelated to vehicular traffic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A study of the atmospheric particulate size distribution of total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) and associated heavy metal concentrations has been carried out for the city of Delhi. Urban particles were collected using a five-stage impactor at six sites in three different seasons, viz. Winter, summer and monsoon in the year 2001. Five samples from each site in each season were collected. Each sample (filter paper) was extracted with a mixture of nitric acid, hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid. The acid solutions of the samples were analysed in five-particle fractions by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The impactor stage fractionation of particles shows that a major portion of TSPM concentration is in the form of PM0. 7 (i.e. <0. 7μm). Similarly, the most of the metal mass viz. Mn, Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Fe are also concentrated in the PM0. 7 mode. The only exceptions are size distributions pertaining to Cu and Ca. Though, Cu is more in PM0. 7 mode, its presence in size intervals 5. 4–1. 6μm and 1. 6–0. 7μm is also significant, whilst in case of Ca there is no definite pattern in its distribution with size of particles. The average PM10. 9 (i.e. <10. 9μm) concentrations are approximately 90. 2%±4. 5%, 81. 4%±1. 4% and 86. 4%±9. 6% of TSPM for winter, summer and monsoon seasons, respectively. Source apportionment reveals that there are two sources of TSPM and PM10. 9, while three and four sources were observed for PM1. 6 (i.e. <1. 6μm) and PM0. 7, respectively. Results of regression analyses show definite correlations between PM10. 9 and other fine size fractions, suggesting PM10. 9 may adequately act as a surrogate for both PM1. 6 and PM0. 7, while PM1. 6 may adequately act as a surrogate for PM0. 7. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Besides mandating the use of CNG, a number of other policy instruments have been enacted that has helped improve the air quality in Delhi. This paper investigated two issues––whether enactment of policy instruments has affected ambient air quality and whether CNG conversion has impinged on the pollution profile. Daily ambient air quality data from June 1999 to September 2003 from the busiest crossing in Delhi do not indicate an all-round improvement in ambient quality. The NOx has risen after the conversion whereas SPM and PM10 have shown only marginal fall; CO has shown a significant decline. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper analyses the problems of tenure security for the poor in Delhi by examining the recent programmes and policies adopted by the central and state governments, the orders passed by the judiciary and their implementation at micro-level. It provides an overview of the strategy adopted since the 1950s (after independence from colonial rule) until the late 1990s when the slum population was at its peak. An attempt is made to trace the more recent changes in policy perspective and the dilution of concern for the poor by critically examining the administrative decisions, developmental programmes, court orders, etc. and the method of their implementation. After discussing the broad distribution of households in various settlement categories and their access to tenure security and basic amenities, it argues that the prospect of finding space and even informal tenurial security for the poor would be bleak unless an explicit provision is made within the Master Plan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper focuses on the pattern of social-spatial differentiation and segmentation of the metropolitan area of Delhi. The main objective is to analyse the mechanisms of residential segregation and the factors that explain it both at the micro- and macro-level. In the context of the Indian society and its caste system traditionally associated with strong social and spatial segregation, we try to appraise the extent to which the metropolitanization process in Delhi engenders original forms of spatial segmentation or perpetuates and strengthens the traditional forms of socio-spatial divisions. At the level of the global spatial organization of the urban agglomeration, our objective is twofold: to analyse the factors that shaped the urban landscape and introduced spatial discontinuity, from physical barriers to the different historic periods and the impact of town planning; to analyse the residential pattern of different segments of the urban population, in order to detect whether certain economic and socio-cultural attributes generate a pattern of segregation. We then pursue a more detailed investigation at the level of a zone, based on the case study of Mayur Vihar–Trilokpuri in east Delhi. We analyse the residential practices developed by different socio-economic groups, their strategies as regards the occupation of the geographical and economic space, their tendency to residential clustering that leads to a pattern of social segregation at the level of the neighbourhood. In this perspective, the links between the urban policies at the macro-level and the individuals’ residential practices at the micro-level are also examined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Delhi is experiencing the highest population growth rate among mega cities in India. By 2021 its population is projected to be around 27 million. The consequence of rapid increase in population and the changing socio-economic pattern in Delhi has resulted in an acute shortage of housing and related infrastructure especially for the poor and low-income households. Nearly half the population however lives in conditions of miserable poverty, crammed into overcrowded slums and hutment. Delhi’s informal housing is a reflection of a poor and inappropriate urban planning system, with a lack of public investment and restriction in the formal land and housing market. This paper reviews the housing delivery system and the problems associated with the housing delivery system in Delhi and presents a broad guideline for policy makers to improve the housing delivery system in Delhi. It was found that to improve the housing delivery system of Delhi multiple sectoral approaches are required. The study demonstrates that the informal housing sector and its quality can be improved and transformed into formal housing by improving the essential infrastructure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Non-motorized transport is an integral element of urban transport in Indian cities. More than 50% of the city residents cannot afford any other mode of transport unless heavily subsidized. Therefore, non-motorized transport has to be given equal priority in designing the urban infrastructure. This paper uses Delhi, India as a case study to indicate that the existing urban transport infrastructure in cities does not meet the needs of a large number of city residents who remain outside the formal planning process. This leads to sub-optimal conditions for all modes of transport. An efficient bus system cannot be designed without taking care of the slow vehicles (non-motorized vehicles, NMVs) on the road. Since sustainable transport systems in Indian cities demand the movement of large number of people by bus transport and NMVs, planning for the latter is indispensable. Planning for non-motorized transport and integrating it with the other modes of city transport is a prerequisite for creating sustainable transport systems, thus leading to sustainable cities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]