Delhi underground

Claim,counterclaim
While the Delhi Jal Board has its eyes set on an additional 80 million gallons of water per day,which will come once the construction on the Munak Canal is over,officials do not know how to react to Haryana’s claims about cutting down on Delhi’s share of water. Haryana has been insisting it will supply only as much water as it is mandated to. When the canal is ready,the 80 MGD saved will be factored in by the Haryana Irrigation Department. DJB officials have said Haryana is reacting so because of the upcoming elections in the state,and the issue would be taken up once the elections are over.

Personal achievements
Thursday was the DUSU president’s last day in office. She held a press conference in the morning and spoke of her achievements while in office. A three-page list mentioned her major achievements in bold,but the most interesting thing was the last and 63rd point: “Personal achievement — stood 2nd in Semester 4 in LC in spite of Union workload.” Now that’s quite an accomplishment.

Just bag it
With several complaints pouring in,the district and sessions judge at the Tis Hazari Courts realised it was time to dole out some lessons on cleanliness to the staff. A circular issued recently asked the staff to not simply dump courtroom garbage in the corridors outside but to put it in bags and place these at specified points. The court staff were last seen trying to locate the bags.

Low-tech Noida
A senior police officer has said that Noida,touted as a ‘high-tech city’,lags behind most big cities in the country in terms of technology. The officer said high-tech gadgets demanded by the police to monitor the city have not been provided yet; instead,they have been allocated outdated CCTV cameras. “A mike and a fan do not make a city ‘high tech’. Other cities,with much more than this bare minimum,do not label themselves as high-tech,” he said.

Taking no chances
Recently,a senior member of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi scheduled a meeting with the media to discuss the do’s and don’ts as far as swine flu is concerned,and the civic body’s efforts to control its spread. The meeting,however,had to be called off after mediapersons refused to attend it. The reason: the official showed symptoms of flu and none of the mediapersons wanted to take any chances.

Low-key affair
Independence Day celebrations in Gurgaon this year were a rather low-key affair. The half-hearted attempt by district officials was compounded by the deputy commissioner’s refusal to attend the final rehearsals on the eve of Independence Day. However,during the CM’s recent visit for the laying of the foundation stone for the Metro in Gurgaon,administrative officials flocked the venue not only from the district but also from Chandigarh,to make sure all arrangements were flawless.

All for some luck
There is a growing feeling among officials of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation that all the accidents the DMRC has witnessed these past 10 months have something to do with the new DMRC office building on Barakhamba Road. Ever since the shift from Lodhi Road,there have been two fatal accidents,a train derailment and several minor mishaps at construction sites. Some officials have even brought Ganeshas and Feng Shui items to their offices to bring in some good luck,which they believe the DMRC now needs more than ever before.