Curvo non-linear
ropeway sounds very exciting and revolutionary. Is this your brain child? How
did you come up with this idea? Also, what are the technological challenges you
faced with this product?
The concept is unique, because non linear Ropeway travelling
over existing road routes in urban cities, would be the first in the world, and
therefore, could be called revolutionary, as it would constitute a 2nd tier
transportation system for cities.
It is exciting as well.
You can well imagine the excitement at every stage that myself and my
co-workers went through, as we progressed from development to design and
commissioning of the prototype, culminating into a heavenly joy, when the trial
cabin went through the route of approx.
500mtr., negotiating two Angular Modules, unhindered during its up and down
journey.
Is Curvo your
Brain Child?
The concept was mine, I have to say. Unless all the members working on the
prototype implementation had adopted it, we could not have achieved the
success. So, it is a joint brain child
of all the staff of CRSPL deployed on the non-linear prototype project.
What inspired you
for something as ground breaking as Curvo?
It erupted from umpteen nos. of ills and miseries that
the gasoline driven vehicular system inflicted on urban commuters. They are very glaring and damaging too, to
urbanites
1. Vehicular accidents on city roads
2. Pollution from vehicular emissions of toxic gases,
dangerously harmful to respiratory system of city dwellers
3. Traffic jams and loss of time from more and more vehicular induction on city roads, whereas,
the existing road do not have any scope for expansion or widening
4. The sufferings, and I repeat, the sufferings that the
urban commuters are undergoing, are also resulting in huge drainage of foreign
exchange and subsidies thereon, for importing oil from Gulf countries, to run
the fuming city buses.
My eldest daughter contacted asthma and dust allergy,
about 20 years ago. It was followed by
my grandson’s about 8 years ago. They
gave me the first jerk. The second and
the most serious jerk that I experienced was when opening the morning
newspaper, about 8 years ago, I was shocked to find two girls on way to school
in the morning, were crushed under the wheels of two racing buses at the landing
of No. 4 bridge near Park Circus Railway Station, Kolkata.
Earlier, it was thoughts which I expressed in various
global forays on Ropeways, where I pleaded for the Industry’s entry into urban
areas, in addition to serving for winter sport, mainly. All that, gave me
conviction, and I started serious work to find a solution.
Dealing with Aerial Ropeways in national and
international arena for decades, my attention
went to the space available above
city roads, but realised that, to avail that space, a non linear system needed
to be developed as roads routes are non linear only.
What technological
challenges did you face during this project?
Achieving operating freedom of the rope grip structure,
unitarily, while negotiating horizontal support rollers, providing both
horizontal and vertical supports. The
principle is simple, but its translation to CURVO reality took real working.
How many passengers can the cabins
accommodate?
The hourly capacity per track, which according to our
calculations is 2000/2500 passenger per hour (PPH) in each direction with a
cabin capacity of 8-10 passengers per cabin.
If more than one track could be accommodated on a road,
then for higher traffic like 4000-5000 or 6000-7500 PPH each way could also be
transported. They will be equivalent to
70 and 140 busloads per hour on road, respectively.
Has it been
implemented anywhere else in the world? Or is this the first of its kind?
No, Curvo technology has not been implemented anywhere in
the world, this technology, of negotiating non-linear routes over roads, as
tried out, is first of its kind in the world.
How are you so
sure that this product will be a success? Has it been tested for efficiency?
Success and efficiency will depend on 3 issues; Firstly
the ability to negotiate non-linear route-This has been achieved and
demonstrated, particularly, during the “TECHNOLOGY” launch ceremony on 6th
September 2014. Secondly Cabin Capacity - On the Ropeways built by CRSPL at
Bhopal in 2001 and for Adlabs Entertainments in July 2014 cabins of 9 and 8
passengers respectively are in operation.
World has record of 12 passengers cabins, operating on Monocable
Detachable Grip Ropeways and lastly despatch and spacing rate of Cabin - 20-22
Seconds has been referred in the specification of our brochure for 2000pph
capacity. CRSPL and Breco Ropeways Ltd,
UK (under CRSPL control) have successfully achieved and implemented 12 seconds
and 14 seconds carrier interval and
time spacing on many Ropeways.
All three issues
having been addressed, therefore, efficiency could be considered as achieved.
At what stage is
your proposal with Kolkata government? Are you planning to showcase this idea
with other states too? What about the
Central government, we have Modi who is a pro infrastructure man or a Nitin
Gadkari the minister of transport and highways....will you be discussing the
same with them?
DPR for two routes, one between Sealdah Station and BBD
Bag, and the other between Howrah Station and NABANNA, have been submitted,
which are under examination for their suitability in respect of utilities etc.
The Government is favourably poised to implement the
technology and showcase it to other cities in the country and other cities in
the world as well. It is open to all for
exploitation.
We invited Central and other State Government personnel
to witness the TECHNOLOGY LAUNCH ceremony, by the MIC, Urban Development,
Government of West Bengal.
Hon’ble
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” pitch, is expected to
consider and nurse things developed and invented in the country, and we look up
to him very much, being pro-infrastructure, to help and showcase it to the
world. In other worlds, adoption of
CURVO as a 2nd tier transportation system, through the Ministry of Urban
Development, headed by Shri Venkataiah Naidu.
We will take up the CURVO development with Central Ministries also, in
due course.
What are the
advantages of Curvo other than means of transport?
Metro has limited flexibility, whereas CURVO penetration
ability is everywhere, having road services.
Single track CURVO ‘s capacity is nowhere near to METRO,
but when considered in respect of its use on multiple routes in congested city
areas, its total capacity could be more, compared to that of METRO. Further, CURVO being a considerably low cost
infrastructure, it will suit midsize cities.
It can play a very important role, while planning the 100 smart cities.
Finally, CURVO with less gestation period and being
economic compared to Monorail, Metro etc., and being totally disruption free of
existing infrastructures and utilities, could be a preferable choice in many
cases.
How are you
planning to finance and execute this project, in case you get an approval. DO
you have some time up with any major company or group?
We expect Government to organise infrastructural fund. We
are in dialogue with our bankers and other agencies. They are comfortably
poised with the scheme. We have also had some dialogue with the Tatas and they
have shown some interest.
You also talked of
this product having a global appeal, so will you be showcasing this at any
international show or event?
Once we showcase one commercially operative Unit, the
global appeal will grow. We plan to
participate in International Fairs, with this product. Pollution is also a problem in Europe. Even Buckingham Palace in London is in the
midst of toxic NO2, a product of diesel engine emission, and its pollution
level is 4 times more than the acceptable level in Europe. So, Europe is also expected to welcome the
scheme.