IPA Technical committee visits to KiTEC Plant

IPA Technical committee is a core team that is involved in making various standards of IPA. Till now IPA as published many standards such as:

• Uniform Plumbing Code – India (UPC – I), a document of current global standards covering all the aspects of design and installation of modern plumbing systems. UPC – I, first edition published in February, 2008 was updated and a more comprehensive revised version was published in November, 2011 and in November 2014 the same was published with revision and with illustrations.
• Green Plumbing Code Supplement – India (GPCS – I) in 2010.
• Uniform Swimming Pool Code– India (USPC – I) in February 2011, a first for India.
• Water Efficient Products – India (WEP – I) in 2011.
• Uniform Solar Energy Code – India (USEC – I) in 2012.

At present the Technical committee is working on “Good Plumbing Practices – Users’ Guide” and the Technical Team had Two day meet at Silvassa from 23rd January 2015 to 24th January 2015 wherein following members of Technical committee attended the meeting: 

1.	Mr. Sudhakaran Nair, Chairman – World Plumbing Council & President – Indian Plumbing Association.
2.	Mr. B. S. A. Narayan Vice President Indian Plumbing Association & Chairman – IPA Technical Committee
3.	Mr. John Joseph Jt. Secretary Indian Plumbing Association & Member – IPA Technical Committee
4.	Mr. M.K. Gupta Chairman Indian Plumbing Association Delhi Chapter & Member – IPA Technical Committee
5.	Mr. P. Ramachandran Chairman Indian Plumbing Association Cochin Chapter & Member – IPA Technical Committee
6.	Mr. Sunil Kumar Duggal Member – IPA National Executive Committee and IPA Technical committee
7.	Mr. Subhash Deshpande Member – IPA Technical committee

We requested the President to have one evening for one – to –one interactive seminars with the prominent Silvassa Builders to promote the importance of plumbing which he agreed. The said meet was organized on 23rd evening wherein following were present:

• 1. Mr. Amit Agrawal – Park City Developers
• 2. Mr. Sumit Agrawal – Park City Developers
• 3. Mr. Ajit Bhai – Prashant Developers
• 4. Mr Dinesh Bhai – Datta Developers
• 5. Mr. Dhruv Parmar – Just Exotica Developers
• 6. Mr. Nirmal Jain – Silvassa Estates Pvt Ltd.
• 7. Mr. Raju Maniyar – Architect, Mumbai

Though the interaction started late but it was very interesting meet of more than one and half hour. Some photos are enclosed herewith for information. 

We also took the opportunity to invite Mr. Sudhakaran Nair along with all the Technical Committee members to our factory which they readily accepted. 

The visit was very interesting and all the members took immense interest in the manufacturing operations as well as Quality Control Facility. They also planted trees in the factory. 

I am enclosing the extracts of their comments in the visitors’ book after the visit as well as some photographs.

Ar. Prem Nath on "Smart Cities"

We are pleased to share an interview with our long standing friend and supporter, Ar. Prem Nath on the topical subject of "Smart Cities" on Zee Business. Click on the image below to view the video.

Ar. PREM NATH, practising since nearly 50-years, has excelled in wide array of projects viz. Residential and Commercial complexes, IT/SEZ Parks, Integrated townships, Hotels-Resorts, Malls-Multiplex, High-end Residential;

Prem Nath, has won “Top Architects through Decade” CWAB Award 2015, “Design Legend”by Society Interiors, “Most Promising Brand” award in Architecture & Real Estate at World Brand Summit, Dubai, Hospitality Architecture Award by IDE, “Life Time Achievement Award” by Construction Architecture Update, NDTV Excellence In Architecture Award, ‘CW India’s Top Ten Architect’ & CNBC Awaaz CRISIL’s “High End Interiors’ award, HUDCO Award for Green Township.

Ar. Prem Nath established PREM NATH & ASSOCIATES in 1967. The firm is a ‘Complete Design Organization’, having offices inMumbai, New-Delhi, Ahmadabad, Kolkata

See Ar. Prem Nath's work and reach him by clicking here.

Equity Matters - By Ar. Sharukh Mistry

It is as if our environmental troubles were not enough, we are now troubled by our economic down turn. In these circumstances, is our policy towards the earth trying to tell us something? Is there a link between the two? And finally, are we 'listening'?

If India felt cocooned by its domestic consumer boom, while we saw the US and Europe being brought down to their knees, it was only a short time before we realised that this down turn would hit us as well. And it did. So we very quickly learned that we are all connected, and the good and bad affect us all!

Our economic policies have allowed islands of prosperity in a sea of poverty. This does not look good on India's CV! If India's growth story has not reached the bottom of the pyramid after 60 years, then something is amiss. We missed the bus when we did not invest in primary and secondary education for our teeming millions back then.

The repercussion is that we are still paying 'the price of inequality'… as Joseph Stiglitz says, the earth is also telling us to look at not only the triple bottom line of planet, people and profit but most importantly, at the issue of energy, ecology and equity, and out of these three, the most important one is 'equity and social justice'.

Our policies today deny opportunities to people at the bottom and we feel that the trickle down effect from the 1% at the top is enough to sustain the whole pyramid. We have tried this for a long time. Can we be creative and change this? Can we not unleash the power of the potential at the bottom, and make that part of our society productive, so as to impact whole economies? This kind of tsunami would be worth having. This could be a win/win situation worth trying.

Do we architects have a role to play, you ask? Yes of course. All of us have our roles cut out.

Every time we get a chance to design something, include equity in the brief. Add 'inclusiveness' in the most exclusive of developments. Think of people who service these 'enclaves'- Where do they live, how do they live with their families and friends, what about their education, health and livelihood? Whether we are designing a corporate campus, a city, a neighborhood, housing, schools or colleges, they all need to be serviced. It is the bottom of the pyramid that does that. As architects, we are not worth our salt if we do not include them - and what will happen if we do not include them? They will settle on the other side of your compound wall, on the other side of 'the beautiful forever' of our architectural creations - as “Annavadi in Mumbai”

Is there a dream for India? From poverty to abundance. Abundance from a small 'me' to an inclusive 'us'. Abundance from wealth for a few to wealth for many. Abundance from where I stop and you begin. Abundance as in a forest or in our ocean. Abundance as in the diversity of life on this planet. Abundance as in the Zoroastrian prayer Humata, Hukhata, Huvaresta which means: Good thoughts, Good words and Good deeds.

In an aware society there should be no destitution. If a kid grows up without love he / she cannot love society. If society does not care for him, he will not care. Hence while on the issue of equity, let us not forget children … our own and those of other species as well.

Gabriela Mistral says, “We are guilty of many errors and many faults, but our worst crime is abandoning children, neglecting the fountain of life. Many things we need can wait. The child cannot. Right now is the time his bones are being formed, his blood is being made and his senses are being developed. To him / her we cannot answer tomorrow. His name is today.”

There is a lot of investment coming into this country to make more money for the rich. But there is hope! There are also investments into partnerships of love and friendship with those sections of society that need it the most. Where return on investment is not calculated in terms of money but in love and understanding.