Department of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology of the RWTH Aachen University

Monthly Archives: May 2011

What happens beyond the Gate of Banaras Hindu University?

Jasmin Blomeyer| Urbanisation and Water | May 31, 2011 4
Flooded street due to overflowing manhole cover

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi is one of the biggest and most distinguished universities in India. More than 12000 students live on the campus which covers an area of 5.5 km². The adjacent urban district is Lanka. Leaving the campus through BHU Main Gate one gets to the crowded main road of Lanka. All of a sudden the surrounding is changing from the silent, peaceful and green BHU area to the noisy, dirty and totally crowded Lanka. There’s hardly any time of the day without traffic jam. The main road is a big shopping road with shops strung together like pearls on a string. Banks, restaurants, cafes and street vendors can also be found here, most of them feel no qualms about throwing their garbage on the street. Read more »

Urban Growth and its effect on Water Supply-Demand in Hyderabad

Hemant Wakode| Research Area,Urbanisation and Water | May 23, 2011 4
Satellite Image of Hyderabad

Hyderabad city is growing day by day with the alarming rate. The twin cities of Hyderabad-Secunderabad (herein referred to as ‘‘Hyderabad’’), is one of the fastest-growing urban agglomerations in India, with an annual population growth rate of more than 5% (UN, 2009). The city population, currently 6.8 million, is expected to exceed 10 million in 2015. At this rate, Hyderabad will rise from its current global rank of 31st to 22nd of the biggest urban agglomerations, overtaking Bangkok, Lima and Hong Kong (UN, 2009). Read more »

Same but different – The Indian Middle Class

Kristina Schmitz| Life in India,Research Area | May 23, 2011 4
20.-bis-24.-Tag-007

Visiting one of the new shopping malls in Hyderabad at the weekends you can watch the Indian upper middle class go shopping, watching movies in the cinemas or playing in the “fun zones”. Here, far away from the dirty and noisy Indian city you can observe how West and East come together. Families have their lunch at McDonalds and young women wear short trousers or skirts. You hardly observe that in the city. But how do these people live? Here are just some observations in an Indian Middle Class residential area about what is the same in Germany and what is different.

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Introducing a study area: Trans-Varuna, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

Katharina Albert| Research Area | May 18, 2011
Water buffalo

Varanasi is situated in Uttar Pradesh province, in the north of India. The city lies within the Indo-Gangetic Plain and has two effluents: Varuna in the north and Assi in the south. The study area presented in this article is on the trans-Varuna side, on the flood plain of the Varuna river, consist mainly of alluvium deposits. Read more »

On the way to the shopping junction Godowlia, Varanasi

Katharina Albert| Life in India | May 11, 2011 1
View From Rickshaw

A ride with a rickshaw to Godowlia is one of an experience worth mention. Starting at Banaras Hindu University, where traffic is still calm. The closer we get to Godowlia, the more surprising it gets. Horning is very common on the streets of India and you should not take it personal if someone horned at you. Probably, to press on a horn is a widespread habit while driving. Following is my unserious theory of the use of a horn in India (no guaratee but quite applicable): Read more »

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