Unpopular Weekend Destinations From Delhi-Mandawa, Rajasthan w/ Jimny

Unpopular Weekend Destinations From Delhi-Mandawa, Rajasthan w/ Jimny

by with No Comment Insurance Todays

In this edition of Un-Popular Weekend Destinations (from Delhi), I got stuck in dunes near Jaipur and traversed some narrow streets of Mandawa in the Jimny.

A Solitary Escape In The Timeless Sands

With the Good Friday long weekend approaching, I had my eyes set on exploring some dunes and sandy trails of Rajasthan. A quick search for dunes led me to finalising Kalpana Nagar dunes as my destination for this adventure. It’s one thing to drive through sand pits deep enough to get even a burly SUV stuck at an off-road track. It’s another to drive through endless sands where you could not only get stuck, but also get lost.

But, I wanted some privacy. Privacy to explore my limits. Privacy to get stuck and not have someone remind me that I’m a newbie. After all, I was looking for places to get stuck. Because how you get out of it is what matters. That’s how you gain experience.

I spent a few hours there playing around with the various combinations of 2H, 4H, 4L and electronic off-road settings. I wanted to learn how to get rolling when I dug my wheels in too deep. After playing around with the Jimny, it was time to head back home. Time well spent!

Change Of Plans

When I was done, I noticed that I had several missed calls from Piyush, who was in Mandawa at that time and I called him back to apologise. But I had a damn good excuse!

He insisted I visit him, and knowing that I had a 4X4, recommended I take a detour wherever possible to absorb more of the local vibe. I think he just wanted me to get lost in the vast desert or get stuck in some narrow passages with a dead end and no way to reverse out of.

Along the highways, and via Sikar, the drive to Mandawa from the other side of Jaipur is almost 200km and about 180km from my hotel in Jaipur. “Do hell with it. Let’s see what the Jimny can do.” — I thought to myself and promised to meet Piyush the next day.

To make sure I don’t turn my back on him, through his connections, he allowed me access to a privately-owned forest reserve near Jaipur. Before wrapping up my day, I spent a few hours in the reserve where I saw deers and nilgai. When I had dunes on my mind, forests were nowhere near my plans. Yet, I ended up playing in the sands and meditating in a mini forest, all in a matter of a few hours.

Tales Of Trails

The next morning, I started my drive from Jaipur to Mandawa a little early. I took a few detours and picked lines that look like they’re barely a pixel wide on Google Maps. Till dusk, I held my horses and decided that I shouldn’t stray too far from the wider roads. I didn’t want to disturb the locals with bright lights and leave them covered in dust. But once it got sunny, I had greater visibility and I could better evaluate the risks when going off the road.

I engaged in enough trail hunting to lose my way. In the desolated regions of Rajasthan, not only did I lose the data and cellular connection, even the GPS started acting up. With intermittent GPS disconnections and poor accuracy, if I wanted to reach Mandawa the same day, I had to do some old school navigation. For the Gen Z, that means performing the tough task of getting out of the vehicle and asking people for directions. In person, no less.

Via Kamalsar, I finally reached Mandawa. I should have been drained by this time but the caffeine flowing through my system kept me energised and awake at the wheel.

Now that I have had time to think it over, I guess it was probably the itch to gradually keep moving towards the Jimny’s limits and keep pushing my own in the process that kept me going. I think it was adrenaline, but I’ll let caffeine take the credit for this one.

A Needle Does What A Hammer Can’t

Driving through Mandawa, once again, had me thanking my stars that I had the Jimny. Its narrow body granted me the freedom to drive through the open air art gallery. As fun as it would have been to walk through it all, after so much driving in the last 2 days and a lot of physical and mental exertion, having the option of bringing the car with me felt like a blessing.

We met at the Mandawa Castle, which, back in the day, used to be the accommodation for the royals. Now, a good part of it is turned into a hotel. So, it’s a nice way to experience the royal life and get a feel for travelling back in time – some 250 years or so.

Loyalty Amidst Royalty

After a lavish lunch, Piyush took the keys and we started moving again. He said something about experiencing ‘horsepower’. “Petrol engines are known for horsepower and I have been experiencing horsepower for the better part of the past day and a half. How else might I experience horsepower?”, I thought to myself. Through some trails, we arrived at the Mandawa Safaris stud farm, which is owned by one of his acquaintances.

There, I got up close with true bred Marwari horses. These are said to be part of Chetak’s bloodline. For those who barely stayed awake in the History class, Chetak was the legendary steed of Maharana Pratap. He trusted Chetak with his life when he led his army into the battles during the late 1500s. And the horses paid for that trust and love with an unmatched loyalty.

I can say with pride that I have had the honour of riding some of these horses, though not galloping at their full strength. Having that much power at your command and keeping it under control at the same time takes a lot of training and practice. I certainly didn’t possess either of those but a short trot did feel like I was starting to get in the rhythm with these magnificent beings.

By the way, if you have a long weekend to experience a royal lifestyle, horseback riding in the timeless sands of Rajasthan and dune bashing, then you don’t need to go through Jaipur like I did. You can skip the Pink City, which gets even more crowded on long weekends and head straight to Mandawa.

The drive is considerably shorter than Delhi-Jaipur but it’ll take about the same time to reach this un-popular weekend destination from Delhi. You don’t even need to bring your own 4X4. They have their own collection of ATVs and off-roaders.

Mandawa Safaris

A Memorable Experience

After a good long sleep, I started my journey back home. Driving along the highways to Delhi, I had a sense of satisfaction that the Jimny afforded me. If I had something bigger, I would have had to leave it at the gates of Mandawa and explore the art on foot. If I had something without 4WD, I wouldn’t have had so much fun playing around the sand dunes.

Since Piyush has a lot of experience driving around in the sands of Rajasthan, I engaged him in a conversation about the car we were driving. While we were discussing 4WD vehicles, we also discussed the importance of having a heavy vehicle. You see, when a vehicle gets stuck, putting extra weight on it, helps it find grip where we have none and get out of a sticky situation. This led me to believe that a heavy vehicle should be ideal to traverse the sands of Thar desert.

Then he dropped on me a profound piece of nugget, which I’ll never forget. He asked me:

 

Do you want to ride on the sand or in the sand?

There was no back and forth between us on the topic after that. But there was a lot of pondering to do on this subject on my way back. I used the peace and quiet while driving on the highways to think of situations where extra weight would be helpful in the sands. I couldn’t come up with any. Could you?

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Nexa Jimny 4WD First Drive Review – City & Highway

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These are 5 ways you can contribute to reduce vehicle pollution

These are 5 ways you can contribute to reduce vehicle pollution

by with No Comment Electric vehicles cars

By: HT Auto Desk
| Written By: Deepika Agrawal
| Updated on: 06 Nov 2023, 16:19 PM

Delhi-NCR is covered with a thick layer of toxic air with the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing the 400-mark over the last week. This has prompted the government to implement the final Stage 4 of its air pollution control plan, called the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Further, the odd-even vehicle rule has made a comeback to the city after four years.

Delhi government has implemented GRAP Stage 4 and odd-even rule to curb air pollution in the national capital.

Vehicular pollution is a major contributor to the PM2.5 levels, which worsen the air quality. In a bid to reduce this and bring in a significant impact, it is important for common people to step up alongside the government initiatives. Below are a few ways you can contribute towards reducing vehicular pollution:

1. Avoid using ICE vehicles for small distances

Often people take out their vehicles to visit even a nearby shop or other places whereas these distances can easily be covered by walking or using cycles. Along with avoiding emissions, you will also get done some physical activity, which is good for health.

2. Drive efficiently

It is important to get your car regularly checked and serviced for cleaner emissions. One must also keep vehicle pollution under check. A poorly maintained car/two-wheeler would be a huge source of higher amounts of pollution and therefore further contribute to worsening AQI.

3. Use public transport when possible

In the era of ever-increasing traffic and vehicular pollution, one must consider using public transportation, whenever possible. If there is a direct metro line or a direct bus route to your destination, consider choosing that over riding your ICE vehicle all alone. Lesser vehicles on road will mean lesser emissions, thus lesser pollution.

4. Choose car-pooling/ride-sharing

Along with being a good way to reduce the numbers of vehicles on road, car-pooling is also a cost-effective way of travelling. You could form a group of people who travel to the same destination everyday and use one car. This will help you divide the expenses as well as reduce vehicular pollution. Some cab aggregators also offer car-pooling options.

5. Avoid idling your car

You should consider turning off the engine of your vehicle when stuck in traffic or a waiting at a signal, as long as it is safe to do so. This not only reduces emissions but also saves fuel and increases your vehicle’s mileage.

First Published Date: 06 Nov 2023, 16:18 PM IST


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Delhi govt fines 162 four-wheelers violating GRAP III restrictions

Delhi govt fines 162 four-wheelers violating GRAP III restrictions

by with No Comment Electric vehicles cars

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 05 Nov 2023, 15:46 PM

The Delhi Transport Department’s enforcement teams on Saturday slapped a fine of ₹20,000 on the owners of 162 cars/ SUVs for violating GRAP III restrictions imposed in the city in the view of hazardous levels of air pollution prevailing. GRAP III stands for Graded Response Action Plan stage III restrictions, which include a ban on operation of BS 3 petrol and BS 4 diesel four-wheelers.

Commuters make their way along a road amid heavy smoggy conditions in New Delhi on November 5, 2023. (AFP)

Enforcement teams have been deployed across the national capital in shifts, with focus on 13 pollution hotspots – Rohini, Dwarka, Okhla, Punjabi Bagh, Vivek Vihar, Wazirpur, Jahangirpuri, RK Puram, Bawana, Narela, Mundka, Mayapuri and Anand Vihar. As many as 84 such teams are spread across these areas for enforcement of restrictions related to four wheelers while 30 such teams are targeting two-wheelers round the clock.

Also Read : Delhi puts a ban on these vehicles. Check if yours is on the list

These enforcement teams are further being supervised by nine teams led by inspectors. Eighteen enforcement teams are deployed on border areas around hotspots to monitor overloaded trucks, heavy vehicles, and BS 3 and BS 4 light motor vehicles. Additionally, sixteen other teams are working in shift of 4 PM to 12 AM, to tackle the congestion due to inter-state buses and other vehicles at major choke points.

Further, 41 teams have been deployed on identified 22 stretches of the Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Road in two shifts to monitor and catch offending vehicles while 39 motorcycle patrolling teams have been deployed from 9 AM to 6 PM for enforcing PUCC violations.

Amid the deteriorating air quality in the national capital, only BS 4 emission standards-compliant light motor vehicles, electric vehicles, CNG vehicles, including buses are allowed to ply on the national capital’s roads. So far, 301 overloaded trucks have been impounded while 3,683 vehicle owners have been challaned for not having pollution under check, as per the officials.

Additionally, 340 buses were impounded for different violations and 4,031 challans were issued to owners for parking violations.

(with inputs from PTI)

First Published Date: 05 Nov 2023, 15:44 PM IST


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Delhi Minister writes to Centre urging ban on entry of non-BS6 vehicles

Delhi Minister writes to Centre urging ban on entry of non-BS6 vehicles

by with No Comment car insurance online

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai wrote a letter to Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, requesting him to ban the entry of vehicles non-compliant with BS6 norms into Delhi from neighbouring states in Delhi-NCR. He also requested to convene an emergency meeting of neighbouring states’ Environment Ministers.

By: ANI
| Updated on: 04 Nov 2023, 17:01 PM

Commuters plying in Delhi on a road shrouded in smog amid hazy weather conditions. Delhi-NCR’s air quality neared the emergency threshold this week, prompting ban on certain vehicles from plying to control pollution level. (PTI)

Gopal Rai said, “Looking at the rise in the level of pollution in the last two days, construction has been banned in Delhi from yesterday. Today there has been an improvement in the level of pollution as compared to yesterday. The situation is still serious. I am writing a letter to the Central Government saying that the Union Environment Minister should call an emergency meeting of the Environment Ministers of all five states immediately. Because the orders of CAQM are not being implemented in the states. Rules are being made, and CAQM is giving directions, but in the whole NCR, rules are being violated. This is the problem of the whole of North India. “

The overall air quality in Delhi continued to remain in the ‘severe’ category for the third straight day on Saturday morning, as per the SAFAR-India.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)-India, the overall air quality in the national capital Delhi (Overall) is in the ‘severe’ category with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 504.

Meanwhile, a Senior Lung specialist, at Medanta Hospital, Gurugram Dr Arvind Kumar said, “All age groups are adversely affected by air pollution. You might wonder how an unborn child is affected because that child is not breathing. When the child’s mother is breathing, the toxins go to her lungs; through the lungs, they go into the blood; and through the placenta, they reach the child, and the fetus, and cause damage. When the child is born, they start breathing the same air. Our air quality is around 450-500, which is equal to about 25-30 cigarettes in terms of damage to the body… They have all sorts of breathing problems.”

“From head to toe, there’s no organ in the body that escapes the ill effects of air pollution. There is no evidence to say that it causes obesity, it causes asthma. When there is obesity and exposure to air pollution both present, the chances of asthma become many times higher, as was shown by us, the Lung Care Foundation. In a study of 1,100 children in Delhi, we found that one out of three children is suffering from asthma, and when obesity was also present, this number went higher,” he added.

Speaking on increasing AQI in Delhi, Dr Neeraj Kumar Gupta, Pulmonologist, HoD, Safdarjung Hospital said, “The AQI crossing 400 and going to the severe category is mainly due to factors like combustion. Due to transportation, burning of agricultural waste, and also due to construction-related activities and industrial activities. We are responsible for it. It’s our responsibility to reduce it. Exposure needs to be avoided as pollution is directly responsible for many diseases.

“It is also responsible for affecting the health of children. The vulnerable population is very old people, small children, pregnant ladies, or people already having some respiratory conditions. They need to avoid exposure to this pollution as much as possible… They should confine themselves to their home… If they have any symptoms, then they should visit the doctor to take treatment immediately,” Neeraj Kumar Gupta added.

First Published Date: 04 Nov 2023, 17:01 PM IST


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‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ comes back to Delhi; to start from October 26

‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ comes back to Delhi; to start from October 26

by with No Comment Electric vehicles cars

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 23 Oct 2023, 17:40 PM

As the overall air quality index of the national capital deteriorates, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has announced that the ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ campaign will make a comeback from October 26. Like the previous editions, the campaign aims to reduce air pollution in the city by encouraging commuters to turn off their engines when waiting at red lights.

A picture from previous edition of the anti-pollution campaign in Delhi. (ANI)

The campaign was first launched in 2020 to reduce vehicular pollution as part of the15-point action plan to curb air pollution in the winter season across the city. A PTI report earlier informed that based on government estimates, the transport sector is responsible for 28 per cent of the PM2.5 emissions in the city. The vehicular contribution also makes up 80 per cent of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide in Delhi’s air.

Also Read : Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan flyover extension, sans traffic signals, inaugurated

The report also quoted data from the Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA), which shows that if people switch off engines at traffic signals, pollution can be cut down by 13 to 20 per cent.

Rai also informed that the odd-even vehicle rationing system is not being considered at the moment. Under the scheme, private vehicles with registration plates ending in odd numbers ply in the capital on odd dates while those with even numbers ply on even dates.

The Environment ministry has put into force the phase two of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to tackle “very poor” air quality of the city. Special teams will be deputed to identify and inspect local sources of pollution to that the government can work on the root cause of the issue.

The overall air quality in the national capital on Monday morning was recorded in the ‘Very Poor category’, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 306 against 302 recorded on Sunday afternoon, as per SAFAR-India.

First Published Date: 23 Oct 2023, 17:40 PM IST


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Yuma Energy partners with MCD & BSES to set up battery swapping stations in Delhi

Yuma Energy partners with MCD & BSES to set up battery swapping stations in Delhi

by with No Comment Electric vehicles cars

Yuma Energy, a joint venture between Magna and Yulu, has announced setting up battery-swapping stations across Delhi to strengthen the national capital’s charging infrastructure. The energy-as-a-service company partnered with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) for the same with the first battery-swapping station inaugurated at Siri Fort Auditorium in Delhi.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 24 Aug 2023, 19:19 PM

The first Yuma Battery swapping station in Delhi is located at Siri Fort Auditorium

Yuma Energy is one of the bigger players in the battery charging and swapping stations business. The company already has over 120 swapping stations located across Bengaluru, Gurugram, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Delhi. The company says it supports half a million swaps and serves 125,000 customers every month. Yuma’s primary customer base includes Q-commerce (quick commerce) and food delivery platforms.

Also Read : Yulu launches its first electric two-wheeler Wynn, priced at ₹55,555

Muthu Subramanian, Managing Director and General Manager, Yuma Energy said, “We thank MCD and BRPL for their ongoing support in helping accelerate electric mobility in the Delhi region. We look forward to working together as MCD and BRPL advance their green-mobility initiatives, and we continue to grow Yuma’s footprint in Delhi.”

“MCD is making an all-out effort to create an optimal e-mobility eco-system in Delhi through the establishment of EV battery swapping stations and EV charging stations. Inauguration of battery swapping station at Siri Fort Auditorium by Yuma Energy, an EV charging infra partner of BRPL will help augment EV transportation in Delhi. We hope Yuma will bestow a great EV charging experience to the citizens of Delhi through their state-of-the-art EV charging infrastructure,” said Sh. Amit Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, MCD.

Sanjeev Gupta, Senior VP – BSES Rajdhani Power Limited, said, “BSES is leading the efforts in putting up e-vehicle infrastructure in Delhi. This partnership to set up battery-swapping stations in the national capital is the latest testimonial in these efforts. We will continue to drive innovation along with like-minded partners to make Delhi the EV capital of India.”

While Yuma’s battery swapping stations primarily cater to Yulu’s electric bike fleet, the company aims to open its services to more OEMs and electric mobility operators in a bid to make swaps more accessible to the end user. This should also promote shorter swap times.

First Published Date: 24 Aug 2023, 19:19 PM IST


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