Delhinullahs

www.delhinullahs.org
 
The initiative aims to reuse the neglected water drainage system of Delhi; the ‘nullahs’ to progressively bring about sustainable change within the city. These nullahs can be transformed to enhance the social, cultural and transport (pedestrian and cycling) networks of the city. This can be done by using the existing waste and underutilized land. 
 
Delhi has 18 main nullahs with over 15,000 branches, which were constructed 7 centuries ago by the Tughlaq dynasty. The nullah network is 350km long, contiguous and criss-crosses the national capital. Currently, the nullahs are just unhygienic drains that are seen as a problem by the citizens of Delhi - they smell, breed mosquitoes, pollute the Yamuna and so on. However, a relatively small investment can turn the nullahs into a valuable asset for the common citizen.

Manthan
 
manthan is a cross creative platform for exchange of ideas aimedto bridge the boundaries between art, architecture, design and urbanism. The Intent is cross-pollination, fusion of ideas, and the emergence of a discourse in the contemporary Asian paradigm, in bridging two cultures, the local, and global.
manthan is an endeavor to establish a platform for creative individuals who seek to share, discuss and engage in a discourse of concepts and ideologies in an informal setting; an opportunity to bring forth the processes behind creative work. Presenters can represent any creative, artistic discipline and are encouraged to express the creative aspect of their thoughts, methodology and processes. manthan is an attempt to focus on the creative thought processes and less on the final product.
The presenters who have been involved range from architects, lighting designers, scenographers, musicians, film makers, dancers, furniture designers, fashion designers, painters, Journalists, photographers, interior designers and urban activists. The manthan format of 3X7 is minimum 7 slides, maximum 7 presenters and 7 minutes to complete each presentation.
The event is built on the strength of presentations, the receptive atmosphere and the engaging discussions at the end of each session. The session is moderated by a designated Master of Ceremonies who works with presenters and the audience to generate a future list of presenters, gathering new talent to the pool. manthan finds sustenance with the creative endeavors of people that lead to a new collective vision with the churning of their thoughts. The forum is built on the strength of the presentations, the receptive atmosphere and the engaging discussions at the end of each session. New visions, new perspectives and newer thoughts are amalgamated to the manthan pool with every event.
Education