Bio engineering is the mixture of principles of biology and tools of engineering. Bio engineering is cost effective use of vegetation required for slope stabilization and control run off and their effects on erosion of soil and transportation. It is locally adapted method to control landslides and loosening of soil. Bio engineering plays a key role where civil engineering fails and answers to common slope stability problems to road construction and negative impact of road construction. Proper roadside drainage need to be provided to divert heavy run-off are some of the examples required in bio engineering for safer place.

In general, bio engineering is the attempt to regulate and modify bio-system so as to control natural biological systems. These are extensively used for stream corridor stabilization and erosion control, slope stabilization of hills and along roads and highways especially along hillsides.

Aru valley is at an altitude of 2400 metres above mean sea level, little higher than Shimla. It is part of the larger Lidder valley (also spelt as Liddar). The Lidder valley gradually rises in elevation from south from 1600 metres to 5200 metres in the north.

The Lidder basin is surrounded on the south and southeast by the Pir Panjal Range, on the north by the Sind Valley and on the northeast by the Zaskar Range. The Liddar valley is surrounded on three sides by high mountains, the Saribal – Katsal ridge (4800 metres) on the east, the Wokhbal (4200 metres) on the west and Basmai Kazimpathlin. It is about 50 km long and has a maximum width of 5 km. The Lidder drainage basin has an area of 1134 km2 and its discharge is about 10% of the total volume in river Jhelum.

The Lidder valley begins from the base of the two-main glaciers, the Kolahoi and the Shishram which are now shrinking at a rapid pace. This is the origin of two main streams, the West and the East Lidder which merges into one before Pahalgam. After passing through Pahalgam, the Lidder passes through a narrow valley and ultimately fans out on to the wide alluvial fan near Aishmaqam. The Lidder meanders and forms a braided stream in the southern plains of the valley.

Aru valley has a Sub-Humid Temperate with nearly 80 per cent of its annual rainfall concentrated in winter and spring months. Aru receives about 1200mm of precipitation spread over the year and almost evenly distributed except in the months of September, October and November where it is minimum. The temperatures in winter drop down to -13 degree and 25 degree in summer.

The vegetation of the region displays characteristic mixture of temperate flora with This zone extends up to the altitude of 2200 metres with Pinus species, and Cedrus deodara grow along with broad-leaved species like Acer caesium, Juglans regia, Salix species, Populus sp and Robina pseudoacacia. Indigofera heterantha, Randia tetrasperma, Viburnum grandiflorum, Berberis lyceum, Parratiopsis jacquemontiana, Daphne mucronate, Verbascum Thapsus, Ajuga bracteosa, iola odorata, Hypericum perforatum, Verbascum thapsus are found as shrubs in open landscape in the region. The evergreens may either appear as pure colonies or mixed species. In Aru, predominantly these appear as broad leaf along the eat and west river and Salix along smaller streams.

Any Geological setting has three components primarily the lithology, stratigraphy and structure. Essentially, the geomorphology of any area is created by the interplay of these three components. While structure also reflects tectonics, lithology and stratigraphy are obviously intimately related to each other. Aru much like Pahalgam is a V shaped valley at the base of a U shaped valley. The lithological formations of the study regionrange from Carboniferous to Triassic with recent formations near the rivers and the glaciers of the Liddar valley. Much of the spectacular character of the present topography of the northern part of the Lidder Valley has resulted from the glaciations in the remote past. Glaciers carry many types of fragments and particles embedded in them. Those particles placed along the base of a glacier may scratch, grind or groove the rock surface during the movement of ice. Such fine cut lines and scratches become exposed when the glacier disappears. During the advance movement of glacier ‘straited erratic’ may be seen in Aru as evidences for the glacial movement.

Fluvial geomorphological landforms are produced by fluvial process. The long stretch of the West Lidder from the source at Kolahoi Glacier to its merger with the East Lidder at Nunwun is constituted a fluvio-glacial landscape. The fluvial landforms present in the study area are mainly gorges and terraces. The gorge at Kalwan known as Kalwan gorge carved through the thick formations of volcanics, limestones and calcareous sandstones is about 3-4 Km long, 100- 150mts deepp. This gorge is the fluvial erosion feature. Another fluvial feature is the terrace. The study area is mostly characterized by the depositional terraces. The terraces are found between Mundlun and Aru along the West Lidder and are also found at Nunwun. The terraces found in the study area and in the surroundings are mostly un- paired (Kaul. M. N., 1994). In addition to above morphological landforms present in the study area there are also presence of mass-wasting (land sliding) between Nunwun to Aru along Pahalgam-Aru road. The sliding material commonly found is the mixture of boulders, gravels, clay and silt overlying on the inclined limestone beds.
The V shaped Aru valley is bound on the both sides from the streams of glaciers melt that come down from Kolahoi glaciers in the North as the West Lidder river.

We have been hired as one of the six consultants for the third phase of the Metro Development in Delhi. Our scope is to integrate various modes of transport and work with stake holders to improve the last mile connectivity of the commuters to the metro stations. We are working to improve the mobility by providing space for bicycles, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, small transport vehicles, and other means of public transport. This approach is being done for the first time in India that of working collectively with so many stake holders and enhancing various modes of transports other than cars.

The design proposal envisaged the creation of a unique Urban Park which would celebrate the fascinating tale of The Great Arc within the natural matrix of the Survey of India Site in Dehradun. The story of the Great Arc was to be brought to life by the symbolic representation of the Great Trigonometrical Survey in the design of the Park. The north-south linear configuration of the Garden of The Great Arc was to be reminder of the journey undertaken by the intrepid surveyors from the southern tip of the Indian Peninsula to the Northern reaches of the subcontinent at the base of the Himalayas. The triangulated pathways were designed to connect at the apex of the triangles in specialized small gardens. These were also to become locations for specially commisioned sculptures depicting the story of The Great Arc.

This is an ongoing riverfront development project on the Ganges along in the capital city Patna. It is a 4.5 km long linear project that provides recreational spaces to the city while addressing the issues on environmental restoration of its eroding edges.

Taj Ganj as it is known today was once the main bazaar, commercial district of Agra as historic accounts of Lahuri and Kando tell us ‘different kinds of merchandise from every land, varieties of goods from every country, all sorts of luxuries of the time and various kinds of necessities of civilization and comfortable living brought from all parts of the world’ were for sale in this market, flourishing under the imperial patronage. Kalim composed a poem on Agra devoting 26 verses to describe the abundance of drama in these lanes of the imperial bazaar, which along with the caravanserai and houses built by the merchants out side the periphery of the royal complex came to be recognized as a city in itself called Mumtazabad, city of Mumtaz.
Built for utilitarian purposes the architecture of Taj Ganj is in a stark contrast to the paradisiacal architecture of mausoleum. Treated with less detail, it can suitably reconstructed with the help of Lahauri and Kando description of the premises. Their description of the complex explains the layout to be a square divided into four quadrants, by two streets runnig north-south and east-west, of unequal width.
We were hired by the firm REPL, Delhi as consultants to do the Master Plan for re-develoment around the famous World Heritage Site Taj Mahal. The re-development proposal looked into all aspects of movement systems, the adjoining urban development, services and infrastructure, parks and gardens and public open spaces.
STREETS
The Taj ganj is complex and with pending ruling of the Supreme Court Order awaiting implementation. The focus of the project in these areas remains as ‘Surface intervention’ along the important spine Mian Nazir Street in Taj ganj and various nodes along the route, the Chowk in Taj Ganj, various Darwaza’s, exploring the possibility of organizing festivals, weekly markets, etc. The proposal looks at other arterial routes taken primarily by tourists. Along these streets leading from Agra fort to West Gate, Purani Mandi to Taj through the park to West Gate, Purani Mandi to Fatehabad road leading to Maharaja Agrasen Statue Parking lot along West of Taj through the Park to West Gate, East Gate loop road from Shilpgram, the proposal looks at solid waste management, drainage improvement, amenities, energy efficient lighting, these streetscape treatment, location and character of the open spaces, landmark buildings, visual and spatial links.