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Some young architecture students got an opportunity to display their idea over how to preserve the cultural heritage of the city, during the recently conducted 'My Dream City' competition. The event, a part of the Innovations 2013, was aimed at bringing together innovations from different fields on the same stage and convert the ideas into reality. Chairman of Nagpur Improvement trust PravinDarade judged the competition and found some of the projects to be good enough to be actually implemented for improving the city. TOI brings to you some of the best ideas displayed at the competition. In the first part of a week-long series, the ideas of improving the area surrounding the Railway Station are listed.Some young architecture students had their aspirations and their idea of how to preserve the cultural heritage of the city on display recently. The occasion was the "My Dream City" competition, which was a part of the Innovations 2013, an event that aimed to bring together innovations from many fields on the same stage and convert their ideas into reality. Chairman of Nagpur Improvement trust Pravin Darade judged the competition and found some of the projects to be good enough to be actually implemented for improving the city. TOI brings to you some of the best ideas displayed at the competition. In the first part of a weeklong series, the ideas of improving the area surrounding the Railway Station are listed.

When someone arrives in a city for the first time, most often it is the railway station and the surrounding areas that serve as an initial introduction to it. Nagpur railway station has been blessed to be housed in a beautiful heritage building with a facade worth boasting. However, the congestion and confusion all around this building gives out a wrong imagery of the city.

This is what led Shriya Dharaskar, Pooja Pandya, Mahima Maheshwari, Pawani Vaidya and Pragya Gupta, all first year students of architecture, to look for ways to improve the city on this count. Talking to the people around and observing the place three times a day for around a week resulted in the realization of some of the problems that bog the locality as well as some simple solutions to them.

"The roads around the station are used by a lot of people as it connects some major routes of the city. This crowding makes it more important to do away with all the chaos that surrounds it," said Shriya. One of the major problem that the girls found with the place was traffic congestion, with the vehicles descending from the flyover not being able to maneuver well.

"This is because things seem to have developed haphazardly in the area, with the geometry of the square being all wrong. Even though heavy vehicles are not allowed over the flyover, one can regularly see trucks over it," said Pooja. The structural defects in this part need attention, they believe.

Another problem that the girls pointed out were the hawkers and eateries all around the station building, make the footpaths inaccessible to the pedestrians. This can be sorted out by declaring the area as no-hawker zone and clearing it off the encroachments, Pawani recommended.

"During one of our visits, we met some of the officials with whom we discussed the parking problem. It came to our notice that there was a huge piece of land at the ST bus stand which is virtually unused and can perhaps be utilized as a parking site," Mahima suggested. The land outside the Tekdi temple, which belongs to the army and is currently used as a garbage dumping place, can be used as a parking place, the students added.

The front view of the beautiful building of the station is also marred by the sight of a raised engine. "The engine can be displayed at the left of its current place in front of the hotels so as to enhance the beauty of the building," said Pragya.

Solutions to problems

('P' stands for problem, 'S' for solution)

P: Ill maintained drainage system

S: Covering the open drains at Manas Square and improving the drainage system

P: Vehicles parked in no parking zone

S: Space in front of the Tekdi temple and the land under defence, which is being used to dump garbage, can be used for parking

P: No walking space on footpaths

S: Declare the area as no-hawkers zone and removing encroachments

P: No space for vehicles getting down from the flyover to move towards Tekdi temple Road

S: Only eateries in front of the railway station should be given permission to stay back, enabling vehicles to move freely

P: View of the heritage building being blocked by the engine on display in the front

S: Placement of the engine should not spoil the front view of the heritage building