'People Here are Cooperative; They Can Make Delhi a Smart City'

Being the daughter of two civil servants, Netri feels the family does not have much opportunity to take long vacations. Neither can they plan frequent weekend trips. But she has come to terms with all that by keeping herself busy with painting and learning Hindustani classical music.

A Class VI student of Sanskriti School, Netri says she is very close to nature and that is reflected in her sketches, which generally revolve around flower designs and nature. However, she doesn’t like using too many colours, and that’s why most of her paintings are black and white. At summer camp this time, she also tried her hand at basketball. But soon, she realised that it wasn’t her forte.

Netri and her five-year-old sister Paavini are ardent fans of animation movies and Walt Disney’s Frozen is their all-time favourite.

As vice-captain of the junior school, Netri ensured that her friends did not litter the school premises. Now, she also takes a keen interest in things shared by her father, who is working on the Prime Minister’s Clean Ganga Mission. Ask her about that, and Netri confidently says that a machine (trash skimmer) has been acquired to remove non-biodegradable waste to clean the river surface.

With her father Pushkal Upadhyay involved in the project, Ganga is a much-discussed issue at home, and every time there’s a discussion on that, Netri comes up with a slogan: “Nahi hogi Ganga ki safai, nahi milegi mithai” (no Ganga cleaning, no sweets at home). Her mother Nishtha is an Indian Defence Accounts Service Officer and is currently serving as financial advisor to the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).             

What does Delhi Smart City mean to you?

A city that is modern and welcomes technology

What would you do for Delhi if you were the Chief Minister?

I would work to remove corruption, clean garbage, develop more green patches and spread awareness about saving resources.

Do you think Delhi can become a Smart City?

Any city can become a Smart City. We just have to work hard and spread awareness among the people.

Things you like about Delhi.

 I love the architecture, the India Gate, the food, especially Paranthe Wali Gali .

Things you don’t like about the city.

I don’t like the pollution and traffic. Plus, markets are very expensive for shopping.

Source http://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/People-Here-are-Cooperative-They-Can-Make-Delhi-a-Smart-City/2016/04/17/article3383858.ece