At the corner of Kingsway Camp square, a street in Delhi with heavy traffic congestion stands an eight-feet-tall structure with a tall LED screen affixed to it. On the screen is displayed an imagined version of the city in a sustainable future. Called ‘Future City Installation’, this structure has been installed by Jhatkaa.org, a Bengaluru-based advocacy organisation under their #FutureDelhi initiative.
The idea is to advance the cause of better road infrastructure and a healthier environment in the Capital. Using Augmented Reality (AR) helps virtually transport an individual standing in front of the structure to a future that offers better amenities such as specific cycle lanes, EV charging points, blue skies, and green zones; thereby showcasing the possibility of an eco-friendly future.
“The idea is to show how our cities can look in the future if they are pollution-free, cleaner, and with other sustainable mobility options. We decided to start with Delhi because Delhi is the capital of India as well as the capital of pollution. Our aim is to showcase that if we limit vehicular emission and switch to sustainable [transport] alternatives, we can do way better in future,” shares Rashmi Mishra, a Delhi-based Jhatkaa.org campaigner.
Tech for awareness
Inaugurated on December 12, the installation will be at Kingsway Camp till Sunday. Over the course of the week, members of Jhatkaa.org have undertaken various engagement activities to take the cause forward. The organisation has also invited citizen groups to visit the installation and sign petitions that have been issued by them. “Many students have been engaging with us. They have shown a lot of interest in expressing their issues with pollution, given that educational institutions have been shut down because of this, “shared Dhrstadyumn, an engagement associate with Jhatkaa.org.