27^th Session of JSC, WCRP

Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology

6-11 March 2006

INFORMATION TO PARTICIPANTS

WELCOME TO PUNE !

We are thankful to all of you for responding to our mails and providing the required information for a smooth organization of the meeting. We have received the arrival/departure details as well as personal particulars proforma from most of you.  If you are still to give these details, please do so immediately.  To serve you in the best possible way, we encourage you to kindly note the following:

Mumbai Pick up

·     We will be sending specially hired taxis to Mumbai to pick you up from the airport and bring you to Pune.

·     Upon arrival at Mumbai Airport (Domestic or International terminal ) please look for a placard displaying “IGBP-WCRP/IITM” held by our representative near the arrival gate.

·    The driver has been given clear instructions to bring you to Pune and help you check into either PRIDE or YASHADA, as the case may be.  If possible, one of my colleagues may also accompany you.

·    The road journey takes about 3 hours.

·    The taxi costs around US$80, which can be shared if more than one person is travelling. The payment can be made to us during the workshop; please do not make any payment to the driver.

·    Depending on the times of arrival, we may combine delegates to provide shared taxis.  Please let us know in advance if you would prefer an individual taxi.

·    Those who requested special pickup arrangements will be advised individually.

Pune pick up

·     If you are arriving directly at the Pune Airport, please look for our representatives (or the representatives of the Pride Hotel) holding a placard displaying “IGBP-WCRP/IITM” and your name. It takes about 25/30 minutes to reach the Pride/YASHADA. Our representative will accompany you and help you check in.

Accommodation

We have arranged your accommodation in Beswestern The Pride Hotel and in YASHADA guest house during the meeting, based on your preference and as per your arrival and departure dates at Pune.

The contact details of the accommodations are:

The Pride Hotel is a 5-star hotel with all modern amenities, including Internet in each room, swimming pool, health club, etc.  The hotel is centrally located close to the downtown area. It is about 7 km from the venue of JSC sessions (IITM campus) and 4 km from the venue of IGBP-WCRP joint session (YASHADA). 

YASHADA (YASHwantrao chavan Academy of Development Administration) is a premier government institution where top bureaucrats undergo their administrative training.  The rooms have 3-star facilities, including a TV and Internet connectivity in each room. The location of this place is excellent, with very nice academic surroundings.  This is also very close (~3 km) to IITM campus.

All hotel bills like accommodation charges and bills for your room service (food, laundry, Internet, etc.) have to be settled by yourselves during your stay.  The following are the negotiated rates at the two places:

The Pride: US$100 per night per room + 10% taxes

YASHADA: INR2,300 (US$55 approx.)

Both YASHADA and the Pride accept international credit cards.

Food

Breakfast is included in the room charges at both the Pride and YASHADA.  Working lunch will be provided on all the meeting days, courtesy IITM, at the venues of the meetings.  A banquet hosted by the Director, IITM is arranged on March 6, 2006. The delegates may explore the city restaurants (there are several close by)  on the remaining days for dinner.

Commuting between the the Pride/YASHADA and IITM

Please assemble in the reception lounge well before (~45 minutes at the Pride and ~30 minutes at YASHADA) the scheduled start of the meeting everyday. We will provide transport to bring you to the venue of the meeting. 

Conference Facilities

The venue of the WCRP JSC session during March 8-11 is a newly built conference hall at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Dr. Homi Bhabha Road (locally referred to as Pashan Road), Pune -411008.  The IGBP-WCRP joint sessions on March 6-7 will be in YASHADA campus itself. Modern conference facilities, with a round-table configuration, are being arranged for the sessions.  Facilities for powerpoint projectors are also available.  Please let us know in advance if you need overhead projector or visualizer.  All standard media (floppy diskettes, cdroms, dvdroms, usb sticks) will be accepted.

Internet

Both the Pride and YASHADA have access to the Internet from the rooms.  However, the Pride charges extra for Internet (~US$15 per day) access. You can connect your laptops to IITM network for Internet access.  We will also provide access to some computers at IITM to the delegates for Internet access throughout the duration of the meeting.  The conference hall at IITM, where the JSC session is to take place, is equipped with wi-fi.

Money

There are several ATMs all around the city, and also close to YASHADA, the Pride and IITM, which accept global credit/debit cards.  Please note that credit cards are accepted only at large business firms; most shops do business in cash.  For changing travellers’ cheques or foreign currency, you need to visit authorized money exchange firms (e.g., Thomas Cook) for which we will provide the necessary assistance.  You may consider changing a little money at the time of arrival, at the bank in the airport near the arrival gate.  Please note that no money changing facility is available at Pune airport.

Social Events

An Indian classical dance performance by renowned danceuse Ms. Yogini Gandhi and  her troupe (http://www.yoginigandhi.com/yog1.htm) has been arranged by IITM in the evening of March 6, 2006.  This will be followed by a banquet.

Weather

At this time of the year, Pune experiences quite warm day temperatures (maximum around 36ºC) but the nights are generally cool and pleasant (minimum around 16ºC).  Weather is mostly dry with clear skies, but an occasional thunder shower cannot be ruled out.  No need for warm clothing; light cotton apparel is suggested.

Key Contacts

If you have any questions or doubts, please feel free to write to us.  Throughout the duration of your visit to India, DO NOT HESITATE TO CALL US ON OUR MOBILES OR HOME NUMBERS, IF THE SITUATION DEMANDS IT. 

We would appreciate if you can confirm to us that you have received this information. If you have any questions, doubts or concerns, please feel free to write to us.