Urban Planning : Mismanagement in Indian Cities

Once we leave our metropolitan cities which has seen huge investments in infrastructure, we may concentrate on the metros and medium towns of India. Its poor hygenic conditions including the water logging, ever increasing solid waste, disposal of caracasses, poor drainage infrastructure and poor housing condition makes us stand apart in achieving the MDG goals set for 2020. We are far behind in planning for the suitable infrastructure, our cities are at best could manage to supply some water to citizens, but would be lacking in suitable planning and management skills. We lack sense of urgency, may be we have left the cities to mend for themselves, the peoples representatives (political persons), administratiion and civic machinery has made mess of city systems.

Somehow urban planners takes pat on their back on seeing mamonth growth of large metropolitans but no body takes responsibilities of the smallers cities. We do not know when and how this would happen. Either the cities themselves lacks the will or the professionals are not inclined to listen to the warnings. We may look outwards on the issues, like climate change, sustainability, gender etc., as beating points of our workshops and agendas but who would dare to correct the basics. Even the amount of expenditure done at these 'other' cities are huge but not enough to call it suitable for the 21st century. Growth of cities has been huge, cities expanded at the cost of sourroundings agricultural fields, bunglows, villas, tenaments, and apartments are being constructed no matter whether the civic authorities have capacity and willingness to provide the services. Quality of urban life in the metros or medium cities in India is steadfastly declined, owning largely to inefficiency and colousness attitude of those who are incharge of managing.

whether these are eyeopener to urban planners and infrastructure developers, can'nt say unless we have totally thinking of new towns (as this has been happening in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana). Forget these old and stinking towns the new urban dwellers are invited to newers settlements closer to airports and green field projects (SEZ, SIA, DMIC etc). When the systems would adhere to needs of people? We do not have answers at Green Eminent, we may look for some...