A move towards new analysis

At Green Eminents we are experiementing analysis with new digital data. Great to see the SRTM data outputs.

Copyright@ Green Eminent, Vadodara (INDIA)

Advanced GIS Training at Vadodara - 16-22 Jan 2010

Green Eminent invites application from the candidates for the attending the Training Workshop to be organised on Geomatics - Environment, Water Resources, Flood Hazard Zones and Transportation Development Project.The fees for the each workshop would be Rs. 2500/- (5 days training) inclusive for basics of Geomatics and one choosen workshop topic.Participants are request to send their application before 10th January along with Demand Draft of Rs. 2500 (Non Refundable) payable in favour of "Green Eminent, Vadodara". and mail the details at gercbrd@gmail.com. The fees are inclusive of workshop materials, lab charges and light snacks only.In case participants requires accomodation which can be booked by us in the city. For further details contact : Green Eminent, 304 Time Square, Fatehgunj, Vadodara - 390 002. Tel: 91 -0265-3015418, +919898353419

Why Surat Slum Demolished??

The SMC under the pretext of providing alternate housing to the Slum Dwellers of Surat at the site located 15 kms away from the present location, has demolished the slums. In the context it has given repeated floods also the reason for the shift. It is well remembered that Surat 2006 flood did not spared more than 50 percent of its area from water level 4-12 feet on the steets. More housing societies, apartments, and office establishments was severely affected. The reaction by the irrigation department was to plan an new embankment, which they did after year. Now, the new plan is not known to the people, new embankment was constructed whereever they could find the land vacant adjacent to the river bank. Now it looks the embankment may create further danger to the city.

The SMC has not listned to the peoples demand while taking the decision to uproot them from present site. Moreover, they are forcibly removed. A mockery of the present housing and habitat policy, Jnnurm - IHSDP/ BUSP guidelines. What makes city government so hostile!!

Same old attitude, peoples consultation, participation and sharing of plans is minimal. Whatever has been done to complete the assign tasks, get the funds and make the city 'slum free'. Their rights has been violated has already been explained in earlier post.

The flood provides the best opportunity to demolish the slums, the obstruction of the releasing of flood water is blamed on the slums but not on the town planning and the encroachment of the river basin by the builders lobby abetted by administration with utter disregard to the environment and ecology.
The narrowing of the Tapi river is revealing one. 40 years back it could carry 10 lakhs cusec of water. It has been reduced to 3.5 lakhs cusec. After the flood it can not accept more than 3 lakhs which can be further reduced if there is high tide to 2.5 lakhs. I. E 14-8-06
The general width of Tapi is 600 meter which is 400 meters at Adajan. 200 meters has been reduced because of encroachment of Tapi by the builders. Again when Ukai dam was constructed, there was no Hazira Complex. The Hazira Industrial complex raised 2 to 3 meter reducing the releasing of water of Tapi to the sea.

Green Eminent, has recently submitted its evaluation report on the concern sites to the community affected by the present housing policy of the SMC. Lets see how things shape in coming times..

Common Men and City

Following is an email forwarded to me by someone, I think it raises several questions.
Makes you think alot;

Common Man- My Foot---------------General feeling amongst High Class People
Common Sense is very Uncommon.
Our Attitude: Let Common Man Suffer, but our Children Should Have all privileges.
Apparently, the definition of Common Man has been revised, reinvented, rediscovered and rephrashed as per the vested thinking of some builders & real estate brokers in Ahmedabad.

Common Man is one :
a) Who has a bunglow with large open space.
b) Who has a decent Car
c) Who has capability to book multiple house units & artifically jack up dwelling units price to an unaffordable level depriving the real needay first time buyers.
d) Whose children studies in International tag school where annual fees is about 5-6 lacks.
e) Who watches the first show of movies in Multiplex on every friday.
f) Who goes for outing every vacation
g) Who spends 15-20 days at least in foreign land outside India every year.
h) Who goes to Mall for daily purchase of household eatable items.
i) Whose children in teens goes to Australia, UK etc for further studies.
k) Who keeps all white goods and pricy technical gadgets.
and so on.

Builders are eying these common man and construction houses for these people only.

Can anybody ask these builders and real-estate brokers about the fundamentals of building price valuation in the face of the fact the property price appreciation that have taken in last 4-5 years @ 400%. What was available at 4-5 lacks for 2 BHK at Western Ahmedabad say in 2005 and the same flat is available at now 20-25 lacs. If somebody purchases at 25 lacs for 2 BHK flat at this time and if the rate of appreciation continues then after 5 years, 2 BHK flat will cost Rs. 75 Lacs -1 Crore.

Is it not mockery. Builders are simply befooling people in the name Real Estate Shining. To further befool public so called common man, they have hijacked the first page of Dailies and insert all misguiding articles on Metro Projects, Green Building Projects, Satellite Township Project, etc

We all know that Metro Project for Ahmedabad is not feasible till 2050 at least. Integrated Township project has not seen the light of the day for many years, however that has benefitted a lot to builders in fleecing gullible customers by charging exhorbitant prices much above their true value.

The more you write through blog , the more GoG has turns nelson eye to the soaring problem and help the builders to keep plundering the common man in the name of Affordable House.

Surprisingly, Affordable House means 2 BHK flat @ Rs. 20 Lakhs especially knowing the fact that the majority of Ahmedabad house seekers can not afford to have 2 BHK even at 5 Lakhs inspite of going to Banks/NBFCs for loan.

No genuine buyers are there and it is evident from the fact that large no of units are lying vacant as orphans.

Are we not sitting on another case of Dubai Debt.

Builders and Brokers keep looting people and make life miserable for Common Man. You have the support of Ministers as stakeholders in your company. To absolve from this sin, you can donate food packets for beggars at times or hold Religious function on the road side at S.G Highway.

Media can be spokesperson on behalf of Builders fraternity in befooling Common Man. TV correspondents keep attending mocktail/cocktail party of Celebs like Cricketers and Movie Stars.

IIM Grads' salary is not the base of common salary of people in India.
IIMs & IITians use your intellectual knowledge to take India from Darkness.
Sustainability can co-exist with Common Man's Affordability only.

What would happen to the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) of Urban Master Plan when its members are builders and ministers only ?
Why is our policy not all inclusive ?
Why the first page of Newspapers carries articles talking big about some ambitious project which has not taken any root at the behest of Builders?
Why the society is going to Dogs?
Why most of the commercial complex and residential units are lying vacant for last three years ? Why there is a large tract of open land in the midst and heart of Ahmedabad ?
Why there is no regulator to ensure fair and transparency in land dealings?
Why real estate brokers do not have to reveal their income ?
Why there is more ads about selling housing units on portals & newspaper rather than genuine buyers?
Why there is no Govt statistics that shows the real first time house buyers numbers every year against those who are multiplying units for the sake of fuelling and inflating real estate property prices ?
Why there are so many Ads & Hoardings from Builders when their units are sold like Hot Cakes. ( Go to any builders at the bhoomi pujan ceremony, he will say all units have been booked )
Why there is a pittance salary for the employees in private cos including Builders ? 4K to 5K per month.
Why there is no voice against the unjust rise in property prices and house rentals from Industries and Academic Institution who are making all drama about Energy Saving and Climate Change ?
Why there is no Common Man definition properly done?
What is the population in Ahmedabad that can afford to have 2 BHK flat @ Rs. 5 lakhs even ?
Why there is penalty against developers who complete project in many years ?
Why Govt is not doing any residential projects for Middle Class ie Common Man ?
Why building built for EWS goes into the hands of Brokers and then sold to high class people to make money by selling at an unaffordable price ?
Why there is delay in bringing more Cement cos when we know that there is a cartelisation among cement cos and there is huge deficit of cement supply as demand exceeds supply.
Why housing loan often the reason for rising succide case ?
Why IIMs and other B-Schools churn out mere Grads rather then Entrepreneurs ?

India has Democracy or Democrazy/Hypocracy ?
GOD Save us.
You may also join the debate

Surat Demolition: Housing Rights Violated

What you have provided to poor? We have allotted them house and they are not moving into it? Do what ever you want they have to be evicted from illegal occupation of land and river bed? We would grant them houses once they prove they are residents of this city? And thus the questions for those who turns head while answering questions of the rights violation of the poor slum dwellers in Surat. The municipal commissioner would be sole saviour of the lives of the people, they know the helpless people would not go to court, cannot ask for mercy and would be thrown and bulldozed. Hundreds of families and childrens are on streets again, this time its not communal riots or natural disasters like flood or earthquake. The Surat Municipal Corporation has struck them hard, they may find it incapable to escape from this onslaught. The rights have been thrownaway to ashes. The manderins of power and games they play has kept the poor slum dwellers of the Surat on tenterhooks since last few months and few days ago they were swept by the power of governence.
The appeal and protests of the people are responded not with mild response, but brute police force, hearding them outside the frames of demolition machines. Media through its irresponsible reporting is busy in making the slum dwellers, an eyesore, filth and dirt on the land of Surat. The city which these migrant traders, labourers, vendors, maid women, children had adopted is no more their own, they are at receiving end as fall out of new housing scheme and unacceptable flood protection disguise of displacement.

Where else Gujarat has found its human face of development? Its Surat, the human rights violation and fundamental regards for its own citizens the SMC has errored again. No matter the slum dwellers would be forgotten but these very children who lost shelter and right to make living would never forget the day and people who made this happen. We are ashamed for those professional who advised for such inhuman treatment to poor, without understanding their voices and concerns.

Few of us would crib but in the name of modernity and improvisation the renewal seems to have regained the violation and aggressive behaviour of babus in municipal administration supported by the state political lobbies at the very top. God save Gujarat!!

Demolition and Deprivation of Urban Dwellers

Demolition of slums and squatters are back in the action an aftermath of the urban renewal schemes. The schemes targeting the cities to be modernised and also ceased the opportunity to make the city slum free has attacked the poor housing in urgency. On the one hand they have been told to take whatever the city government is offering or else get away from the path of developmental works. Means to benefit the contractors, politicians and elites.

Whereever the programs has been active onslought on the poor households in eminent. Recent demolition of slums in Surat is one such example. The use of extreme force in the face of opposition from the resiedents are part of cleaning drive.

Inspite of the restrains and clear housing policy the local government is not ready to give the slum dwellers time to ask for more or choose their future. What to talk of public participation? Beggers cannt be choosers, people are bundled out of houses which they thought of being protected in city since last 40 years. The lives and well being of the poor is an astray, and legal sanction of the such demolition is extreme. The courts have no time to hear and the municipality is quick to react on the face of opposition.

The loss of property among the poor is immense and tenure security is no where to be seen. Urban planners are party to such efforts of the local governments. The humanist tradition of city planning is gone awary and result quick action. Just make city clean and slum free. The earlier efforts of regularization, slum upgradation, slum improvement and resettlement has no consequence on the present action in Surat. More so in other metropolitan cities of India. What next? People would be left to mend on their own, would be divided on the communal and caste lines. For those worthy of political and administrative fortune may get alternate housing. Gujarat boast of development leaders ship, but still urban bodies are harsh on the poor.

The rich and elites are allowed to stay on the river banks and poor are taken away some 15 kms away to be dumped like a rag and waste to survive. It makes commen sense to be sensitive to human rights issue but how do we care to listen? The corporation have to service the contractors, builders and elite class.

This deprivation would in future can become costly in terms of increasing unrest and crime rates in city. The corporation dictact in such a case would be long drawn tactics to play in the hands of the few who claim to have acheive the success. Is there is way out of this mess?

Slamming Slums - its BUSP way in India

Somebody somewhere in Indian cities are coining the word again and again...and this time it has reached nearly at policy level. Thats calling "Slum Free India - 2050 AD" or 2020 AD. May be the groups supporting the agenda wants to say India would not have slums.. What a total disregard of the academic inputs for last three decades? Even the countries claiming to be developed could not eradicate it on the face of it, yet it has managed to throw interest on the so called quasi-subject experts citing visible changes at one locality or other. Whehter "Slums" are misunderstood..by professionals..yes to an extent they have claimed to remove slums by changing the physical apprearance ..no matter it reverts back to some other form or new clusters develops somewhere else.

National Slum policy...(For eradication of slums..) sic..throw them away from the city heart, costly lands, river banks, ponds, near posh (high value ) clusters. Just make them invisible from the urban morpohology. People supporting the BUSP projects are back in action, without adhering or listning to impact of major shift or change in location on the overall the social systems, character, spaces, family security or work-place relationships of the slum dwellers. The poor persons in urban India is back in limelight with all projects adhering to servicing the poor. Atleast on paper there are claims. ..What has happened in cities is worse. The fight for space between those who have and those who do'nt has increased. In our recent visit to field in Gujarat s commercial hub, we are aghast by manner in which people living in 400 slums are proposed to be packed up in far of places. People are lured to adhere to housing offer..at the cost of loosing the present house. Little consultation, understanding or study has been conducted with those people who would be forcibly removed. Keep the medium and small towns for the project where its vote bank politics or power struggle that throws the weight behind who's who of getting housing. In metropolitan cities, people are at the loosing end looking at local goons, leaders and officers to allot a peice of land, allow them to stay, finance the housing or at best let them live in peace.

We know we are minority voice in professional way of dealing with urban issues. Let hear from you..