Slum Free: Talk to Cities First!!

The national policy makers are determined to have our city 'Slum Free' with a simple agenda to provide all slums an alternate housing (better than now with basic amenities) under the Rajiv Awas Yojna. But is it so simple to get away with slums, the migration of people to the cities would not stop and their desire to stay in city would not go away. The slum dwellers are also part of the this social ladder, where in they are always looking for chance to have better living.

In someway the urban local bodies and those who implement the slum policies are less sympathetic to their target groups. The much talked public participation have seldom undertaken in the slums with local bodies looking away.. and NGOs given responsibility to talk to them to the alternatives. Most of the cases the Slums have never been seriously accounted and consulted on the housing options. Till recently the demolition drive in all the metros hit the slum dwellers hard, with little promise of alternatives. The people are left to live with their plight with insecure, unhealthy and unsafe livelihoods. What can be asked when no comprehensive and long term policy issues are not handled. Scores of schemes dealing with urban poor targets as much their budget permits.

Interface between the academic, administrators and NGOs are limited in the conferences and seminar, they make a poor team on the field. Some of the best success stories are also there when these different views and minds have met in various cities. Complexities of the issues related to Slums have been taken differently when dealt in isolation with slum dwellers themselves. Mostly they have to follow the directions from the administration who may place them in different positions, divide their social network, disturb livelihood and children education.

If cities does not guarentee them home when a new comer arrives then where is the place he/she can settle. In case of 'Slum Free' notion, whether the mass housing schemes are in place for the future population to arrive in particular city. If the answer to the question is not available in the near future then just by changing the physical outlook of the slums does not make it 'slum free'. The people would move to better areas and newcomers would continue to occupy the space left by earlier groups.

Most of the streets would serve large amount of pavement settlers like in Kolkata and Mumbai stopping their chance to look for house in slums. A refuge or shelter in corner of bus stop, public building, Fly over, or underpass would be more common in upcoming cities. Cities need to chalk out effective programs in understaking the serious excercise then spending the funds in the name of schemes like Rajiv Awas Yojna (RAY), which would lapse within couple of years to pave way for new schemes.

When Urban Planning met Common Wealth Games in Delhi

Suddenly the hue and cry over the Common Wealth Games (CWG) induced corruption has marred the Delhi and sporting politics in country. An investment estimated to be over Rs. 30,000 crores for the games, for which over 70 percent goes to building sports and other support infrastructure.

Delhi would not need the funds of JnNURM when they get a mega investment in its visible physical infrastructure. A investment that would make the city global (using the cacophony attached)! tends to be missed by the city planners. Those even in MCD, DDA and NCT authorities are pegging high hopes in effective implementation of the schemes targetted at Delhi but serving the 15 days mega event. Why not develop some sporting city in country encompassing all the gaming events? Delhi has now become not only administrative capital but it has also added a tag of sporting capital of country. The event though may come and go..it would leave giant structures tough to look after once close ceremonies would be over.

The planning authorieties likely to be marred in corrupt practices during the CWG construction phase would face an axe once culprits are to be cought. The hordes of technical support staff from the agencies need themselves to stand in que in order to be investigated or come clear from audits (which may take years to resolve). Delhi was not planned by their master planners to be sporting hub, yet spaces are carved out from the public reserved lands to host the event and place permanent structures on it. What would be left for their citizens and other planning needs in future. Lands which was supposed to last for next 20 years of demand have been exhausted in last five years of activities.

May for the future needs we may have look to aerial spaces in high rises to accomodate the demand for public spaces other then sports. Master planning for Delhi would be caught in mess within next five years, since the spaces would be left unutilized or underutilized given the state of sports in country and Delhi. Yes the elite and powerful would have enough time to join the clubs costing Delhi its dear open spaces...