SEZ and Zoning

Special Economic Zones are one of the important steps taken for placing the nations and states on the economic boom in developing countries. These are opportunities fed to the industrial sector to invest in maximum in the regions they find suitable for their venture. Both India and China has been able to invite large scale investments in the regions which were supposed to be backward (rather vacant lands) and networked with cities. People in the region they ventured were having least knowledge of the activities rather it was states which had imposed their decision to the local governments. Every local body has to toe the line of state and national governments. People at these points are insignificant given the investments. How would the existing dwellers cope with new change in usage? Did anybody visualise these 10 years ago? Why SEZ is seperate local authority where in Local bodies have no power to regulate? Then who takes care of sustainable development (land and its resources) centre or state or concerned SEZ? Formal hearing of SEZ as per the current Environment Laws have taken place true in the respective villages without overseeing the overall the project. This kind of foot loose planning is going to destroy the regions where they would be placed. Today almost all the leading states are running after time to complete and allocate the land for SEZ and huge success are reported in Gujarat, Maharasthra, AP and even Madhya Pradesh.

We have not learned serious lessons from the climate change debate or rather our technocrats and professionals are providing only lip service. We have started branding industry are climate friendly and 'green' terming the whole carbon debate defunct and obscene limited to cleaning the act. Forget about stopping developmental violence initiated by the libralised and globalised state..for coming years!!

Climate Change: Blindfolded Indian Researchers

Across India the issue of the climate change has not moved beyond the rooms of babus preparing for the agenda and documents for various international summits across the world. The breaucrats and politicians are busy in holding the bull of climate change by its horn. It seems the NGOs, Corporates and Journoes are interested in climate change related negotiations in exchange with monitory benefits by 'capitalizing the climate change causes' i.e. Carbon markets and Green Technology. Though some of the national institutions have been contributed towards the Global climate studies we in India find diffcult to make the researchers understand the symentics of climate change. The universities and government departments have been organising lots of the seminar, workshops and debates on the climate change - co-terminus with the Environment, pollution, disaster and mitigation. All is right while dealing it as an individual subjects, but climate change research needs to look into the regional impact scenarios data in order to really work on the mitigation and adoption model. The state and district level agencies are still to get information on the scenarios in order to workout the change in development schemes, techniques and technologies for the their upcoming plans.

We have already started planning for the 12th five year plan and scenarios for the 2012-2017 and next 50 years should be incorporated in the prespective plans of the nation and state in order to generate documents and facts to add to the climate change issues. The research communities mainly the earth and social sciences stream needs to work together inorder to generate regional or state level scenario and prepare an effective mitigation plan. Why we are not able to wake up the researchers working in these areas in right direction? Are we as a researchers have become blindfolded by own attitudes...? At least start the change now!!

Mahgai Dayan..Price Rise and Urban Agriculture

You all are reeling under the emerging price rise in the agricultural produce in the urban markets. People in metros are severely affected by the price rise mainly in perishable food items such as milk and vegetables. Metros keep on getting agricultural products from distant places and relies heavily in India on its immediate hinterland. But situation is changing fast in your urban hinterland too, they are no more interested in just supplying food to cities. Also their lands are gobbled up by up coming modern townships and Special Economic Zones.

The present vegetable crisis (High Prices) in cities like Delhi and Mumbai is definately due to neglect of urban agriculture practices which was encouraged in bygone era and cities themselves ensured their supplies. Now farming communities cannot afford or would not be allowed to cultivate in the city limits by the land sharks and neglect by the city administrations.

City managers are increasingly required relooking into ways to understand it--both from a regulation perspective, but also to determine what is needed to foster and support these agricultural activities within the ambit of city regions. Some clue can be taken from Kolkata..where the urban agriculture still has retained some form.

The rationale for supporting agriculture within cities isn't immediately obvious--it isn't prominent in modern cities, nor has it ever really been typical, to have food production within urban areas. In many ways, being surrounded by agricultural fields was always a sign that one had ventured outside the city limits--it was a defining non-urban factor.

The urban agriculture is still widely practiced in the small and medium towns throughout the country but it lacks its presence in the large cities. Cities like Delhi and Mumbai needs to comeback on the trail of urban agriculture as an essential uses in their land use plans. The neglect of the important activities have caused crisis in their own markets and causes the city to cry hoarse. The far cry of 'Mahngai Dayan' in film 'Pipli Live' is the reality of urban India, joined by the neglect of the farms for farming and using a peice of land for party and recreation spots.

Till we understand the need for Urban Agriculture in our city planning we would go on and on...saying Mahngai Dayan....Khai Jat Hai...

Kolkata Stands 63rd in Top 65 Global Cities

The Global Cities Index 2010 - An FP Special Report Foreign Policy


In the Global cities Kolkata stands 63rd position amongst the 65 large cities assessed by the agency. Please Visit this site to get the information on the Global Cities.