Ram Rattan Sharma
After many years of Independence ,with launching and implementing many five years plans, the cities of modern India, are on the verge of collapse. The city epitomes an area where inhabitants, whether rich or poor are bound to face the scourges of exploding population air pollution ,contaminated water sources ,bumps of solid wastes, intolerable noise pollution, inadequate transport system, shortage of water, break down of electricity, defective sanitary, drainage and sewage system, increasing crime against fair sex and unsafe senior citizens, with criminally indifferent attitude of Government officials to every kind of problem. One more peculiar thing about cities is the scant regard for keeping the cities clean. The indifferent attitude and deliberate neglect by the civic authorities have caused the cities a dump of solid and other wastes choking and over flowing sewage and drains, resulted in mud,water storage and dirt everywhere, giving rise to epidemics like malaria, typhoid, dengue every alternate year.
Various reasons are responsible for the sordid state of cities, ill management of resources, unplanned growth of colonies, lack of prudency in planning, not considering the problems of pollution, education, slums, cleanliness are to a great extent responsible to make the cities a nightmare. We see temple, mosque or shrine at every nook and corner, even in the middle of a road ,while the basic amenities like water tab or electric pillar are not made available, Resources are not properly managed, corruption in institutions is responsible for not providing basic amenities. Public funds are being mis-utilized for aggrandizement of personal or political benefits .Any positive developmental action for replacing and removing the slums or removing the illegal encroachments’ immediately becomes a political issue and is vehemently opposed and sabotaged by the politicians.
There are cities having population more than one lac ,proper sanitary ,drainage healthcare seems to be the privilege of an handful of people ,living in the posh colonies. New Delhi ,the capital of India a metropolitan is passing through the worst crisis of inadequate mass transportation and pollution caused by the vehicular traffic. It is noteworthy that the supreme court had to issue very strict directives to keep the city free from vehicular pollutions .Delhi is growing day by day with more people streaming in search of their livelihood .The city is on the verge of bursting with population explosion and authorities are least concerned to make provisions for the eventuality. The plight of Mumbai ,is no better than other metropolitan cities .The hapahazard growth of suburbs with or without the basic amenities provided by the builders has rendered the peace and tranquility of the cities to ransom
Frequent power break down, shortage of drinking water,over crowded transportation are some of the problems faced by most of the cities. It is difficult to check slum growth and take steps to improve the conditions of the urban poor. It is a fact that millions of people from country side rural areas migrate to metros and other nearby cities in order to earn their livelihood. There is no employment opportunity available in rural areas. Cities provide job opportunities for all the professionals, the traders, the skilled or unskilled labours and anyone who is ready to work. Slums are the result of migration at no cost. Inspite of all the sufferings and hardships, these poor jobless people would prefer to slog in the city fringes, sleep under flyovers, or on pavements, for want of bread to starving stomach of their family. The Government is duty bound to provide basic amenities to these poor .Are these people not contributing or serving the needs of rich or economically affluent society of the cities in the form of presswala , rickshaw puller, daily wage , labour, or the others. The complex socio economic growth of cities ,has given rise to small or big crimes like rape, decoity, theft, kidnapping even the murder, the lack of impersonal relations, indifferent attitude of the co passengers, and corrupt police officials, has made cities the dens of crime. Crime thrives because of the apathy of the citizens and the collusion and irresponsibility on the part of law enforcing machinery.
Are the cities on the verge of collapse? Are we leading towards a dooms day? Can the peculiar problems of cities be tackled? Can the cities be places for peace and pollution free living? Though lot of clamouring have been there to improve the lives in the metros and cities, Yet a little can be done in the immediate future to halt the process of urbanization. A national urban policy needs to be formed keeping in view the entire spectrum of urban problems and peculiarities to urban areas, a lot is required to be done to make available the Job opportunities in rural areas itself. Developing satellite towns ,with all necessary infrastructure and proper transporation may prove to be a good measure to check the overcrowdings in the cities. Nothing can be done without the cooperation of the general masses to ameliorate the conditions of the cities. Proper planning, strategies with involvement of society check on corruption can make our cities worth living .If all concerned join hands sincerely with determination ,our cities may turned from the present day ‘Hell’ to the heaven of future.
(The author is former Liberian University of Jammu )
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