CII prepares roadmap ... brand Vizag

Hi,

Saw this news report in the Hindu on 20th April and thought to myself - we are in deep trouble. The "development" brigade is marching again,

Vizag is already over populated, over industrialized, over polluted, over loaded with traffic and over exploited. Vizag is bursting at its seems and in a constant state of chaos. There are no pavements that a pedestrian can use. All over the city small, school going children, scurry across the roads between traffic. Our beaches - one of the few recreational spots we have - is packed to capacity. 

There is complete absence of public sanitation facility. Thousands urinate and defecate in the open everywhere. Look outside your window now and you will spot a a few on the job. Every gedda is choked with plastic waste. Our sewage system, serves only 30% of the population and that is already overloaded. Garbage overflows from municipal dustbins.  None of our pristine hills that once surrounded Vizag have been left untouched. All the old shady trees have been cut down to expand roads. Thousands of old trees including 300 year old banyan trees have been cut down to expand roads towards Vizianagaram, Anakapalle and S.Kota.

Vizag is already acknowledged as one of the most polluted cities in the country. There are already too many industries in the area - all of them need resources - like water and electricity - the same stuff that we are already short of. Why on earth would we want to encourage more industry here? Who is it to benefit? 

The administrations responsibility is to first make the city suitable for the residents already here. 

Much before we try to bring more people into the city through industrialization or tourism, we must have these for ourselves, the tax paying citizens of Vizag:

• Clean unpolluted water and air
• Adequate roads with top class public transportation that you and I can also use
• A scientific waste management system
• Clean beaches and clean seas - a massive sea restoration project is required to make our sea healthy again
• Public toilets - thousands of them - or else even the tourists will go on the roads
• Adequate water and electricity
• Easy access to educational facilities for all
• Public libraries available to all
• Stadiums, play grounds, swimming pools, recreational areas and parks
• Excellent, affordable medical facility for both, the young and the aging population
• Easy access to markets with affordable vegetables, fruits, meat and fish
• A reliable and citizen friendly law and order machinery
• An open transparent VUDA and GVMC (just try to get three useful telephone numbers from the GVMC web site - you will be surprised at the lack of information there)

Accustomed to having poor facilities all our lives we may feel that this is asking for too much. But a country that can launch ICBM missiles, is one of the largest economies in the world and can generate lakhs of crores by way of scam money, can certainly deliver proper cities to its citizens. Why should we settle for less? 

Bottom line: Don't let every new management guru who comes to the city tell us that we need "development" and "industrialization". We have been here long enough to see all that we hold precious gone down the drain. Let us take Vizag back for ourselves!

Watch this space for the next post - a little story of how well intentioned development gurus can kill a city

Sohan