Journalism of Courage
PMC needs to start meeting the basic needs of people in order to make a smart city. Unfortunately, the priorities of the civic body have been wrong with focus only on meeting demands of a small sector.
There is a need to give importance to fulfill the basic needs of the poor so that the benefits reach all. At present, the housing for the poor is a big concern and the existing policies of rehabilitating the slumdwellers by relocating them would not lead to achieving the objective of a smart city.
The smartness should not be only in roping in technology tools for providing service but the basic infrastructure should be improved to meet the demands. The improvement of quality of life should be the only indicator for development. Hence, every project should be undertaken so that it would improve the quality of life.
The planning of infrastructure should be holistic in nature as should cater to health, education, recreational needs of the city . All issues relating to water, drainage system should be resolved. The land use plays a major role in achieving the goal of providing quality life if properly done. Thus, the reservations of DP should be treated as a vital need of the city and developed accordingly.
The depletion of green cover has been a concern and the planners are yet to wake up. There has been encroachment in the hills and rivers, and the civic administration has not been keeping a check . This has a larger environmental impact.
The DP is bible of the future development of the city but PMC is already late by 10 years in finalising it. There has to be seriousness in framing policies and time-bound implementation for effective development of city.
Prashant Inamdar is a civic activist
