All citizens of India are very well aware that these are not some random pictures of India’s major metro cities. These represent regular life of the citizens of these cities. Water shortage, water logging, traffic jams, unhygienic colonies inhabited by poor, unplanned and illegal constructions, encroachment of public spaces, dangerously hanging electric supply wires, narrow lanes where fire tenders cannot reach in case of fire accident, stray animals posing risk of peoples’ life, are some of the common characteristics of Indian urbanization.
Numerous tier 2 towns and cities in India carry distinguished history, culture and traditions within themselves. However mostly unplanned and unmindful growth has made these cities look alike. Today one would struggle to distinguish Kashi, Patna, Bareilly, Moradabad, Aligarh, Agra, Panipat, Hissar, Jhansi, Praygraj (Allahabad) from each other. They all are equally cacophonous, raging, dirty, ill, concretized and mostly unlivable.
The roads are occupied by cycle and e-rickshaws, cows, stray dogs, a melee of young rash bikers, mini busses, cars, overloaded auto rickshaws, and street vendors. To make the things worse, most shop keepers encroach the footpaths in front of their shops. Shoppers and goods suppliers park their vehicles on roads. Pedestrians are forced to walk on roads. Brawls over parking are common and frequent.
Cities are growing like ginger - in all directions and without any plan. Each marriage adds a new room to already crumbling and overcrowded house. A shop mushrooms in front room or courtyard for every unemployed youth.
Urbanization is one of the central themes of the India growth story. With this state of unsustainable urbanization, the India growth story itself faces the risk of failing. A September 2021 NITI Aayog had reflected on this issue, but nothing much seem to have done about this. To continue tomorrow…
