Tuesday, 3 October 2017

Judicious approach needed for planning public welfare schemes

I read in the local newspapers of the Doon a few days back about some citizens raising voice against the ongoing beautification of section of Rajpur Road with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) local representatives. ADB is involved with this project. While raising the issue was okay there needs to be concrete points of argument for a meaningful dialogue least the issue fizzles out. This is exactly what I could gauge reading the news item.

At a discussion where the subject opposed for a good cause one needs firm footing with logical facts than go astray and dilute the subject. While issues such as opposing opening food joints or warning the developers of restraining cutting trees on the stretch under beautification are important yet monotonous to ears. These holds no gravity for no one will dare cut trees on large-scale openly or accommodate food joints and end up in a muddle or even prosecution. If the government wants trees felled, they have pretty good development excuses which refrain comments. The past has proved of this.

In fact a more appropriate talk of the discussion by the enlightened citizens with the ADB should have been to suggest winding up of the ongoing meaningless Rajpur Road beautification as the area is already beautiful and serene with natural settings.

With no ill towards anyone and in the interest of the region I feel miserable is the town planning and landscaping going on at some places which include section of Rajpur Road. Pity but “Funny Schemes” implemented in the name of beautification. God know who is the real brain behind these silly schemes.

Tell me who on earth may like to relax by a busy highway side! No sensible person or a family may want to sit on a narrow patch of land aside a busy, dusty highway to relax while driving en-route the area or leisurely sit there on a sunny day of the winters. I am yet to see such foolish blokes’. The only ones doing such an act will be someone either off his rockers or one who has to make an emergency stop, none others. Yes, reference relates to the Rajpur Road roadside beautification work.

You may wonder what I am trying to point out in my argument. Drive down ahead of National Institute for the Visually Handicapped (Blind School) on the busy highway section of the Rajpur Road and you will see stone tiles being fixed with some landscaping on both sides of the narrow road on its still narrower side paths stretching up to the Mussoorie diversion in Rajpur. At first it appeared the side section of the busy road tiled to broaden it only to later realise the fancy tiles and landscaping was with a different intent.

The area being tiled for a few months now was already a green patch for ages with trees providing a natural setting. In a bid to make it artificially fancy to natural setting, stone tiles lay with easy chairs and benches placed for converting the section into a relaxing spot for the passer-by’s, pedestrians and tourists on way to Mussoorie.

This artificially landscaping will lead to many environmental, sanitation, human safety and traffic management issues.

The basic questions that arise in the first instance are why the natural setting compromised to an artificial one? Why stone tiles fixed up to the tree trunks or up to very near to them is another question. Embedding the lower part of the tree trunk with stone tiles or concrete can hinder the growth of a plant which can ultimately even perish.

From the safety angle too if passer-by’s and tourists flocking to relax here on the benches or even stop-by can become an accident prone area as zooming vehicles come and go towards Rajpur and Mussoorie. Neither the road nor the side patch is broad enough to accommodate people halting here. Landscaping and tiling this area will tempt anyone to stop.

There be severe issues related to traffic chaos on this stretch of the road as the stopping vehicles are bound to cause erratic parking by people getting down for relaxing, obstructing the smooth flow of the traffic. This means unnecessarily turning this patch into a bottle neck with all adversities.

To cap it all, most amazing fact is this relaxing zone covers area even next to the President of India’s Estate. People merrily having grub and dirtying the place right in front of the President of India’s mansion will be pathetic. Will security issues as a result of this not be a concern? It is time a serious pondering needed by the administration on all such ongoing and up-coming projects besides the Rajpur Road beautification in question.

What my friends (the group of enlightened citizens mentioned above) have argued with the ADB that I have mentioned holds little or no good at all. Asking for not allowing food joints will invariably come true the other way. Those relaxing or stopping here will definitely munch food articles only to spoil the place causing another concern of sanitation and cleanliness. So even if no food-joints set up here, this place once paved, will attract temporary eateries.

As for sounding warning to the developers of this stretch of the road to restrict chopping of trees it again holds no good. One will never dare openly chop so many trees. If large numbers of trees felling required as we have seen in the past on the pretext of development, the government know the ways.

So the only argument that sums it up all is the outright scraping of the worthless project, saving precious tax papers money, environment and a host of other issues related to it.  

How such works carried out without a proper study of all pros and cones is surprising. For an organisation like the ADB its involvement in such works engrossed with so many lacunae does not speak high. The government should also debate before giving its go-ahead for such schemes. Beauty does not lie in artificial artefacts. True beauty is in simplicity. Simplicity means not disturbing the natural environs with which this region endowed with. Our real beauty is in our natural environment, let it stay that way. Needs to save our environment and green surrounding and not destroy it is required.

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