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Why Varanasi and not Agra?

WHEN WILL AGRA BE RECOGNISED AS A HERITAGE CITY?

Agra August 8 (IANS):

Agra’s National Chamber of Industries and Commerce has demanded heritage city status for Agra.

Chamber president Atul Gupta and senior members Sri Kishan Goel, Manish Agarwal, Anup Goel and Girish Chandra of the organization have urged the union government to support the heritage city status for Agra, so that the UNESCO can recognize the Taj city as a repository of architectural treasure which needs better conservational efforts.

The demand has acquired a degree of urgency and importance because the union culture ministry is toying with the idea of recognizing Varanasi as a heritage city, being the constituency of the prime minister, says Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society.

The Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort continue to top earnings for the Archaeological Survey of India. Tourism minister Shripad Y Naik in an answer to a question in the Rajya Sabha said the Taj yielded Rs 21.84 crores and the Fort Rs 10.22 crores from entrance tickets, both toping the list fiscal 2013-14.

In view of the importance of the Taj Mahal and other monuments to the tourism sector and the contribution to the exchequer, a number of  voluntary organizations in the city have sent memorandums to the union culture ministry to demand heritage city status to Agra which is home to three world heritage monuments – the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Two other monuments Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra and Etmauddaula are in the pipeline, for the status. The city has numerous historical structures, old havelis, water bodies, forests and even an oriental market in the old city.

Conservationists in Agra say that though the demand has been made several times, there has been no positive response from the central government. 

In 2007, the union tourism ministry told the Supreme Court that since the city lacked an adequate infrastructure, the demand for heritage status could not be considered. But till date, the Agra does not have regular air connectivity, streamlined roads, adequate security arrangements for visitors and other related facilities.

Historians and travel writers like Lucy Peck have suggested starting heritage walks through the city to acquaint the foreign visitors with the richness of architectural treasure and cultural assets, the city is heir to.

International bodies including the UNESCO have supported projects to restore the old glory of Mughal Agra.
A World Bank team recently visited several sites and interacted with officials to explore how “Pro-Poor” tourism could be promoted and heritage  preserved. A few projects have been short-listed.

"The whole of Braj Mandal, from Agra to Vrindavan is so rich in culture and architecture, where every street has historical building. Not only should heritage assets conserved for posterity but the administration should  draw up plans to remove encroachments around tourist sites," says conservationist Shravan Kumar Singh.

Unfortunately, the locals lack a sense of pride in their history. The chief reason why tourism has not become "everybody`s business" and not directly benefited people  in a substantial manner is the lack of “heritage-consciousness.”

"It’s a crude reality. Agra is neither tourist-friendly nor do its residents feel a sense of pride in its history and culture," social activist Sudershan Dua said.

Activists say the local builders and colonizers are not in favour of the city becoming a heritage site, because any such recognition would imply total halt of construction activities. 

Even while Agra is India`s number one tourist centre but continues to lag dismally in modernising its urban base and developing a comfortable ambience for promoting culture and tourism, handicrafts exporter Abhinav Jain said.

Agra  hasn`t changed much if one takes into account a ghazal written in 1723 by Lakshmi Chandra, who describes in great detail the roads and the localities of  - from the  Fort to Charsu Darwaza and beyond to Lashkarpur - which was then the tenting ground for the Mughal army.

Agra was founded in 1504 by Sikandar Lodi. Since than the city has been a major political centre, first under the Mughals, later the British. But after independence it lost its pre-eminent position to Lucknow, the state capital. Not just the stone monuments, Agra is famous for Petha, leather shoes, inlay work, jardozi, and other similar crafts. As the headquarter of the Radhasoami faith, a major Sufi centre, the land of Sri Krishna-Radha, as the birth place of the eclectic faith Din-e-Ilahi, and Sulah Kul doctrine of Akbar, which evolved as Secularism in modern India, the city of monuments, deserves a status of its own.

The city’s urban chaos, called development has not satisfied any section of the society. Today the grand metropolitan centre of the medieval period, cries for water, for electricity, roads, public amenities, law and order. “If you want to see the civilisational decadence, come to Agra,” says a concerned citizen Dr Rajan Kishore.

"Yes, in the so-called modern city there is evidence of haphazard planning and irrational growth, but then those are not the historical pieces one would like preserved," N.R. Smith, a meticulous chronicler of  modern history through his columns, told IANS.

And those who think people and their work places need to be demolished to make way for modern malls or parking slots are only hurting the spirit of conservation," Smith added.

The great urban predicament

THE CITY OF THE TAJ ON A CONSTRUCTION SPREE

Construction that is neither in tune with the heritage character of this Mughal metro nor compatible with the demands of a modern society

THE city is witnessing a massive construction spree in all directions. The medieval Mughal metropolis which historians in the 17th century described being more beautiful and bigger than London and Paris, is getting transformed into a concrete jungle. Where once trees grew in abundance, with more than 16 beautiful gardens in all parts of the city,  you now have gaudy structures coming up. The dozen odd community ponds have disappeared while there is no trace of the dense green patches that sheltered a range of fauna in the past. The river front is a vast wasteland, one that late Sanjay Gandhi had planned to convert into Mumbai's Chowpati.

In the past couple of years a heavy dose of investment in construction sector has added to the pressure on civic amenities. Residents in most high rise buildings complain of inadequate infrastructural facilities. But the builders often violating well laid out norms on parking space, sewer connections, power supply, are callously indifferent to rising dissatisfaction from residents' multiplying woes. "The difference between commercial and residential use has been obliterated by the unimaginative town planners who have so many axes to grind by being indifferent and ostritch-like to the chaotic urban scenario," says Sudhir Gupta advocate, a resident of Vijay Nagar Colony, the oldest organised and modern settlement in Agra.

The city is expanding in all directions, with most recognisable brands in this sector, entering the fray with a project or two. The Ansals, Parsvnath, Omax, Jaipurias, Unitech, TDI, the Jaypee group, and half a dozen others, are all racing against time to complete a project or two before the Commonwealth Games in 2010. On Fatehabad Road, the tourist complex of Agra, half a dozen hotel projects are at various levels of completion. The Taj Express Highway project has opened up another avenue all the way till Greater Noida for feverish construction and land acquisition spree. The 160 km super highway will reduce travelling time between Delhi and Agra by a good one hour.

The Agra Development Authority (ADA) entrusted with the task of developing civic infrastructure has itself turned a greedy coloniser. It has been accused of acquiring land at cheap rates from farmers to sell to groups of developers and builders who virtually hold the whole city to ransom. The ADA's lack lustre performance on the development front has now raised questions about the relevance of this august body that is above law. "The city development lacks a focus. it does not reflect the heritage character. The new buildings lack facilities for parking, greenery or open space. Most high rise buildings have neither sewer connections nor treatment plants.All the waste is being dumped underground poisoning our precious resources," according to environmentalist Ravi Singh, a progressive farmer of Barauli Ahir block. The apex court has a petition pending on why the city of the Taj Mahal can not be granted heritage status.

Every few days, the vice chairman of the ADA, Anurag Srivasta keeps announcing fancy projects like the latest one called ADA Heights from where residents would be able to see framed Taj Mahal presented on a platter as it were. Dr Vardharajan who headed a Supreme Court appointed high powered committee to examine and suggest measures to tackle pollution problem in the Taj Trapezium had recommended ban on high rise structures within ten kms of the Taj Mahal. But the ADA wanting to encash the current real estate boom scenario is going ahead with its dream project that would further fuel growth of building sector in the neighbourhood of the Taj Mahal.

Earlier, city improvement trusts used to be under the control of democratically elected local bodies. But the Agra Municipal Corporation has no say in policy matters. "A group of bureaucrats often seen working in the interest of builders and a few representatives of various elected bodies, now decide which way the city should develop, while the mayor and 90 odd elected corporators of the Nigam have no power of control or influence deicions taken by the ADA headed by people who have no roots or understanding of the city and no stakes in its future," says Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society.

The ADA modelled on the DDA experiment has totally failed, according to many prominent citizens of the city who now want the ADA to be under direct control of the elected municipal corporation so that its budgets are open to public scrutiny and it reflects the collective conscience and concern of the people of Agra. The crores of rupees milched from visitors to the Taj Mahal and other historical monuments as toll tax by the ADA is being squandered away in various land development and building and construction activities that hardly help the local residents of the city, say representatives of various residents welfare associations whose priorities and demands never receive a sympathetic response from the mandarins in the ADA.

In the past ADA's questionable performance has been eloquently demonstrated in such architectural monstrosities as the Sanjay Place commercial complex in the heart of the city, which lacks a vision and is hardly compatible with the Mughlai ethos of this city. "It would be difficult to find a single shop keeper or a resident of this sprawling complex who is satisfied with the state of affairs in the Sanjay Place," says social activist Dr Rajan Kishore who had in the early 1980s forcast "Sanjay Place would eventually degenerate into the Rawat Para or Kinari Bazar of Agra." ENDS

--AGRA'S INDUSTRIAL GROWTH HALTED

UP GOVT HAS NO PLANS FOR REVIVAL

Uttar Pradesh government officials are concerned at the "stagnated industrial growth" in the eco-sensitive Taj Trapezium Zone, which is causing all kinds of socioeconomic conflicts and the rising graph of unemployment is now being  linked with increased incidence of crime in the region.

District Magistrate Zuher Bin Sagir has now instructed concerned departments to explore how industrial growth can gain momentum and absorb local educated youth. Sagir said Udhyog Bandhu meetings in future will play a crucial role in sorting out problems of the industries. 

The prospects of any significant expansion however appear bleak, according to local industrial organisations.  Agra's population according to the latest census has crossed four million. Except for tourism, there has not been any growth in any sector.

The industrial scene in Firozabad, Mathura and Aligarh is equally dismal,  forcing the local youth to migrate to Delhi and other metros. "The Firozabad glass industry has not seen any major expansion or development and the existing units are facing all kinds of problems," said a local glass unit owner Bal Govind. Similarly the Aligarh lock industry faces a grim future due to outdated technology, fierce competition and rising costs plus erratic power supply.

Business chambers and industrial organisations of the city have now drawn the attention of the state government to provide support and broad-base infrastructure to halt the slide. "The stagnation in fact started after the MC Mehta petition on pollution threat to the Taj Mahal, which led to the closure of more than 500 polluting industries. Many were forced to switch over to natural gas, others closed while a few shifted to Dholpur, Kosi or Hathras. The successive governments in Lucknow have done little to promote industrialisation of the Agra region which now has a population of more than 50 lakhs," said Rajiv Gupta, chairman of ASSOCHAM, Agra unit.

Manish Agarwal, president of the National Chamber of Industries and Commerce, Agra  said "they do not have any long-term plan of action, nor do the state government agencies appear concerned about the falling industrial production."

In the past not just tourism, Agra has been a leading manufacturing hub of iron foundries, glass industries, leather shoes, handicrafts and petha, but of late industrial growth has shrunk forcing units to permanently down shuttters to migrate to greener pastures. 

The industrial units that survive are also on the brink of collapse as scores of bottlenecks and pollution- related restrictions would not let them expand to their optimum level of performance. 

Lack of security and poor infrastructure has  hit the tourism industry with reports of cancellations of trips by tourists, after the rape and attack on foreign visitors. The leather shoe industry has suffered due to recessionary pressures and steep decline in export orders, according to the Shoe Manufacturers' Association.

The centuries old iron foundries were the first target. The pulses and the edible oil industries were next to fold up their operations. It is now the turn of the generator industry for whom the bell has started ticking. 

The traditional leather shoe industry is already in low gear with prices of raw materials going up sharply. The increased power tariffs that came in force last year and the VAT regime that's been adopted by most states has  delivered a crippling blow to the number one industry of Agra in terms of volume of turnover and the labour force employed. Estimates vary but roughly around 2.5 lakh workers from the under-privileged class are employed in the shoe industry.

The latest on the hit list is the electro-plating industry. Notices have been served and their closure is imminent. Officials put the number of units engaged in chain making and electro plating at over 50 employing thousands of people.

Though supply of natural gas to over 70 industrial units through a gas pipeline network by the Gas Authority of India Ltd., has saved the day for them, but the overall profitability has declined and the stiff competition from various other centres threatens the survival of most iron foundries.

With the race for excelling in handicrafts and marble and inlay work already lost, Agra faces a grim future in days to come. The only flourishing industry at the moment is crime in various avatars from chain snatching to abductions.

The National Chamber of Industries and Commerce, the Agra Iron Foundries Association, the Generator manufacturers association, Factory Owners Association and various other bodies are engaged in intense discussions and interaction with the government bodies to seek solutions to the problems the local industries face, but the total focus of the state and the central government is on tourism which hardly employs 50,000 people out of a population of over 40  lakhs in the district.

The city does not lack entrepreneurship nor faces a resources crunch as many other areas do, but the absence of a clear policy frame and vision at the government level has stalled broadbasing of the industrial structure which could have provided jobs to lakhs of people. Uncertain future awaits the recently developed Leather Park in Achnera block. The IT park in Shastripuram is also locked in controversies.  After polluting industries were forced to close, the centre and the state governments in 1996 had assured prompt help to non-polluting industries, but till date nothing has materialized, says hotelier Surendra Sharma. “Even the hotels face a crisis if the municipal corporation’s announced decision to levy entry taxes on visitors is enforced.” Visitors will have to pay Rs 100 per night for stay in five star hotels and Rs 50 for three star accommodation.

The city of the Taj Mahal was known for at least four industries once upon a time: Petha (sweet); iron foundries, glass and handicrafts, marble articles and shoe industry. "Interestingly raw material for any of these industries was not locally available, but it was the availability of skilled artisans and workers that helped develop and acquire an international identity to these industries. Now all these sectors are perilously close to death as no efforts are being made at the government level to sustain or boost their base," says former president of the National Chamber of Industries and Commerce, Rajeev Gupta. The confused policies of the state government in relation to auto parts sector has also been a major blow, he adds.

With tourism in the dumps and the traditional industries facing a bleak future, the only industry flourishing at the moment is crime with political patronage. A large number of politicians have now opened all kinds of colleges and schools. “On Agra-Delhi highway there are dozens of engineering colleges. The B Ed colleges too are doing a brisk business,” says activist Naresh Paras. 

2^ND SEPTEMBER, 2008

REALTORS MOVE CAUTIOUSLY

CONSTRUCTION SECTOR TO GAIN MOMENTUM SOON

AGRA:

With monsoon activity in its last phase and hope of raw materials prices falling builders in Agra region are drawing up plans to lure buyers with attractive schemes and begin construction activity full steam to complete projects that were for a long spell virtually left in the lurch.

“Some of the smaller players who did not have the holding capacity have already bid adieu from the property scene, but the bigger developers have redesigned their projects and downsized their teams to cut costs. They have also consolidated their operations focusing on the more lucrative projects,” says a broker of Sanjay Place area Anil Agarwal who also takes up contracts for electrical fittings.

The fall in steel prices and check in cement prices will definitely spur construction activity, according to a builder of Shamshabad Road. “With Diwali and Dussehra festivals coming up, we should see a boom in construction activity, as a whole lot of new projects are waiting for a fresh dose of investment. Interestingly, even during the period of stagnation we have not seen any drastic fall in the property rates. The land prices have not come down, though the buyers are hard to find,” Shashi Kant, a building material supplier of Shamshabad road says.

Specially upbeat are the paint shops. “After several years we have had such good rains. A whole lot of houses stand in need of extensive repairs and painting work. This should boost the sales of paints and distempers,” hopes Belanganj shopkeeper Amit who thinks though the prices have shot up by 50 to 100 percent of all categories of oil and enamel paints, still the sales in the coming season should be good.

“We have no particular schemes lined up to woo the prospective buyers, but yes there will be more flexibility in terms and whatever additional facilities the costs permit will be available for the buyers,” says Sumeet Vibhav, a leading builder of the city. In Agra the supply is more than demand and this has disturbed the balance. “Agra Development Authority, for instance should have been more concerned with developing infrastructure, rather than entering property selling business,” Sumeet adds.

“Right now the local property market is keenly watching the massive governmental road development programme, particularly the Express-way coming up from Greater Noida to Agra, with large chunks of land acquired by the state government on both sides to be transferred to the promoters who will develop commercial complexes or townships all along the 160 km route. This could have a big impact on the regional property market, in Mathura, Hathras, Aligarh and Agra, as new hubs of development would develop,” according to market watcher Pramendra Jain.

The property market in the region has received a temporary setback after a couple of raids by the Income Tax department in the past few months. “This is one reason why most promoters are not speaking out their minds and announcing new projects,” explains a broker of Sanjay Place.

But there are ominous signs too. “ The market should see more liquidity in coming months as Central Government employees get their arrears and festival packages. The farmers too look like making it good this year. Once the Kharif crop is in the market there should be more money flowing in. Investment in property is always considered a safe option,”says financial adviser Sudhir.

The property market needs immediate course correction, but “I do not see any hope of its revival in the near future as there has been so much of uneven development and whole lot of wrong investments,” says investor Mukesh Jain of Raja Mandi. “In the West suburban townships grew as a result of the state of the art technologies and latest infrastructural facilities, but in our case it’s the opposite. The poor and the under privileged are thrown out of the main city. Transport facilities are not provided and there is lack of security too. If you go on building so many houses and townships without assessing the demand potential you are bound to land into troubled zone.”

Leading builder Sushil Gupta says the government agencies involved in the housing sector should have assessed the requirements. “Since there is no migration from outside, and there is no government help of any sort, the property market will remain stagnant for quite some time. For the moment there is more supply than demand. Then there is this circle rate problem. The prices of land and constructed structures can not fall. So many new entrants in this sector have borrowed heavily at exorbitant interest rates. I don’t know how they will manage.”

The Kanshi Ram Housing Scheme for the poor may spurt some developmental activity in the short term. But the housing industry will have to wait for a few more months, especially till the new government takes over after the Lok Sabha polls, to pick up momentum, feel the builders and land brokers. “Those who have the capacity to invest would do well to go in for their dream house at affordable rate right now,” says Hari Dutt, a building contractor of Trans Yamuna area. ENDS

*Yamuna Kinara Road *MG Road *Moti Lal Road *Balkeshwar Road* is there a single road that is without pot-holes and huge craters in the city of the Taj Mahal, daily visited by thousands of deshi and foreign tourists?

The city is in a shambles. "Right now if you went around the interiors of the city, it would appear as if a war has just got over, the debris littered all over emitting foul and noxious gases," says eco-activist Shravan Kumar Singh.

The Petha waste and the use of coal despite ban by the Supreme Court, has added to the agony of the residents in the Kali Bari, Noori Darwaza, Hospital Road and mohallas around the SN Medical College, says Dr Devashish Bhattacharya.

AGRA'S  URBAN  PREDICAMENT

TOO MANY PROJECTS BUT NO DIRECTION

Even as the Taj Mahal appeared sparkling white washed by good rains over the past two months, and the rising water level kindling hopes of Yamuna river regaining its lost vigour, the city itself  presents a most dismal profile with pot-holed roads, heaps of garbage and choked sewer lines overflowing on the roads.

"Is there a civic administration in this important tourist destination," asked an Australian tourist Derek who spent two days looking for the "real heritage of the grand Mughal Metropolis," according to Amit Sisodia of Agra Beats, a group that organises special yatras to the heart of the city. 

A city visited by ten million tourists annually can not be allowed to remain glued to the dark ages. "The citizenry must rise and assert its rights. The politicians must respond with concrete action. Right now we have half a dozen bodies engaged in developing Agra but lack of coordination and communication negates all that is planned to be done," says Wake Up Agra president Shishir Bhagat.

Ever since the Supreme Court of India got directly involved in Agra's development in 1993, as a fallout of the MC Mehta's PIL on Taj pollution, so many government agencies have launched a variety of schemes and pumped in thousands of crores, but the net result is zero. "Industrial development has stagnated, employment opportunities have been reduced, transparency and commitment in governance unheard of, accountability of politicians and bureaucrats never enforced, the city is really directionless and rudderless," laments Surendra Sharma, president of the Heritage Society.

The city is in a shambles. "Right now if you went around the interiors of the city, it would appear as if a war has just got over, the debris littered all over emitting foul and noxious gases," says eco-activist Shravan Kumar Singh.

The Petha waste and the use of coal despite ban by the Supreme Court, has added to the agony of the residents in the Kali Bari, Noori Darwaza, Hospital Road and mohallas around the SN Medical College, says Dr Devashish Bhattacharya.

Huge craters and pot-holes have been created by the rains. The tourist vehicles get stuck up and face lots of inconvenience, says senior tourism industry leader Rajiv Tiwari who wants the entrance points to the city cleared of road-blocks and encroachments.

Surely the city can present a much better profile and ambience to the visitors, as also to the residents of Agra, because the government spending and funds have rarely been a problem. The Agra Development Authority (ADA) is flush with funds from toll taxes levied at historical monuments, points out Rakesh Chauhan, president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association.

DK Joshi, a member of the Supreme Court monitoring committee on water and sewer disposal in Agra, says "more than a thousand crore rupees have been pumped in various schemes to streamline and broadbase civic infrastructure, but you hardly see any change in the conditions."

Agra Municipal Corporation has around 4000 safai karamcharis against an estimated requirement of at least 6000 after mushrooming of so many new colonies and the municipal boundaries being extended. The waste disposal is a huge problem in the city. "The STP plants are not working, the landfill sites are already choked and there is hardly any space to dump the civic waste. The plant to treat the hospital wastes and hazardous stuff, has not been functioning on the Firozabad road, for one reason or the other. Total negligence and callous attitude of the monitoring agencies including the UP Pollution Control Board," says activist Naresh Paras.

Except the areas that come under the Agra Cantonment Board, the other parts of the city continue to remain backwaters by any standard, feels senior journalist Rajiv Saxena. "Such pathetic collapse of the local bodies and the virtual autocracy of the officials who use politicians to their advantage, was never witnessed before," adds Bankey Lal Maheshwari of the Sri Nathji Nishulk Jal Sewa.

Why can't the city change? REDCO president KC Jain thinks "it is lack of coordination among various stake-holders. Also the citizens do not seem to be passionate about change and development, as you see in some other cities of India. We need to generate awareness and get people involved."

In coming years, a whole lot of mega projects are to be launched including an international airport, theme park, Taj Ganj beautification project, metro rail, Agra-Lucknow Expressway, IT and Leather Parks, but if the elected representatives and the officials heading various agencies do not communicate and reach a consensus on the approach and strategy for development, Agra will continue to sink deeper into chaos, feel the citizens.

11/8/14

What socialism!

Akhilesh government at cross-roads

Fifteen months in office may not be a long time for the Samajwadi Party leaders in UP, but those who voted Akhilesh Yadav to power, are desperate and impatient to see some concrete action on his "tall promises," to the electorate.

How close the party is to ushering in socialistic goals and translating into reality the dreams of the mentor Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, remains a mystery, as the ruling party in Lucknow has shown no commitment towards pursuing a leftist agenda.

Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav himself has expressed dissatisfaction at the lethargic pace of change in the administrative culture.

The party has worked extra hard to refurbish its image with the minority community and consolidate its vote banks. "All projects and new schemes are launched with only one objective in mind....appeasement of vote banks. This certainly is no great quality of a visionary leader," comments social activist Naresh Paras. Their total focus for the moment is on Lok Sabha elections and everything is being done with just one objective, how to pamper the vote banks, Paras adds.

How different is this government from the Mayawati government, is a subject being discussed hotly in political circles. Till date there has been no indication how the party in power intends providing a transparent and less corrupt governance, says socialite Sudheir Gupta,  an insurage agent. "Visit any government office, the depressing and lethargic scenario still stares you in the face."

"They are playing a dangerous game. So far the ruling party in the state has been busy appeasing the vote banks. Society could be divided on communal lines, if the present dispensation went ahead with reservation on religious ground," warns activist Madhukar Chaturvedi.

"With so many experienced leaders in the party we thought the party leadership had done enough home work and would launch an immediate assault on some of the vexing problems that the state has been grappling with. Its clear that Akhilesh Yadav is taking his own time and does not want to be seen in a hurry to act on his agenda without groundwork, knowing fully well the limitations of his party organisation," says political activist and a former socialist leader of Agra Vinay Paliwal.

"Going by past experience, one feels decision-making would not be so easy, and for sure chief ministership of as large a state as UP, is not going to be an easy cake walk," added an eco-activist Ravi Singh.

So far the only decisions taken relate to transfers of police officials and some administrative heads. "The favourites are in and those suspected of links with the previous regime are out there in the limbo," observes

a political activist Surendra Singh Baghael. The political heavy weights of the party run a parallel administration in districts. "So many times the chief minister has warned local leaders not to display party logo or flag on vehicles. But who cares?" says Mahesh Shukla, a priest.

The Samajwadi Party leadership has still to come clean on the Anna Agenda. The party has not spelt out how corruption would be contained in the government sector.

UP's higher education scenario  is in an alarming state calling for structural changes. "The worst example is of the Agra University where everything is in a rotten state, but the new dispensation has shown no interest whatsoever to inject a degree of urgency in educational reforms," notes a student leader Pavan Kumar. "Remember the Anna Impact virtually vanquished Congress in UP," says activist Shravan Kumar Singh.

Distributing tablets or cycles, is ok, but this does not address the fundamental issue of unemployment which could be attacked only by rapid economic growth. So far we see no major policy pronouncements to speed up industrialisation in the state, points out school teacher Hari Dutt Sharma.

The environmentalists particularly who have had high hopes from Akhilesh Yadav, (he holds a PG degree in environment)  are a little disappointed as the Samajwadi Party has so far made no commitments or given any indications of how rivers in UP have to be cleaned up and from where the increased demand for water would be met, says Wake Up Agra president Shishir Bhagat who recently organised Trash Clean Up programme at the Yamuna banks.

"The biggest challenge for the ruling party would be to restore a degree of sanity on roads. Most cities in UP are suffering from increasing encroachments on roads and public land. The encroachers have political patronage. From where will Akhilesh Yadav begin and how will he ensure the cities remain beehives of planned development," wonder social activists Dr Anand Rai and Sudershan Dua.

Akhilesh has to urgently address issues that inhibit industrial growth. The vast army of unemployed university graduates have to be inducted into the system. Power, water supply and the sad state of roads  are other issues that call for urgent redressal. The law and order situation has received attention but fundamental restructuring in the policing system are long-verdue.

"The Lok Sabha elections could also be held earlier than 2014 and this will also limit the chief minister's maneuvrability. Each day the BJP and the BSP are appear consolidating their grounds. Rahul Gandhi too has become wiser after his last dismal showing at the hustings in UP," points out Paras Nath Choudhary, a political commentator in Ghaziabad.

Its a huge responsibility and a big opportunity for Akhilesh Yadav to steer the direction-less state towards the goal of accelerated growth and development, but does he have the right human resources to implement his agenda? This is the big question being debated in the towns and the hinterland. "He has excited too many hopes and if he fails to deliver the backlash of frustration and disappointment could disturb the equilibrium," fears an old Lohiate Sachchendra Kumar Singh.

"So far we have no idea what sort of Samajwad  Akhilesh Yadav will usher in. The party swears by Dr Ram Manohar Lohia. Implementing his ideas would be a Himalayan challenge for this 39- year old CM. The starting point should be sensitising and re-orienting the mind-set of the rank and file. All sorts of people have joined the bandwagon in the hope of making it big in whatever way. How a control mechanism is devised to keep the local leaders and the members of the party in discipline, would indeed test the leadership qualities of Akhilesh Yadav," comments a former socialist leader Ram Kishore of Lucknow.

July 7, 2013

Create more space for pedestrians, cyclists urge experts

Agra, July 7 (IANS) Town planners in India need to provide more and more space for pedestrians and cyclists, in part to promote clean environment, experts say.

"All these years we have been planning for vehicles - and see the mess in cities," pointed out Bhure Lal, chairperson of the Environment Protection Authority for the National Capital Region.

"It is high time we began planning for mobility management in our cities. The rights of pedestrians and cyclists have to be secured," he added.

Lal, speaking at a workshop in Lucknow recently, described cyclists and pedestrians as "humble creatures" and urged authorities not to view them as obstruction to smooth traffic flow.

Lal told IANS: "We need more secured and obstruction-free pathways for pedestrians and cyclists. The authorities have to be compelled to ensure walkability and create user-friendly intersections.

"Each year more than 150,000 cyclists and pedestrians get killed.

Separate lanes need to be developed for them."

According to him, before developing a colony, a clear mobility plan for the residents, transport system and road networks planning should be done.

C.B. Paliwal, principal secretary in the urban development department of the Uttar Pradesh government, added that a separate fund to subsidise public transport was on the anvil.

City mobility plans for seven cities in UP were being finalised, he said.

Since the second rung cities in northern India were emerging as development hubs and centres of high growth, it was necessary to plan for clean air and sustainable mobility, speakers at the workshop said.

Sixty to seventy percent people in India still cycle or walk but the share of private cars has been increasing at an alarming pace, experts said.

"If speedy measures were not initiated right now to promote public transport, buses or metro, the looming disaster will take a heavy toll in terms of health hazards," one official said.

UP cities have a great potential for promotion of cycling and walking but conditions favourable to both segments have to be created.

Noida, at the edge of Delhi, has the highest share of walk trips in Uttar Pradesh. The Noida authority has planned an investment of Rs.200 crore for cycle tracks.

Agra has the highest share of cycle trips among the cities in the state.

Shally Awasthi from the department of pediatrics at the King George's Medical University here said the threats to health came from both ambient air pollution and indoor pollution.

According to a study by the Centre for Science and Environment, the diesel sulphur level in India is as high as 350 ppm. Only a few cities have 50 ppm sulphur diesel, which is five times higher than the global benchmark.

Many speakers pointed out that private cars occupied more space but served a very limited segment of the population.

A recent study carried out for the Ministry of Urban Development forecasts that smaller cities will witness a massive share of personal vehicle usage in the future.

Already Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of registered vehicles at 13.3 million followed by Haryana (5.4 million) and Punjab (5.3 million).

In the coming years, parking will be the biggest problem in cities.

But Uttar Pradesh has also seen an impressive growth of eco-friendly CNG programmes. Cities like Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Bareilly, Meerut and now Mathura and Firozabad have switched over to compressed natural gas.

CSE executive director Anumita Roychowdhury said the emerging cities so far neglected in air quality management need urgent intervention and deeper understanding of their unique challenges.

"These cities are growing rapidly and threatening to worsen the pollution and congestion nightmare," she said.

11/8/13

A PLEA TO LOOK AT PADESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS AS PROTECTORS OF ENVIRONMENT

NOT TRAFFIC,

BUT MOBILITY MANAGEMENT IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR

"All these years we have been planning for vehicles and see the mess around in cities. Its high time we began planning for mobility management in our cities. The rights of the padestrians and cyclists have to be secured and conviction strengthened to not to see these humble creatures walking or cycling not as obstructions but as nett protectors of the environment, who do not impose any burden and only minimise health hazards," chair-person, Environment Protection Authority for National Capital Region, said at a workshop on challenges of the emerging cities, held at Lucknow recently.

Talking to IANS, Bhure Lal said "we need more secured and obstruction-free pathways for padestrians and cyclists. The authorities have to be compelled to ensure walkability and create user-friendly intersections. Each year more than 1,50,000 cyclists or padestrians get killed. Separate lanes need to be developed for them." Before developing a colony, a clear mobility plan for the residents, the transport system and road networks planning should be completed, Lal added.

CB Paliwal, principal secretary, Urban Development Department of the UP government informed that a separate fund for subsidising public transport was on the anvil. City mobility plans for seven cities in UP were being finalised. He said the JNNRUM had definitely given a big push to public transport in cities.

Since the second rung cities in north India were emerging as development-hubs and centres of high growth, it was necessary to plan for clean air and sustainable mobility, speakers said. Luckily, 60 to 70 percent people in India are still cycling or walking but the share of private cars was increasing at an alarming pace. "If speedy measures were no initiated right now to promote public transport: buses or metro, the looming disaster will take a heavy toll in terms of health hazards," experts said.

UP cities have a great potential for promotion of cycling and walking but conditions favourable to both segments have to be created. Noida has highest share of walk trips and Agra has the highest share of cycle trips among the cities for which data is available with the CSE. Noida authority has planned investment of around Rs 200 crores for cycle tracks. Since a majority of residents in any city (not metros or big ones)  usually make trips not stretching beyond three kilometres, there is good scope for promoting cycling. The way to look forward is to integrate public transport with non-motorised transport modes including cycling, walking and para-transit systems.

Prof Shally Awasthi, department of Pediatrics, King George's Medical University, said the threats to health came both from ambient air pollution and the indoor pollution. Biomass fuel in rural areas increased child mortality as air pollution in cities raised the incidence of diabetes and heart ailments. Dieselisation of vehicles is a newer threat, not being taken seriously by policy-makers even when it is known that diesel emission is a class 1 carcinogen, according to a report of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a wing of the WHO. This finding comes at a time when India has failed to adopt a clean diesel road map, prevent use of under-taxed and under-priced  toxic diesel in cars.

According to a study by Centre for Science and Environment the diesel sulphur level in India is as high as 350 ppm. Only a few cities have 50 ppm sulphur diesel, which is five times higher than the global benchmark.

Many speakers wondered "where will you keep the vehicles on roads by 2020, going by the current trend towards use of private cars that occupied more space and served a very limited segment of the population." In contrast buses occupied less space and served upto 60 percent of the population.

A recent study carried out for the ministry of urban development forecasts that smaller cities will witness massive share of personal vehicle usage in the future. Already UP has the highest number of registered vehicles : 13.3 million followed by Haryana: 5.4 million, Punjab: 5.3 million. Government studies suggest that the share of cars and two-wheelers will rise the maximum in the smaller towns. In coming years, parking will be the biggest problem in cities. Being the most wasteful use of a car, parking creates insatiable demand for land.

However, in recent years in UP there has been an impressive growth of CNG programmes. Cities like Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, Bareilly, Meerut and now Mathura and Firozabad have switched over to use of CNG and brought down significantly toxic diesel emissions, despite the higher price of CNG in UP. Indeed the first generation action plans have shown some positive results. Phasing out of leaded petrol, introduction of Bharat stage III norms, restrictions on use of older vehicles, use of CNG etc., have helped bring down pollutants from ambient air, but the need is for a fundamental shift in perception and introducing drastic reforms, was the consensus.

CSE's executive director research and advocacy Anumita Roychowdhury said "the emerging cities so far neglected in air quality management need urgent intervention and deeper understanding of their unique challenges and solutions for immediate preventive action. These cities are growing rapidly and threatening to worsen the pollution and congestion nightmare."