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Delhi A Role Model of Urban India Part 1
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Delhi A Role Model of Urban India Part 1
Dr. K. P. Agrawal
Consultant and former National Coordinator National Agricultural Innovation Project Indian Council of Agricultural Research New Delhi – 110001
EDUCREATION PUBLISHING (Since 2011) www.educreation.in
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About The Book
The book, packed in 22 chapters, provides in-depth and detailed information on different aspects of urban development. Issues, such as education, health, power, transport, stray animals, tourism, water, greenery, pollution, waste and sanitation management, disaster management, adulteration, crimes, social life, civic infrastructure, encroachment, unauthorized construction and illegal colonies, which the people in Delhi have been confronting for long, have been covered under the book. As Delhi is the national capital and the mirror of the country, the author has attempted to focus on the development of it as a role model of the urban India, to be replicated by others in respect of issues that affect the day-to- day life of a common man, people of all age groups, sex, religion, region, poor and rich, students, public and private sectors, bureaucrats, businessmen, industrialists and politicians. The book will be of immense value to policymakers, programme planners, public and private sectors, NGOs, social workers, environmental workers, educationists, developmental practitioners and the Delhiites who dream to see Delhi as “a world-class city”.
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About The Author
Dr. K. P. Agrawal obtained his Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry (B.V. Sc. & AH), 1968, and Master of Veterinary Science (M.V. Sc.), 1972, from the Veterinary College, Mathura, and Ph.D. (1980) from Indian Veterinary Research Institute (I.V.R.I.), Izatnagar. He had a humble beginning of his research/teaching career as a demonstrator in the Physiology Department at the Veterinary College, Mathura (December 1968 to September 1970). Since then, he has been working in different capacities: as research assistant; senior research assistant; scientist; senior scientist at I.V.R.I., Izatnagar; associate research scientist/associate professor/research scientist at the Veterinary College, Gujarat Agricultural University, Gujarat; and scientist-S3/principal scientist/ head of the division at the Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom. He was selected as the director of the Department of Biotechnology, the Ministry of Science and Technology, New Delhi, in 1990. He has 38 years of service experience, of which 30 years of wide experience in research, teaching, extension, research management, policy planning and institutional building. His signifi cant research contribution is in the area of embryo transfer technology. He assumed the responsibility of the National Coordinator of the World Bank-assisted National Agricultural Technology Project. (NATP) on 1st April, 1999. As a follow-up of the NATP, he continued as the National Coordinator of another World Bank-aided project, the National Agricultural Innovation Project (NAIP), and served for 2 years before he retired in July 2007. His basic pay on superannuation in 2007 was Rs. 80,026 (including NPA)+allowances. He has 350 publications to his credit, of which 30 are books, chapters in books, monographs and bulletins. Dr. Agrawal has been the recipient of several awards/honours during his academic and research career. After retirement, Dr. K.P. Agrawal worked as a Senior Consultant in World Bank-Supported Projects, such as the “Water Sector Restructuring Project” in Madhya Pradesh, “Rajasthan Agricultural Competitive Project” in Rajasthan and “National Agricultural Innovation Project” in Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Dr. Agrawal also authored a book on “Water” after retirement. Currently he is an independent consultant in several research and development programmes in agriculture and allied sectors in the country. Dr. K. P. Agrawal G-29 Brahma Apartments Sector 7, Plot 7, Dwarka New Delhi – 110075 Email: [email protected] Mob: +91 9312393677
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From Author’s Desk
Our dream is to see India a developed country in the 21st century. There is a need to improve the living conditions and to build a congenial atmosphere to make cities livable. As cities play a vital role in the development of a nation, let this process to start with Delhi. I joined as the national coordinator in World Bank-aided National Agricultural Technology Project at the ICAR Headquarters, New Delhi, in 1999 and also worked/working as consultant with different organizations after retirement. During my stay in Delhi for 16 years, I have come across several issues that the people in Delhi have been confronting in their day-to-day life. Poor public transport; short and erratic supply of electricity; shortage and poor-quality water; the polluted Yamuna; lack of access to education for every child; lack of access to sewer lines for every home; poor infrastructures at places such as houses, roads, parks and community places; access to treatment; freedom from pollution; traffi c chaos; haphazard overhead wires and transformers; and issues related to unauthorised construction and illegal colonies. All these issues have been covered under Part 1 of the book. The other issues — which are equally important, such as corruption, governance, political, bureaucratic and judicial processes, civic problems and service delivery, social and developmental programmes, their outcome and impact, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), Delhi and the National Capital Territory (NCT), the rural Delhi and developing Dwarka as a model smart city, including full statehood to Delhi — will be covered under Part 2 of the book. The ultimate aim is to develop Delhi a role model for the urban India. I often hear, “Delhi a world-class city”, “Dilli dil walon kee”, “Delhi is one of the best capitals of the world” and “per capita income of Delhiites is the highest in the country” etc. On the contrary, there are people, including foreigners who used to say, “Delhi is a crime capital”, “Delhi is a rape capital”, “Delhi is the capital of stray animals”, “Delhi is the capital of beggars” and “Delhi is one of the most polluted cities of the world”. These good and bad comments on Delhi inspired me to analyze the situation and write a book on Delhi. The title has been chosen after a thorough and serious research during my stay in Delhi for last 16 years. As Delhi is the national capital and the mirror of the country, the author’s attempt is to focus on the development of it as a model for the urban India, to be replicated by others in respect of issues that affect the day-to-day life of a common man and people of all age groups, sex, religion, region, poor and rich, students, public and private sectors, bureaucrats, businessmen, industrialists and politicians. The aim is to give a message to the countrymen about the issues confronting the country’s progress, particularly of the urban India. The book broadly covers four issues — social, environmental, infrastructural and security. The book, packed in 22 chapters, provides an exhaustive account of several burning issues that are confronting Delhi in terms of its development as a world-class city.
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The sources of information in the manuscript are important articles from national dailies such as Hindustan Times, Times of India, The Economic Times, The Hindu, Navbharat Times (Hindi); magazines such as Outlook, GEO, Down to Earth and the Speaking Tree, the Dwarka Forum; the reports of various committees, commissions, developmental programmes, media, internet, personal communication and on spot observations by the author. Valued inputs from different sources are gratefully acknowledged. My grateful thanks are also to different organizations, media, scientists, social and extension workers and developmental agencies working on the social, cultural, environmental, infrastructural, security and other allied sectors in the country, with particular reference to urban development. Without their support, it would not have been possible. It is also a pleasure to acknowledge the help rendered by Mr. Pankaj for typing the manuscript. Last but not the least, I express my heartfelt appreciation to my wife Mrs. Shakuntala Agrawal, my daughter in law Mrs. Parul Agarwal, my son Mr. Jayesh Agarwal and my grandsons Atharv and Naman for their wholehearted support and encouragement in writing the book. The book, which has been written in an extremely reader friendly manner, will be of immense value to policymakers, programme planners, public and private sectors, NGOs, social workers, environmental workers, educationists, developmental practitioners and the Delhiites who dream to see Delhi, “a world- class city”. The views expressed by the author are personal and derived after thorough studies of valued documents.
Dr. K. P. Agrawal Mobile: +919312393677 Email: [email protected]
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Table of Contents
Page General 1. About the Book v 2. About the Author vi 3. From Author’s Desk vii
Chapters 1. Introduction 1 2. Education 9 3. Health 53 4. Power 88 5. Transport 104 6. Delhi, A City of Acute Water Crisis 156 7. Delhi’s Green Belt and Forest Cover 189 8. Pollution 201 9. Waste and Its Management 230 10. Sanitation and Strategies to Manage It 247 11. Adulteration and Its Impact on Health 262 12. Disaster Management 288 13. Delhi’s Heritage and Tourism 301 14. Stray Animals on Delhi Roads 310 15. Delhi’s Civic Infrastructure and Monsoon Miseries 324 16. Encroachment, Unauthorized Construction and Defacement of Properties 352 17. Delhi in Crimes and Safety Aspects 389 18. Senior Citizens Feel Unsecured 424 19. Delhi, Incredibly Unsafe for Women 451 20. Rising Social Abuses Against Children 473 21. Female Foeticide and Dwindling Sex Ratio 505 22. Delhi is High in Social Evils and Low in Civic Sense 519
Annexures A. Blue Book 534 B. Governance and Monitoring System 546 C. Acronyms 556 D. Literature Cited 565
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Delhi “A Role Model” of Urban India - Part 1
1. INTRODUCTION ______
India, in-spite of being one of the most rapidly urbanizing countries in the world, has not fi gured prominent in the chart of sustainable urbanization. You talk of any kind of work, be it related to roads, drains, sanitation, waste management, water, health, education, security, transport, housing and other infrastructure, it is always a quick-fi x approach. The need is to make the urban areas great places to live. The situation even in Delhi, the national capital, is not better than any other urban area of the country. Let urban development start with the development of Delhi as a role model of the urban India. An idea of building seven new cities, including two smart cities, under the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), was conceptualized in early 2013. Later in 2014, the Government of India adopted the idea of developing 100 smart cities, which is a welcome move. The idea of developing 100 smart cities is a good one, but what is more important is to reinvent the very idea of urban growth in the country. The government in terms of the “Smart City Scheme” should not think of copying the model cities of the already developed Western World. While the idea to build smart city means bringing in smart technologies, we should not forget that the country has utterly failed to make use of the available technologies to improve the effi ciency with regard to resource use and improvement in terms of services. The Indian situation is different. The cost of growth is not affordable for most of us. Our primary concern is to improve the status of life. The aim should be fi rst to improve what exists — rather than building new ones. The need is to repair the groaning urban settlements by providing clean water to all, by managing the growing mountains of garbage, by treating the sewage before we destroy our rivers and by doing something as basic as breathing without inhaling toxins. The second approach is to provide Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA), a noble dream of late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the former president of India. Why do we want to turn our cities into Tokyo, Shanghai or Singapore? The basic need is to turn our numbered cities into livable models for others to emulate. The current model of resource management, developed in the rich western cities, is costly. We cannot afford this. We need a humane approach for urban growth. We have to review what already exists with respect to pure water availability; building sustainable sewerage networks (such as the use of septic tanks or open drains for sewage treatment); fi nding alternate means of energy generation (such as the wind energy or solar energy); improving mobility by promoting the public transport system that services such as buses and metro rails; and improving the health, education and security sectors. We should concentrate on being smart in our work and responsibility rather than building smart cities. Delhi, which many consider close to a 5,000-year-old city and has historically been the capital of one or the other empire throughout its existence, is one of the
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Dr. K. P. Agrawal
longest-serving capitals in the world. The modern city has the remnants of at least 11 capital cities: 1) It was Indraprastha, built by Pandavas in the ancient era; 2) Qila Rai Pithora, built by the Tomars as Lal Kot and renamed after the famous warrior king Prithvi Raj Chauhan; 3) Mehrauli, built by Qutub-ud-din Aibak in the 12th century; 4) Siri, built by Alauddin Khilji in 1303; 5) Tughluqabad, built by Ghiyasuddin Tughluq (1321–1325); 6) Delhi was Jahanpanah, which was built by Muhammad bin Tughluq (1325–1351); 7) it was Ferozabad, built by Firuz Shah Tughluq who ruled from 1351 to 1388; 8) Dinpanah, built by Humayun and Shergarh built by Sher Shah Suri, both in the area near the speculated site of legendary Indraprastha (1538-1545); then 9) Delhi was the Lodi Complex, built by the Lodi rulers and the least signifi cant of all dynasties of the Delhi sultanate (1451-1526); 10) it was Shahjahanbad, the walled city now known as “Old Delhi”, built by Shah Jahan (1638-1649); and Finally 11) the new city became Lutyens’ Delhi, built by the British on the south-western side of Shahjahanbad in 1911 (Source: The Economic Times, 12-12-2011). At the turn of the 20th Century, the British decided to shift the capital from Calcutta to Delhi, declared the latter as the new capital of the British India and laid the foundation stone of a New Delhi on December 11, 1911. The British chose its capital New Delhi, which was spacious, airy and green. The land at the east of Yamuna was acquired for developing it as a garden city and the gardens to be used as the lungs of New Delhi. The British India’s new capital, located mostly outside the walled city, was carved out of scattered villages in and around a rocky, dusty and ridge area populated by jackals, leopards and peacocks. The heart of the city then was in North Delhi at Civil Lines, Chandani Chowk, Alipur and the Kashmere Gate. Gradually architectural marvels such as the Viceroys’s House, Secretariat, Council House and All India War Memorial were added. The area beyond the Ajmeri Gate was known as New Delhi. Today’s South and East Delhi were mango grooves and graveyards back then. Shahadara in East Delhi was a small settlement in the middle of fi elds and scattered villages. Although shifting of the capital to Delhi was announced in 1911, the work started only in 1918, after the World War-I ended. About 13 crore rupees were spent to build the imperial capital. Nearly 29,000 workers, including 2,500 skilled stone cutters, worked day and night to build New Delhi. The capital’s layout and designing was done by Chief Architect Edwin Lutyens. His name became so popular that the city even now is referred to as Lutyens’ Delhi. The important architectural marvels and other structures that were added later to Delhi are described below. The Rashtrapati Bhavan (the then Viceroys’s House) was completed in the late 1920s. It is now the offi cial residence of the President of India. The total area covering the Rashtrapati Bhawan and its ground is 330 acres. It is a complex of great courts, magnifi cent state rooms, stairways, fountains and gardens. The Mughal Garden laid out in Mughal style is located on its western side. The Secretariat (the North and the South Blocks) was completed in 1930. It is a four-storeyed building, each fl oor with about 1,000 rooms. The building was used to house all important British bureaucrats. When the building fell short of space,
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Delhi “A Role Model” of Urban India - Part 1
new hutments were created to cater to the growing demand for rooms. The British ruled for 17 years, and in 1947, the Secretariat became the seat of power of the sovereign India. The Parliament House (the then Council House), whose foundation stone was laid on February 12, 1921, was ready in six years’ time and inaugurated on January 18, 1927. The Parliament House became the most important building of the independent India for holding joint sessions of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The chamber of princes of the Parliament House was used by the Supreme Court of India for a decade after the independence. The Parliament House Annexe and the Parliament Library Building are additions of the independent India to accomodate the growing demand for space. The India Gate (the then All India War Memorial) was completed in 1931. The India Gate is dedicated to nearly 70,000 Indian Soldiers who died during the World War I at the North-West Frontier and in the third Afghan war of 1919. The height of India Gate is 138 feet. The “Amar Jawan Jyoti” was added along the tomb of an unknown soldier in 1971. Other Palacious Buildings: The construction of magnifi cent architectural marvels by the imperial rulers in New Delhi was not just limited to the Viceroy’s House, the Secretariat, the Council’s House and the All India War Memorial, the British India’s New Capital had several other splendid buildings too, such as the Hyderabad House, the Baroda House and the Jaipur House as princes’ palaces. Each prince was allocated 8 acres of land in the princes’ park at the end of the King’s Way. The Hyderabad House was built in 1928 for the Nizam of Hyderabad, the richest man in the world in those days. It was the largest and the grandest of all palaces in New Delhi. The building designed by Edwin Lutyens cost $ 200,000. The mansion house has 36 rooms. Now the palace is the venue of offi cial banquets hosted by the Indian government. The Baroda House situated next to the Hyderabad House was another magnifi cent building designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1921. The building was ready in 1936 and is now used as the headquarters of the Northern Railways. The Jaipur House (now the National Gallery of Modern Art) is located opposite to the Hyderabad House. The building was built in 1936. The butterfl y-shaped building was designed by British architect Charles Blomfi eld. In 2009, the building had a new wing, which stands in perfect harmony with the old building. Lutyen’s Delhi Bungalows: The British plan was to build a new capital, a city of gardens where at least one third of the area would be left as green space. The population density planned was 15 persons per acre in Lutyens’ Delhi, compared to the 1,500 persons per acre in the walled city of the Old Delhi. Most of the bungalows were single-storeyed, built on large plots ranging from 2 to 10 acres having porches, high ceilings, verandas and sprawling lawns to help beat the heat of Indian summer. The built-in-portion of most of the bungalows was 7% of the ground area. Because of its huge greenery and open area, New Delhi in British India was the only city in the world where the centre of the city was 4 degree Celsius cooler than the peripheral areas.
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Dr. K. P. Agrawal
Other structures of historical importance in Delhi are the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutub Minar, the Qutub Complex, Siri, Purana Qila and Firoz Shah Kotla, apart from temples such as Birla Mandir and the Bahai Temple popularly known as the Lotus Temple. Important parks and gardens in Delhi include the Lodi Garden, Mughal Garden, Rose Garden, Talkotra Garden, Nehru Park, Budha Jayanti Park, India Gate lawns and the Zoological Park. Some important sites/memorials where parks are well developed are Raj Ghat, Shanti Van, Vijay Ghat, Shakti Sthal and Ladakh Budha Vihar. Other buildings that had already come up with the inauguration of New Delhi were Gole Market, the Lady Harding Medical College, the Gymkhana Club, Free Church, several princely states, some educational institutions, Connaught Place, New Delhi’s shopping plazas, Minto Bridge and Gol Dak Khana. It took 20 years to build New Delhi before it was formally inaugurated in1931. The British ruled from this modern seat of power for about 15 years after taking 20 long years to make it. India became independent on August 15, 1947. One thing we Indians must appreciate is the good work the English people did by providing architectural marvels and a rich heritage for New Delhi. They had tremendous love and affection for good work. It was apparent by the feelings and sentiments that architect Lutyens had when he left the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the last time. He wiped the stones with his handkerchief and kissed it. We lack such love and affection for our rich heritage. It is because of a long neglect that our rich heritages are vanishing. A Joint survey covering all the big cities of the country by the TATA Strategic Management Group, National Sample Survey Organization and Census 2001 graded Delhi as the No. 1 among all the big cities of the country. The “Mercer 2010 Quality of Living Survey” also graded Bangalore and Delhi as the best among the Indian cities. According to a study by Singapore-based “Centre for Liveable Cities” to rank 64 cities across the world, including 36 from Asia, none of the Indian cities did qualify among the top fi ve in the world or in Asia. The basis of ranking was fi ve liveability factors — good governance, urban infrastructure, environmental friendliness and sustainalability, quality of life, and economic vibrancy. According to the “Quality Living Report-2015” of the Best Quality Life Style Cities by the global consultancy fi rm “Merser,” based on living parameters, Viana, the capital of Austria, is at top position. In India, Hyderabad is at top position (ranked at 138), followed by Bangalore (146), Chennai (151), Mumbai (152), Delhi (154) and Kolkata (160). It is time to improve the performance before the situation worsens. Grading Delhi as the No.1 city among all the big cities of the county is like “Andhon Main Kana Sardar” (one eyed leader among the blinds). We should not forget that India is one of the dirtiest countries of the world. Strategic plan as early as 1961 to develop satellite towns like Ghaziabad, after Loni Faridabad, Gurgaon, Sonepat and Bahadurgarh around Delhi was developed. The main aim was to develop satellite towns as the part of a Greater Delhi. A three-member committee was constituted to work out a plan for the Greater Delhi. The suggestions given by the committee did not materialize, and therefore, the
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Delhi “A Role Model” of Urban India - Part 1
purpose of developing satellite towns as part of the Greater Delhi was defeated. The satellite towns have been developed by their respective state governments without an integrated and holistic approach. Finally, the development of satellite towns came up as the National Capital Region (NCR) rather than a component of the Greater Delhi. The country failed to achieve the goal of the Greater Delhi. Two satellite towns, New Okhla Indiustrial Development Area (NOIDA) and Gurgaon, and their development during the last few plans are mentioned here for reference. NOIDA, one of the fast-growing cities in NCR was established in 1976. Initially, better infrastructures, affordable housing and lucrative job opportunities made it a city of opportunities and aspirations. The picture of the city of opportunities and aspirations, however, has changed in the recent past. According to a survey carried out by lpsos Indica Research, the developments are not satisfactory. The infrastructure development has failed to keep pace with the growing population needs. Acute power shortage is the most appalling problem in the city. Industries are shuttering down. Encroachments, traffi c jams and dearth of parking space have affected mobility. The other satellite city in the NCR, Gurgaon, the so-called millennium city, is also not free from problems such as poor water supply, power shortage, lack of public transportation, absence of institutes of higher learning and the rise in crime rates. Poor civic infrastructure development not commenssurating with growing population (25 lakhs) is the main reason for problems. Voices have been raised to make Delhi a world-class city. Yes, Delhi has the potential to become a world-class city and a role model for the urban India. However, before we build Delhi a world-class city, the fi rst and foremost issues to be addressed include: 1) a fi ght for quality education and skill-based training for enhancing employment opportunities; 2) availability of quality water for everyone and freeing the Yamuna from pollution and encroachment; 3) ensuring access of everyone to sewer line; 4) improving infrastructures such as roads, parks, parking spaces and electricity; 5) bringinig changes in the mindset of people who pull each other down in public; 6) introducing biparty system in politics like the United States; 7) bringing in judicial and electoral reforms and stronger anti-corruption laws; 8) ensuring full statehood to Delhi for better governance; 9) ensuring access to the Right to Information (RTI) to everybody; 10) improving the overall accountability in all sectors (public and private); 11) improving sanitation facilities; 12) providing higher level of security with more focus on women, senior citizens and school children; 13) and harnessing the power of cinema and media for social change. Delhi in Civic Parameters: Delhi has not only failed to address core issues, such as education, health, public transport, drains, condition of slums as well as jhuggi and jhoparis (makeshift huts), illegal construction, public distribution system (PDS), night shelters, waste management and sanitation, but Delhiites fall short in improving on a number of social parameters also, such as road rage, stalking, urinating in open, spitting, using abusive languages, not following queues, unnecessary blowing of horns, not respecting senior citizens and women, misuse of power, not casting the vote, not following traffi c rules and parking their vehicles anywhere. A survey by the Bangalore-based “Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy” has ranked Delhi the fi fth among Indian cities in terms of four civic parameters: 1)
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Dr. K. P. Agrawal
urban planning and design (UPD), 2) urban capacities and resources (UCR), 3) empowered and legitimate political representation (ELPR) and 4) transparency, accountability and participation (TAP). According to the Janaagraha Centre, Delhi also lags in terms of political representation and accountability. A number of audit queries on fi nancial and project-related discrepancies have been pending in Delhi since 1964 (Source: TOI-07-06-2014). Delhi in Terms of Prosperity and Quality of Life: Delhi is the fi rst in ranking among all other states of the country in the scale of annual income (Rs. 1,35,814 per capita per annum), according to the Central Statistical Organization Report of 2010-11. However, according to a UN study covering 95 global cities, Mumbai and Delhi ranked 52nd and 58th respectively and were much below other Asian cities — such as Bangkok, Hanoi, Beijing, Jakarta or Manila — in terms of prosperity. The New City Prosperity Index tracked each of these cities on the basis of its performance on fi ve key indicators: productivity, urban infrastructure, quality of life, environmental sustainability and equity. One of the fi rst casualties of the increasingly fast-paced life in cities is poor community life. People have less time to spend with family, neighbours or friends. Pressure at work and responsibilities at home have eaten into people’s leisure time across the board. As urbanization is cramming more and more people into its limited spaces, avenues for a meaningful community life are becoming scarce. Demands for sports facilities, public parks and space for cultural activities is increasing with congestion of cities. The survey reveals that citizens of big metro cities, such as Delhi and Mumbai, are not happy with the amount of time they spend with their family and friends. Parameters to assess the quality of life in Delhi include energy requirement, sanitation, greenery in the city and its housing amenities. Are people in Delhi happy? What about an individual’s relation with the neighbors and society? Do Delhiites live a connected life? Can we develop Delhi (to a level of sociability) into a city of Montgomery’s time, where residents would walk down their neighborhood streets several times in a day, chatting with acquaintances? Delhi in Social Life: Delhi, considered one of India’s best cities in a national index (Source: Mercer Urban Index published in 2012), shows up with a serious fl aw in terms of the assessment of its public life. The city life has become a series of closed systems, where fear and insecurity confi nes the residents to increasingly private realms. The big houses are surrounded by high boundaries with security guards and electronic surveillance. People prefer to move to apartment complexes where community and sporting activities, pools and entertainment activities are promoted. It is more a gated community where social and cultural life is privatized and residents remain under 24x7 security cover and are entirely dissociated from the norms of collective living. Virtually, no social order exists outside the bounds of family. The absence of walkable space, usable parks, libraries, meeting areas or any activity of cooperative intent makes the city merely an assortment of private houses and institutions. Crowded City Can Barely Cope with Basic Needs: The NCR has become the second most populated city zone (25 million) in the world after Tokyo (38
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Delhi “A Role Model” of Urban India - Part 1
million). According to a latest report of the United Nations, the population of Delhi and the areas (NCR) around it is going to jump to 36 million from the current 25 million by 2030. Delhi has numerous challenges. Traffi c and transport, water supply, housing, roads, energy, pollution, waste management, drainage system, health, education, security, crime control, law-and-order situation, slum development, human traffi cking and poverty are the issues confronting Delhi’s development. These all problem areas need urgent attention. Constant run on the city’s scarce resources and lack of vision and planning has led to a crisis in the national capital’s development. The gap between the demand the supply sides in terms of the essential infrastructures, as mentioned below, is widening fast (Source: TOI-12-07-2014). Power: There is a 10–15 percent yearly jump in power demand. The present demand has crossed 5,800 megawatt (MW), which is likely to touch 7,000 MW next year. Delhi generates barely 20 percent of its power. Road: There is a 7–8 percent jump in annual traffi c on city roads as against the 2–3 percent world wide. The ideal traffi c volume should be 1,500 vehicles per hour per lane, while the actual is up to 10,000 vehicles per hour per lane. Transport: There are 80 lakh vehicles in the city, of which only 7,000 are buses, while 24 lakh people use metro rails daily and 80,000 use auto rickshaws. Water: Delhi needs 1,050–1,200 MGD (millions of gallons per day), while only 835 MGD is available. Housing: The Master Plan Delhi 2021 estimates the population to go up to 230 lakhs by 2021. For that, 24 lakh housing units will be needed. But Delhi will have only 21 lakh houses and have a shortfall of 3 lakh households by 2021. Health: Delhi has the highest infant mortality rate among all metros. Approximately 28 of the 1,000 newborns die within the fi rst year of birth. Twenty percent deliveries still take place at home. There are only 2.55 hospital beds per 1,000 population, while World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 5 beds per 1,000. On an average, 23 daily deaths occur due to respiratory diseases. Education: Among the higher education institutions, there are 200 undergraduate collages, with seats available at the tune of 1.2 lakh amid a demand of 4 lakh seats. There are 20 postgraduate collages, with 20,000 seats available, while the demand is of 1.5 lakh. There are 4,600 schools in the national capital with 40 lakh enrolment in the face of a demand of 55–60 lakh enrolments. Environment: A quick glance — air pollution is likely to be double of what is now by 2020 in Delhi. Greater use (80 percent) of public transport can restrict air pollution to the current levels. Fourty-six percent of NCR does not have sewerage yet and most sewage treatment plants (STPs) are not running on full capacity either. Waste Management: Daily waste generation is 8,000 metric tones in Delhi, which is going up by 10 percent annually. Of the four landfi ll sites, three are saturated, and there is a need for two more landfi lls, but there is no space to create any more.
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Dr. K. P. Agrawal
Space Crunch: Delhi is the most densely populated city in the country (11,297 persons per square kilometer in 2011, up from 9,294 in 2001). Delhi is spread over 1,483 square kilometers. Space crunch in Delhi is a grave problem. Space crunch is not only confi ned to the living, but it is also taking a toll on the dead now. At least fi ve of the city’s eight Christian cemeteries are almost full and have no space available. In fact, the shrinking burial space is forcing a change in the Christian funeral practices. Many Christians are forced to opt for cremation because of the lack of burial spaces in the city; others are going for the option of reusing graves — digging up the existing grave for a second burial. However, reuse is allowed only after 10 years, and only the people whose family members have already been buried in the cemetery are allowed to avail of this facility (Source: HT 02-03-2014). Delhi is hard pressed to deal with infrastructure demands of a whopping 25 million population. Hundreds of millions of migrants from neighboring states add to the problem. It is a serious issue. You cannot stop migration. People leave their native places because their livelihoods are not secured and nor do they have employment opportunity at their native places. Migrated people in Delhi are also not happy. Many sleep under the sky and without two square meals. Most of the migrants being ill equipped is a big challenge for Delhi. The process of delivering civic amenities to migrants, including locals, is fading. It will further fade if remedial measures are not adopted immediately. The problem is complex. There is no magic-wand or quick-fi x solution to solve the problem. Short-term approaches were taken in the past but all have been futile. People are migrating to urban areas because their livelihoods are in danger. The only solution to control migration is to provide Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA), a dream of Dr. A. P. J. Kalam, the former president of India. There is need for a holistic approach and a long-term plan for a sustainable solution. Developing need-based infrastructure, entrepreneurship and skill development, cottage industries, sustainable agriculture and creation of job opportunities are the needs to ensure livelihood security in rural areas that will automatically stop migration. Expending Delhi horizontally and not vertically should be an approach for sustainable development. Delhi has completed 100 years on December 2011. The British developed several architectural marvels and other structures in New Delhi during their regime. The city inherited several monuments of the Mughal dynasty as well. Signifi cant monuments, buildings and sites listed in the Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone, a 2,600 hectare area built to house government offi cials and administrative offi ces in the British India, which gave the city a distinctive and rare character, are endangered (World Monument Fund, 2002 Report). We got independence on August 15, 1947. What has been added to enrich Delhi with respect to its social, cultural, environmental, educational, health and infrastructure development during the 67 years of independence and what is further required for developing Delhi into a role model for the urban India by 2025 have been discussed and addressed in the book.
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Delhi “A Role Model” of Urban India - Part 1
2. EDUCATION ______
Education in India has gone through several ups and down during the last 7 decades of independence. It has made giant strides after independence. The number of students registering in schools and colleges has increased manifold. The number of universities has almost reached the fi gure 350. Medical and technical education has fl ourished. Higher education is within the reach of even rural folks. India can be proud of its achievements in these fi elds. Along with these developments, there have been several notes of discord too. An acute resource crunch, frequent strikes by the students and teachers, lack of commitment, growing indiscipline, poor infrastructure and inconsistency in the implementation of reforms suggested by several committees/commissions have pushed the education system, in particular higher education, in shambles. Reservation, rather than doing anything good to the socially and economically weaker sections of the society, has been mostly used as a tool for the vote-bank politics. Education had never been a priority area and suffered from the Mandal-style vote-bank politics. An attempt has been made to highlight the present scenario of education in general and Delhi in particular. Elementary education, secondary education and higher education, including social and ethical issues, have been covered in this chapter.
Elementary Education Quality elementary education has long-lasting effects on the socio-economic status as well as the overall success of a child’s path towards adulthood. Improving elementary education is the key to several problems of social and education sector that the country is confronted with. India’s literacy rate was 64.8 percent and 72.9 percent (urban: 79.9 percent and 84.1 percent and rural: 58.7 percent and 67.7 percent; male: 75.30 percent and 80.89 percent and female: 53.7 percent and 64.64 percent) in 2001 and 2011 respectively. According to the 2014 Social and Research Institute–IMRB national survey report, more than 60 lakh children in the age group of 6 and 13 years alone are currently out of school across the country. There are about 13 lakh schools in India, of which one lakh are privately owned and managed. The demand for private education far outstrips its capacity. Therefore, there is a need for private investment in education. Delhi in its 100 years has achieved special signifi cance in the fi eld of education. The number of schools was limited in 1911. Now there are about 950 government schools, more than 1,700 MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) schools and about 2,000 private schools in Delhi. The literacy rate in Delhi, which was 30–35 percent in 1911, has reached 75 percent in 2001 and 86 percent in 2011. The total enrolment of students has increased from 40,000 in 2001 to 1,12,000 in 2011 (Source: NBT 06.12.2011).
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Dr. K. P. Agrawal
Schemes/Programmes to Improve Literacy Rate: According to the Article 45 of the Indian Constitution framed in 1950, the country shall endeavour to provide within a period of 10 years from the commencement of this constitution, free and compulsory education until they complete the age of 14 years. A number of programmes have been launched by the government to improve the literacy rate in the country. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the government’s fl agship primary education programme, launched in 2001, was aimed to ensure that every child goes to school. In a span of 6–7 years, the enrolment increased to 96.4 percent in 2007–08 from 81 percent in 2001. However, the programme suffered due to high drop-out rate. The Millennium Development Goal was to ensure that every child goes to school by 2015. India also celebrates 5th September every year a teachers’ day to create awareness among the mass about education. According to the Joint Review Mission 2009, 13 crore are studying in schools, of which 4.6 crore children drop out of schools in India. According to the report, 29 percent children at primary level and 51 percent at upper primary level leave the school. One third of world’s illiterates reside in India. The Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009 was aimed to provide free and compulsory education to every child in the age group of 6–14 years. Within 3–4 years of the RTE Act implementation, most of the schools have landed way off the target. The programmes — SSA, MDM and RTE — and their implementation status have been elaborated below. Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Scheme: The Mid-day Meal Scheme, the world’s biggest free lunch programme for school children was launched to protect the children from class-room hunger, increase attendance and improve inter-caste interaction. The scheme, on an average, provides more than 12 crore school children with meals on all working days at about Rs. 5,000 crore a year of tax payers’ money. Children up to the middle school levels have been covered under the scheme. The programme suffers from several irregularities. There have been reports of poor- quality meals infested with rats, frogs and several other microorganisms being served to the children. Children in Delhi have also been victim of poor-quality meals. According to a news report published in The Hindu, dated 23.04.2009, some children started vomiting, suffered from abdominal pain and nausea after a round of mid-day meal had been served to them. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA): The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Education for All) was launched in 2001 with an aim to improve the infrastructure, innovation, incentive and teacher education. The SSA has contributed remarkably to improve school infrastructure, establishing new schools and appointing new teachers. But it has failed to meet the critical challenges of revitalising teacher education institutions and improving student learning, which should have been the focus of it. The SSA works on an annual work-plan basis. This short-term approach has undermined perspective planning and the development of a long-term vision for change in classroom-teaching practices and systemic reforms. SSA state project directors (SPDs), who often have no experience of working in the education sector, prefer to implement short-term projects designed to show quick results. These interven tions change almost every year with changes in SPDs. This precludes any
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Delhi “A Role Model” of Urban India - Part 1
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