Will Palampur go the Shimla way?

Our pretty town Palampur is urbanising at a frenetic pace; so are the other Himachal towns. The soothing, pleasing, life-giving green of deodars, pines, tea gardens, farmers’ fields and grasslands is giving way to the distasteful jungles of concrete. Construction works of all kinds are going on unabated. Even the khuds have not been spared through manipulation and political clout. Our own Aima-Sughar-Bundla area where the tea gardens once lent it special charm now presents a ghastly sight at some places with haphazard construction dominating the scene. Worse, the link roads - already narrow - have been encroached upon by the mean, unscrupulous, selfish, narrow-minded, unthinking people building mansions for themselves but creating road congestion for the generations to suffer. The public perception is that the regulatory and law-enforcing departments are either toothless tigers or have perhaps been compromised by such builders; or both. Otherwise how could anybody dare expand his boundaries to constrict a public road? And when some public-spirited people humbly request these violators to desist, they get rude and challenge you: "तुमने जो करना है वो कर लो। मैं नहीं हटने वाला।"  Because they have political connections and have mastered the art of string-pulling, bribery and corruption.

The way Palampur is expanding (see pics below) in an unregulated, unchecked manner, time is not far when civic amenities will be more severely hit. Palampur will turn into another Shimla with traffic snarls and jams becoming the order of the day even in the panchayat areas.  When acute water/power shortages - and that too for days on end - will become a regular feature. When sewage and garbage disposal will become a recurring problem. When vehicular congestion will increase manifold. When noise pollution will assault your ears 24 X 7. When the air will become toxic. When road accidents will be daily news. When landslides, flash floods and suchlike disasters will happen more frequently and more devastatingly. When Mother Nature, assaulted and violated with such reckless abandon will bear it no more, and will retaliate with fury. And the destruction and catastrophes that will then visit us will be large scale; wholesale.

Isn’t it time therefore for a moratorium on further construction at least in those sensitive areas which are already choked with concrete? Isn’t it time for the planners and policy makers to make objective assessment of the carrying capacity of all our towns in terms of the availability of natural resources and environment impact assessment to limit and regulate constructions accordingly? Isn’t it time to stem the rot?  And save our beautiful hills and lands from the monster of 'development' being guided by skewed and borrowed ideas of big cities and plains? Cannot we take a leaf out of the Bhutan book where natural assets are valued and held sacred?

Imagine, it is only now, when things have gone almost beyond repair and when Shimla has been allowed to become almost unlivable, that a master plan for its future course of development (based on its carrying capacity) is being envisaged. And that too not by the policy makers, not by the people at the helm. But at the behest of the NGT; by its insistent, repeated and firm diktat; by not allowing the expert committee to get away with obfuscation, subterfuge, dillydallying and official jugglery.

 Therefore, Palampur (as also all other hill towns) needs a unique, refreshing new model of development - an eco-friendly, sustainable, aesthetically sound, non-polluting, clean and ‘green’ one.  Let Himachal remain an oasis of clear gurgling streams, clean air, green hills, tea gardens, pines and deodars – where nature smiles, soothes, nourishes and welcomes you, as well as the visitor. Palampur is nothing if not green. Himachal is nothing if not green.

But in this mad cacophony of urbanisation who listens? Who cares?

                                                                                               

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CM's choice:what a letdown

I sincerely believed that the BJP will draw  right lessons from the recent election results. The people broke caste, communal and religious shackles and refused to be hoodwinked by the regional kingpins who thrive on these very triggers to gain power. They gave the BJP a head-turning mandate- all in the name of development. But how depressing that showing its true, basic colours, it has gone for a hard-core, ‘Hindutva’ flag-bearer Yogi Adityanath as the UP’s CM. It had excellent options such as Manoj Sinha – an educated, seasoned and a capable person - for this chair. But obviously considerations other than development and good governance held sway. I am sure this very first move must have left many among those who voted for it, aghast and disillusioned. If the BJP ignores the public sentiment and the raison d'etre why it was voted to power, and digresses from the real agenda, it would be committing a harakiri...much to the delight of Mayawatis, the Yadavs and the Kejriwaals. And that would be a sad day for India.

                                                        

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Quotes of the week

I will personally keep tabs on absentee MPs

                                  -PM Narinder Modi

I will not apologise. Why should I ?
                                  - Shiv Sena MP R Gaikwad who beat up Air India staff

                                  

I don't like wasting money on expensive outfits

                                  - Alia Bhatt

Start respecting human beings

                                  - Comedian Sunil Grover to Kapil Sharma

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Random headlines

Norway happiest country, India ranks 122 in the World Happiness Report (Pakistan, Nepal fare better; China 79, Pak 80, Nepal 99, Bengla Desh 110)

                                      - Livemint

British Physicist Stephan Hawking, 75,  plans to travel to space

                                      - Business Standard

EC backs lifetime ban on convicted lawmakers

                                       - Deccan Herald

Pregnant cow falls 40 feet and then swims to safety

                                                       - Deccan Herald

Up to 1 in 5 high blood pressure diagnoses may be wrong: study

                                       - Deccan Herald

Eating cheese may make you slimmer:study

                                       - Deccan Herald

After record temperatures last year, 2017 already marked by climate extremes: UN

                                       - HT

Drinkers, you should never mix alcohol with energy drinks:new research

                                      - Zee News

Deadly spider's venom may prevent stroke damage: study

                                      - Deccan Herald

63 million in India do not have access to clean water

                                      - Deccan Herald
Earth Hour: switch off lights on March 25 from 8.30 PM to 9.30 PM please. Will you?

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