Response to Facts, Data, Statements, Action Plan etc in CRISIL-PMC Final Draft & Presentation to State Level JNNURM Committee

Response to
Facts, Data, Statements, Action Plan etc in CRISIL-PMC Final Draft & Presentation to State Level JNNURM Committee

Nothing In the CDP Action Proposed on PMC Web and the PP to State Level Committee on inter alia

No conceptual clarity No longsighted holistic vision

No comprehensive apprehensive approach to water ‑ protection of surface and ground water, the demands likely to be generated by industries. NO BAN on Golf course or Water Parks, any conscientiousness and broad outlook about the fact that Pune freshwater bodies (aquifers for all we know) flow into surrounding villages, Karnataka State and serve animals and birds

Agro-economy connection & the fact that agro-economy is at LOW 2.3% growth rate]

Hinterland/surrounding villages links with education economic activities, jobs, holidays

No Sensitively Conceptualised Plan to deal with/ minimize impact on, hundreds of families of dislocation being caused relentlessly by the public and private infrastructure and industry development process and would wrecked to promote the current model of “development”

Creating equitable opportunities for children & youth belonging to disadvantaged classes, groups

Rs 1-3 lakhs annual income groups who perhaps form one of the largest if not The largest segment of city population

The Pune Specials as both the location and the hub of the most important teertha/ punya kshetra-s of Maharashtra

How a city which does not even a standby electric supply station and must shut down weekly for maintenance and must shut down supply for minimum 4 hours a day, will meet the needs of its new avatar in addition to the new housing etc plan for at least 40.4 %

Incorporating in the new dynamics, the distinctiveness of Pune as environmentally endowed peace-loving city committed to education-culture-civilisational identity with a definitive worldview.

Proactive prevention of the usual fall-out of anarchically      growing cities

            [Other issues dealt with in my inputs independent-of- CRISIL_PMC Action Proposal Drafts before seeing the official PMC_CRISIL material]
                  ___________________________

POINT BY POINT Response to CRISIL_PMC “Plans”

[Official Document extracts in Quotes in regular brown fonts, my comments in italics preceded by 3 star red bullet]

Response to PPP to State level Steering Committee JNNURM

01 “JNNURM to develop cities aligned with citizen’s interest” –s2
ùHowever, neither CRISIL nor PMC has any clue to what a city is about and this particular Indian city is all about. CRISIL does not know who the major stakeholders are and PMC has made it a point to exclude the most of the critical stakeholders (see SB interaction with Ladda)

02 “Technical assistance and guidance by FIRE Project (an Indo-USAID Programme) CRISIL, the consultants for preparation of CDP” [– PMC_CRISIL TO State level etc s8
[Also Reliance on UNIDO report s14}

ù Not correct. Secret process Doubtful Tech expertise Share Documents. Explain legality of process Explain what opportunities for the contract offered to Indians for more details my first communication
See my first critical communication

ù UNIDO parameters focusing on Auto & IT not in tune with Indian & Puneites’ perception of cities

03 “Transparency & Governance” - s3
ù Hypocritical statement
NO transparency about CRISIL-PMC deal

04 “Financial sustainability ” -s3 & repeated reference

ù Recently a local aspiring stage actress & her junior college student colleagues were entrusted the task of determining further investment in and inequitable (only for experimental theatre) usage of, a 35 crore+ public property on Ghole Road, without any responsibility of making the project viable She led PMC Engineers to study some of the fanciest and non-sustaining theatres in Mumbai

Nothing about picking up losses and maintenance of PMC Properties

05 “61,8 million Indians in slums. 1,20,000 crores required over 7 years for upgradation” –s5

ù NO Attempt to deal with pull-and push of economy or PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING to economic migrants

No Goal of EQUITY

No data on how slum population ration for Pune compares with national average. Nothing how the stressed Electric supply will be extended.

06 “Earmark 20-25% land for EWS and LIG” – s6

ù Don’t send up balloons with pins attached
Was the CM told that in the core city land cost is Rs.20 crores an acre and around Hinjewadi land is half a crore per acre?

08 CDP disconnected from DPR – s7 + explanation by Ladda

ù CDP-DPR must inform each other and have to be simultaneous

010 Role PMC – as beneficiary of growth & sole In-charge
ù Numerous ideological issues need to be sorted out

011 Project cum budget Proposals
ù too vaguely noted in PPP- cannot respond

012 “Per Capita Income 30,000/-“
ùSuch measures ok for general aspic but not detailed enough for DP

013                                                           SWOT – s17 & 18

ùInadequate. Does take cognizance of
Strengths –
(a) Tranquil population with roots, definitive worldviews, love      of sanskriti, (b) agro-economic connectivity (c) women’s      role (d) Historic & continuing contribution of rooted      intellectuals & artists, & sustaining oases of related      activities in Pune & Maharashtra
Weaknesses –
(a) Inefficiently run, builder-lobby oriented PMC out of sync      with democratic & Constitutional ideals; General      perception about corruption in PMC
(b) PMC Methods of working environment-destructive
(c) No apparent mechanism to interact with PCMC, MIDC
(d) Labour – construction, migrant - Protection Nil
(e) Impoverished government hospital Sassoon

Opportunities
(a) To be role model of quality city development
(b) To avoid trap of neo-colonialist economic systems        (vide UNDP Reports and Toynbee, Edward said et al)        and develop indigenous dynamic economic model

Apprehensions/Risks (Note_ I do not like the word Threats)
(a) Damage to life, property and future of people being       dislocated by IT industry, builders, MIDC and those who       would be dislocated by PMC
(b) Inflow of migrants from rural Maharashtra & other states
(c) Social Divisiveness spawned by the ‘development’ out of       sync with Pune’s history, psychology and identity
(d) The potential arrival of negative and perilous activities –       crimes against women, children and elderly, flesh       traders, risks on roads, terrorism, etc

014                                                           Investment Requirement –s 25,26,27,28
ùNothing for disabled
ùNo Gender Perspectives
ù Nothing for Education
(a) for internationally renowned institutions like BORI
(b) accessiblein-the-vicinity educational facilities for     children from economically deprived families
    [study centers linked perhaps with Balchitravani, and Dr R     Mashelkar’s Science Center, etc
(c) Making Agriculture College expertise available to      students, agro-producers, etc involving perhaps the      proactive Agri University at Rahuri
(d) support to fine arts

015 STPs

ù Nothing to stop the usage of freshwater bodies as receivers of treated /untreated effluents MUST create separate water canals/pipelines to take the treated waste water for

Response to Final Draft Action Plan post on PMC Web

01 “PMC started the CDP Process in Dec 2005

ù CDS started in August 2005. For both no methodical information, invitation to Puneites and concerned citizens- experts
CDS members handpicked by Mr. Kareer and as correspondence between them and him reveals for 4 months no correct information to CDS and no proper operationalisation of CDS

On CDP see my first communication

02 “Stakeholder discussions an input to the process Citizen Survey”

ù Both unscientific inequitable [vide my first communication]

03 “Key Facts of Pune.- ” growth rate during last four decades was over 40% …
1991-2001 migration accounted for about 50% of the growth

ù YET NO ANALYSIS OF MIGRATION –its pattern, its components [casual labour, office staff, technocrats, educationists, students, male, female, senior citizens returning or seniors and other coming to settle, etc], its claims on systems, culture, identity, its future viability
AND the migrant’s stakes in the city and their adaptability
Above all Nothing on how to stem it and maintain a “sustainable” rate of immigration

04 “Drop in male –female ratio (tentatively) linked to migration”

ùHIGHLY DEBATABLE Check Gokhale Institute study for Government of India on Sonography clinics etc

WHY is the data mentioned if there is no attempt to link it with development planning?

“Slum population about 33% percent occupy only 4 % of the city area with low level of services”----“71% of the population is below 35 years- An Young City”

ù Slums YET urban-rural imbalance that creates pull-push mechanism not even recognised let alone addressed So Slums will continue to proliferate and deprived rural people would continue to be pushed into the lowest economic varna

ù A ‘development’. planning that perpetualises inequity and     spawns stresses is genetically flawed and not acceptable

ù Worse, the VISION slums will continue as “upgraded” but     inequitable housing! What percentage of this young city is     from economically deprived strata – slum & lower middle     class?
    What is being done for their education, health, future?

ù    Free language and computer classes part of Maharashtra       IT Policy

06                                                   “Women’s Literacy 72% Pune’s 77%”

ù Since these are census figures, migrant work force is     not included Also dated 2001
   JNNURM for urban poor & must ensure equal opportunity for them– so how many schools planned to boost not the bare literacy but education?

07                                                   “cities and towns contribution to the country’s GDP currently placed at about 50-55 per cent ---growing vital role in India’s socio-economic transformation and change” ---engines of economic growth, the centre-points of innovation and hub of many socio-economic activities”

ù Yet no social scientists consulted People NOT the focus;     western city style not the real & Indian city-and-people-    special  economic activities planned For example Issues like     malls vs private small shops, big money companies versus    individual enterprise NOT addressed at all

   No Plan on how to include the small trader, vender, agriculture produce supplier, small entrepreneurs in the rights promotive multi-sectoral economic process with their diversity, individuality & rights intact

ù                           (i) What are your ‘development’ indices Haq-designed –          access to pure drinking water, quality education for all, health, healthier agriculture & dairy production activity directly connected with the city
or high profile infrastructure which caters a micro section of the population – the majority of whom have no stakes in the city?
Why is the western life and economic activity style to be overfed so that it dominates, erodes India ’s identity, creates stresses?
[ Refer to Michael Foucault’s Madness & Civilisation, Arnold Toynbee’s Clash of Civilisation, Landes’ Wealth & Poverty of Nations etc]

08                                                   “Pune as the Agro Business Centre -, the hinterland of Pune has sugar, grapes, wine, horticulture, floriculture, given the distinctive characteristic of this industry many value added industries like food processing have flourished in and around

ù   YET Agro sector not included in consultation process!

      What of their infrastructure needs –
     (i) roads, connectivity and corridors
    (ii) cold storage facility on rent
   (iii) greater push for Organic farming and marketing
(iv) Farm animal support systems (it is said that the number of           bullocks are decreasing.
ù                           The 8 plus economic growth rate hides the fact that only    2.3% growth in Agricultural – the major sector of our         economy which is 65 % base of national economic health.      Does it not need proportionate support?

_ In last 4 decades, vehicles increased by 87 times against four fold increase in population 30% of the population and 55% of families own 2- wheelers (more than one two wheeler per family)

ù All this data reveals distortions in development
This data does NOT reveal that the local and old city populations are not among those who benefited from the “growth” and not among with large disposable incomes

010                                               “Only 25% of the road length has width above 24m Road length per capita is just 0.59 m, normative should be above 1.25 m. 40% Roads have footpaths

ù Footpaths ABSENT 3 foot broken strip with embedded trees,    vendors, auto and bus stops are NOT footpaths
Not a single road per Disability Act

ù Focus on footpaths Give us proper, hawker and other     obstacle free, disabled friendly footpaths

ùUNDO the trick of identifying a road as 60 ft. by reducing            footpath width and helping commercial structure

ùNO heavy vehicle corridor planned?

ù Multinationals and Big corporate houses do NOT use their     internal parking as in building plans but misappropriate public    space for parking their vehicles

ù Residential building plans sanctioned without adequate parking provision by the builder – leading to vehicle spill over on public roads

ù Massive misuse of roads by Private Bus Owners

ù Drain length inadequate and congested. Water flow obstructive mounds as “garden beds”

ùNo Flood water collection planning

011 42 per cent is allocated for residential use. The land use plan indicates that about 13.04 per cent of area is allocated for transport, and 11.91 per cent is reserved

012 A total area of 770.30 ha was reserved under the DP but the PMC managed to acquire only 244.25 ha and developed 193.57 ha.

ùWHAT has changed now for us trust better compliance governance?

013 “Most municipalities are starved of resources on account of their inability to effectively use their revenue raising powers, in particular, relating to property tax and user charges”

ù Think again. Inefficiency, favours, corruption
Plan dedicated revenue-expenditure channels

015 “The annual rainfall is about 70 cm and occurs mainly in the months of June to September”

ù Is it sufficient? Is it reliable?

ù No requisite PLANNING for saving run-offs, water harvesting,

ù Nothing about flood water collection wells

Nothing about how it affects the forests, the wild life, the cattle

016
ÓÔ The following extract from CRSIKL_PMC on Pollution cannot be responded to in a short discussion-oriented note. Needs a full scale 2-day conference Hence simply reproduced

Pune is crossed by many rivers and streams which take their rise in and near the Sahyadris. The major river is the Bhima, which crosses the district. Mula- Mutha are the tributaries of Bhima. The total length of the Mutha river within the city limits is approximately 8 kms. The average width ranges between 150-225 meters with an average depth of 2-3 meters. The flood water passes through the river during the monsoon at the rate of 700 cubic meters/sec. Within the PMC area, the river starts from Vithalwadi and ends at Mundhwa. The amount of pollution in the river is pretty high.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norm for inland surface water, COD above 10 is highly polluted, DO less than 4 is critical and BOD ideally must be 3. The above table indicates that the Mula-Muttha River is highly polluted. The high level of pollution is due to the disposal of untreated domestic sewage and other activities like washing clothes, animals and vehicles also due to deterioration of the quality of water by release of foam, alkalines and other detergents. The laboratory facilities at Parvati works and Cantonment are well equipped to carry out pertinent physical, chemical and bacteriological tests of raw water as well as filtered water.

Air: The major cause of air pollution in urban areas is due to discharge of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen sulphides and suspended particles generated by automobiles, and industries. In Pune the cause of air pollution is mainly due to its large vehicle ownership. Carbon emission levels are found to be particularly high during the time of festivals. Doctors report that there is a high increase in diseases like asthma during the time of Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi when air pollution reached its peak. The city is getting more and more prone to respiratory problems. The daily emission of carbon monoxide in the city is 103 tonnes, of which 34 percent is contributed by the growing 2 wheeler vehicular population. The total amount of harmful emissions in the city per day is 182 tonnes. Swargate and Nalstop are the most highly polluted areas.

Type of Vehicle	No. of Vehicles	CO	NO₂	SO₂	HC	TSP	PM	Total
Cars	71,771	20.20	2.32	0.034	3.80	0.30	0.20	26.85
Two- wheelers	5,60,359	36.10	0.30	0.058	19.20	0.90	0.70	57.26
Rickshaws	30,785	28.00	0.75	0.036	18.40	0.90	0.70	48.79
Taxis	1,633	2.70	0.25	0.002	0.50	0.03	0.02	3.50
Buses	6,602	9.2	9.72	0.903	1.80	1.42	1.11	24.16
Trucks	10,367	7.5	9.51	0.724	1.20	1.38	1.09	21.4
Total	6,81,517	103.7	22.85	1.76	44.9	4.93	3.82	181.96

Noise: The large number of vehicle ownership and other activities on special occasions are main causes of noise pollution. It has been indicated that noise levels are increasing which is cause of concern from the health point of view.

1.1. Key Issues

Ø The primary issue with regards physical planning and growth management in Pune is that physical development and growth is haphazard and uncontrolled.

Ø Development plan needs to be implemented correctly and reserved lands have to be used for specified purpose.

Ø Given the vastness of the Corporation area, multi-nucleated development of the fringe areas needs to be focussed on. Small-scale commercial activities catering to the day-to-day needs of the population do automatically get dispersed. However, special efforts need to be taken by PMC to attract medium and large commercial centres and offices and avoid their sporadic development leading to ill-organized traffic patterns.

Ø Haphazard development both for residential and industrial purposes is a problem in the newly added areas. The first Metropolitan Plan had recognized that development was spilling in the peripheral villages and had provided that low-density development with an FSI of 0.5 may be permitted in these villages. But, these areas which were included in the regional plan as No Development zones got excluded from the purview of the ULC Act as being not developed by virtue of their zoning for agricultural or allied purpose. However, these agricultural plots were purchased with impunity and some Gram Panchayats willingly gave building permissions to the owners of these plots. As a result, a spurt of illegally constructed buildings without proper layouts arose in these areas.

Ø Evaluation of TDR and Accommodation Reservation is necessary. Judicious use of TDR based on the sustenance of the existing infrastructure must be made. Judicious use of TDR should aim at grant of TDR for only those acquisitions which are to be immediately developed by the PMC; correct interpretations of Development Control Rules regarding ‘fixed’ and ‘floating’ TDRs; and ensuring that ‘lumping’ of TDRs do not result in dense habitation which may overload the infrastructure.

Ø Strict enforcement of DC rules must be observed. Unauthorised use of premises should attract severe punishment and also the non-conforming uses such as tiny industries, cattlesheds, potteries etc. must be shifted beyond the residential area in a time-bound manner.

Ø As per CPCB norms, the water of the Mula Mutha river is highly polluted and cannot be used for any purpose.

Ø Untreated wastes from various domestic areas which are released in the canals get released into the river.

Ø Pollution in Khadakwasla lake due to gasoline and oils by washing vehicles, litter, organic debris due to indiscriminate use of surrounding area for picnics

Ø Several river banks have ghats and crematoriums in their vicinity or on their banks and this further pollute the river. Washing of clothes, animals, etc in the river releases foam, alkalines and other detergents in the water is another source of pollutant.

1.2. Strategies For Growth Management

Ø Decongesting the core area shall be taken up in the right earnest. However, economic and cultural aspect of Pune that would support in enhancing the quality of life shall be promoted in the CBD.

Ø The building use policies shall be framed in such a way to encourage the decongestion of the core and include the following components

Ø After the current densities of wards and ecologically sensitivity is taken into consideration categorise the areas into critical and discourage further development through proper DCR.

Ø The assessment with respect to the current land use indicates that there is still scope for commercial activity but shall be dispersed and more CBD needs to developed which will decongest and reduce load on core city.

Ø Improving more road open space on arterial road structure to improve the traffic flow and decongest the CBD through shifting of the bus terminals from the city, explore shifting of the wholesale markets.

Ø Like in most cities, the land use of Pune too is incompatible, e.g. educational institutions and residential are in opposite direction, thus generating traffic demand which could otherwise be avoided if land use was compatible. The DP which is due in 2007 needs to address this issue as availability of land is not a constraint. Educational institutions need to be developed across the city.

Ø PMC need to play the role of a facilitator to develop housing for student population and transit shelters for the EWS /LIG migrant population

Ø The potential development areas in the peripheral areas need to be linked through an efficient arterial structure within /outside the city. These would provide alternatives to these areas bypassing the core of the city resulting in decongesting the core. The arterial structure is proposed in such a way so as to take care of future vehicular growth and hence PMC shall undertake an exercise to widen these roads and connect the missing links.

Ø Building use regulations are the supporting control mechanisms to achieve a well balanced growth structure for the city. These rules help in controlling densities, contributing to the structured urban form for the different types of land uses and also contribute to the quality of the environment. However it has its limitation in conserving sensitive lands and limiting encroachments if the proper land uses are not planned.

Ø The area under the open spaces category needs to be increased through identification of such potential areas.

Ø Use of market friendly mechanisms like accommodation and reservation to generate more urban land and to further generate open space

Ø Provision of adequate land for transportation corridors, transportation hubs and network including mass transportation to provide safe efficient and affordable mobility. In addition densification of certain areas need to be explored infrastructure will be cost effective and open spaces are created.

Ø The economic development that is taking place just not in Pune city, but in the surrounding is influencing the growth management of city, thus there is need for having large planning body (Pune Metropolitan Development Authority) or Coordination cell of all planning and implementing agencies within Pune Urban Agglomeration.

1.3. Strategies For Improvement of Urban Environment

The State government policies off late have started to focus on rain water harvesting to protect the environmental resources, recharge the ground water table, create awareness on water usage etc. The merits of rain water harvesting though a known fact, it is however is many a times that Rain Water Harvesting as a direct policy measure do not actually trickle down into the required implementation measures like Pollution abatement, Resources’ networking, Eco-systems’ rehabilitation, etc. Hence the strategies mentioned below are rather the break-up of the Rain Water Harvesting policy into individual strategic components.

Ø The first and the foremost intervention is the protection of environmental resources. The protection of water bodies, lakes and open spaces from further encroachments shall be carried out in a co-ordinated way. The tank bunds should be clearly marked and notified so as to prevent further encroachment. The water bodies falling within the purview of the PMC shall also be taken up under this initiative.

Ø Under this initiative, slum networking shall be taken up on the lines of Indore Slum Networking Program. Slum networking is an integrated up-gradation of the entire town using slums, not as isolated islands but as an urban net. The spatial spread of slums over the town together with contiguity between informal settlements gives an opportunity to strengthen the town level infrastructure networks. There is a close opportunity to strengthen the town level infrastructure networks. There is a close correlation between the slum locations and the natural drainage paths of the town which need to be tapped and improved upon with the infrastructure services. This approach shall help in building low cost service trunks, particularly for gravity based systems of sewerage and storm drainage, together with environmental improvements such as cleaning up of water bodies.

Ø Hydraulic capacity of the nallahs and water bodies must be improved through widening and deepening and construction of side walls. De-silting shall be carried out to increase the water holding capacity and to remove the toxic and hazardous materials that reached the tank beds.

Ø At least 10 air quality monitoring stations to be setup by PMC/MPCB at select locations in the city (at busy junctions and near industrial estates) and main parameters such as CO and HC shall be monitored as per the guidelines. Hence, for air pollution management framework to be in place, it is imperative to establish a database on air quality indicators and initiate research on health impacts of particulate matter.The database shall include sources, emission concentrations and identify non-scheduled industrial and commercial premises in the city with air pollution potential so as to develop emission reduction strategies. This shall be taken up in co-ordination with MPCC and Traffic Police.

Ø Measures shall be adopted to reduce waste generation at source. This shall be made possible only through awareness creation and eliciting active community involvement. The PMC shall take a pro-active role in sensitising the communities on waste minimisation through a robust awareness campaign and education with support of NGOs and other agencies.

by Sheela Barse
613 Skylark B, RahejaWoods, 25 Kalyaninagar, Pune 006