Some three-four years back Raman Singh had a press conference at his
residence after his "successful return" from Beijing, Singapore and
Pataya. There a journalist tossed a question towards Raman Singh, which
model he had chosen to replicate in Raipur. Raman Singh quitely replied: "It
was certainly a study tour but the purpose was not to replicate any model.
We too had sent journalists to Singapore and Pataya. I too can ask you
what was the outcome of your study." Many journalists bowed down their heads
and chuckled. This way the watchdogs were humbled. 'Deshbandhu' had written
in detail about the journalists' behaviour during the 'study tour'.
Many ministers, MLAs, officials enjoyed foreign jaunts on the pretext
of turning Raipur into another New York, Singapore, London and what not but
Raipur remained in shambles.This village-like city stinks badly. Dust, dirt,
mosquitoes and pollution emanating from the 50-odd sponge iron units rule
the city. The more intriguing is the opposition's silence to the pollution,
dust and dirt.
In this "Singapore" the number of wheezing, sneezing and coughing people is
increasing day-by-day as this city has highest number of people suffering
from asthma, bronchitis, TB, lung related diseases, malaria, jaundice, and
chikungunya. It's water is highly contaminated in absence of sanitary line
and the 'Nistari' water goes straight into the water bodies. Trees in this
city are the most unwanted thing and environment is highly abused here. But
'the Gutkha eating and spitting' ministers
relentlessly prattle about converting Raipur into Singapore.
When Raman Singh was in Bangalore a few months back, I was praying that some
good sense should prevail upon him to convert his own capital, if not like
Singapore then at least his party ruled state's capital- Bangalore.
The demolition drive was the much needed thing in Raipur because the roads
were too narrow. If the ruling coterie could think of extensive plantation
drive (i mean tree plantation, not the sponge iron plantation) and
underground drainage system, then it is well and good.
I thank Vijendra for this nice report. With all humility I would like
to tell the members of CGNet that there are issues other than Bastar,
Naxal, Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh, which are needed to be highlighted and
discussed in this forum.
More suggestions, discussions and comments on Raipur are required.
G Manju Sainath
On 2/16/09, vijendra Aznabi <
vij...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Jeet gayee Bhajpa, toot gayee dukaan
>
> Jeet gayee Bhajpa, toot gayee dukaan. Abki baari tumhara Makan. This
> is the slogan discernible in the remained off walls around debris,
> bulldozed by the civic authority in Raipur. In the name of
> development, demolition drive is on high and the angst of the
> shopkeeper and petty traders augmented into bandh, gherao, petition
> and wall writing.
>
> Traders are agitated that without proper settlement, their shops have
> been razed to the ground. The proposed sites for allotment are far
> away from town, full of dust and need another five years to settle the
> business.
>
> The sites around the main road in telibandha looks like as minute
> before a heavy earthquake passed by. Pain in the eye of shopkeepers
> are conspicuous, as they are loosing hearts by seeing their small
> business going down along-with the rubbles. If the shops have been
> running illegally, why the civic authority allowed them to continue
> till date? And, if they are legally doing it, why not authority settle
> them first in business-potential sites before displacing them?
>
> Why the citizens of Raipur should accept a decorated broad-road town
> existed on the pain of traders and dwellers.
>
> Yesterday, a young trader died in Telibandha, when he was piteously
> looking at his demolished shop and the remains of concrete collapsed
> over him. The traders alleges the authority commit negligence while
> demolished the buildings.
>
> Is broadening road, a first priority for development and beautification of
> city?
>
> If government is committed to the dream city of New Raipur with all
> better standards, then why pushing old to toeing the same line. There
> is possibility that after getting new city operated, the old could be
> neglected once again.
>
> Today, numerous problems marred the city of Raipur and make it a hell
> in the heavenly land of Chhattisgarh.
>
> Among the most-populated city in India, Raipur is synonymous with coal
> and iron led dust particle emanated from the nearby sponge Iron
> plants, notorious for ignoring the use of ESP.
>
> No government and civil authority is in all intents and purposes
> serious about throwing them out of city limit, as in the case of
> Delhi, the judiciary did.
>
> Today, I am writing in the support of cause of medium and small
> traders and businessmen, but have they ever protested against the
> pollution in the city?
>
> Raipur is among one of the fast growing urban centers but with lack of
> standard civic amenities for the residents. Look at the roads, digging
> regularly, sometimes for cable, or drainage, or pipeline, or something
> else. In spite of ring roads and bypasses, due to corrupt traffic
> policing, the heavy loaded carrier's passes through internal arterial
> roads in the town. The extra-large school and college buses, roaming
> freely without control on small gullees, always creates threat for
> accident.
>
> Look at the drinking water supply system; half of the city starves
> even during extra-summer season. The bore-wells are dried up
> frequently and water is saline.
>
> If you ask me, what is the most evident feature of Raipur, I will say
> Machchhar, the mosquito. Even in daylight, you can find it anywhere in
> Raipur at the extent that you can call this city Machchharpur .
>
> The posh colonies in the city are dotted with litters and garbage. The
> sanitation system has collapsed in the city and moreover, the builders
> and developers are engaged in plotting and constructing illegal
> colonies.
>
> Authority would be happy, if you celebrate environment day or school
> awareness campaign on 'save water', but if you questions then?
>
> Why people not ask to their cooperators about the allocation from
> JNNURM? Why the mandatory Ward SABHA has not been called for obtaining
> consent for development programme? Why the budget of the Municipal
> corporation has not been displayed publicly by honouring the provision
> of 74th amendment to make urban bodies as an institution of
> self-government?
>
> This is the basic question for any citizen to claim that city belongs
> to us, rather we belong to the city.
>
> Raipur, also lacking in any sustained campaign of citizens for basic
> urban services, unlike Residents Welfare Associations in Delhi and in
> other cities.
>
> Now, at least, by seeing the condition prevalent today in Raipur, this
> is high time that citizens, including businessmen, workers, students,
> officials, housewives and media should join hand to make this city
> livable.
>
>
> Vijendra
>
