THE grim warning by the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES) to Bengaluru about its dismal ecological future should also be treated as a wake-up call for all urban centres in the country -- if not in the world. CES experts have cited actual datas of how Bengaluru lost its green cover and its water-bodies over time and how those were replaced by jungles of concrete buildings to accommodate human communities and their other needs. If this trend continues, then Bengaluru will choke itself to death, the experts have predicted. Most unfortunately, almost exactly similar conditions prevail in most cities in India including New Delhi and all other megalopolises and metropolises. Tier II and Tier III cities, too, are travelling in the same direction -- of ecological doom. Yet, so blinded are India’s town-planners by their idea of urban growth and overall yet terribly narrow developmental vision that they do not see any danger signal in the paved surfaces covering spaces in urban centres to the extent of 98-plus per cent. When areas as massive as mega-cities are paved in such a blind and dangerous manner, then the soil loses its accommodative qualities -- of absorbing water, aerating itself, and giving out life-nourishing elements to help life have a healthy growth. Yet, unfortunately, all this potential danger does not daunt urban planners and developers of the day -- which is totally inexplicable. For the past many years, India has, thus, been following a totally wrong model of urban growth -- that kills both, the cities as well as surrounding rural areas that get emptied out in favour of life in cities.

 

In almost every urban centre in the country, trees are being sacrificed in favour of built-up areas and lakes are being allowed to die -- so that in time enough land would be available for construction activities for the strong builder-lobbies with big political backing and robust financial muscle. This is the story in any and every urban centre in the country -- almost without exception, the hollow political lip-service in favour of ecological conservation notwithstanding. Currently, Bengaluru has received its red flag on the issue. Tomorrow, almost every other city in the country will face the same fate, thanks to the diabolical greed with which some economic vested interests in the country are afflicted. It is common knowledge that all such vested interests are backed by lords of political rings -- which makes the task of getting appropriate clearances for their projects easier. Unfortunately, nobody in the Government has woken up to the grim reality of declining standards of urban living no matter the so-called economic prosperity.

 

Unfortunately, the Central and the State Governments have shown a remarkable similarity in their blindness to the dangers of thoughtless urban growth. In spite of the fact in every rainy season, all cities in the country face terrible flood-conditions, there is no waking up of the authorities to the dangerous outcome of their wrong brand of urban growth. The grim warning by experts to Bengaluru, therefore, needs to be taken as a wake-up call for all cities in the country. The saddest part is that no city or its leadership (political as well as administrative) is conscious of the danger being courted everywhere in the country. For all such heads, the Bengaluru example should come as a warning signal. But if the country’s ruling and bureaucratic leadership is blinded by its own definition of urban growth, then the country will face a grimmer reality on urban ecology soon. Hence this loud warning. Hence urging the urban authorities across the country to develop proper vision for urban growth. If this caution is not heard, then the country will have a green-less future.