No matter where you go, there isn’t one social group which does not have an IT member in it! Talks revolve around chunks of code, logic, desperate clients, blood-sucking bosses, late-sittings and job-switches. And with Pune slowly emerging as the hub of all IT development, this isn’t an exaggeration. After Bangalore, it’s Pune which is gathering the attention of MNCs.
Recently I came across the news that there have been proposals for as many as 15 IT parks in Pune in the very very near future! Not only that, but over 60 software companies have kick-started in Pune in the last 6 months! The software companies in Pune have made stupendous profits by way of software exports and the figures are expected to rise higher by the end of this year... and IT biggies from all over the world are flocking to Pune at an alarming rate.
On one hand, it’s good news because it will lead to an increase in the number of jobs, as also revenue for India. IT parks will be built in areas like Aundh, Pashaan, Hadapsar and Hinjewadi.
The flip side of this is the rise in the city’s population, which is anyways exploding. Pune being closer to Mumbai, has provided accommodation to a lot of people who commute to Mumbai daily. In addition to that, Pune, the Oxford of East, boasts of a number of schools and colleges, and thereby attracts a lot of students from across the country and other parts of the world too! In a span of 5 years, the city has changed. Once upon a time a hill-station, now it’s packed with concrete structures, restaurants at every nook and corner, and companies (mostly software) in every possible locality. I’m very unhappy about this development despite being a software engineer myself. They say that the new development will lead to a 20% hike in salaries all over the IT industry. But I’m not happy!
The development is completely unplanned. With the advent of 15 more IT parks which will house over 50 companies, with strength of about 50 to 100 each, there will be an influx of thousands of employees (and their families too) from all across the country. Do we have the infrastructure to support all of them? Property rates are shooting to the sky and residential complexes are slowly paving their way to the most barren and remotest areas in the city. The traffic here is a mess. With thousands of two-wheelers and four-wheelers getting onto the streets every single year, the parking space hasn’t increased. It’s already a mess on the roads. About 4-5 years back when I just entered college, reaching Koregaon Park from Aundh took me not more than 20 minutes. Today it takes me 45 minutes. Laxmi Road is better visited on foot. Traffic is chaotic; the line of vehicles at the crossing near Agriculture College takes 3-4 signals to pass by it. Not to forget the ever sorry state of roads. And the only solution that our able authorities come up with is the construction of flyovers everywhere. It puts an end to the matter only temporarily, but the giant raises its head again after a couple of years.
Rains have long gone now. Suresh Kalmadi, Pune's representative elected to Lok Sabha, had promised to get the work started on re-constructing the roads (we need cement roads, and private contractors to take it up, but the PMC won't let this happen because the PMC officials will lose commissions on the frequent road repairs. We can't expect anything less than shoddy patchy work though!). Its been weeks and months, but nothing has been achieved. Roads continue to be miserable, and every single lane has been dug up! Where does that money we pay as road tax go? in whose pockets?
The problem is that the development of the country is highly imbalanced. Where majority of the cities lurk in despair and backwardness, it is natural for the youth to flock to the developing cities away from their hometown. If cities are developed more or less uniformly, we'll be able to suceed in preventing the populace overflow in major cities.
Pune is also competing with other cities for the highest pollution rate. One ride from the university to Kalyaninagar, and the changed colour of your originally white T-shirt will give you enough evidence of what I’m saying. How will we able to support the maniacal rise in the city’s population? We do not have proper sewage system, enough drinking water, electricity (we have 2-hr power cut-offs even today), traffic system, accommodation... nothing!
Another shocking news is the recent announcement by the Planning Committee of PMC. The previous planning committee had taken monumental steps to safe-guard the hill tops and hill slopes in and around Pune by recommending a Bio Diversity Reservations on all hills and hill slopes (as certified by the C-DAC survey). The committee had also made other recommendations towards improvement of the built environment of the city (control on maximum population density per hectare, provision of reservations for low cost housing to discourage growth of slums, recommending a lower FSI for water scarcity zones etc). Unfortunately, the new Planning Committee came up with a new Development Plan (DP) and has recommended scrapping of Bio-Diversity reservation and permitting 4% construction on hill tops and hill slopes.
It’s the dirty politics in play once more. The reigns of our city are in the hands of stupid people who couldn’t care less for the city. Rather than serving, they exploit.
Is anyone even bothered??
Please rise to save the city before it’s too late!
Please support the Green Pune Movement (It is an informal coalition of 50 Pune-based organizations and individuals concerned with the sustainable and integrated development of Pune city).
For further information and ongoing developments, contact:
SwB
/ Website
(27.11.05 05:12)
Hello Perpetual Melody, I hear Bangalore is even worse than Pune. Youre right about the uncntrolled development in our cities. But what can be done - getting peopel to move back to the villages is not a very feasible proposition. Liked some of your poetry. Warm regards, SwB
(27.11.05 08:13)
thank you SWB! we haven't reached a dead end yet, but we soon might if we let things happen at the whims and fancies of a few govt. bodies! we are not asking people to move back to villages. everybody has the right to a better life. all we are asking is to develop the country uniformly! instead of setting up companies in a couple of cities, they should be spread out in other states as well.
Me
/ Website
(29.11.05 08:18)
If i'm not mistaken a couple of months ago there was this news clip about an IAS officer who was apparently one clean guy.. whts the story on him? Was that just another publicity stunt or is it for real?
(29.11.05 18:33)
there are too many stories floating around about corrupt and inefficient officials everyday! difficult to keep track. but if you happen to recollect, do let me know! as far as this write-up goes, it was written in the wake of the recent proposal by the new DP committee to allocate 4% of hill tops n slopes for construction... today was the d-day, when the plan was to be passed... citizens of pune protested in large numbers this sunday at alka theatre chowk, and good news is that we won... 90/37
claytonia
/ Website
(1.12.05 06:02)
Quite disturbing. Pune's roads and public transport will never be able to take this onslaught. The roads are already choked and there is barely anything you can call a public transport. I have made Pune my home and I find this distressing. :-( Are u also from pune?
