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Thursday, 31 October 2013

My Delhi Manifesto....I love you Dilli.

Delhi, the capital of of India is the  eighth most populated city in the world.  Being the capital of the country, it is the seat of power. The President, Prime Minister, Ministers of the Central Government, live here.  The Embassies of most of the countries are based in Delhi,hence their Ambassadors  and senior officials are also the residents of Delhi.  Besides being the capital, Delhi is also a state. Lt. Governor, Chief Minister and Delhi Government ministers are  also have their  offices and houses here. More over ,several industrialists, business tycoons, Central and State Government officers reside here. Whereas in this great city the richest of the rich stay, on the other hand it is the abode to the poorest of the poor. Besides Delhi has a large  influx of  floating population, people coming from different States coming  in search of jobs.
Due to the multiplicity and amalgamation  of  several cultures, religion and social background of the inhabitants, the problems of this city are diverse,  multifarious and divergent.  The basic needs  of every city is the Roti, Kapada and Makaan' I  have been living in Delhi since birth. I love Delhi. I am witness to innumerable changes taking place in the city. With the progress of Science and Technology many improvements have  been  noticed. Delhi is now comparable to any other Capital city of the World. It looks like a Fairy Land at night.But much more has to be done. Let us analyse the problems faced by the Delhites.
1. Housing:-  This a major issue, which needs to be tackled.There should be a roof   above every head..In cold winter nights  many people are found to be sleeping on footpaths, parks and Railway/Bus stands. This problem is mainly experienced by  very poor dwellers.
2. Food  supply  is another big problem. The food distribution must be such that every individual may have adequate food for two meals a day.
3. Pollution:-Pollution is major problem  faced by  Delhites. It is caused by over population  and wrong  utilization of resources. Smoke emitted by  the use of petrol, diesel and  dusty roads add to the pollution of the environment. Noise pollution  is caused by the increasing  number of vehicles on the road.Water pollution occurs due to sullage in the river Yamuna.
4.Condition of  roads is in Delhi is very miserable, disgraceful and wretchedly poor. Only the VIP areas of New Delhi, the roads are well maintained. Even the Ring Road, which bears the brunt of maximum traffic is not maintained well.
5.Traffic  movement in the capital city, to say the least, is chaotic. Every part of the city is affected by incessant  traffic jams.
6. The whole city is affected  by electricity  shortage. Power cuts are  a regular feature of  for some areas. Whereas some VIP areas are spared, backward areas have to suffer shortages.Theft of electricity is also a gigantic problem.
7.Law and order problem is another major problem which is the cause of concern for Delhites. After dusk the city is not safe for women  travelling alone. Police patrolling is not adequate.
8. Public transport system has somewhat improved with the introduction of Delhi Metro, but it requires to be further improved. Resettlement colonies and far flung areas do not have regular  and sound  transportation  facilities.
9. Multiplicity of authorities  cause great inconvenience to the citizens. There is the Central Government which  controls Law and Order,,The Lt. Governor has under his control  Distribution of food and supplies,Electricity, Roads, Housing, Education  from Middle classes up to Sr Secondary Education and Colleges etc. Municipal Authorities look after Cleanliness, Water Supply, Education up to Primary Education,  etc. There is N.D.M.C. which looks after VIP areas of New Delhi.  Till recently there was one Municipal Office, but now it has been bifurcated into three.This was a retrograde  step.
10. A peculiar problem  pertains to the people of Delhi. Several VVIP's  stay here. Whenever a VIP moves out, the movement of traffic is stopped for hours  before the arrival  of the VIP.This causes  great  inconvenience to the public.
11.When some dignitaries arrive from foreign  countries arrive, the children from several schools are driven like cattle, to  line up on both sides of the roads, through which the visiting  dignitaries drive, to wave their hands, welcoming the guest.  These  children line up many hours before the arrival of the guest. Many children faint due to exhaustion. The VIP crosses the place in a split second. Many times the children have been found to ask whether the VVIP has crossed  the road.
12.Water logging on  many roads  is common after a rain. This happens because the slits are not regularly cleaned .
13.Corruption in Delhi is so deep rooted that  every sphere of life is affected.
14. Begging has become a  sort of profession for some people. Numberless beggars are found on  crossings. It is believed that areas are allocated.  It has been seen that a vehicle drops these so called 'beggars' on different crossings and pick them up in the evening. This is a very organised affair,running under the nose of the authorities, but nothing  is done  to mitigate this activity due to corruption
15.Cleanliness is next to Godliness. We find all sorts of  garbage on the roads. We also have a dearth of Wash Rooms on the roads of Delhi. Men, pissing on roadsides, present an ugly sight..
16. World class medical facilities are available but there is inadequate space in Government Hospitals and dispensaries to cater to the needs of the people.
17.Of late trafficking  of young girls, brought from backward states is on the increase.
 These problems cannot be solved by one individual. It requires a joint effort by the authorities and the  citizens of this great city, who love it. Let us wish and hope for a good future.Long Live Delhi. I Love You, my Delhi.


This is My Delhi Manifesto in association with Blogadda.com


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12 comments:

  1. Comprehensive. I too wonder why they have that silly kids' line-up for visiting dignitaries. I don't think the visitor notices much of the kids' either. Many other problems highlighted here are common to the entire country, I guess. Let's hope solutions will come eventually.

    Destination Infinity

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    1. Thank you Rajesh.I don't think any suggestions or solutions will work. The people who matter,and have all the powers do not have the will to do so.

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  2. It is a comprehensive list.But the population in NCR is increasing steadily while the utilities are not growing proportionately.Like Gurgaon,Faridabad and Noida,new satelite towns should emerge.Beyond Mundka upto Bahadurgarh,industries and offices should be asked to go.No licenses for offices within the heart of city.Even government departments should be dispersed.The road space is limited and traffic gets affected.Your other points are valid.I see no major improvement in the near future unless there is a big change in governance.and the attitude of thepeople

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    1. Thank you KP. Your suggestions are appropriate. I have incorporated them in my post on solutions .

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  3. The problems of housing , better roads etc are the problems faced by every metro and tier II AND III cities. Seems that the whole country is plagued by the problems.

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    1. Yes, the same problems are being faced in the whole country. Thanks Kalpana.

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  4. Who better than you to write this post, a senior delhi resident:)

    Pollution is indeed a major problem in delhi, especially the smog. I still remember when i was travelling from bhikaji cama place to chanakyapuri at around 4 in the evening. the whole area was covered with smoke emitted from the vehicles and it was looking as though it was very cloudy.

    Hope there is panacea for these problems.

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    1. Thanks Asha for the sweet comments. In winter months the smog is a great problem. Lets hope for a bright future!

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  5. Very comprehensive post Ushaji, the major difference between Delhi and other metros is that you have multiple authorities that pass the buck when it comes to issues, the central, state and metropolitan authorities. I sincerely wish Delhi and all other cities become safer places for the citizens with greater people participation.

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    1. Yes Reshma due to multiple authorities things dont move, they crawl. Thanks Reshma.

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  6. Delhi could really be a very good place, but during my recent visit, I really saw how dirty it has become. However,it is the state in which all the states are, people of the respective departments are just not bothered. It is really sad.
    You have rightly pointed out the various problems, that needs to be attended in priority basis.

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    1. Yes Rama with the passage of time the the difficulties are also increasing. We can only hope for the best.

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