MY RESPONSE TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTION

G. Do you think that the lifestyle of the inhabitants of your town or city reflects behavior that is in line with the

concept of sustainable development? In your opinion, what should be improved?

About Indore• Population of around 3.5 million people• Total area 530 square kilometers. Area

under municipal corporation is 293 square kilometers.

• One of the most densely populated cities in India.

Watch a 4 min clip on Smart City Project

-Indore is commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh (centrally located state in INDIA)-Industrial areas surround the city including Pitampur, coined Detroit of India-Average growth rate is 12% which is far more than India's growth rate of 8%-Road network has been laid (234Kms) compared to past (55Km) giving good connectivity.-Huge influx of people and growth in population in last decade i.e. from 20 million to 35 million has lead to huge infrastructural development.

Is the lifestyle of inhabitants of Indore in line with the concept of sustainable development?

Factors that lead to growth:• Government’s policy on unemployment • Low cost of electricity • Development of basic infrastructure such as road & rail network• Easy availability of skilled and unskilled labour • Stable government, crackdown on corruption & red tape

Consequence #1Ground water level in & around the city is dropping. 200 feet dip over 5 years in the

industrial zone. Some areas of the city have acute water shortage during the summer season.

2016

Consequence #2Industries account for 52% of the air pollution in the city.

Only river(Khan) in the city has been converted into open drain in a period of 25 years.

1991

Vehicular Pollution617 registered vehicles per 1000 people with 40% diesel operated.

Approximately only 4% of trips are made using public transport.

Less than 1% of the vehicles are electric & less than 10% use CNG

Alarming levels of Air PollutionThe level of PM 10 (dust particulates) is more than double the normal level here.

According to statistics of MPPCB(state pollution board), yearly average of PM 10 in Indore was in the range of 125 to 140 in year 2012 against 101 to 128 in year 2010. The standard level of PM 10 is 60. The level of PM 10 is constantly increasing in different parts of the

city.

As of 2011, 67.8% of inhabitants use LPG as the major household fuel for cooking.

Around 3% of inhabitants use kerosene as a source of lighting in their homes.

Causes of Unsustainable DevelopmentDeveloping countries are witnessing rapid urbanization and Indore, a

tier II city, is one of the fastest growing urban centers in India.

With changes in the land-use pattern, Indore expanded both horizontally and vertically. The horizontal expansion engulfed the

nearby fringe villages and converted the agricultural lands, so there is decrease in water level. Lot of open farmlands around the city are

converted to housing societies and used in other infrastructural developments.

Land value is appreciated because of scarcity of land in the growing urban centers. Therefore, there is mushrooming growth of

apartments, the apartments are given permission without checking the way of sewage facilities. Indore is not fully sewerage, the reason

for this is the unauthorized construction in and around the city.

At house hold level waste in not segregated in most of the houses.Industrial waste and building waste is not disposed properly.

Waste is thrown into the drainage as a result of improper collection by the authorities.Area surrounding the trenching ground is undeveloped, smoke and foul odour pollutes the

neighborhood.Animals are exposed to harmful waste as the storage facilities are not covered.

SO WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED

Governments key goals are1) Remove poverty2) Good Health and well Being3) Clean Water and Sanitization4) Industrial and Infrastructural Development.Governments need to align their goals with saving the environment.

Use of new and affordable technology for eg. Increase in use of renewable energy.Increasing the use of wind and solar energy.

Use of electric cars, instead of traditional petrol and diesel cars. With taxes on emissions , the authorities can tax people based on their emissions.

Creating awareness among the citizens by campaigns.

Educating people about the new sources of energy , its benefits and long term effects.

Citizens should start segregating their waste at household level.

More effective laws and use of technology should be made to monitor the waste , emissions Generated by industries.

New Strict housing projects and infrastructural guidelines should be defined , More focus should be given on development of green buildings. Developers should be forced to adhere to green building norms.

Citizens should shift to cleaner fuels or electricity for cooking purposes.

Public transport use should be encouraged. There is need to increase the use of public transport in city as only 4% of the total trips are made using public transport. New and efficient systems like monorail and other rapid transport systems need to implemented.

Political outlook needs to be changed. Corruption at each level needs to be eliminated.

In a developing country like India the primary focus is on fulfilling the basic needs , but if we mix it with making best use of technology, adopting of new methodologies and changing the mindset, We can create cities of future.

Thank You