Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Sunday, 16 July 2017

Slum Free by 2022 ? Forget it !



Hindustan Times ( 12 July ) carries following news report :


“ Miles to go before govt can make city slum-free by 2022



HIGHLIGHTS :


·         Target for making Mumbai slum free…………………………   2022


·         No of slums under BMC jurisdiction………………………………. 7 Lakh


·         Slums surveyed in past 2 years…………………………………..   20 %


·         Area to be covered…………………………………………………………  3307

 hectares

·         Slum clusters surveyed so far………………………………………   363 ( 1.42 L hutments )


·         Re-development of clusters to start after complete survey


·         Bio-metric details of residents being compiled to record the eligibility of all slum dwellers for FREE HOUSING under the SRA scheme





Why such a SLOW PROGRESS ( which may take another 10 years to complete ? )


·         Govt lacks the staff to conduct slum-to-slum survey


·         Slum dwellers are reluctant for Bio-metric ID


·         Slum dwellers just don’t believe anything will ever come out of this exercise





What is the SOLUTION ?


·         Some 50 km from Mumbai , FIRST build a Satellite City with enough 300 sq ft flats ( to be given FREE ) to accommodate the 7 lakh slum dwellers


·         In the same city , also offer plots ( FREE ) , to businesses / industries , in strict proportion to the “ No of Jobs “ they will offer to the slum dwellers that get shifted ( without jobs nearby , no slum dweller will ever shift out from present location / nor can he be expected to daily commute 50 km for a job ! )


Availability / allotment of FREE plots ( - and , may be ELECTRIC POWER ? ) , will attract businesses to move out of crowded Mumbai ( where Salaries / Wages are sky-rocketing ) . Such migration of businesses / industries , will lessen the burden on Mumbai’s infrastructure


Salaries / Wages of 5 years ( for the numbers of jobs promised to be created by the enterprise wanting those FREE plots ) , must be deposited in advance by the allotted , with the State Government


Govt to transfer monthly salaries / wages ( through DBT ) into the bank accounts ( linked with Aadhaar ID ) of the appointees , after appropriate safeguards


This will ensure availability of JOBS to the slum dwellers , BEFORE they move to the new city , eliminating the biggest resistance to shifting ! 






Can this be ACHIEVED ?


Yes , if we have the political will like that of the China – and , of course the resources !


Look at the following report :



10  April  2017  }




Beijing is one of the most crowded cities in the world—home to 24.9 million people in the metro areas. It's also one of the smoggiest, with some of the worst air quality in the world. In an effort to combat the city’s rapid growth (an average of 600,000 residents per year flocked to the city between 2000 and 2013) and the traffic congestion and pollution associated with it, China plans to build an entirely new city to take the pressure off its capital, Curbed reports.

The Chinese government recently announced a regional economic project called the Xiongan New Area, which will be a new metropolis built about 60 miles south of Beijing.


According to China Daily, Beijing will remain the functional capital of China, but the new city will take over some of the general economic functions that have so far been concentrated within Beijing.


The idea is that some of Beijing’s industry and business will move to Xiongan, and with it, some of its population.


With jobs no longer concentrated so densely in Beijing, people will be able to live closer to their work, giving them more transportation options and cutting down on air pollution.

================================


Dear Shri Venkaiah Naiduji / Shri Fadnavisji :



Knowing that China consumes nearly 50 % of entire World’s consumption of STEEL and CEMENT , is not going to help ! But improving upon China’s pragmatic planning , will !





17  July  2017


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