Smart city

 

 

Blatant weakness behind ‘Smart’ness… By Lancy Thomas

It was cool weather and I was sleeping by wrapping blanket around me. My ear was banging loud sound saying ‘wake-up wake-up we are too late’. It was a cool morning since there was a drizzling rain. But my family members were shouting so hard, leaving me no other chance then to waking up.

So I jumped out of my bed and ran for nature’s call and got ready fast for a trip, as last night we had planned for temple visit which I totally forgot.

I could see everyone was ready to move and were eagerly waiting for me. I told everyone to get into the car and I will be ready within few minutes. It is 7 seated car which can accommodate a family. As we are joint family, almost everyone fitted comfortably in the car and started moving towards temple.

Since there was drizzling, it was cool weather outside and we had very less vehicles on road. Hence I drive down easily towards temple. Once I reached one of the junctions in the downtown, I was totally confused. We could see full of water everywhere around the junction as like flood.

My mom assured that the water storage on the road likely to be clear in few minutes once the blockage is clear in the trench. Due to heavy rain in the last night we had witnessed this inconvenience.

My mom told me to drive the car forward carefully. I slowly moved few meters. Once I went half the way below flyover, I could experience like we are in the middle of river. Still with courage I went ahead, but it was a fearing experience as it was like we will be drowned. It was feeling like we are in a boat.

I could see some of two wheeler riders are just pushing their bike cursing and shouting the poor drainage system. At last we managed to find road and safely crossed the junction. When

I turned my head I could feel the fearness on the face of my family members and my mom was just praying with her closed eyes. Everyone was mocking her that your prayer saved us and ‘enough for today and keep it for next time there.’

Till then it was pin drop silence. My elder son suddenly shouted this is our ‘Smart City’! Everyone busted with laughter. It was none other than our proud Pump-well junction in the gateway of our costal city Mangalore.

Few years ago, this flyover constructed as part of Smart City project. Due to unscientific planning the flyover creating hurdles for commuters. There is no enough height provided on underpass where loaded Lorries face obstacles to cross the main road below the bridge. No proper drainage system designed around the bridge in the engineering plan while planting the huge pillars which is also causing to block the water on the road.

Because of some of major loopholes, people frequently witness inconvenience like water clogging, traffic issues in this gateway of Kudla. Besides, lesser height of flyover restricts heavy vehicles to cross. This Smart City infrastructure clearly reflects the flyover was constructed without proper engineering. Eventually, corruption practices results in poor works. That’s what we can assume or understand in the major infrastructure projects wherein many functionaries probably chine linked in the corruption practices.

Later, we turned our vehicle taking parallel routes which was connecting another junction where we came across all shattered vegetables and fruits were on middle of the road stinking badly which made us to roll our window glass and we could see people struggling to park their vehicles. My son again shouted our Smart city which smells good started mocking and all started to give their opinions and thoughts. Saying, we are not even nearing to the projects like THE LINE, the future urban living concept that renowned as a masterpiece in the infrastructure arena. As per information we read in the online sources, THE LINE will accommodate 9 million people with 34 sq kilometres. This plan reduces unnecessary infrastructures in the city, we realised the smartness in the project.

Our Smart City Project is totally corrupted by fooling the citizens with false assurances. We are not witnessing any proper infrastructure completed as per the plan. The delay process in the work affects many lives around the area.

Indeed, we have to examine the project in accordance with present and future developments. Without spoiling nature we need to utilize natural resources in better manner. In fact, I learnt in the history during my college days that there are many cities developed in India and around the world. Even in those olden days they were constructed cities with well plan by understanding the geographical condition of the area. Nowadays we are constructing buildings by submerging the lake and damaging ecological system. No voice favouring nature is considered seriously. The nature created good infrastructure, we no need to change them in the name of ‘Smart’ness.