Back step, but in right direction

The decision by the Karnataka Government to with draw the bill amending the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act is a step (back) in the right direction. The withdrawal comes in the wake of outrage expressed by civil society organisations, NGOs and environmentalists who brought about unprecedented pressure on the Government to be sensitive to the popular concern against allowing alienation of five per cent space of the public parks and gardens for infrastructure projects.

However, the statement that the bill would be placed in the public domain and would be reintroduced in the next session makes it amply clear that it is still not fully convinced of futility of such a bill, though in a further amended form. Popular demonstration has made it plain that parks and gardens should remain untouched as they constitute a lung space for our cities gasping for breath. It is imperative that the amendment bill be given up lock, stock and barrel. The protestors also raised concern over proposed tunnels to allow unrestricted mobility to cars underneath the city.

The wisdom of such tunnels—as well as flyovers—has been questioned by the experts who opine that such infrastructure projects only postpone the congestion to a further point and do not constitute a solution. These merely serve those eyeing profits from real estate projects and mask the reality with pious professions of service to the people. The only longstanding solution lies in providing safe, cheap and fast public transport and not making the city more convenient for cars and car-users. But for this to happen, the last-mile connectivity must be taken into consideration.

Cities like Tokyo and Bonn have demonstrated that people banish cars only when they are assured of user-friendly public transport. Studies show that people in German cities take public transport be cause these claim half the time a car takes to reach the destination. Similarly, in Japanese cities, people are dissuaded from using cars as the parking fee in public spaces costs them manifold on what they spend on public transport. India, a land and resource-scarce nation, should emulate the example rather more energetically than the nations where the idea originated.

It is also desirable to encourage people to walk distances rather being totally dependent on the personal transport. It is imperative that the government completely rejects the idea of having anything to do with public parks and gardens and also revisit the idea of digging tunnels underneath the cities.