Day: November 25, 2015

By Akham Bonbirdhwaja Singh

 

Last month I attended a workshop on the law curriculum for the business schools held at IIE, Guwahati. It was organised by IIM, Kashipur and sponsored by World Bank. It was quite hearty to know that the IIMs are trying to produce green MBAs, who will be eco-unfriendly and not be too unscrupulous. This was a good programme as these green MBAs will check the ecologically unfriendly and unsustainable approaches of the corporate world. Of course we need the corporate world to develop our cities but we also need them to maintain their social responsibilities. We all expressed a lot of expectations from these green MBAs.

Talking of green,now we all agree that another name of green is eco-friendly. So when we discuss cities and development, certainly and automatically the question of greenness comes, because we have had experiences of Indian cities, large, congested, dirty and polluted, almost completely devoid of greens. Both beauty and ugliness are of giant size. Our cities are sick cities, ailing urban system, where commuting is so hazardous, there are ques for any facility miles long, you have to make rounds and rounds in search of parking slot, crimes are so numerous, they are hunting grounds of frauds. People coming and encroaching the vacant and public spaces, ultimately, there is no space for the greens and free air. Later, some philanthropic regime would regularise such encroachments leaving no scope for further environmental improvement. So, when the talk of smart cities are doing rounds, naturally the question comes, can our Smart Cities be Green Cities?If we have talk of Green Cities now, the developers and politicians may not be too conscious, so citizens have to be conscious, our electronics and IT cities cannot be smart without being green and shall not a healthy place to live, ultimately the Smart City shall not be sustainable, so it has to be Green Smart City.

The prefix smart in smart city is an euphemism for intelligent and extensive application of IT in all aspects of public utility and management. A Wikipedia definition says that smart city uses digital technology to enhance the quality and performance of urban services. So, smart cities are also called digital cities, intelligent city etc. But, now the definition is expanded to include the sustainability, environment and health concerns. In that line, solutions for economic and environmental sustainability, e-governance, security, energy, waste and water management and healthcare will be at the core of India’s smart cities.IT shall be used for online governance, to make it citizen friendly, to save time and money, being online, the system becomes transparent with more accountability. The government offices are now developing steps for ease of business, where there shall online and mobile application for intimating the customers and clients on time bound basis and following standard operating practices. The smart cities shall also have IT application for crime control by having digitised facial recognition and DNA profiling database, digital parking by digital parking metres by auto informing the car driver through mobile application about space availability. The unique identity of cities on its economic and cultural activity will be digital and online so that interested people can locate city of their interests precisely.You know, the IT connectivity need to be really good, the frequent breakdown in link we experience in India (Manipur is notorious for that) will not be in the spirit of smart cities. In Seoul and other South Korean cities, free wi-fi connection is found everywhere, so e governance is not a tough proposition.

As we can see from the primary concept, the digital application is the mainstay of smart city. The concept had to be expanded to include other considerations. Though it appears that green concerns are supplementary,I can tell that, the non IT segment is also equally important. So, let me come to non IT section of smart cities. In smart cities, the solid waste is to be disposed not by municipal trucks, but by a network of underground pneumatic pipes. There shall be special transport facility run by fuel cells and solar cells and last mile Para transport connectivity is to be good so that more of CTF (common transport facility) are used without any inconvenience. But more interesting part is the green section, the smart cities shall be preserving and developing more open spaces around cities with parks, playgrounds and recreational centres to reduce urban heat, green areas with walkable localities for pedestrians with reduced pollution and congestion and enhanced security. There shall also be pedestrian network in addition to a good network of roads to be used by pedestrians and cyclists (Stockholm have parallel cycle track all along the vehicular road). It also shall be desirable to locate supermarkets and other retailers away from city hearts to reduce the pressure of space with dedicated CTF. This is already done in many European cities.

The green concerns of the concept of smart city seems to be still a shade inadequate, how much land is to be dedicated for environmental concerns is to be scientifically modelled and worked out. I would like to suggest a rule of thumb that a third of city should be dedicated for the greenery and such facilities. Thousands of Indian towns and urban conglomerates, are under severe pressure and none of the smart city concerns have been addressed, under Indian condition it could be too much to expect also except in some planned cities like Chandigarh (and adjoining Panchkula) and Gandhinagar, where there are some elements, but not up to a reasonable semblance. So when we plan smart cities (smart cities have to be very precisely planned), the green component should be taken as important as the power or drainage requirement, the extent and distribution of green lung are to be well planned so that green concerns are addresses. It is a noble concept, hats off to the PM for the bold initiative, because only one or two cities in the world have made reasonable attempts. But, it is going to be a big challenge considering the present condition of nominated cities, some of which are already heavily congested and populous like New Delhi, Chennai, Lucknow, Kanpur, Kolkata, Jaipur, Vishakhapatnam etc. Imphal is also a city selected for that.At national level, it is in mission mode, Smart City Mission, with a target of 100 cities for the first phase. Can these cities release extra land required for tree line between the vehicular and pedestrian paths, shall the residents agree to give enough setback between the roads and houseline to accommodate more tree rows. Some states like Maharashtra and Haryana are already committed to acquire adequate land. A smart city without smart greenery would not be citizen friendly; cities not citizen friendly can never be smart. The PM said, people have to be at the centre of any development initiative, the green initiatives are real concern for the people, the endeavour have to be to make our smart cities Green Cities, Green Smart Cities.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/11/green-concerns-of-smart-cities/

By Peters Chongom

 

More often than not the state police forces have been in the news for all wrong reasons and it may not be too vague to articulate that the general public had shoddy and grim perception of the police forces. As such the public police relation is far from being cordial and benign it is rather is opposite of it. Besides, the police do not have high score with regard to the justice delivery aspect and a clear cursor to this fact may be cited of the public demand for CBI to investigate any sorts of matter surpassing the police as the latter is considered to be either ill equipped or less reliable or for that matter the reasons remains a recondite. This is a clear pointer to the fact that the police do not have good rapport with the common masses. Per se, there is a wide gap of trust deficit that breach the common masses and the police. Inter-alia it can be plainly put that there is lot of assignment to be done on the part of the khaki babus and personnel so that this trust deficit is gradually mend.

Notwithstanding it may be too erroneous to paint all the police personnel and officers with same brush of ennui and apathy. Per se, there are quite many faithful officers who are worthy of the badge and dress they wear. Recently I had an opportune time to come face to face with one such officer whom I feel deserve some word of appreciation and plaudits.  It all unfolds as one of my close acquaintances was caught up in the road traffic accident near Uripok oil pump some three weeks back. It was dark for the time was already late in the winter night. I got a call from one unknown person stating of the accident. Without any ado I haste up to the RIMS hospital. It is here that I met this gentle police officer. From the very first sentence he spoke to me I got an intuitive feeling that this man is true gentleman and my perception of him would turn out to be exactly as it is in the later part when we enter into negotiation with the other party of the fatal accident. As a matter of fact the said accident occurred between one FZ bike and a brand new i20 car and I am to represent the council of the bike victim.

Prima facie, it appears from all available sources and circumstantial evidence put forth from the accident spot points clearly that the guilty party of the two in this confrontation is the man riding the bike and whether I like it or not I am to represent the losing side in the contest. The next morning I was summoned at the Imphal Thana and as a law abiding citizen I made myself available in the stated time and spot. As both the party arrived, the intense wrangling and repartee began. To be fair I admit that to the corollary that the onus of guilt mostly befall on us, the bike representative. As such it was more or less expected that huge penalty would be imposed on us. To add to the existing woes, I was having some sort of apprehension that the police officer handling the case might entirely favour my opponent not to mention of the fact that I too have some inner conviction that I was fighting for a losing cause. To put plainly, without any iota of doubt I too have the certitude feeling that the fault belongs to us (the bike rider in this case) in toto. To my surprise, the officer at the adjudicator bench the sub inspector) gave the judgement in such a manner that it moved my conscience to the core. His judgment was fair and candidly acceptable to us, me in particular. It was composed of ethical wit and void of any prejudice and unfairness. There was not a feeling left in me to surmise that he have some sort of favouritism for one and abhorrence for the other. It was ethically fair and humanely acceptable. I still remember one line he said…

“We are human and not all matters needs to be seen in the prism of legality, but we need to also look at things from the humanitarian angle” The inner crux of this episode will be too long to explain in this article but I just  wanted to take a simple opportunity to express my indebtedness and gratitude to one such officer who uphold the duty of being in uniform and also having a heart that is just and condign. The officer in is none but sub-inspector Paonam of Imphal Thana. I cannot say anything more than a simple thank you. You are a great asset for the police and the common masses as well. This has in fact added a new gloss to the feathers of police forces. It is my prayer and wish that more and more officers follow your ethically sound judgemental path so that we can revamp our police system and restore the trust of the public. You are a gem for the department and this incident has certainly given me a new hope that not all is bad in the police system. There is always some good sheep in the folk. Jai ho Manipur police, plaudits and encomium to Imphal Thana.

Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/11/exalting-the-imphal-thana/