To Goanet -
I have empirically observed that the the quality of breathable air in Panjim
has diminished discernibly in the past 5 years. Is any environmental NGO
systematically documenting data about this? (Let me guess: no). The
degradation is a direct consequence of the dramatic increase in motorized
vehicles since 2002 or so. A walk through Panjim used to be one of life's
delicious pleasures. Today it has become a hazard to life & limb, not to
mention the tympanic membrane.
Can anything be done about it? The answer is: Yes. But the "yes" comes with
several riders. It will take a multidisciplinary collaborative effort. The
ingredients will involve bold, innovative ideas, judicious town planning,
engineering expertise, sound political leadership to buy into and implement
the proposal, and societal will & discipline to sustain it. In other words,
it will never happen.
In broad stokes I will table my proposal.
I draw inspiration from what I have seen in cities like Zurich, Singapore,
and across America, while recognizing that the solution will have to be
tailored to our local needs & conditions, and come within the ambit of our
financial resources (although, if one were to calculate the extent of the
robbery of the state treasury by our elected representatives over the years,
funds ought not to be an issue).
The basic idea is as follows:
Define Zone 1 to be the heart of Panjim (church square and surrounds) and
mandate it to be a pedestrian-only zone, with all motorized traffic verboten
there. Service vehicles replenishing supplies to businesses to be allowed
before 9 am and after 9 pm. Allowance for emergency situations.
A second outer layer Zone 2 to be defined: no private vehicles allowed, but
public transport to be introduced in the form of open golf-like buggies
(only bigger & longer), operating with regularity and with stop points every
200-300 metres (Zurich has electric trams that operate on the same
principle). Design of the buggy is an engineering problem and will come with
appropriate modular modifications for the monsoon season.
A third outermost layer Zone 3: private vehicles allowed but only upon
payment of a premium. Public transport to be similar to that of Zone 2. The
idea is to discourage casual use of vehicles and encourage use of public
transport. Want to use your car? Then be prepared to pay a non-trivial
surcharge.
The zoning will be a key issue and has to be crafted thoughtfully. There
will be people affected, those living in these zones - special provisions to
be made for them. Rickshaw wallahs will be affected - suitable alternatives
to be provided to them (perhaps absorb them into the public transport
system). And so on. It will be impossible to satisfy everyone, but the
guiding principle should be the greatest good of the greatest number.
There will be access conduits into and out of the city at all times - Panjim
is lucky to have a natural getaway, the Dayanand Bandodkar Marg. In fact,
Panjim, thanks to the Portuguese, already has the layout to implement a plan
of this sort.
The benefits will be enormous: savings in petrol, improvement in the quality
of air, the city will become a much quieter and pleasant place, and since
people will be forced to walk, improvement in overall public health comes
for the ride.
I emphasize that the foregoing is a conceptual model. The details will have
to be fleshed out. Many heads and hands will have to come together. If you
wish to criticize the above, you may write to me. I will respond only if you
have something to say that I have myself not thought of. I have had a lot of
time to think about this and it is very likely that I have already seen your
"What about XYZ?" knee-jerk question.
The current thinking in official circles is appalling. They want to convert
heritage buildings into parking lots. As if that will solve anything. The
retarded donkeys.
Again, I don't see anything positive happening. Based on available evidence,
modern Indians are incapable of instituting processes and systems. What I
see in Panjim's future are more vehicles, more accidents, more injuries on
the road, more cacophony, polluted air, and a swarm of ghatis. That should
warm the cockles of your heart.
Warm regards,
r
