[sustran] [sustran] CBC series on Urban sprawl

[kisan]

Dear Lake,

We were certainly interersted in the CBC series
on Urban Sprawl.    We cannot however access
CBC programmes from Mumbai.  Urban areas
in the developing and poor countries suffer from
rural influx of people in search of jobs.
Agriculture no more provides jobs due to increase
in farming  mechanisation and in food processing.

Cities sprawl beyond their designated boundaries
such  that these boundaries get oblitarated with
civic amenities not reaching  them.

The Mumbai's population was 800.000 in 1901
and touched in March 2001 12 million, about 1,2%
of India's population huddled in 437 sq km, equal
to tenthousandeth of India's landmass.  With an
average density of 27,000 persons per sq. km,
Mumbai is definitely the most suffocating city
in the world. About 65% of the population is
condemned to live and procreate in abominable slums. Average per capita
space is 2.5 sq m.

Distances between different urban areas are reducing,  Pune and Nashik which
were about 160 and 180 km away will be a part of Mumbai in next fifty years
with farming squeezed out.  This would have been  acceptable if the rulers
and politicians had the
foresight and sensitive planning.  Nothing of the
sort so civic services suffer.  I know this is not the situation in the
developed countries.

Possibly Latin and South American nations are
not ready for this sprawl.  In many of your
nations substantial proportion of population
stays in the capital or major cities with large countryside areas neglected.
This situation
too speaks of disaster. Job of activists is to
lobby with politicians to ensure that avoidable
hardship is not caused to citizens.  Bulk of the population is poor and it
is this bulk that
suffers. Situation in countries like the US and
Canada where a car is shared by less than two
persons and about 22% of landmass is used
for roads.  Gap between the have and havenot
is wide.  We shall have to look for sustainable development.      I would be
most happy to hear about your city, country and continent. Best wishes.

Kisan Mehta mailto: kisansbc at vsnl.com

Reply to Lake Sagaris <sagaris at terra.cl>
To: <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2001 6:58 PM
Subject: [sustran] CBC series on Urban sprawl