[sustran] New from Mumbai

[kisan mehta]

Dear Iain,

I was relieved to hear from an environmental engineer
concerned about the real welfare of people in the
developing (poor) countries.  Our feelings that
people's scarce resources are being frittered away
on socially damaging programmes find a reflection in
your utterances.

The World Bank and multilateral agencies (there are
many and increasing at dangerous level) create easy
liquidity and to some extent dangerous credibility for
less urgent and often bad projects.  The WB has been
less generous at present because of the US embargo
yet about 40% of the Central Government's annual
budget is used up in amortising and servicing loans from
them while 40% of people live under the poverty line.

To meet the WB/IMF dictats our authorities are talking
of linking all metro cities through of India motor roads.
This was estimated in 1997 to cost double the annual
Central Government budget.  Possibly the East Coast
Road with which you were associated was a part of this
grand all India programme. The authorities might be
planning to turn it into an expressway requiring five
times the money you were associated in spending.

And Andhra Pradesh through the East Coast Road is
passing had about 2,000 suicide deaths of farmers who
could not meet the debt they created to implement the
dictats of the socalled Green Revolution where the
multilateral agencies, our authorities and big MNCs
advise (correct word insist on) maximum chemical
input jacking up the cost of food beyond the
affordability of people. Starvation continues.

I do not remember whether I referred earlier to the
80-90 km sector of 160 km long Mumbai-Pune Road
that the Maharashtra Government turned into
expressway spending Rs 16 billion last year. (They
term this road as Mumbai Pune Expressway). Now
the Maharashtra Finance Minister admits that the
expressway is financially unviable because it can
not meet even the annual interest charges.   Many
concerned citizens had then recoomended creating
a bullet train type facilitry for many times more
commuters to use for fast commuting between
two busy centres.

Flyovers and elevated roads are being constructed
in all cities.  Similar anachronisms have come up in
Chennai too.  You know Chief Minister Jayalalita
used the Chennai flyover to arrest the former Chief
Minister. So flyovers can be used for political vendetta
as they fail to meet the needs of the citizens.  Even
they fail to help motor cars having an average
occupancy of 1.6 persons.

Stranglehold of the western ideas backed by easy
money that flows to promote them  is working
everywhere in the poor countries.  How else can
one justify inhuman and unethical treatment to
becabs and rikshaws in Jakarta?   To placate the
likely needs of the motorcar thousands of poor
earning their honest bread and serving the poor
section of the community are harassed, humilated
and killed.  This we label as progress!

I would be happy if I can help you to make your
years in India more lively.   Best wishes


----- Original Message -----
From: Iain Cameron <cameron at iinet.net.au>
To: <kisansbc at vsnl.com>
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 6:54 AM
Subject: New from Mumbai


>
> Kisan
>
> Since joining the Sustran network I have enjoyed reading your emails about
> Mumbai. It does put into perspective issues that developing countries and
> cities experience with their rapidly expanding transportation and
> infrastructure.
>
> In 1998 I worked on a road project in Chennai, East Coast Road, some 1,500
> kilometres of of new road and 'reconditioning' some parts  and with some
> 100 bridges. This World Bank funded project was I think to cost some
$US600
> million. At the time I was very concerned that this money was being spent
> on roads rather than much needed other infrastructure such as water,
sewage
> drainage, housing or flood control as well as TDM and its associated
> stratgeies. A major concern, from work I have been asoociated with for
many
> years, was the urban air pollution caused by very poor vehicle exhaust
> emission control and uncontrolled industrial emissions. Environmental
> health aspects of Chennai's urban atmospheric environment were in need of
> considerable attention. A situation not unlike that in Mumbai with
priority
> for additional roads while the city's transit service is in need of an
> upgrade. As well I would imagine in other respects it would be like
Chennai.
>
> Apart from that, my time in your country was one of the most rewarding
> personal and professional experiences I have encountered.
>
> After working for many years as a chemical engineering and environmental
> scientist, with specialities in urban air environments, I am at present
> undertaking my PhD at Perth's Murdoch University and the broad topic of my
> thesis is automobile dependence in developed and developing cities and
> countries.
>
> Thank you for your most informative emails about Mumbia and many kind
> regards.
> Iain Cameron
> Institute for Sustainability and Technology Policy
> Murdoch University
> Murdoch 6150
> WESTERN AUSTRALIA
>
> Home Address and Communication Details:
> 29 Knebworth Avenue
> HIGHGATE 6003
> WESTERN AUSTRALIA
>
> Telephone home: 61 8 9227 8678
> Fax home: 61 8 9227 1664
> email: cameron at iinet.net.au
>