[ಕನ್ನಡ ಅನುವಾದ ಶೀಘ್ರದಲ್ಲೇ ಬರಲಿದೆ — Kannada translation coming soon]
Mysore Master Plan: Mysore Citizens Should Reject It (Oct 2 2012) Bhamy V. Shenoy, Convener, Mysore Grahakara Parishat Mysore Urban Development Authority seems to be in a big hurry to submit the Mysore Master Plan 2031 for final approval. Some people have asked for more time to come up with suggestions to improve it. But in my opinion, the improvements needed are so extensive that it is better to send the plan back to the drawing board and start all over again. The present plan is extremely poor even though a reputed company was given the contract to develop it. While the plan is extremely detailed, running into three volumes of data and analysis and two volumes of maps, it misses the most important issue, namely, what development path should Mysore follow. Do we want to maintain old charm at least in the area where there is a concentration of heritage sites or do we want Mysore to develop like Bangalore supporting all kinds of industries, allowing buildings wherever there is vacant land, continuing to reduce open spaces, destroying water bodies and neglecting parks? It appears that the Mysore Master Plan is tailor-made to put the legal stamp of approval on land grab and unscientific development by vested interests. During the last few years, the government has commissioned several studies to look at various aspects of future planning for the city, such as, low carbon city planning by Atkins, a UK consulting firm, GIS mapping to streamline traffic by a French agency, fifty year plan by Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, planning solid waste management, preserving heritage sites, etc. It is surprising that the Master Plan has not made much use of these earlier studies. Then there is the Comprehensive Development Plan the City has undertaken to follow in order to receive funds from JNNURM. The JNNURM CDP also plans for the year 2031. Is not having two separate master plans problematic? The Mysore Master Plan is based on some incorrect facts. For example, while the current production of solid waste is about 450 tons per day, the MMP assumes that it is only about 330 tons per day. Besides this gross underestimation, the plan projects that in 2031 the solid waste production will be 630 tons per day. This projected figure is based only on the projected population increase. But it is very
likely that as living standards improve, per capita waste production will also increase, but this factor is ignored in the MMP. Parameters such as population, amount of per capita garbage produced, amount of water needed, increasing traffic density (as standard of living increase, so does the number of private vehicles), etc. are very difficult to estimate. But the whole MMP is dependent upon one set of numbers and no analysis is done to find out what problems will be created should this set of numbers is wrong. It is for that reason scenario planning is a must for any studies of this kind today. If the projected population in 2031 is less than the actual population, then all our plans for water supply, garbage handling, sewage processing, traffic handling will be wrong and Mysore will be a veritable hell. One must remember that Bangalore is in the sorry state it is today because population projection in its master plan was off and the “master plan” had not planned for this scenario! We in Mysore need not be told that we have been having a water crisis for the last several years. But according to MMP, Mysore’s demand for water was 167 million liters per day in 2010 and the supply was 247 MLD. So we must have a surplus of water and the water crisis is an illusion! Such figures strain the credibility of the MMP. Similarly, MMP says that in 2031 the demand will be 283.5 MLD while supply will be 352 MLD. So once again we will have a surplus of 68 MLD. It is hard to take these projections seriously. KUWS&D has made several recommendations to the government. It is a mystery why those recommendations have not been discussed. The board has been urging to rehabilitate very old water supply infrastructure at Hongally and Belagola whose efficiency has been declining over the years. It has also recommended reserving adequate land to house water supply infrastructure when the city expands. When major companies like Infosys, RBI printing press, and RMP demand water, special lines are built for them on an ad hoc basis charging just nominal royalty instead of having an integrated water supply for the whole city. The MMP has not found it necessary to discuss this important issue. It is a well known fact that civic services such as water supply, storm water drains, roads, sewage, garbage handling, etc. are falling apart all over the city. This is because sites sold by MUDA for single family dwellings are being converted by owners into multi family apartment buildings putting enormous pressure on civic services leading to breakdowns. But MMP has no discussion on this matter nor suggestions on how this should be stopped. The Karnataka High Court has ruled that such flats should not be allowed, but MCC continues to give permission. MGP
has been arguing that flats should be allowed only in areas designated for flats with adequate infrastructure, but with little success. As Mysore grows in the future, the migration of “economic refugees” from surrounding villages will accelerate. MMP claims that it will eliminate the current slums by making a grossly underestimating the present slum area to just 40 hectares. A serious plan should have developed a strategy to manage future slums also. Lip service has been paid to the preservation of heritage buildings. A shopping mall has been allowed right in the heart of the city close to all the heritage sites. MMP should have discussed what should be done to prevent such occurrences in the future. The same is true for preserving open spaces, parks and lakes in the city. MMP should have discussed the problem of allowing the construction of a library in the last large open spaces in the heart of the city. This is another example of MMP failing to deal with the more sensitive issues where the interests of the influential people may be compromised. Why has the plan not discussed the pros and cons of ropeway on Chamundi Hills? The plan discusses with great interest the airport project which actually may not be a high priority for Mysore. But it overlooks many other more critical issues. There is also the problem about the real value of MMP. There have been massive violations of previous comprehensive developments, but the government regularizes these violations and just moves along to the next plan. If the government is not serious about implementing it, why does it even make a plan? What should be our action plan now to get a sound MMP? We need pressure the government to ask the SAI to assemble a team of real experts to redo the entire plan. They need to have extensive meetings with different stakeholders. Management institutes and engineering colleges should be asked to hold seminars on the current MMP to develop some sound ideas to maintain the old charm of the city and to ensure that Mysore does not go the way of Bangalore. Finally we the citizens should start a movement to urge our elected representatives to put pressure on MUDA and the government not to accept the current MMP just with few cosmetic changes. Responsibilities of Citizens in Democracy (Oct 15, 2012)