Introduction
In some of my earlier posts, I have repeatedly criticized our habit of ‘First Populate, then Plan.’ Since independence, it seems to have been a free-for-all: land grabbing, haphazard construction, total disregard for building rules, encroachments, and neglect of natural and environmentally sensitive spaces. This chaos has often led to disastrous consequences, with nature responding with vengeance after periods of calm. We now witness fewer but more intense episodes of rains, floods, fires, landslides, and other natural calamities. A stark example of this oversight is the recent sinking of Joshimath town in Uttarakhand, where about 700 buildings have developed cracks, rendering them unsafe for habitation. Activists and social workers are demanding the rehabilitation of affected residents.
Recently, I came across an article by Professor Mahesh Rangarajan in the Times of India, which provided valuable insights into India’s climate history and urbanization challenges. Rangarajan emphasized the impact of climate change on India’s weather patterns, highlighting the consequent management challenges and the importance of understanding India’s tropical monsoon to manage infrastructure effectively. He also addressed the challenges posed by global warming and the need for adaptive strategies.
Rangarajan made significant observations about traditional living conditions, noting that traditional communities relied on localized knowledge systems and sustainable practices integrated with their environment. These communal resource management practices helped maintain ecological balance and resilience.
The article also outlines several challenges due to urbanization, such as the weakening of communal bonds leading to impersonal interactions in fringe villages and rural areas. It highlights the loss of traditional economies and ways of life, the marginalization of disadvantaged communities due to social inequities, and the exploitation and degradation of urban ecological commons, which displace and disenfranchise the urban poor.
Drawing from my professional experience of nearly five decades, I have observed that we have a history of not learning from history, and are prone to quick fixes rather than meticulous and comprehensive planning and action. In this blog, I recall some of my experiences and present my views on what subject matter specialists could do within these constraints.
The Meeting on the Kedarnath Tragedy: The Need for Early Warning Systems
On 30th August 2013, I had the privilege of speaking at a Times of India group meeting following the catastrophic Kedarnath floods of June 2013. This natural disaster, caused by heavy rainfall leading to flash floods, landslides, and the bursting of a glacial lake, wreaked havoc in Uttarakhand, particularly in the Kedarnath region. The floods resulted in significant infrastructure damage and a tragic loss of life.
Most speakers at the meeting rightly focused on the environmental damage caused by unchecked development in the Kedarnath area and along the Mandakini River. While acknowledging these points, I shifted the focus to a crucial question: “Did we have a credible early warning system in place?” I proposed the development of a satellite imagery and rainfall radar-based early warning system to issue timely alerts and save lives in future disasters.
A few years later, my company, DHI, was awarded an assignment, “River Morphological Analysis and Design of River Training and Bank Protection Works in Uttarakhand State.” There have also been credible studies of satellite imagery from 2014 to 2021 and valuable studies on the floating ice, providing important information on vulnerability to outbursts. However, to my knowledge, establishing an early warning system has still not been prioritized by decision-makers.
The Pro-development and Anti-development Lobbies in India
In India, the debate between pro-development and anti-development lobbies is highly polarized. The pro-development camp advocates for rapid industrialization, infrastructure expansion, and urban growth, arguing that these are essential for economic progress and improving living standards. On the other hand, the anti-development lobby emphasizes the importance of environmental conservation, sustainable practices, and protecting local communities from the adverse effects of unchecked development. This tug-of-war often leads to policy paralysis and conflict.
As a water resources engineer, I have seen the delays in the implementation of the Sardar Sarovar Project. In 1984, when I was in Arizona receiving my training at the University of Arizona, my professor Nathan Buras was involved in the debate about the storage capacity and height of the dam using his profound expertise in dynamic programming. One wonders that the foundation stone for the dam was laid by India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on April 5, 1961. However, actual construction began later, in 1987, after overcoming various legal and environmental hurdles. The Sardar Sarovar Dam was finally inaugurated and dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2017, which also marked the completion of the dam and the start of its full-scale operations. This is one of the many examples where the tug-of-war caused extraordinary delays, multiple times investment, and loss of taxpayers’ money. The disputes continued even in 2019, when I was the team leader for a consultancy assignment entitled “Water Accounting and Integrated Reservoir Operations For Narmada River Basin.”
The example of the Sardar Sarovar Project suggests that a middle path, integrating the strengths of both perspectives, can serve as a viable solution. By adopting a balanced approach, India can achieve sustainable development that promotes economic growth while preserving environmental integrity and social equity. This involves implementing rigorous environmental impact assessments, investing in green technologies, and ensuring inclusive development that benefits all sections of society. In doing so, both sides must understand the realities that India, the world’s most populous country, is faced with and act in an unbiased way to find implementable solutions. One of the impending challenges is ever-increasing urbanization. Let’s delve into this issue:
Addressing Urbanization and Development
As subject matter experts, our role often involves addressing issues created by decision-makers and economic pressures. Here are some key points to consider:
- Per Capita Agricultural Land: In rural India, the per capita availability of agricultural land is approximately 0.12 hectares, compared to the global average of 0.29 hectares.
- Industrialization and Globalization: These factors have significantly impacted traditional income avenues and rural economies.
- Migration Trends: The migration of rural poor to urban areas is expected to continue, with 35 percent of the population projected to live in urban areas by 2035.
A Way Forward
To mitigate these challenges, we need to promote:
- Extensive City Development: Rather than intensive development, expanding cities to alleviate pressure on a few urban centers.
- Local Economic Hubs: Creating employment opportunities near native places to reduce unnecessary migration.
- Climate Literacy: Educating the public and policymakers about India’s climate history for better decision-making.
- Infrastructure Resilience: Designing resilient infrastructure to cope with climatic variability.
- Ecosystem-Based Approaches: Leveraging natural ecosystems for local climate regulation and mitigating extreme weather events.
- Historical Insights: Drawing inspiration from traditional practices for sustainable development.
These strategies can help balance economic development with environmental sustainability and social equity.
Inspire Positivity 