Gurgaon - the Migrant town & My other theories

Gurgaon is a Mess today, and that might just be an understatement. The Government dis-owned it for over a decade, handed it over to the private builders. And what the greedy private builders have done to the city is no breaking-news. Adding more misery to this, are the hordes of Migrants from other cities - who show no ownership towards this place, no sense of attachment. I am one of them, lived most part of my life in better organized Faridabad. However, I have learnt to be faithful to even the places that I visit and therefore I am a lot more faithful to this city though I have lived the shortest part of my life here.

Over the last Decade and a half, most of the residential and commercial spaces have been developed by the private builders. But have they done any better than the HUDA? The answer is a clear NO! In fact because of their profiteering motives, they have ended up cramping the living spaces. The city meant for not more than 5 Lakh population, is now shelter to almost 25 Lakhs and still growing.

What adds more misery to the already pathetic situation is the fact that more than half of the population is Migrant and comes from various cities of Punjab, UP, Rajasthan, Haryana, Bihar, other states and Delhi. Since this population does not belong to Gurgaon and Gurgaon is just a short term plan in their life-span, they hardly bother to raise issues. Once this large chunk of population starts showing ownership to this city, they will probably start looking at things other than the Malls and Pubs.

The mess of Gurgaon is a collaborative achievment, a great private-public effort! The private builders ensured that they carve out maximum possible 'Inventory' out of the available land and leave no open green spaces to let the inhabitants breathe fresh air. The public departments, so far governed by the people with rural mindsets and regressive mindset - ensured that they take not notice of the haphazard development. Happy that the private-babus were gifting them their share of the booty, they did not notice that the entire town was being developed without approved building plans and without sewerage lines.

Off late, the mess has finally forced the hitherto happy-go-lucky Mall-mongers to think what actually they have got themselves into. Yes, so far it's a mess.

To be contd.

Social Networking

A facebook page for Gurgaon Traffic police, Delhi Traffic Police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi too has now joined in. I have never seen a better phase or face of social networking.

Everyday Tens of users are posting pictures of vehicles violating traffic norms and the administrators of the fb page (officers of Delhi Traffic Police) diligently look in to these photographic complaints and penalize the erring culprits.

Following a cue from Delhi Traffic Police, Gurgaon Traffic Police too has come up with a facebook page that is being used to prosecute the erring drivers on the Gurgaon roads. A young man laced with a diploma in cyber crime is managing the show. The page is really helpful and has lot of information about the traffic rules and the changes required to make the traffic smoother.

MCD - Municipal corporation of Delhi is the latest to join this bandwagon and people are pouring in with their suggestions.

I have always been a believer of the thought that 'Talking' is the only way you can end of 'doing' things. Once you talk about problems you can expect solutions, when you never talk about a problem and start living with it - you can never ever have a solution.

I can see that a change is ushering in... 2011 can be the year of cyber-resurrection of the falling and failing systems.