Can we humans be all ready for any natural disaster coming our way? Can our disaster management plan run a long way when crises arise, what kind of futuristic technology solution needs to be applied to make India foolproof with respect to alarming global warming calamities coming our way? These are some of the big questions that the media is talking about so do we as humans. India is the second largest growing economy in the world with a growing population at a faster rate of 1.3 % and energy consumption at 4.3 % and vanishing natural resources. The construction sector in India is one of the major consumers of energy. Land which is an essential natural resource & most demanding, both for the survival and prosperity of humanity and for the maintenance of our ecosystems has been heavily exploited beyond its potential which is glaringly evident in many developing cities of India. We all aim to live in a developed city, but where has development taken us, exploitation of the resources? The world outside is talking about the green revolution, carbon neutral & low carbon footprint. We all are still far more to catch the race, all are years old ancient understanding and livelihood with basic needs have vanished with the competing world.
We demand more & more development but as humans are we not thinking what’s going to stay for the future generation. Considering all these problems, it can be seen that the root cause for the present deploring environment is the lack of effective social & green responsible policies. In reality, each of these issues has risen owing to the collusion between demand & development, mainly in the construction industry. Owing to the huge demand put up by the rising Indian population for housing and supporting infrastructure, builders are continuously building to meet the demands without considering the tremendous pressure exerted upon the existing environment. Man, in his pursuit to have an effective built environment suiting his needs has resulted in extreme destruction of the natural environment which also leads to unhealthy living conditions. This is quite evident in developing Indian metro cities. What one needs to understand from all this is that, though infrastructure is important and totally justifiable in a city, aiming to gain “developed city” status, it should not occur at the cost of an environment which will cause disastrous consequences on nature. In fact, the occurrence of unplanned urban development with complete disregard for nature will always backfire like the very recent Kerala floods. What new strategies need to be planned to look at this changing scenario is the bigger question. The true success of any developed country lies in striking a chord between development and environment; in achieving sustainable development.
The year old 100 smart city mission is yet to be caught up in the pace of mainstream construction. Planning, Implementation, Monitoring & Governance is what needs to be in place. A developed city is not only the integration of advanced technologies, but a blend of modern era, human behaviour, responsive approach & adaptation to changing climatic conditions, variety of local diversity and integration of different cultural aspects. In simple language, a City in which a newly born baby and a senior citizen can live happily with good quality of life. Good quality of life means, a responsible and Green living where equal importance is given to respect our valuable resources as well as our own needs. We as young entrepreneurs can always dream for a change to happen, but the change we wish will not be sudden. We should educate our surrounding to focus on small outcomes towards responsible citizens & adapting green sustainable initiatives in our society. A small effort will always be rewarded that’s what it always says. Social responsibility towards the environment should be inculcated in all younger generation as the future of the country lies in the young hands.
The right way of development is a gateway to the future we all wish to have, it offers a systematic framework to generate economic growth, achieve responsible & social justice, exercise environmental stewardship, and strengthen governance. Development of the city lies in turn hands of people the only way forward is if we all dream to be sensitive towards our environment and for that, we all need to get involved with it. Every time when I visit the seashore or the mountains or a quiet forest, I look at it and say this is one reason wherein we all should try to preserve our environment; it’s a gift that we all have received. Sooner or later we all need to believe that we humans cannot live in a green environment, but the earth can live without humans. For the right way towards responsible development and a healthy environment, we don’t need to sacrifice a strong economy. It’s never too late to return to nature for good & healthy living.
The Article is submitted by our Community member Ar. Mellissa Pereira Assistant Professor M. Arch (Sustainable Architecture) CEPT University.
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