On Teddim road widening, propose ring road and Lanva dam (or artificial lake)
By: S.Liankhanlun ngaihte
On April 15, Zogamonline published an article by R.Sanga- Lamka Ring-Road Leh Lanva Dam Thusim Etkiikna in response to Minister Phungzathang speech on propose Ring road and lanva dam at Young Paite Association (YPA) Diamond Jubilee celebration on March 3, 2013. Frankly speaking, I have found the R.Sanga’s article confused, misleading and unuseful. R. Sanga is unaware of the long list of successful city and of the huge literature on the urban management and governance turn which have been developed in the last 50 years. R.Sanga’s article reminds us that we have a long way to go before we fully understand what urban governance is, let alone how it should be measured. I know some disagree with the minister proposal on making ring road and having a water reservoir or artificial lake but I feel that it is the best way of how we should develop and manage our town.
I find R.Sanga's idea of an Lamka Dream an overly optimistic one. As a matter of fact, his argument is mainly based on simple wishful thinking which I find disturbing. As I scrutinized R.Sanga's article, he used many argument to support his views on widening of Tedim road and later to construct Ring road and Lanva dam. As I have pointed out in my earlier article, road widening will have many implications; more traffic means more pollutions from vehicular exhaust, dust and sound, more urban heat, more traffic related accidents, long term health implications which can severely effects our goals as a healthy society. I think it is premature to outrightly reject the second proposal-Lanva dam. Instead of dam, it should have been said as water reservior or artificial lake. So, in the remaining articles, I will be using artificial lake instead of Lanva dam.
Public opinion can be swayed in the wrong direction when people writes to media, without any background in planning, basis or facts thereby hampering our collective effort to remake our town. The town needs to learn the real facts, and people need to understand that these proposals are made for the long term good of their children's and the town. R.Sanga also made his views on road widening by quoting survey conducted by Hornbill Cable Network where the majority of inhabitants along Tedim road agreed to road widening. But we cannot leave the futures of town to few peoples. We must have a say in our collective future. We can't exclude the resident in all this. They do have responsibility because they are part of the town environment.
The propose ring road and artificial Lake is among several proposal put forward by the minister to improve our environment. This proposal is also in line with the central government policy of managing mobility called the National urban transport policy(NUTP). Recognizing unless cities/town provide easy and sustainable flow of goods and people, the level of economic activity will be severely affected. Accordingly, the government set up NUTP , to deal with this rapidly growing problem and as also to offer a clear direction and a framework for future actions. NUTP with a clear vision recognize that planning for cities/town should be people centric for common benefit and well being of all citizen supporting the main social and economic activities within the cities/town contexts.
Over decades, Lamka town have undergone changes in many front. we have problems of waste disposal and management, lack of safe drinking water, loss of biodiversity, lack of green spaces, lack of policing. Groundwater is one of the major sources for water supply in many parts of the country. In Lamka too, ground water contributes a substantial quantity of water supply. Especially in new development areas like New lamka, groundwater is largely being used as drinking water resources. Rapid urbanization leading to reduction in recharge of aquifers, increasing demand in domestic sectors, stress put on groundwater resources in periods of drought/deficient rainfall, and unplanned withdrawal from the sub soil aquifers, have been mainly responsible for decline in groundwater levels. Another important development observed during the past many years is the phenomenal growth of automobiles in Lamka. This has resulted in a variety of problems pertaining to congestion, pollution, safety of travel and parking etc., which need to be addressed.
The proposed lake could be along similar line to Kankaria Lake, at a terminal Station,ahmedabad BRT Corridor
As the town continue to grows, we have seen urgent needs for the government to intervene immediately to stop further deterioration of our town. This will, amongst other things, necessitate planning and action to meet the challenge of population growth and in-migration into Lamka from interior of the district; provision of adequate housing, particularly for the weaker sections of the society; addressing the problems of small enterprises, particularly in the unorganized informal sector; dealing with the issue of encroachment of government lands and quarter, up-gradation of old and dilapidated areas of the town; provision of adequate infrastructure services; conservation of the environment; preservation of Lamka's heritage and blending it with the new and complex modern patterns of development; and doing all this within a framework of sustainable development, public private and community participation and a spirit of ownership and a sense of belonging among its citizens.
Policy makers are increasingly beginning to take note of the urgent need for sustainable development. Minister Phungzathang Tonsing numerous approach to make our town more healthy and livable is a welcome news. To achieve sustainable goals, all stakeholders must come together to address social, environmental and economic issues at the same time. We must be aware that in tackling quality of life issues, the solutions of today do not become the problems of tomorrow.
Towns that are not properly planned or managed can be a burden on natural resources and can easily threaten the quality of the air and water, thereby negatively impacting the natural and living environment. Because of their compact form and economies of scale, towns offer major opportunities to reduce energy demand and to minimize pressures on surrounding land and natural resources. Well-planned and well-regulated towns hold the key not only to minimizing environmental losses, but to generating creative solutions to enhance the quality of the environment and to mitigate the negative consequences of climate change. Town and the regions surrounding them have a symbiotic relationship; as long as this relationship is understood and carefully nurtured, both will advance together.
These decision should be made as part of larger, more holistic and sustainable plan for the area. These vision if fully implemented will make Lamka a livable town, where all the people would be engaged in productive work with a better quality of life, living in a sustainable environment. The propose construction of water reservoir or artifical lake in the town, demonstrates the local authority’s vision for providing a green space in the town so that people living and working in the surrounding area would have a refuge from town life. The lake provides an opportunity for water conservation and social interactions. It can also be made into great public spaces with proper designing where people can meet, shop, eat, play and mingle. The propose Ring road can also contribute to remaking our town more habitable and more sustainable. The ring road can acts as a buffer against increasing settlement containment, protecting productive agricultural land, provides green spaces for outdoor activity, for biodiversity protections, reduce traffics in town, and being in an environment that's well-lit, car-free and with good access to public transport".
Political commitment, especially by the top leadership, plays a critical role in making cities and town more habitable and green. Some of the most successful cities and town in this regard have benefitted from visionary mayors and political leaders who have radically transformed city landscapes by introducing reforms and strengthening institutions that enhance a city’s economic vitality and environmental sustainability while simultaneously protecting environment. Political commitment coupled with performance monitoring, either from the bottom up or from the top down, have shown to improve the quality of urban services in many cities, and made local authorities more accountable to citizens.
The big challenge centres on applying this thinking in the cities and town of the developing world, where unregulated urban growth is driving up urban problems at unprecedented rates. Manipur, however, have poor land governance that is mostly due to incompetent and ineffective land institutions, a situation that might be very convenient for the rich and powerful benefiting from the lack of transparency in land management. Characteristics of weak or ineffective governance include corruption, weak institutions, lack of horizontal and vertical coordination among governmental agencies, limitations of the credit market and low efficiency of land administration systems. If governance is weak, development processes can only have a limited impact. Where there is weak governance, the level of land information should be limited and related to what development project can achieve.
Moreover, the simmering tribal mistrusts and weak governance can potentially trigger unrest in the region and impact security and sustainable development. We must worked together to remake our town, living in harmony, protecting our environment and hopefully, R.Sanga"s great "Lamka Dream" will not turn out to be just a beautiful mirage.
