What follows is a set of talking points drafted by Bhamy Shenoy, representing the working group on Social Infrastructure (health and education).
Healthcare: Map out localities with concentration of BLP, low, middle and high income people. Indicate location of primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities to ensure that low income areas are well served with primary health care facility.
In case of new development, reserve enough land to house healthcare facilities. We need to ensure Mysore has adequate hospital beds in the ratio of 1 per 1000 people.
Storm Water Drains: Use of storm water drains to dispose of sewage as well as solid waste is a major cause of diseases. New area development should include proper storm water drain system, which should , in no way, be connected with sewage disposal.
Provide for public urinals in all areas, with their location determined by an assessment of flow of visitors and density of residents.
Allocate suitable space for fire fighting units both in old and new development areas.
Ensure schools, public places, high rise buildings have adequate fire fighting facilities.
Need for long term strategy for garbage collection and disposal, handling of hospital waste, discarded plastic, toxic material and junked computer and other electronic waste.
Pig rearing in urban areas is a big health hazard. Plan their location, ensure proper waste disposal.
Education
1. Student dropout rate in government schools is 45% .which, in effect, means there is no pressure on government run primary and high schools. With improvement in government schools in the future, this scenario may change. Private schools are over-crowded. Their number and location should fit in with urban developmental norms. Efforts should be made to encourage students from various socio-economic strata attend common schools, instead of the prevalent system of economically segregated schools.
2..There are 118 government primary schools in Mysore. There should be a time bound program to improve their infrastructural facilities (play ground, toilets, non-leaking roof, lower noise level, adequate lighting, drinking water etc).
3.Provide land for locating teacher resources centres..
4.Ensure that land acquired by private educational societies is not put to any other use. MUDA should carry out survey to assess the extent of land use violations and to take legal action .
5.A cluster of schools can have a common kitchen to serve mid-day meals. .
Internet technology and networking in education necessitates setting up school-buildings with wired classrooms. Schools of the future would probably have no conventional class-rooms, but lecture theatres with video-conferencing facilities, ear-phones on desks and the like. Lecture theatres would be used by many classes, by rotation, depending on a centralised class timetable for networking class lectures by a common faculty. The best of the teaching staff would be available for all networked schools. Individual schools would then be able to focus on teaching through study-groups, with tutors guiding them, and a faculty of mentors and vocational guidance experts.
Planners of such school-buildings could seek expert guidance, and, possibly material contribution from the IT companies and architects specialisied in designing hi-tech structures.
It might be an expensive proposition.And one can't wish away resistance from some political quarters and focus groups. In the long-run, in an irreversable globalized environment we would be better served by planning to have strategically-located technology-inclusive schools, rather than a wider spread of government built neighbourhood schools. Neighbourhood teaching institutions may have a niche, that is better left to private sector funding.
The focus on Education 2020 ought to be less on universalised education of the 'chalta-hai' kind than on 'the best available schooling for all'. Utopia ?
Former CFTRI director and MATF member Dr.H A B Parpia has proposed that MUDA, while drafting a fresh masterplan, would do well to: a) review performance of the previous plan to identify shortcomings in implementation; and b) provide an institutional framework to ensure accounatability and transparency in implementing the plan.
(Dr Parpia's suggestion can be met by reconstituting MATF, making it more inclusive in terms of representation of all interest groups, and by providing it with teeth to be able to function truly as a task force.)
Among other notable points Dr Parpia makes in his submission are: 1) rain water harversting provision should be made mandatory in all buildings; and enforced effectively through proper monitoring system;
2) As 12,000 to 15,000 vehicles are registered every year provision for car-park facilities must be made an essential factor in building plans. Proper public parking space should be provided in every residential area;
3) one-way streets should be mapped out in every locality and at the planning stage in new areas.
4) The city needs four bus terminals to cater to moffusil centres. The terminals could be located on the Ring Road
5) Tourism related issues should be examined by issue-wise committees that should submit their findings within three months, and the suggested action should be incorporated in the master plan .
High-rise buildings, five floors or taller than 15 metres, are required to comply with the building code on provision of fire safety equipment. A clearance from the fire service department is mandatory. However, the city corporation and Muda have issued building licences and completion certificates without fire-safety clearance, according to Mysore Grakahara Parishat (MGP) member Narendra P Shah.
Fire Officer H S Varadarajan is quoted in 'The Hindu' as saying that only two buildings have been issued conditional NOC by the fire department.
Most high-rise buildings do not conform to the fire safety norms such as providing a setback of one-third height of the building, dry-raisers on top to help draw water stored in them. Staircases are not wide enough for swift movement in an emergency.
Mysore Fire Brigade is not well equipped to fight fire in high-rise buildings. Their shopping list includes: ladders with a reach higher than 35 feet (Most tall buildings are at least twice as tall), high capacity tankers, powerful water pumps, fire-proof overalls, masks to fight chemical fire, diving gear (to cope with drowning incidents), blow-torches, jack-hammers and cranes.
Salient points from an artcile by Dr Bhamy V Shenoy of MGP (in Star of Mysore, June 2, 2005)
Mysore was the first city in India to set up a city improvement trust board (CITB) in 1903. This was followed by the Outline Development Plan (1972), Comprehensive Development Plan (1981, revised in 1997). They largely remained unimplemented and building codes were violated by the vested interests that ignored the land use norms to grab prime land. Houses came up on land earmarked for parks and open spaces. Public land was encroached.
Now that Mysore Master Plan is being drafted (to be finalised by 2007) it is imperative that the MUDA commissioner who has taken the initiative remains in office untransfered before completion of his three-year term.
Heritage conservation calls for suitable amendments in the building bylaws, stipulating retention of the original facade of buil;dings designated as heritage sites.
Need for realistic population projection for the next decade or two. Only then a proper assessment of water, power supply and civic amenities needs is possible.
Garbage disposal plan drawn up earlier stipulated demarcation of landfill sites by 2002-end. Nothing has been finalised in this regard. To start with, a geological map of the city needs to be prepared to identify geologically suited landfill site.
MUDA and the city corporation need to ensure that storm water drains are retained for the purpose they are meant to serve; and to ensure they do not become sewage outlets.
MUDA must provide adequate land for educational institutions and ensure that such land is not clubbed with other amenities sites. This is necessary to prevent misuse of land for profit by mangements of educational institutions.
Much of unplannmed growth in the citycan be traced to the discretionary powers of the city corporation to alter land-use pattern and to the practice of 'regularising' violations of zoning laws.
Effective vigilence by citizens needed to check incidence of land-grab, bureacratic complecence and laxity in enforcement of building norms.
Residents with expereince and expertise need to shed their apathy; and the local authorities should be responsive to public suggestions and input towards the formulation of the Mysore Master Plan.
Anyone with expertise in aspects of urban planning, such as population projection, traffic management, transport, energy, water supply and sewage can help formulate the Muda-sponsored Master Plan, says MGP's Bhamy Shenoy. Those with ideas could call MGP at 0821 2525150 or e-mail Bhamy Shenoy - bhamysuman@hotmail.com.
