Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Amitabh Kundu, a professor at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, explains that the
meticulous planning of the 1960s 'did not take vested interests into account' so, in later
decades, there were only 'vision documents that leave things open for the actors to do as
and are, more often than not, in league with real estate and other companies. Ravi Kaimal,
a Delhi-based architect and partner in an urban design firm, Kaimal Chatterjee & Associ-
ates, deplores the system of administration because, he says, it is in the hands of 'intelligent
amateur bureaucrats on short-term appointments' plus 'nominal control' by politicians.
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Since there is 'no downside for being inactive', the bureaucrats mostly look after them-
selves and protect their careers by pleasing the politicians above them, says Kaimal. The
politicians owe primary allegiance to slum dwellers who, because of middle-class apathy,
make up the vast majority of their vote-banks and are content with their semi-legal life-
style where they pay little or nothing for services. There is therefore little or no pressure on
politicians to improve urban planning and facilities, while the bureaucrats, generally speak-
ing, have no stake in improving the situation or services, but often show initiative in the
awarding of contracts, though not in the completion of the contracts, says Kaimal. (The ini-
tiative, of course, though he does not say it, is receipt of bribes and other favours at the start
of contracts and while they are in progress.) 'Till the current governance structure of cities
changes to more empowered [for decision-making and for revenue] and locally account-
able city governments, the concerns of the middle class for long-term vision and planning
are likely to be ignored,' he adds.
Crumbling Mumbai
India's commercial capital of Mumbai is one of the worst examples of urban decline, both
in terms of its physical infrastructure and its governance, despite being touted in the 2000s
as a potential international and regional financial centre conveniently located between
Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan to the east, and Dubai, Europe and the US to the west.
It does, of course, serve India well, with top businessmen and financial services executives
thriving in the sophisticated seclusion of well-furnished and efficiently equipped islands of
excellence in what are often scruffy, ill-maintained office blocks surrounded by the chaos
of traffic, broken roads and footpaths and a general lack of public services.
It also functions well in its slums where eight million people run a huge parallel and
informal economy that demonstrates India's ability to make the best of dreadful condi-
tions. Flying into Mumbai airport, many visitors' first view of the country is of a mass of
there is another image crouching below the aerial view, which was painted in the colour,
drama, fun and cruelty of the Oscar-winning film
Slumdog Millionaire
. The film was set
