BY APURVA RAI
EMPLOYMENT opportunities and business atmosphere has attracted millions and millions of people to the national capital of Delhi over past several decades. The situation has reached a stage that Delhi is now also known as the city of migrants.
Once working and earning in Delhi housing became the next challenge for the migrant population. Though there were other requirements too but they all became secondary. Most of the people who came to Delhi preferred to stay back and settle in the capital. As the income grew and people stabilised they started buying a house for their families. Soon a house in the national capital not only became a matter of social status but also a precious commodity.
More people meant more houses and the number kept rising. Slowly space in the national capital became scarce and nearby places like Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Gurgaon, Faridabad in Haryana became part of the capital thus expanding its land area. The nearby areas, now famous as National Captal Region (NCR) too have became populous making properties dearer day by day. With sky-rocketng prices of property Delhi is today one of the best place to invest and see your capital multiplying in a short span of time.
With rising cost and growing demand Delhi and NCR saw a surge in construction activities. Heavy construction work, particularly in Noida Extension, also led to heavy air pollution thus adversely affecting health of the people. The situation has become so alarming that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had to impose a ban on construction activity in #Noidaextension.
BLACK MONEY PUMPED
Growing air pollution in NCR, particularly Noida Extension, raises a pertinent question that what purpose these numerous housing societies are serving. Are Do they really fulfill the need of a shelter for a common man or that they have become just an investment opportunity. One may also go on to say that those who have bought an apartment for their needs are in debts from banks while others are mere shifting homes to see a change in lifestyle. One should not hesitate to mention that many of these apartments are yet another place of investment for those who have surplus or black money.
Thus one thing becomes clear that such a huge construction activity is not genuinely linked to the needs of the people. It should be said with authority that people are breathing polluted air to help a limited few see a change in their lifestyles or another few pump in their black money.
Buying an apartment in Noida, Noida Extension, Greater Noida, Faridabad or Gurgaon is not a joke and is by and large beyond the reach of 'aam admi'. In the absence of any policy for affordable housing the builders sell their flats at fancy prices by counting on various luxuries or other features to attract as many buyers.
Meet the 'homeless' people of Delhi and each one has a story to narrate. What one commonly comes to know is that they have booked an apartment which is expected to be delivered in a few years and that they are already under loan from a bank to meet its cost. Majority of these people pay rents and the EMIs together and are not yet sure how soon will they shift to the home of their dreams. Pressed hard by house rents and the EMIs now people have medical bills to add to their woes. Dust rising from construction areas has covered the entire Delhi and NCR leading children and senior citizens become victims of growing air pollution.
NO AFFORDABLE HOMES
One cannot deny the fact that housing is an important need for all of us but do we, indeed, need the kind of housing activity that is taking place in NCR. The kind of apartments that are selling in the region certainly do not fall in the category of 'affordable homes'. Every builder boasts of numerous features in his township but the reality is that most of these features are meant to squeeze more money from the pocket of the buyer who breathes poor quality of air and runs around the hospitals paying the remaining money in his wallet.
It is totally lop-sided policy of the government which keeps its eyes closed while auctioning or selling land to builders. If the governmet was people-friendly and indeed serious for a clean environment then it would have laid following guidelines:
a) More than half of the land alloted shall be used to construct affordable homes
b) Nobody shall be allowed to own more than two homes
c) The towers should be so constructed that they have a play area or a big park in between
d) Twenty per cent of land should be developed as an orchard, green area, large garden etc
e) Only limited blocks may be allowed to be sold as luxury houses. This will give scope to the builder to earn a good profit by selling 'dream homes'.
Such guidelines would ensure that greenery lost by way of paving way for construction of urban townships is restored to some extent. By putting a cap on ownership of number of homes people will not be able to go on 'home shopping spree' and thus will at some stage lead to restrict construction activity.
NGT MAY IMPOSE PENALTY ON DEFAULTERS
Delhi and NCR is appropriately called concrete jungle and the people of Delhi have to run out of the town during vacations in search of green or natural surrounding. Study carefully and you will find that every builder or developer claims of constructing towers amidst vast green area. But a visit to many of these townships will leave you hunting for that vast greenery. Stand on the balcony of any flat and you are confronted with another tower. It is rare to find apartments facing parks and open lands.
More so, not a single builder specifies areas for construction activity and areas left for greenery.
This is where the role of #NGT becomes crucial. If a builder has specified the green area in his townshop and has not followed it earnestly then he needs to be penalised heavily. In fact, the inspection for green areas should be done during construction period only so that there is scope to cover up for the lost greenery.
The National Green Tribunal should also specify number of townships that may come up in a given area. Thr agency may come up with clear guidelines on the size of green area that should be compulsoraily developed while allotting land to housing societies. For example, in a range of seven kms over one km could be compulsory green belt. This will reduce construction activity on entire vacant land and the green belt will serve as breather for the inhabitants.
The NGT has banned construction activity in Noida Extension for causing air pollution. Will the ban serve any purpose in fighting air pollution. The NGT, therefore, should look for unallotted land and help develop it for promotion of greenery.
While the government invites tenders for developing townships the NGT may invited tenders for developing green belts. This way there will be some control over construction activity and air pollution in urban areas may come uder control.
BUILDERS DO NOT CARE FOR CLEAN AIR
If the #builders were so careful and honest towards greenery the quality of air in Delhi would still have been 'breathable' and that ailments like #asthama would not have become so common here. While profit-making remains the sole objective of the builders greenery is just a selling item for them.
Most builders have earned the dubious distinction of cheating people on false promises. Majority have failded to deliver their projects adding miseries to the lives of #aamadmi. The builders talk of luxuries in the apartments, modernt lifestyle, shopping bonanza and much more but how many talks of huge lawns, theme-based greenland (like developing botanical garden, fruit garden, mini zoo, flower valley etc). There are many who boast of huge golf course but how useful is it to infants who need to be taken for ride in a pram, for children who need to play in evening, for pregnant women who ned morning-evening walks, for senior citizens who want to gossip under a tree and so on.
The builders show you a dream and you fall in their trap. The Second Opinion says that ask the builder to come with detailed roadmap on green belt and its maintenance if you are serious to fight #airpollution in your city. The Second Opinion also discourages multi-ownership of apartments bcause this is not going to solve the housing problem of masses.
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NOTE
Also read other my other pieces:
Copy/ Paste the given links to reads these Blogs.
https://apurvaopinion.blogspot.com/2020/02/becoming-kejriwal.html
2) हवा ही है ज़हरीली (2019)
http://apurvarai.blogspot.com/2019/12/blog-post.html
3) अब दिल्ली महानगरपाविका चुनाव (2017)
http://apurvarai.blogspot.com/2017/04/blog-post.html
4) Monsoon and Delhi Roads (2017)
https://apurvaopinion.blogspot.com/2017/07/monsoon-and-delhi-roads.html
5) Delhi Fights Pollution: Odds Come
Again (2016)
https://apurvaopinion.blogspot.com/2016/04/delhi-fights-pollution-odds-come-again.html
6) Delhi Pollution: Fighting Odds to
make Things Even (2016)
https://apurvaopinion.blogspot.com/2016/01/delhi-pollution-fighting-odds-to-make.html
7) Delhi Pollution: Mindless Driving
Major Concern (2015)
https://apurvaopinion.blogspot.com/2015/07/mindless-driving-polluting-delhi.html
8) मैं और मेरी दिल्ली (2011)
http://apurvarai.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post.html
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