Are we screwing our metro cities by developing un-necessary infrastructure projects?

Introduction

Through this blog I will be expressing my views regarding our (India's) infrastructure development model.

Today by developing infrastructure in our metro cities we are making our already over crowded metro cities ready to make them more crowded. Here I will be discussing the example of the Pune city.

Case Study of Pune

In Pune there is lot of discussion is going on 'Metro Train Project', everybody just blindly wants the metro but nobody is thinking that whether 'metro is really required for our city?'. We just always without ever thinking use the phrase 'Sustainable Development' but are we really planning in the direction of the Sustainable Development? In last decade(2001 to 2011) Pune's population growth rate was 145%. When Pune is growing at such tremendous rate does the infrastructure, health services, public transport, water and other basic facilities which are required by the citizens of this city are even growing even at half rate?

Why Pune is growing so rapidly?

Because it is one of biggest Education hub in Maharashtra and India so students from all over the India comes to Pune for education. Again Pune is the 2nd biggest IT hub after the Bangalore. Pune also has big automobile companies. So Pune has so many opportunities from education to job many citizens from all over India prefer to move to Pune. As discussed in the previous section this is leading to huge load on Pune city in all the aspects.

Problems because of rapid and unbalanced growth

Because of the rapid, unbalanced and unplanned development there n-number of problems rising in city which are:

1) Air pollution: Due to increased number of use of personal vehicles because of poor public transport service.

Left: Traffic jam on of the road of Pune.
Right: PMPML's Deccan Bus stand

2)Traffic jam's: Population of city is increasing, lack of good public transport service this results in daily traffic jam on majority of the roads. If public transport service is improved through PMPML it will help a lot in avoiding traffic jam.

Khadakwasla Dam, Pune

3)Scarcity of water: In last two decades the population of Pune and sub-urban almost tripled but not even a single new dam is proposed and constructing a new dam is even beyond the sight.

Slum at Parvati hill,Pune

4)House prices: Due to tremendous growth in population requirement for the housing increased this cause in to huge price hike of houses. Even rented houses at good locations is also too expensive. And buying home is like the toughest task for any common person. Slums are increasing rapidly across Pune which is causing other problems for city.

Is Pune Metro an appropriate solution? NO!NO!NO!

Representative Image

Pune has already become a very crowded and congested city because of lack of timely planning. Currently suggested metro train in Pune is of elevated type which will passing through some of most important roads of city
Track 1: Swargate , Budhwar peth, PMC, Shiaji nagar, Khadki, Bopodi, kasarwadi, Bhosari

Track 2: Paud road, Karve road, Jangli Maharaj road, Pune Station road and Nagar Road

As all these routes pass through the already crowded roads and because of the elevated route construction work of the metro will be done in the centre of the road. Currently when there are no obstacles and we are using the roads with full capacity by making some of the roads allowed for oneway traffic still we face huge traffic jam's on these routes, it's better not to think about the scenario that what will happen when 30 to 40 percent of the road will be reserved for the construction of the metro. The cost of Pune Metro project Phase I and Phase II is  ₹ 10,184 Crore. This huge expenses will not be solving the core problem of city of traffic jam but it will be increasing the trouble for the people of during the period of construction and after the construction. After completing the construction the road size will shrink because of the metro route pillars.

Pune Metro proposed route for Phase I

My question is why we are making Pune a fat city? Means first make the city too fat(unbalanced growth) so that it will breakdown and later do Angiography surgery(developing metro, monorail) to remove blockages caused because of the fatness. Rather its better to diversify the fats to the parts of the body this means develop the neighbouring districts and states so that the single city will not grow.
Also considering the previous examples of development projects such as BRTS on Satara Road, Pune,  University Of Pune Square Flyovers etc which delayed too much or ultimately proved to be failed projects because these were not useful for common public of the city.

Sustainable solution for the city which is already very FAT

As here we are considering the case for Pune there are so many people from the neighbouring districts like Ahmednagar, Satara, Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Nashik, Solapur. As per my knowledge there will be around 1.5 million(15 Lac) people from these districts living in Pune for the purpose of the Education and Job opportunities. And looking in future this is number is going to be increasing. As the number of people will increase in Pune problems discussed above are going to increase their intensity.

Maharashtra Map

Bullet train corridor

Constructing a bullet train corridor is the best solution to avoid making single city to FAT. Bullet trains will allow the people from the neighbouring districts not to move to Pune city.

Route for Phase I:

Route 1: Kolhapur - Satara - Pune - Ahmednagar - Aurangabad - Jalgaon

Length: 650 kms

Kolhapur- Satara - Pune: 250 kms

Pune - Ahmednagar - Aurangabad - Jalgaon: 400 kms

Route 2: Mumbai - Pune

Length: 100 kms

Route for Phase II:

Route 1: Kolhpur - Sangli - Solapur - Latur - Nanded - Yavatmal - Wardha - Nagpur

Length: 850 kms

Route 2: Mumbai - Nashik

Length: 170 kms

Route for Phase III:

Nagpur - Amaravati - Akola - Buldana - Jalgaon - Dhule - Nashik

Length: 680 kms 

Nagpur - Amaravati - Akola - Buldana - Jalgaon : 450 kms

Jalgaon - Dhule - Nashik : 230 kms

Total length: 2450 kms

Plan for Bullet train phases

Cost:
Currently cost per km for bullet train construction is 118 crore ₹/ km

Phase #	Estimated Cost(in Crore ₹)
Phase I	87,750
Phase II	1,20,360
Phase III	80,240
Total	2,88,350

Some pre-requisites for understanding advantages of this plan

• Pass will be provided for up-down passengers & students.
• Good public transport should be provided from Bullet train station to all the areas of city.

Advantages of implementing this plan

1. As the people can easily travel (up down) from there native place to metro cities like Pune and Mumbai.
2. This is decrease the load on infrastructure of the metro cities.
3. Most importantly it will decrease the air pollution and traffic jam's, as it is been observed that when people use public transport it reduces traffic jam's.
4. Water requirements of the Pune and Mumbai will reduce dramatically as many people will choose to stay in there home town only.
5. Most of people from neighbouring districts ave there own home's in there home towns so they will need to buy the home in metro cities.
6. New opportunities will be open to the businessman who do business in no metro cities.
7. People can save as well as spend a lot money as they don't need to buy highly expensive home.
8. Environment in metro cities will improve as less pollution will occur.
9. Students from the entire state will get same exposure by staying in his hometown and still take admission to college in metro city.
10. Ultimately crude oil consumption of the country will reduce as people will prefer to use public transport.
11. This will boost the economy by increasing the consumption capacity of the person.
12. Tourism industry will get revolutionised.
13. Population will not concentrate in specific metro cities.
14. Vegetable prices will be controlled as the demand in metro cities will be reduced.
15. This plan will revolutionise the transportation industry in the nation.

There will be many more benefits de-centralising the population.

Anyone can find more benefits of bullet trains on internet.

All the suggestions are most welcome.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pune

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pune_Metro

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai%E2%80%93Ahmedabad_high-speed_rail_corridor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail_in_India