Bombay has a lesson to learn from the speed with which the West Bengal Government has finalised the blueprint of a ‘second Calcutta’ to be built close to the present metropolis. As the largest and filthiest city in India, Calcutta’s urban problems are in many ways more pressing than Bombay’s. It was to end this standing problem that the authorities decided to develop Kalyani into a flourishing suburb. The present plan goes beyond this and envisages a whole new city with its own drainage, power system and water supply. In fact, the idea is to develop a twin city area so that the population will be better distributed.
The idea of course has its limitations. It is unlikely, for instance, that the creation of brand new city will rid the old city of its slums and degradations. At best the twin-city of Calcutta will be something like Old Delhi and New Delhi. But this does not in the least detract for the desirability or long-range wisdom of the plan. Growth has been frighteningly rapid in the eastern metropolis as in our own western metropolis and any move that will absorb the excess population can only be welcomed. Not that Bombay’s planners are unaware of the need to disperse population. For several years we have been hearing emotionalised appeals for the creation of ‘satellite townships’ around Bombay. But we have a disarming tendency to be satisfied with the blueprints.
The practical wisdom contained in the old Master plan and a series of plans since is still gathering dust in some forgotten shelf. In practice, the Government is contributing more and more to the congestion and squalor of the ‘Fort Area,’ the curse of Greater Bombay. Every open space available in this great ant-heap of stuffiness is being used by the Government to build new office buildings without ever bothering to move out into the suburbs. Unless this tendency is checked, the breaking point of our urban living will be reached much quicker than we think.
There is urgent need for a change in official attitude to civic needs – the kind of attitude that makes the Police Commissioner write to the Municipal Commissioner saying that city roads should be properly paved before the Queen arrives here in February. Citizens should be considered the kings and queens of Bombay. Meanwhile, Britain will be doing Bombaymen a favour they will not forget if they route Queen Elizabeth in February through as many city roads as they can possibly manage.
13th December, 1960.
