'Indian cities generate some of the most lethal forms of unsanitary living'

'Mumbai's corroding infrastructure, Delhi's pollution, Bangalore's rain water drainage, Kolkata's electricity -- these are all real and serious life threatening situations.'

Award-winning architect Gautam Bhatia, who has authored several books on architecture including Laurie Baker, Punjabi Baroque, Silent Spaces, Malaria Dreams (a trilogy that focuses on the cultural and social aspects of buildings), is a strident critic of the manner in which Indian cities have failed to cope with rapid urbanisation.

Given the massive recent flooding in Bengaluru and the entire NCR region, Bhatia draws a road map on what steps need to be taken to reverse this situation.

"Our real problem is that we are trying to apply smart city ideas developed for Copenhagen and Amsterdam to cities that don't even provide access to the most basic services and utilities," Gautam Bhatia, tells Rediff.com Senior Contributor Rashme Sehgal.

The first of a two-part interview:

Right through September many of our metro cities faced massive flooding. The entire NCR region faced massive flooding and practically came to a halt as did Bengaluru where people were forced to use boats and tractors to move about.
Why has such a basic issue not been attended to in all these years?

Flooding in Delhi and elsewhere will continue as long as cities are designed for 2 million and occupied by 22 million.

Monsoon flooding, lack of parking, too many cars, overcrowded metro lines, water shortage, electricity breakdowns, air pollution, pandemics, etc. are in the end, the by products of excessive population -- too many people unwilling to share too few resources.

On September 8, Mr Modi inaugurated Kartavya Path on which over Rs 500 crore (Rs 50 billion) has been spent primarily on beautification of an already beautiful area. Surely, this money could have been better utilised on upgradation of other facilities in our city?

No, I think the landscape of the Central Vista is essential expenditure.

Whether Rs 500 crore was spent judiciously, it is hard to say, but certainly, it wasn't so much beautification as an environmental maintenance and upgrade.

The water canals need cleaning, and new filtration systems, the public walkways needed definition, widening and new paving. New plantation was required.

I ask this question because most of our municipal bodies complain of shortage of funds. This non availability translates into their inability to execute basic but much required projects in the areas of waste management, pollution, traffic congestion and water shortage.

The trouble is our public agencies and municipal bodies spend almost nothing on public space, not just its upkeep, but the way open area use can be encouraged, highlighted and made more appealing.

When was the last time that Connaught Place, its arcades and parks, were upgraded? When did Mumbai spend money and effort on the Colaba arcades, or Bangalore on Brigade Road?

This inauguration took place at a time when Bengaluru was reeling under massive floods.

Urban mismanagement is only partially to be blamed on the lack of funds.

Mumbai's corroding infrastructure, Delhi's pollution, Bangalore's rain water drainage, Kolkata's electricity -- these are all real and serious life threatening situations.

But the real problem is administrative. Cities cannot be governed as political entities.

Every aspect of urban life must come under one consolidated civic authority -- a mayor.

As a leading architect, would you agree that our architects and town planners have failed us because some of our most iconic cities are being reduced to little more than overcrowded slums.
Who would you believe is responsible for this state of affairs and how do we get around this situation?

Ugly cities matter less than unhealthy cities. Today Indian cities generate some of the most lethal forms of unsanitary living.

Part of it has to do with overcrowding and lack of available resources -- clean air, water, waste disposal, and domestic energy.

But more than that it is a cultural acceptance of an attitude that forgives and forgets any and all. And works to no standard.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com