Need for proper planning, implementation of rules Radical solution

[kiwi]

Since even before high-rises started mushrooming, pressure on the environment was considerable, rules and laws may have little scope or space to be immediately effective. Whatever the type of the ongoing property development - apartments, hotels, software parks - they cater predominantly to the affluent middle-class capable of paying for services at par. Therefore, a long-term, yet costlier and radical solution may be appropriate.

A special infrastructure authority, catering exclusively to these developments, should `outsource' utilities - power (generation and distribution), water (sourcing and treatment) and sewerage, off-shore, through a string of platforms on barges, moored particularly near estuaries dotting the coast, along which are most of the urban centres.

Energy and water so sourced and purified, the former from sun, wind and tide, should be transported through flexible submarine piping/cabling, and on-shore, through dedicated grids/networks to the target properties. In the reverse direction, garbage and sewage, duly processed, should pass for disposal in the sea. Improved road networks, imaginatively reoriented in different dimensions (over and underpasses) are another innovation which will help the situation.

Kerala apartments are mushrooming in every nook and corner of the city. The people seem to be so enamored of their high quality lifestyle that they do not have the time or the interest in addressing the problems of drainage and sanitation in their surroundings. All high-rise buildings are not built according to the existing rules and regulations, especially regarding water tanks, sewage tanks and other sanitation facilities.

The drainage systems in apartment complexes should be planned in such a manner that it does not inconvenience those living in the neighborhood. Environment friendly construction techniques should be adopted. The corporation/municipality should appoint a separate body to sanction the constructions of buildings which have more than three storeys so that the builders do not indulge in malpractices. Corruption is prevalent in this sector. Hence, the Vigilance Department should ensure that illegal constructions are not encouraged.

[michlele21]

nice post. very useful information kiwi.