It is very important that we focus on creating more and more SEZs. Future investment is very much in SEZs. Aha but the difference is SEZ here stands for Special Environment Zone. In an environment increasingly being polluted as also depletion of diversity of plant species, places of green belts like garden, Biodiversity Park is needed particularly in cities. Everyday new buildings are coming up, which offcourse is needed (we don’t have much options do we??) but unplanned development can leave the place horrendous. It is becoming the case of most Indian cities. Two immediate steps need be taken:
1) Government need to necessarily allocate some space for parks with more trees and wildlife zones in places marked for ‘development’ or construction activities. This should be made a rule.
2) Corporate need to be given tax incentives for maintaining gardens and parks.
This are the steps which can be taken where there is already some space existing but what about cities wherein there are no space left??. The pollution level is increasing at an alarming rate in most metros and space for ecosystem is dwindling all around the world. I have seen certain programs in TV wherein they encourage people to maintain gardens, and in high rises terrace garden is encouraged. That doesn’t solve the problem though. Steps need to be taken to stop misuse of land particularly in cities. Some time back I heard that a politician in Mumbai suggesting that Mahalaxmi Race Course be handed over to developers. An appalling thing in all right sense but there is so
mething in what he said that made me think. Race courses whether in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata or Bangalore are located in ‘prime property’ that is these are located right in the middle of the city. They are kept as flat surface with few decorative plants or shrubs in acres of land. So also is the case of Golf courses. This is criminal. Steps should be taken to relocate Golf course and Race course to outskirts of cities. The land be then converted to bio diversity park (on the model one finds in Ooty). Maintaining acres of land in cities with few shrubs and grass is an insult on people. It is a kind of colonial affliction for indulgence of few. This has to stop. It is not to say that I don’t enjoy horse derby. I am quite an enthusiast. Even in school days I have been to horse race not for betting but to see the race. I too was an avid horse rider. For bettin
g one doesn’t need a race course a betting centre is enough. One wonders why horse racing not deemed as proper sport?!!. It is rarely in the mainstream news whereas dumbest game like golf makes it. Also what I don’t get is why betting is not allowed in cricket?. The police are being misused for adherence to club rules. This is ridiculous. If Marketers can cash in on the game why not common people what is the difference? Sometimes people tend to take high moral grounds on cricket. Chill it folks after all it is just a game where people want to just hit the ball.
