by
Dr. Pawan Kumar Banta
The population of Himachal
Pradesh has been growing ever
since 1951. The decennial
rate of growth was registered
at 5.01 percent. However,
the population of the State
registered a growth rate of
17.87 percent 1961, 23.04
percent on
1971, 23.71 percent in 1981,
20.8 percent in 1991. Similarly
the density of population
has also grown accordingly
all over the State.
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Along with the general population
increase, the population of urban
areas in Himachal Pradesh has also
gone up from 34.76 during 1971-81
to 37.80 percent during the 1981-91
and decreased marginally to 32.43
percent during the 1991-2002 decade
(Census of Himachal Pradesh-2001).
The increase in the urban population
has been less than that of the population
growth of the state as a whole.
It also shows that the process of
urbanisation in the state has been
slow/. It is only during the 1981-91
decade that the number of towns
increased from 45 to 55 with two
urban agglomerations. Shimla is
the only city declared by the Census
as class-I in the whole of Himachal
Pradesh. Despite the slow process
of urbanization, the developments
in the urban areas of Himachal Pradesh
had not been different from what
has been happening in other cities
of India. The environmental degradation
has taken place due to unauthorized
constructions in the Agricultural
lands, encroachments in to the forest
areas, felling of trees and the
gross violation of the rules laid
down by the department of Town and
Country Planning. These violations
have become quite common as reported
in national dailies from time to
time.
The
mountain city of India Shimla was
a colonial urban development established
by the Britishers in the nineteenth
century in the Indian hills. It
is hypothesized that the evolution
of mountain city has been through
three main stages. The first is
the period of colonial domination,
primarily considered health resort.
They developed as expressions of
political, economic and social power
exercised by the British, who established
these towns as replicas of British
heritage.
After
independence in 1947, power had
been exercised in the Hill stations
by the sanskritocracy, who form
the second stage of development;
they are the anglicized Indians
and remaining British expatriates
who try to preserve colonial heritage.
Social changes have occurred with
a rise in the social-economic power
of the local hill people. Thus the
hill station has become a centre
of socio-economic development in
the third stage.
Although
Simla had its origin in a small
village located in transverse
spur
in the northern hills. It was developed
as a hill station after 1815-16
at the close of Gurkha war. From
1804, the Gurkha of the Nepal
began
to pillage the hill areas around
what become Simla and built numerous
forts. The first mention of Simla,
is in the 1817diary of lieutenants
Patrick and Alexander Gerard,
who
were surveying the Sutlej valley,
described Shimla as “Middle sized
village” where a Fakir resided
to
give water to travelers. The
Britishers conquered this area
in 1815.
The
first residence was built in
1819
and it became the summer capital
of Government of India in 1864
and
also of Punjab Government decided
to leave Simla as their summer
capital,
but it some what resuscitated when
it became the capital of Himachal
Pradesh. The town
has a linear pattern. It lies in
an elongated manner from about
Rashtrapati
Niwas on observatory hill of Jakhoo
hill.
At
the time when the population of
Shimla was sparse, the construction
activities were quite limited. The
construction of building was carried
out at different sites. This helped
in the maintenance of ecological
balance. The construction materials
matched the environmental conditions.
The falling of trees did take place
at the construction Sites. But buildings
being scattered trees felling did
not result in compete denuding of
the case areas.
The
development of the town included
educational institutions, water-supply
scheme, hospital, and railway connection
with Kalka and road transport. The
introduction of train service between
Shimla and Kalka and construction
of roads between places was conditioned
by the constant movement needs of
the British Raj. The development
could be termed progressive as it
also helped the local population
in many ways. What is notable is
that all these developments caused
little damage to the environment.
The beautifully erected structures
added to the beauty of the town.
It was in this way that the city
grew from a small hamlet to the
summer capital of British India.
Its beauty, ecology and environment
earned it the title “Queen of the
Hills”.
Shimla,
formerly known as SIMLA, is
situated
(30.6 North latitude and 77.11
East longitude) on a range of
entirely
mountainous Middle Himalayas, which
forms the last traverse spur
of
the central Himalayas; its mean
elevation is 2397.59 in above
sea
level. Shimla has a good accessibility
by road, rail and air. The town
is spread over seven hills spurs
covering a total area of 19.55
sq.
km. These spurs govern the road
geometric of Shimla. The built
from houses in the town is in
traditional vernacular architectural
pattern.
The
ecology the environment of the city
started changing with the increase
in its population and subsequent
concentration of the people in and
around the city. The density of
the population is very high in the
central core area of the town i.e.
from the railway station to the
Combermere stream the least density
is in the Kaithu area. The gross
population density of the town is
4197 persons per square kilometer
and the rate of literacy is 77.76
percent. The literacy rate of the
town is high as compared to the
Shimla district and other districts
of the state.
The analysis reveals that from 1951
onwards the population of the city
has been increasing, although in
a fluctuating manner. The occupational
structure or pattern of the town
is predominantly a service class.
A large number of employees serving
with the state Governments departments
came to live in the city and its
agglomeration. Many officers of
Punjab Government and central government
were also located in the city. The
value of land being very low and
non-existence of rules regarding
the sale of land, the government
employees bought land from the local
people at very cheap rate and constructed
houses as per their will. The trade
and commerce activities also increased
substantially that too around the
downtowns area. Even the traders
constructed their shops and houses
around the mall. Thus making the
downtown highly congested.
The
Shimla Municipal Corporation
with
its outgrowth areas (including
cantonment board and Dhalli notified
areas
committee) constitute the Shimla
urban agglomeration. Further
expansion of the town towards the
periphery engulfed agricultural
and forest lands. Census
data
revealed that population growth
was not accompanied by the expansion
territorial limits of the city.
This led to the over crowding
within
the Municipal limits of the city.
The density of population increased
considerably in the downtown
area.
The characteristic feature of the
development was unplanned and
haphazard
construction. It is quite important
to note that it is due to this
type
of development carried out in the
past that we find some localities
without proper approach roads
even
today.
Most
of the people live in very small
houses, which even do not have proper
ventilation. The houses of the poor
segment among the respondents and
the general population are damp
the sunrays never reach even at
their doorstep. The traditional
style of house construction is fast
disappearing. In place of these
multi-stored concrete houses are
coming up. The new construction
is also a reflection of the increasing
materialist tendencies among people.
Whosoever has even a small patch
of land constructs house and rent
it out to people.
There are multiple consequences
of the changing values. The positive
aspect of it is that people are
able to generate more income for
themselves by investing in housing.
But from the point of view of the
city environment the emerging patterns
of housing are not conducive to
social, physical and mental health
of the people. It may be pointed
out that in such areas children
do not have adequate place to play.
Loving in one room with smoke causes
numerous health problems including
tuberculosis, respiratory diseases
and so on. In other words the value
attached withy housing has changed
from a house for living to own a
house for commercial purposes. This
has resulted in sky-high land value,
high rents and decreasing capacity
of the poor to afford a house. The
poor people unable to afford a house
are forced to live in the small-dilapidated
houses
The
decreasing space has adversely affected
the vegetation which ones characterized
most housing localities. Since no
open space is kept in the front
and the backyard, there is only
concrete, which is visible all around
the houses. The location of the
houses indicates that no effort
seems to have been made to develop
the residential area in many parts
of the city. It is due this reason
that many areas do not have proper
approach road. These narrow lanes
do not have proper drainage for
the rainwater, the liquid waste
of the kitchen sometimes find its
way on to the streets or the roads.
Quite a sizeable number of houses
now have unhygienic conditions.
With
the constitution of separate board
for
housing in the state and development
authority for Shimla, to an extent
the problems pertaining to the housing,
is brought under control but the
poor quality still remains as growing
problem. With the growth in population
and migration of people there will
be continuous growing of housing
demand in the town. In few areas
like Krishna Nagar, Tibeti Colony
the houses are in very poor condition
and they have not connected to safe
drinking water and disposal of liquid
wastes. In all in sanitary conditions
that exists compels to rule these
areas safely under the category
‘Slum’.
Electric
energy is the main source used
for
space, Water-heating and lighting.
Kerosene, coal and LPG are mainly
used for cooking and from a large
share of the energy consumption.
The electric energy distributed
is taken to be equal to that
of
consumed and supply is in general
satisfactory. Since most of
the
buildings of the British period
are made of wood, this form
supply
leaves a potential threat of fire
accidents. Every year the number
of accidents due to short circuit
and subsequent fire incidents
is
increasing.
The
incidences of landslides in and
around Shimla have increased during
the past few years. This not only
caused destruction as far as buildings
and roads are concerned but also
result in uprooting of the trees
and other natural vegetation. The
landslips near High Court of Himachal
Pradesh and building collapse in
some parts of city during last ten
years provide the living evidence.
The people responsible for increasing
menace are the city residents themselves
who get the permission to construct
multistoried buildings by certain
means.
In
relation to environment people them
selves point out that the climatic
conditions have become uncertain
in Shimla. The weather has become
more warm in comparison to yester
years. The agriculture and horticulture
are greatly affected by the change
in weather conditions. The atmospheric
pollution has increased enormously.
The untimely rains and show also
cause considerable problems to the
people of the city. Some of the
localities have become congested.
The living in these areas is quite
dangerous. A small fire or building
collapse results in the loss of
life and property of the people.
Water
scarcity is one of the major problems
for the city residents. It is this
problem. It is this problem which
is also responsible for in sanitation
and filthy conditions throughout
the city, and the buildings. Besides
the inadequacy of water, the quality
of water is also not good especially
during rainy season. The contamination
of water takes place due to multiple
reasons. Some people throw garbage
around the water storage tanks and
some even steal water from these
storage tanks installed around their
houses. In the process they contaminate
water.
The
in sanitation and health problems
are related with the garbage disposed
practices followed by the people.
The garbage is found littered on
hill slopes, especially in the residential
areas, hotel, and guest house complexes,
offices and hospitals. There seems
to be no concept of garbage collection
and its disposal at a proper place
provided by the municipal corporation,
although garbage dumpers are placed
at various places, but people throw
it not in the dumper but outside
it. The irony is that they walk
up the dumpers by fail to put the
garbage there. The polythene bags
containing garbage keep on lying
for weeks together. Since polythene
is not bio-degrable material it
remains in fact. The same city bags
are also found in the drainage all
over the city. The non-cleaning
of the drainage results in their
chocking during the rainy season.
In this way the dirty water stink
spreads around in the air.
The
quality analysis of sewerage
presently
discharged openly very high values
of BOD and total suspended solid.
The drainage and sewerage network
dates back to 1880 and was designed
for a very small population of
18,000. The latter has not been
upgraded
since its installation in 1880.
The nullahs (surface drains) are
often blocked by heap of solid
waste material dumped over bridges
or
disposed or town drains. The sewerage
system has not had a centralized
treatment facility due to the rugged
topography of the town. On
the whole the general sanitary
conditions
are deteriorating. The attitude
of the people in general and
that
of safai karamcharis is not appreciable.
The problem is that if people
cannot
keep their localities clean then
who else would do?
Besides
the lock of a unified system
of garbage disposal the other
major
factor of environmental degradation
is transport and increasing traffic
on the roads. Transport in Shimla
is mainly motorized vehicle and
accounts for the main part of
the
diesel and petrol consumption.
Since the topography is not conducive,
most residents do not prefer
public
transport system or owning a private
vehicle to meet the commutation
need. Walking is the preferable
mode of movement from one place
to others, among the locals.
The
numbers of motorized vehicle is
increasing
The
emission levels measured by the
directorate
of transport also reveals a
high level of emissions in the
vehicles
maintained by the government
especially
H. P. State Road Transport Corporation,
private bus operators and good
carriers.
The conditions of the public
transport buses are very critical
due to
lock
of maintenance. In addition to
this vehicles traffic has also
increased
enormously on the city roads.
The roads have become highly
risky
for
travel. They are bumpy broken
at places and certain patches
are
unworthy
of driving. The roads get damaged
during rainy season. The landslips
and landslides disrupt traffic
on
the roads. Although the roads
are re-laid in certain parts
of the
city, but the technology used
is
such that after a short while
the roads are again damaged.
The contributors to damaging
of
the roads, traffic
congestion are obsolete technology,
tourist and transport vehicles,
and the increasing number of
personal
vehicles, in the city. At this
juncture it is also important
to note that
there is complete lock of coordination
between various departments.
Tele-communication
department digs the roads for
laying of cables and leave them
just
like
that, the roads are again damaged.
Environmental
pollution, the unfavorable alteration,
has impinged on
salubrious
and serene Shimla. The city situated
in the colossal Himalayan range,
once with natural landscape
has
been replaced by concrete structures,
streets, commercial establishments
and other land uses. The environmental
problem in town range from
air pollution
to sanitation. The
government of Himachal Pradesh has
totally banned charcoal
burning in the office and
also banned
the use of polythene bags in the
year 2000 and 2003 respectively.
This is observed that the
lack of
infrastructure in over-crowing
and slum formation, garbage
effects
on the public toilets, urinals
and bathrooms, the net result
is deterioration
of sanitary condition of Shimla
city.
Some
Major Issues:
Some major issues are highlighted
here:
•
Pollution of water sources, springs
and water in distribution lines
of liquid refuse, for instance the
solid waste-dumping site pollutes
the Ashwani stream.
• Changing land-use pattern and
increasing concrete (impervious)
structures in a vernacular pattern
reduces the infiltration and consequent
high run off and drying of springs.
• Absence of leakage detecting equipments
(presently used equipments are absolute)
and trained personnel.
• Poor water conservation measures.
• Huge quantities of waste generated
and with drawing high of tourist
season this manifold.
• High establishment and administration
cost involved and poor returns.
• Lack of Public participation.
• Lack of performance monitoring
• Multiplicity of institutional
responsibilities
• Sink and slide prone areas need
to be identified with counsel of
state geologists, and the construction
in the area should only be permitted
on the basis of detailed survey.
• Urban fuel wood demand inflicts
pressure on hinterland biomass resource.
This urban demand; exacerbate particularly
an unsustainable exploitation of
resources. This has serious implications
for soil productivity and biodiversity.
• Proper estimation of energy demand
supply for various peak and lean
season to enable the planning and
implementations in a sound manner,
in other words integrated resource-planning
need to be considered seriously.
• The ridge and the mall represent
both the traditional vernacular
and modern whosever architectural
resemblance. This form the urban
visual Perception (now widely termed
as visual pollution) is rather a
blight that it provides for a visitor.
• Every third building in this core
area is structurally in a poor condition,
redevelopment of these properties
pose legal and practical limitations.
• Though the area is covered by
sever network the frequent leakage
and blockage in the sewer lines
(sever lines are more than century
old and outlived) pose unsanitary
conditions. The open nullahs at
some places carry household waste
and human waste. Due to congestion
and overcrowding this problem remains
as a gigantic task.
• The unchecked soil erosion caused
by heavy snow and rain full not
only result in soil erosion but
also in loss of nitrogen level in
the soil. This checks the development
of afforestation as well as deforms
and destroys the relatively new
and infant plant introduced in the
system.
• The dumping of garbage and liquid
waste contains of unwanted and non-biodegradable
materials. This reduces the survival
rate of newly introduced infants.
Though
there exists complex problems in
almost every sector of urban services
programme, few services programme,
few services immediate attention
from the planners, managers and
policy-makers. This study after
critical analysis proprieties the
integrated urban waste management.
The solving of problem in Shimla
would mean full stop to urban blight
that is increasing day-by-day amelioration
in sanitary conditions that exist
to improve the health and environmental
benefits.
Keeping in mind the environmental
situation prevailing a critical
examination and analysis of the
existing problems in each of these
urban sectors has been carried out
to identify a suitable remedy. To
achieve this, a modest attempt has
been made in this paper to look
at the problems in Shimla on basis
of a total perspective. After considering
the nature of problem and its complexity
a viable and acceptable solution
has been proposed. Some of the suggestions
that may be worth pursuing to achieve
a sustainable Shimla are:
•
Any strong or sound policy framework
that will be conceived in future
for the urban development of Shimla
should formulate the problem of
demand that expands more rapidly
than the supply. Its applicability
should be tested in ground as hill
topography of the town may pose
an inherent limitation to the design
and implementation strategy of development
proposals.
• Shimla should see a perceptible
shift from the conventional master
plan concept, which is biased in
favour of physical land use plants
and the land being and important
constraint in the town. So any plan
that aims sustainable development
should take into account a coordinated
physical, spatial and economic planning.
The critical linkages that exist
between the investment proposals
and the resource availability should
be examined. An appropriate agency
to monitor regularly the implementation
plan should be explored.
• The failure of urban basic service
in Shimla like water, transportation,
waste management can be attributed
to high cost of operation and management,
lack of financial resources, crippled
organisation delivery mechanisms,
overlapping institutional arrangements,
multiplicity of laws that govern
the improper pricing of services,
the lack of coordination among the
government bodies, improper policies
or strategies adopted for achieving
the goals framed.
• The success of development plans,
irrespective of what it is and how
big it is, have strong social and
political implications. No plans
can be successfully implemented
without public-private participation.
So there is a need for participatory
work and awareness programme to
mold the public to follow in the
line of sustained practices and
participation to enable the bodies
to perform their functions in a
proper fashion. This would be beneficial
both from the financial and environmental
angle. Pursuing this exercise have
subsequent benefits like financial
that is tangible and environmental,
the intangible.
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