In the last 10 years, Mumbai and Gurgaon have been reported as the two highest contributors to the commercial real estate market of India. Recently after the withdrawal of the Mumbai Master Plan 2034, the planning of these two urban clusters has also been brought to attention. The former was withdrawn due to the lack of credibility and authenticity of the master plan data. Some really important planning issues had been overlooked in the Mumbai Master Plan.
If a flawed master plan is passed, it is the city and its dwellers who will have to pay in the long run. The municipal government has always given the least attention to the planning part. The high authorities and the bodies directly involved with the land interventions enjoyed a better part of the governance. These bodies include influential personalities like bureaucrats, developers associations and politicians.
Master planning is a serious issue and can be performed by well qualified experts only. And to be certified as an urban planner, one has to pursue a separate stream of education. As of now, only five educational institutes in India run these programs and very few students opt for these. So even if there are 50,000 qualified urban planners across the country, the number is very deficient for 350 urban cities of India. This is the reason why the developers have to hire help from countries like Singapore to carry out the planning part of their residential properties and smart integrated townships.
Gurgaon is flanked by the Aravalli Ranges and the rapid development of the city is posing a threat to the natural area around the city. If due attention is not paid to the master plan of the city, the environmental threats would be increased just like in Mumbai where pollution is high and water level is shallow.
In such cases where faulty master plans are paid no attention, the human life has to suffer the risk in the long run. The cities are rapidly being converted from green to concrete which is choking the environmental conditions. So, it is the government’s duty to take master plans of urban cities seriously to avoid a havoc in the future.