Community Ownership:  If everyone in the neighbourhood feels part of their local community, if there is a sense of pride in their own Mohalla / Area, they automatically come together to solve all sorts of local problems including that of encroachments. When people who live in the area get involved, they can help come up with ideas and solutions.

For example, if there are religious places or commercial spots causing issues, the community can talk to the people in charge and find solutions that work for everyone. They can discuss where these places should be located or how they can be managed better.

If there are problems with residential encroachments, neighbours can talk to each other and help each other understand the rules. They can work with the local authorities to report any issues and ask for solutions.

When everyone comes together, there’s more understanding and support. People can share their concerns, and together, they can find ways to make the neighbourhood better. Community Engagement can also involve workshops, meetings, and educational programs to raise awareness about encroachments and their impact on the area. By involving the community, everyone has a voice, and solutions can be more effective and accepted by all.

The Sahakar Nagar Citizen’s Forum is a good example of this.

Green infrastructure and public spaces can be a solution to encroachments by offering attractive alternatives that benefit the community. By creating well-designed parks, gardens, and open areas, cities provide spaces where people can enjoy leisure activities. These spaces not only discourage encroachments but also improve the overall living environment.

When cities invest in green infrastructure, they make areas more appealing and accessible for residents. Beautiful parks and recreational spaces become valued assets that people want to protect. This reduces the likelihood of encroachments as people understand the importance of maintaining these shared areas.

Furthermore, public spaces can serve as a buffer against encroachments. When well-maintained public spaces are strategically placed between neighborhoods and commercial areas, they act as natural boundaries, discouraging unauthorized expansion. Additionally, involving the community in the planning and upkeep of these spaces fosters a sense of ownership, encouraging residents to be vigilant against encroachment attempts.

Green infrastructure also supports sustainable development by addressing environmental concerns. Implementing rain gardens, green roofs, and permeable pavements can manage stormwater and mitigate flooding, simultaneously reducing the appeal of encroaching on natural water channels.

In summary, green infrastructure and public spaces serve as effective deterrents to encroachments. They create appealing alternatives, foster community engagement, and contribute to a sustainable urban environment. By prioritizing and maintaining these areas, cities can enhance their liveability and reduce the likelihood of unauthorized occupation of public land.

Solutions:

The role of the PMRDA will be more crucial – currently it seems like a toothless tiger.

Where are the open spaces, green spaces just outside Pune? Wagholi for example had the potential to become a great hub for Pune. Now it is the most depressing and bhakas (desolate) concrete haphazard ‘development’.

Integrated Townships:

Magarpatta Style townships needed.

New Construction:

New Construction cannot commence unless civic amenities are in place. For example – Unless there is a bus service every 15 minutes to the city center or Metro or Railway station, the builders cannot start work. This will incentivise the construction industry to push for infrastructure.

Also, a few other solutions can be as follows: 

Land Use Planning and Zoning

Regular Monitoring and Enforcement

Affordable Housing Initiatives

Technology and Data-driven Solutions

Incentives and Disincentives

Implementation: 

But the best laid plans can go awry. Plans are only as good as their implementation. There are many missing roads / links within the city that have not been actioned for years.  Development plans are not implemented for decades.

Priorities / Alignment with Priorities

Politicians and bureaucrats always complain that “they know what the right thing to do is and actually want to do it – but there is just no money for it!” This is a baseless excuse. Let us take Aforestation as an example. The annual budget for it is around INR 7.5 crore which is just tokenism given the magnitude of the task and the total PMC budget of INR 9,000 crore. Bigger allocation at the budgeting stage is not done in the first place and this shows their priorities lie elsewhere.

Window to Window: The lack of co-rodination between various departments is a major bottleneck. Ex: During the design of the 1000 crores chandani chowk flyover system, it doesnt look like the metro was taken in to consideration. It is now that the proposal to extend metro from Kothrud to Chandani Chowk has been sent. Shouldnt this have been done together and in an in integrated manner? How much more money will we have to spend to retro fit the metro station?

I was once told by the late MP of Pune that there was a particular road on which no department claimed to have jurisdiction. Neither the PWD, nor the municipality because of which it had remained unusable for many years.

Apart from our system of KamSudhar Mandal, can we incorporate cutting edge collaborative tools and software in the working of Pune’s governance? So that the PMRDA, PMC, PCMC, Collector Office, NHAI, Irrigation Dept, and all their sub departments, Police (both commisinorates and SP Pune Rural) can work together in an organised fashion! Today the private sector executes complex and massive projects with collaborators sitting across time zones. Surely we can do the same, especially in the planning phase of any new project or initiative!

Here are some of the things that I think can be done to address these problems:

Improve public transportation: The city should invest in public transportation, such as buses, trains, and metros. This will help to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.

Create more green spaces: The city should create more green spaces, such as parks, gardens, and playgrounds. This will help to improve air quality and provide a recreation space for residents.

Plan for sustainable development: The city should plan for sustainable development, which takes into account the needs of future generations. This includes things like protecting the environment, conserving resources, and promoting social equity.

Enforce building regulations: The city should enforce building regulations to ensure that new buildings are safe and environmentally friendly.

Involve the community: The city should involve the community in the planning process. This will help to ensure that the plans are in line with the needs of the people who live in the city.