Singapore model may backfire, warn experts
HYDERABAD: What constitutes a city? What makes a city smart? What are the urban models of development and how can they be unique to each geographical environment? Be it infrastructure, housing, sanitation or ecological balance, speakers at the Do-Din event here on Sunday pointed out that a city can neither be created over a span of a few years nor should the governments try to replicate another one.
Huiying NG, a social psychologist from the National University of Singapore, explained that Singapore is an orderly society that focuses on sanitation, education, law & order, technology and innovation, but pointed out that 'in the process, it has diluted the vibrancy, resilience and levels of happiness that existed previously.'
'There is a lot to learn from Singapore but Singapore in itself is constantly changing. For a country as vibrant and resilient like India, sudden penetration of technology at the highest level might lead to exclusion of several others,' she cautioned.
Giving some food for thought to leaders in AP and Telangana, who want their respective States to emulate Singapore, she said, 'Singapore is trying to update and integrate records available with all hospitals ... it is also trying to introduce motion sensors for elderly people considering the aging population etc. But, these are specific to Singapore society. With technology available to such an extent, social interaction is lost.' She also explained that the highly competitive and excellence-driven society has forced students to opt for safer topics in academics.
A Mumbai-based urban planner and social scientist, Prasad Shetty, echoed her views. Even planned cities like Chandigarh, Navi Mumbai and Bhubaneshwar needed decades to grow, he stressed. According to him, Gurgaon is a bizarre city that has 'just happened' in a span of 10 years. 'Its urban population increased by 20 lakh in the same period. Water supply, electricity, sewerage are one's own responsibility and there is not a centralised system. It has one of the highest GDPs but is still not a settled city but an emerging city,' Shetty said and emphasised that development has to be focused on equality, not consumption.
News Posted: 22 December, 2014
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