Page images
PDF
EPUB
[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][subsumed][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic]

་ལལལལལལལལལ

EDITORIAL

What Civic Bodies Discuss

Anger, emotion and playing to the gallery are the characteristics of the debates in civic bodies, on account of, among other things, lack of aptitude of the elected councillor for the civic tasks, and his seeming lack of interest in these.

Bombay's councillors, faced with a disastrous water scarcity, found time to debate U. S. bombing in North Viet Nam, the devaluation of currency ordered by the Union Government and the Central Government's proposal to enact Public Security Acts, which would give wide powers to Chief Ministers in the States. The Opposition group in Bombay Corporation staged a five-minute walk-out when a motion to adjourn the House for the whole day to protest against the U. S. bombings in North Viet Nam was lost. A special meeting of the Bombay Corporation was convened at the instance of the Opposition members to discuss a resolution saying that devaluation had adversely affected the country, and suggesting that the way to tide over the crisis was to throw off the Congress regime. An adjournment motion was moved by the Opposition leader in Bombay Corporation condemning the proposed enactment of Public Security Acts. Mr. George Fernandes, leader of SSP, pointed out that the Government wanted to curb the agitations against the soaring prices after devaluation. The step was to curtail civil liberties and in the name of democracy to establish a disctatorial State.

None of the subjects discussed by the Bombay Corporation come within the purview of the Corporation, and recall the pre-1947 days when the Congress and other anti-British parties sought to make use of the forum of the civic bodies for buildingup agitation against the Government.

Delhi Corporation's Hindi Committee on July 28 resolved unanimously that the Corporation switch over to Hindi from January 26,1967. The Committee said that exception could be made in the case of correspondence with allopathic hospitals and dispensaries and technical departments. Three councillors staged a walk-out saying that Hindi was being ignored and the Committee had not met for five months. By another resolution the Committee said the decision to make Urdu the second language should be implemented soon. The Commissioner was requested to give Punjabi its due place in the Corporation.

(Continued on page 2)

Month Reviewed

Bombay's Water Crisis-Bombay Poona ComplexChanging Skyline-Status Conscious Civic Officials-Road Accidents In Capital

Bombay's Water Crisis

The crisis created by water shortage in Bombay has passed away, but it has left behind unpleasant memories.

There was talk of evacuation of the city, which also took an unpleasant turn when someone suggested that non-Maharashrians should leave the city. The State Government, however, kept as cool as was possible in the circumstances. The Prime Minister, who was away in Yugoslavia made anxious inquiries. Monsoon, to coax which an unsuccessful attempt was made, arrived just in the nick of time, and the situation was saved.

Bombay is surrounded by water on three sides, but it cannot draw on the sea water as desalination project has not found favour with experts. Of the coastal towns in India only Madras has shown interest in desalination of sea water to meet its needs. Bombay's water supply is largely dependent on the nearby lakes, which in their turn are fed by rainwater which fall in the surrounding catchment area. Delay in the arrival monsoon can cause difficulties, as happened this year.

of

Several schemes for augmenting Bombay's City's water supply have been in hand and also under consideration. These schemes largely depend on the Central Government's aid and co-operation for their implementation. The latest crisis in Bombay City would

(Continued from page 1)

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

"Bombay is facing a twenty year water shortage; supply currently meets less than three-fourths of the demand. The gap is the result of population growth, rapid industrial development, and annexation of 132 square miles of land between 1950 and 1660. The 1954 average daily supply was forty-eight gallons per person; today it is down to thirty.

"An outmoded distribution system has contributed to inequitable water distribution. Although the overall average daily supply is thirty gallons per person, the supply for individual areas varies from fifty gallons in the Colobra Fort area to seven gallons in the northern suburbs. These inequities are expected to be remedied upon completion of ten additional reservoirs.

Bombay's program to meter the entire water supply is being delayed by a shortage of meters. Nearly half of the supply is metered and revenue from metered connections is approximately three times the amount derived from unmetered connections.

"Although Bombay is surrounded on three sides by water, a highlevel committee of experts is reported to be opposed to desalination of sea water for the present. However, several steps have been initiated to cope with the water shortage (1) Pipelines

« PreviousContinue »