PROMOTING

SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT

Meghdut RoyChowdhuryIE MiM applicant, 2013

Kolkata, India

TOPIC OF DISCUSSION

Do you think that the lifestyle of the inhabitants of your town or city reflects behavior that is in

line with the concept of sustainable development? In your opinion, what should be

improved?

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS1. Environmental:• Pollution • Improper Hygiene• Waste Management

2. Social:• Promoting positive social values• Strengthening Law and Order to punish offenders• Legal system to ensure speedy delivery of justice

3. Economic:• Reducing economic inequality• Encouraging low cost housing• Developing suburbs

4. Positive living:• Effective Transportation• Adequate Green Cover• Orderly Development

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

Sustainable Development

PROBLEM: ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Pollution: Daily commute through the polluted streets of the city.

Lack of Hygiene: Hawkers

selling vegetables

and fruits on the

streets.

Improper waste

management: Remains of

human waste on the banks of the River Ganga.

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

1

SOLUTIONSPollution: • Using renewable energy.• Reduction in the use of fossil fuels.• Giving more importance to alternative sources of energy.• Promoting the use of non-polluting vehicles.

Hygiene:• Penalizing offenders.• Promoting public awareness.

Waste Management:• Encouraging community waste disposal.• Encouraging the use of recyclable

materials.• Putting the onus of maintaining the waste

disposal system in the vicinity of their homes, on the local people.

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

1

PROBLEM: SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

Headlines from a leading TV channel showing some shocking news about the present crime situation in the city.An angry

protestor setting an auto-

rickshaw on fire, during a

recent riot in a well populated

area of the city.

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

2

SOLUTIONS

Promoting positive social values:• Starting awareness campaigns in schools

and other educational institutions.• Rewarding students who take initiatives to

promote positive social values.• Organizing street plays and/or social

theatre acts to spread awareness.

Enforcing strong law and order to punish offenders:• Promoting community policing.• Promoting self reporting of crimes.• Levying stronger punishment for crimes

that involve moral infringement.• Setting up a legal system that ensures

speedy delivery of justice.

‘A street play on the streets of Kolkata’

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

2

PROBLEM: ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

A person sleeping on his ironing van, because he cannot afford a proper house.

A family of five living in a space inadequate for even a single person.

The Daily Paradox: A poor rickshaw puller, carrying a well-to-do lady around the city.

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

3

SOLUTIONSReducing income inequality:• Organizing vocational training courses that will

provide for a multitude of employment opportunities.• Spreading an awareness for the importance of

primary school education amongst the lower strata of working classes who would have otherwise not sent their children to school.

Encouraging low cost housing:• Developing affordable housing options.• Encouraging community living.

Developing planned suburbs:• Encouraging the expansion of the

city beyond geographical limits.• Promoting the development of public

infrastructure for suburbs.

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

3

PROBLEM: POSITIVE LIVING

A huge traffic jam near Howrah Bridge.

People peeking out of a

haphazardly built housing complex.

Rows upon rows of shanties right in the

heart of the city.

4

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

SOLUTIONSAn effective transportation system:• Encouraging the use of public transport.• Car-pooling.• Introducing a rewards scheme for car-

poolers.• Building a fast-track lane on the highways

for cars with families of 3 or more people in them. Adequate green cover:

• Encouraging the development of green spaces.• Fixing a minimum limit for green cover in housing

complexes.Orderly Development:• Neatly designed, aesthetically good looking

buildings.• Encouraging orderly development

according to city Master Plan.

Project 35 Trees: A nation-wide plantation drive.

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

4

“Creating a sustainable environment for a city is not easy. It involves a lot of time, and strong, collaborative effort.

However, the rewards are also tremendous and certainly worth pursuing.”

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

REFERENCES• http://vedicodyssey.com/spiritualadventures/tag/young-indian-

girl-laughing/• http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/family.htm

• http://fineartamerica.com/featured/love-and-laughter-laurie-search.html

• http://eyesurgerylouisiana.com/about-your-health/latest-news/1773-Eye-Health-Among-Older-Americans-Improving

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/2682688/Indian-wealthy-under-fire-for-cruelty-to-servants-in-

new-Bollywood-film-Barah-Aana.html• http://faltutalk.com/lajja-an-indian-riot-live/

• http://ibnlive.in.com/news/kolkata-3rd-most-unsafe-city-preceded-by-delhi-bangalore-crime-data/398191-3-231.html

• http://www.iskconcongregation.com/node/359• http://defence.pk/threads/goldman-india-most-disappointing-

among-bric-nations.145245/page-2• http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/iit-kanpur-ebtc-in-

tieup-to-clean-up-ganga/article4153997.ece• http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2013/Feb-

22/207495-rape-and-killing-of-3-young-sisters-shocks-india.ashx

Meghdut RoyChowdhury IE MiM applicant, 2013

Thank You