I am composing this after a brief check out to Dubai. Walking around the city and talking with individuals, I was rather pleased by the method the city is governed, and I believed we in India can find out a lesson or more from what has actually been called the Middle East’s entrepot, a popular centre of trade and commerce. What captures one’s instant attention is the city’s exceptional facilities. Premium, broad roadways with well-marked lanes, large walkways with uniformly laid tiles, brilliant street lights and a tidy environment welcome the visitors. Traffic relocations efficiently and quickly, though it can get decreased at traffic junctions, where, sometimes, there can be long waiting times. What comes as an enjoyable surprise to those going to from India, especially from disorderly Bengaluru, is the virtual lack of traffic offenses (even taxi driver scrupulously follow the guidelines). Civic services are effective and successfully provided. The UAE, of which Dubai is a part, is an extremely water-scarce nation, positioned as it is in a desert area, the federal government has actually guaranteed sufficient water supply to the locals. With really little rains, 75% of which is lost in evapotranspiration, individuals take pleasure in a per capita supply as high as 550 litres daily, almost 5 times more than in Indian cities. As surface area water is minimal, the main source of water is desalination, which represents 90% of the supply, with the balance originating from underground sources. Dealt with drainage is utilized for non-potable functions like gardening and landscaping. Mineral water is utilized thoroughly. Individuals of Dubai have the suspicious difference of being the greatest customers of mineral water, taking in as much as 285 litres per capita annually. With 7 percent of the worldwide oil reserves, the UAE is the 10th leading petroleum manufacturer and the fourth-largest net exporter worldwide. The nation makes sure continuous power supply and electrical power is produced through gas-powered plants. Dubai has actually embraced a Clean Energy Strategy, which intends to increase supply from clean/renewable sources to 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050 with a view to decreasing carbon emissions. Its goal is to shift to renewable resource, mainly solar, however likewise by establishing nuclear reactor. Apart from great facilities, what is impressive about Dubai is police. Public security is of the greatest order and anybody, consisting of females, can stroll on the streets anytime of the day or night with no worry. Infraction of laws and guidelines brings in large charges. Failure to follow traffic indications will lead to a charge of AED 500 (comparable to about Rs 10,000). Other offenses have comparable expensive fines: parking in a no-parking location (fine of Rs 20,000); failure to deliver access to pedestrians (Rs 10,000); dangerous/reckless driving (Rs 20,000) and so on. It is fascinating to see many Indians living and utilized in Dubai strictly sticking to the law, in plain contrast to their behaviour in their motherland. Unwanted sexual advances brings in serious penalty, varying from detention for 6 months to 2 years jail time and a fine of AED 10,000; and, when it comes to rape, death within 7 days. In the UAE, unwanted sexual advances is broadly specified as any undesirable and unsolicited attention pushed upon an individual concerning their gender, consisting of unwanted sexual advances, and other physical acts leading to the victim sensation unpleasant and breached. Comparing Dubai or the UAE with India might not stand in view of the big distinctions in between the 2 in size, population, economy, resources and the political program. Being an oil-rich nation, it has a high per-capita earnings of $44,315, almost 20 times that of India at $2,256. We can look at Dubai in a relative point of view. Dubai is a city with 3 million individuals, what might normally be called a mid-sized city, however bears a global character in view of its financial value and a big migrant population, as high as 90%. Among the biggest airports worldwide, Dubai is now the busiest global airport (ranked ahead of London in 2022), with about 64 million travelers going through it every year. It brings in a great deal of travelers – about 16 million a year (pre-Covid) – the greatest being from India. There are outstanding centers for visitors to traveler areas, especially for handicapped individuals. Wheelchairs are offered for a small cost and they are confessed on a concern basis, preventing long lines. Exist any lessons India can gain from Dubai? It can be argued that Dubai is abundant enough to make essential financial investments in facilities while our cities are woefully except resources. We can definitely do much better in handling our cities in terms of supplying a cleaner environment, much better traffic management and guaranteeing problem-free community services. Maybe, the single most significant lesson to be found out remains in police. Why is it the exact same people who flout the law in our cities display great citizenship by appreciating the law in Dubai or in western nations? Basically, it’s worry of the law. The charges are heavy and, second of all, there is no method one can get away penalty once an offense is dedicated. No quantity of allurement or any sort of political or VIP impact can work. Can we cause this one modification in our metropolitan society when we take pride in our skill in IT, science, arts and commercial business? Once again, it is possible to argue that ours is not an authoritarian routine and law can not be imposed with a heavy hand in a democracy. What about western democracies, where compliance with law is of a high order? We yap about liberty of expression, the right to upset therefore lots of other rights, however we have actually not had the ability to avoid criminal activities versus females, which keep happening every other day. Why not upset for public security, where males and women, of whatever age, can stroll easily on the streets anytime throughout day or night? The main responsibility of any federal government is to safeguard its people and promote the guideline of law. Possibly, this is the correct time to use up this cause when political celebrations are getting ready for elections. Can they make guideline of law and public security part of their election manifesto? India is advancing in financial advancement and the adoption of modern-day innovation to take its due location in the global arena. What is the usage of success if individuals can not live in peace and security? (The author is previous chief secretary, Government of Karnataka)
Governing a city: Lessons for India from the Dubai design – Deccan Herald
