Lectures on ‘Sustainable Smart Pune 2030’ held

PUNE: Recently, the Citizen’s Charter and Action Agenda for Sustainable Group held the second lecture of their lecture series on ‘Sustainable Smart Pune 2030’, with an aim to enhance the knowledge about sustainable living by organising lectures from activists working in the sectors of participatory community groundwater, urban mobility, rivers and individual social responsibility.

The first lecture comprised an academic study where they had come up with a framework for a sustainable living than smart living. Now, they are taking inputs from citizens about their vision and where does it fit into the framework that they have developed for sustainable living. 

The lectures were given by Sanskriti Menon of Urban Mobility Challenge and Governance, Ravindra Sinha, Participatory Community Groundwater Recharge, Shailaja Deshpande, River activist and Satya Natarajan, Individual Social Responsibility.  

Menon said, “The per capita emission in public transport is much lesser than private transport. Cycling should be the basic facility for travelling. Smaller area transport should have a shuttle transport like electric bus or other such vehicles which do not lead to global warming but for major corridors, the city needs much better public transport and hence, the PMPML service needs to be improved.”

Sinha said, “There is no percolation because of growing urbanisation. Hence, protection of recharge areas should be the primary concept. A hydrogeological survey was last carried out in 2007. Permeable surfaces should be made mandatory and community groundwater recharge should be involved.”

Deshpande said, “If there is an emotional connection with the rivers, then only they can be saved. The five rivers of the city including Mula, Mutha, Pavana, Ram and Dev rivers are as old as Sahyadri ranges as they originate from these ranges. The streams, natural drains, and watershed of these rivers should be well protected.”

Natarajan said, “There should be a balance maintained in people’s needs. What is good for a person need not be necessarily good for the society. And if anything is seen wrong in the system or socially as well, then one needs to complain about it, as people can notice the problem and raise voice against it to find a solution.”