Sandeep BadadAIR 82 · CSE 2025 · 264 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening · a definition
'Livability atrophy' refers to a phenomenon where the quality of life gradually erods owing to declining essential services like clean water, clean air, recreational spaces, service delivery, communication and transportation infrastrutures.
Eg UN-CITIES highlighted that no city in India has ambient air quality and while 8 out of top 10 worst air polluted cities of world are in India.
[Causes]
Body · points
Rapid unplanned expansion of urbanisation ↳ stress of already strained resource and infrastructure. Eg saturated public transport capacity in Bengaluru.
Population pressure → encroachment of public commons like lakes eg: Bengaluru: encroachment of lakes to build IT infrastructure
Proliferation of slums → as the migrant labor find it unaffordable elsewhere
Over density → exploitation of ground water, over sludge in sewage lines ↳ garbage density increases pollution
Vehicular density → rises air pollution eg: Delhi
[Consequences]
- Poor quality of standard of life: eg: Avg. life span due to air pollution is diminished by 1.2 yrs (WHO)
- Health issues eg: asthma, infectious disease due to breathing grounds
- Marginalisation of weaker section ↳ No access to AC in Delhi summer
- Exacerbates women vulnerability
- Environmental degradation intensifies ↳ 'growth' engines become 'ghost' cities
- Deters investment and growth
- Fuels urban apathy and social disharmony
[Measures]
- Circular economy model → sustainability
- Decentralist: regionally balanced development
- Prevent distress migration → livelihood opportunities
- Decentral governance → strengthen urban local bodies
- 'Miyawaki' like unique best practices
Close · a way forward
Cities are growth engines. If they stop the nations economy stops. So inclusive and sustainable cities is way forward.
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