Development or Not?

Every morning for the past one year, I have been witnessing the change that Delhi is undergoing. I used to think- ‘Wow! Delhi is developing.’ But, today when I saw trees being chopped down (again and again) in the name of this ‘development’, I re-thought. There is so much going around us (Delhites) in the name of the Commonwealth Games. Everything everywhere is being budged around-modified-renovated-built! (Actually right now, everything is being torn down; don’t know when the positive phase will begin.) But yeah, the point is- Are the Commonwealth Games really worth it? Are we really moving forward to reach the goal of successfully hosting the Games? Or are we just trying to jump across years of planning hurdles? I am not the right person to comment on the long-term results of all this, but as a laymanwoman Delhite who loves her city, I find the present state utterly depressing. Trees being chopped down, when they are all bright and green, when they hold the promise of providing shade in the coming summers (in this year’s case, the early summers), doesn’t provide a warm cool picture. Why can’t the city be planned around nature? Why do we have to trample nature to move forward? Maybe it is the lack of time (again, I might be wrong) or maybe it is just the path of least resistance (lazy people like me not wanting to think more than what is required)! I just wish the city doesn’t lose its charm!

P.S. For those who love optimism, here’s another outlook- In developmental pediatrics, it is a known fact that every newborn must lose certain impulses in order for other developmental milestones to appear. That’s how development occurs. Let’s just project this thumb rule onto our city!