Involve the public in development discussions

Yesterday, this paper carried a report on a mother-son duo worried about the fate of the toilet block they have constructed and manage, at Breach Candy. Their concern was that the block, which has been built at a cost of R30 lakh, will be demolished either fully or partially for the Coastal Road project.

The moot point is that they have no clarity of the fate of the sanitation facility. It was opened as recently as mid-2018 and permissions were given by the civic authority. One can only hope that the toilet block is saved or, if affected, the managers get compensation.

This uncertainty though is a pointer to the huge communication gap between locals and authorities. While we understand that there was a window to raise objection and suggestions, which has elapsed now, it is evident that people do not really know how this Coastal Road is going to affect them. They are living in fear bred by uncertainty and conflicting views and reports, also fuelled by social media.

It is time for communities and city planners to move closer and bridge the gap when it comes to any infra project. There must be talks and clear explanations to community leaders or representatives so that trust deficits are lessened.

We see this pattern in all mega projects, where the populace seems to be in the dark or misinformed. A clear plan has to be worked out at inception about how the authorities can take people along. There will be differences, conflict and objections when people are told and asked for opinions at the early stage.

Yet, this is the only way to move ahead if we value fairness and transparency and want the locals to repose their faith in the urban planners of this city. It is a lesson to remember as the government goes full steam ahead with the development agenda.

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