One cannot call India a democracy if half of its population lives under constant fear. Safety is a broad aspect and is not limited to disaster preparedness
Civilian safety is increasingly becoming a cause for concern, taking a heavy toll on road and public safety. To put figures in perspective, about 1.47 roadside deaths occurred in 2017, the top cause being over-speeding and drunk driving. Accidents apart, targetted crimes have escalated exponentially in the last five years. India ranks among one of the most unsafe countries for women. National Crime Records Bureau report showed that in 2016, a total of 38,947 cases of rape were registered. All of these, compiled with the general unpreparedness of cities towards emergencies and disasters, have rendered our public infrastructure unfit for mass usage. India cannot be called a democracy if half of its population lives under constant fear. Safety is a broad aspect that isn’t limited to female safety or disaster preparedness. The stampede at Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai in 2017, served as an eye-opener. It spoke volumes about what a public infrastructure with a poor safety quotient can lead to. The 2018 Kerala floods, too, were a live instance of a State struggling to efficiently manage its water.
While discussing safety issues, factors that impact their quotient can be categorised into physical and perception-based aspects. The former encompasses design features like the width of the walkway, height and strength of the baluster and so forth. The latter includes factors like illumination and transparency. One definitely feels safe in well-lit areas like basements and parking lots and perpetrators of crime are also less likely to commit crimes in illuminated areas. Transparency, too, plays an important role in enhancing comfort and safety. Usage of transparent materials in elevators can ensure external visibility. Democratic architecture is transparent and serves the people by providing safe spaces where one can feel comfortable even under constant surveillance.
Our cities always suffer due to poor design. Discussion on safe public infrastructure always start with transportation and road safety in urban areas. In most metropolitan cities, the tangible problem is the low factor of walkability — pedestrian facilities are first to take a hit. Be it the absence of a pedestrian map or encroachment of pedestrian space by vehicular parking, walkers are almost always forced to take to the roads, thus increasing the rate of accident. However, equally responsible are those who choose the convenience of walking past the road for a faster commute over the safety of a skywalk. A continuous city-wide pedestrian fabric, reinforced by a walkway and free-on-board skywalks is the need of the hour. Ease of access, constant surveillance, universal accessibility and a feeling of personal safety can influence the acceptance of such a network. The challenge lies in bringing these factors together into one tangible solution that is accepted and utilised by all.
A safe public infrastructure also encompasses curtailing air pollution. Public areas either need to be hard paved or covered by grass to reduce dust pollution. Singapore, for example, achieved a milestone by installing geotextile in all green areas to ensure long-term ground coverage. All construction sites need to be barricaded and water-sprinkled regularly to reduce SPM pollution. Strict action on all non-compliant vehicles is essential. The ‘eyes on the street’ concept is important to enforce safety measures. Kiosks can be leased to private sectors to conduct micro-scale businesses. They will become the points of illumination and surveillance with the person-in-charge adding to the safety factor. By putting inhabitants in all parts of the city, we can make the space safe and usable. When it comes to surveillance, we must tap the potential of a CCTV camera. A constant system of surveillance under proper signage ensures a sense of safety for users and deters potential criminals from acting out. A nodal agency acting as a central monitoring station needs to be set up. It should access all CCTV footages and ensure smooth usage of the footage by law and state when need arises.
A system or scale to measure safety should be welcomed. Any public/private building/infrastructure can be safety rated on the basis of factors like walkability, lux levels, surveillance and details of architectural design. Rating can be framed on the lines of existing ratings like LEED or GRIHA. Such a safety index can have a 100-point rating system and a building can be rated based on existing safety norms. Any building with low rating can improve safety performances by consulting a safety consultant. Such a rating will be highly beneficial for the public as this gives them the desired data to choose from the safest options. All cities need to ensure disaster mitigation measures and swift response in case of mishap. A city cannot be safe without its residents actively participating. Citizens need to realise the value of safe public infrastructure and come forward in utilising the spaces that have been built for them.
(The writer is partner with a leading infrastructural company)