Why lessons from Hyderabad’s KBR faux pas must inform our future

About two months ago, Special Chief Secretary, Metropolitan Administration & Urban Development Jayesh Ranjan and Commissioner, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation R.V. Karnan had to field a few uncomfortable questions from a group of students and working professionals at a panel discussion on urban mobility, traffic congestion and city liveability.

Some of the questions were about the vertically spiralling city set against collapsing road infrastructure, under pressure from an explosion in private vehicles. Others were about the virtual absence of public transport and the increasingly restricted options for pedestrian movement. Both bureaucrats fumbled for answers.

The exchange exposed how detached the Government and its policymakers are from the reality millions face daily, working, travelling and struggling to get by in the city.