I am penning this after a quick search the advice of with to Dubai. Going throughout the metropolis and talking to of us, I turned into as soon as rather impressed by the style the metropolis is dominated, and I believed we in India can be taught a lesson or two from what has been referred to as the Heart East’s entrepot, a valuable centre of alternate and commerce.
What catches one’s on the spot consideration is the metropolis’s superb infrastructure. Fine quality, gargantuan roads with successfully-marked lanes, extensive sidewalks with evenly laid tiles, vivid facet motorway lights and a neat environment greet the company.
Visitors moves effortlessly and , though it’ll earn slowed down at traffic junctions, where, occasionally, there can also be long waiting times. What comes as a fulfilling shock to those visiting from India, particularly from chaotic Bengaluru, is the virtual absence of traffic violations (even cab drivers scrupulously note the foundations).
Civic products and companies are environment pleasant and successfully delivered. Even supposing the UAE, of which Dubai is a fraction, is a extremely water-scarce nation, positioned because it is miles in a desolate tract express, the govt. has ensured passable water present to the residents. With very minute rainfall, 75% of which is misplaced in evapotranspiration, of us skills a per capita present as excessive as 550 litres per day, practically five times greater than in Indian cities. As floor water is negligible, the major source of water is desalination, which accounts for 90% of the present, with the balance coming from underground sources.
Handled break water is historical for non-potable purposes love gardening and landscaping. Bottled water is historical broadly. The of us of Dubai possess the doubtful distinction of being the highest customers of bottled water, racy as noteworthy as 285 litres per capita per one year.
With seven p.c of the worldwide oil reserves, the UAE is the 10th top extreme oil producer and the fourth-finest fetch exporter within the enviornment. The nation ensures uninterrupted energy present and electricity is generated by gasoline-powered vegetation.
Dubai has adopted a Perfect-attempting Vitality Technique, which goals to originate better present from neat/renewable sources to 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050 with a matter to cutting again carbon emissions. Its purpose is to transition to renewable vitality, basically solar, but additionally by developing nuclear energy vegetation.
Rather then true infrastructure, what’s extraordinary about Dubai is regulations enforcement. Public security is of the highest order and any individual, together with females, can dash on the streets anytime of the day or night without any fright.
Violation of prison guidelines and regulations attracts hefty penalties. Failure to note traffic indicators will consequence in a penalty of AED 500 (same to about Rs 10,000). Varied offences possess identical exorbitant fines: parking in a no-car parking zone (handsome of Rs 20,000); failure to cede simply of manner to pedestrians (Rs 10,000); dreadful/reckless driving (Rs 20,000) and a lot of others.
It’s miles interesting to behold so many Indians residing and employed in Dubai strictly adhering to the regulations, in stark distinction to their behaviour of their motherland.
Sexual harassment attracts severe punishment, starting from detention for six months to 2 years imprisonment and a handsome of AED 10,000; and, within the case of rape, death within seven days.
In the UAE, sexual harassment is broadly defined as any unwanted and unsolicited consideration pressed upon an particular person concerning their gender, together with unwelcome sexual advances, and other physical acts ensuing within the victim feeling abominable and violated.
Evaluating Dubai or the UAE with
India can also no longer be legit in question of the mighty differences between the two in dimension,
inhabitants, financial system, resources and the political regime.
Being an oil-affluent nation, it has a excessive per-capita profits of $44,315, practically 20 times that of India at $2,256. But we are capable of behold at Dubai in a comparative level of view.
Dubai is a metro with 3 million of us, what can also in general be referred to as a mid-sized metropolis, but bears a global persona in question of its financial importance and a vivid migrant inhabitants, as excessive as 90%.
One amongst the largest airports within the enviornment, Dubai is now the busiest worldwide airport (ranked sooner than London in 2022), with about 64 million passengers passing by it yearly.
It attracts a vivid possibility of vacationers – about 16 million a one year (pre-Covid) – the highest being from India. There are superb facilities for company to tourist spots, particularly for disabled persons. Wheelchairs are made on hand for a nominal rate and they’re admitted on a priority foundation, warding off long queues.
Are there any lessons India can be taught from Dubai? It goes to also be argued that Dubai is affluent passable to originate obligatory investments in infrastructure while our cities are woefully attempting resources. But we are capable of undoubtedly pause higher in managing our cities in phrases of providing a cleaner environment, higher traffic administration and making sure wretchedness-free municipal products and companies.
Most doubtless, the single biggest lesson to be learnt is in regulations enforcement. Why is it the identical electorate who flout the regulations in our cities converse true citizenship by respecting the regulations in Dubai or in western worldwide locations? Merely put, it’s fright of the regulations.
First, the penalties are heavy and, secondly, there is not any longer in any respect times a manner one can rupture out punishment as soon as an offence is dedicated. No quantity of bribe or any form of political or VIP affect can work.
Will we consequence on this one substitute in our urban society when we boast of our skills in IT, science, arts and industrial enterprise? Again, it is miles that it is doubtless you’ll perchance perchance perchance imagine to argue that ours is no longer an authoritarian regime and regulations can no longer be enforced with a heavy hand in a democracy.
But what about western democracies, where compliance with regulations is of a excessive order? We talk a lot about freedom of expression, the simply to agitate and so many other rights, but we now have not been in a attach apart to forestall crimes in opposition to females, which withhold going down every other day.
Why no longer agitate for public security, where women and men, of no subject age, can dash freely on the streets anytime throughout day or night? Finally, the major responsibility of any govt is to guard its electorate and uphold the rule of regulations.
Most doubtless, here’s the simply time to interact on this cause when political parties are making ready for elections. Can they originate rule of regulations and public security fragment of their election manifesto?
India is forging ahead in financial construction and the adoption of up-to-the-minute skills to interact its due space within the worldwide enviornment. But what’s the usage of prosperity if of us can no longer dwell in peace and security?
(The creator is former chief secretary,
Govt of Karnataka)
