Nature and nurture both play crucial roles in Gurgaon's development. Explore challenges and solutions with Col Prakash Tewari.

By Col Prakash Tewari

The nature vs. nurture debate within psychology is concerned with the extent to which particular aspects of behavior are a product of either inherited (i.e. how it was) or acquired (i.e. made).

Nature vs. Nurture: Gurgaon’s Development

It is important to find out if the city like Gurgaon develops primarily from biology (nature) or from the environment in which we are turn (nurture). The nature-nurture debate is concerned with the relative contribution that both influences make to Gurgaon a Millenium City. As of 2011, the city had a population of 876,824. Witnessing rapid urbanisation it has become a leading financial and industrial hub with the third-highest per capita income in India. But today if we see Gurgaon has nurtured many problems.

Challenges Amidst Growth

However, even with many plus points, the current speed of the growth of the city looks chaotic. While the city has witnessed exponential growth, the city is also plagued by many serious civic problems, such a poorly maintained roads, encroachments, frequent traffic jams, water logging due to lack of adequate drainage systems, mushrooming of slums, safety and security etc. to name a few.

Gurugram Rejuvenation Plan (GRP)

A new project Gurugram Rejuvenation Plan (GRP) has been conceptualized by DLF Foundation in 2017 in order to create critical mass through multi-stakeholder’s engagement to ensure the life of a Gurugram resident is influenced for better. DLF Foundation envisages its role as a catalyst for ensuring that relevant stakeholders are brought around to discuss and actively pursue for solutions to problems like water logging, waste management, transport and traffic, healthcare services, safety and security etc.

Creating Model for Adaptation

The Programme will be a model of convergence of stakeholders to take specific actions towards mitigating the issues faced and problem areas of Gurugram district. The project revolves around the concept of Creating Model for Adaptation for Scale Up vis a vis following Learning by Doing approach.

Waste Management Challenges and Solutions

Waste management till now has only been done at Bandhwari where there is only one waste composting machine. To add to the woes of the city, this plant has been non-functional since the last two years. As a result, Gurgaon is facing a huge problem of waste management.

CSR Initiatives for Sustainable Solutions

Therefore, it becomes a part of our CSR to think of alternatives? Should we come up with a centralised plan or a decentralized plan that will work best? What is the best model for waste management? All these questions need answers and DLF are in the process of formulating these.

Innovative Approaches for Waste Management

One of the ideas that we are still contemplating is that instead of sending the waste outside for disposal, we must enable decentralized machinery to do it within the confines of the society. If this happens, then we need to think about the management and mechanisms that will enable the waste treatment within the society. Will high rises be any different from individual houses?

Promoting Sustainability

How can composting be done so that the manure created is used in the maintenance of our own parks? We all know there is a shortage of water. So, can we create Micro Sewage Treatment Plants within the society to supply to the gardens? If this happens, then sustainability builds in the system. If as a part of your CSR, you can make recycling and reusing as a habit, then you have really nailed the cause. These can be then be used as demonstrative models and can be replicated for other areas too.

Conclusion

If all the above mentioned problems of Gurgaon are to be solved that one can very easily state that both Nature and Nurture plays equal and important role in the development of a city like Gurgaon.