Woes of living in the city of love

By Pronoy Shukhla

AGRA: This is one city that is on the itinerary of most international and domestic tourists who visit India from different countries around the world. Agra is known for its monument of love, the Taj Mahal.

Though the city holds international significance, it is not an easy place to live in. Agra is ranked 55 on the “Ease of Living Index 2018”, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Bad roads, unmanaged traffic, rising pollution levels, law and order problems, and lack of proper healthcare facilities are some of the problems that plague this city.

Akanksha Chadda, a school teacher in Agra, finds the condition of the roads “pathetic” and can no longer bear to live in the city of her birth.

“There is no denying that the conditions of the roads have improved over the years but still there is a long way to go before they become nearly perfect everywhere in the city,” she said.

Nineteen-year-old college student Khushi Jain agrees with Chadda.

She adds that the increased use of private vehicles instead of public transport has added to the pollution level in the city.

A fact that is corroborated by statistics from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The major pollutants in Agra, according to CPCB, are particulate matter – both PM 10 and PM 2.5 – and emissions from vehicular traffic. Traffic and air pollution, however, are not the only problems in the city of the Taj.

Noise pollution is another major issue. Madhurima Singh, a teacher in a primary Government school in Agra, says that the use of loudspeakers should be banned, especially, at night.

“Rickshaws carrying loudspeakers should also be banned,” she added. Another big problem in the city is the law-and-order situation. Many women find it unsafe to travel alone, especially, at night.

“It’s unsafe for women to travel alone at night in the lesser developed parts of the city. The laws should be stricter so that people abide by them,” Harimaya, a 32-year-old lady who has been living in Agra for over a decade, said.

Another student, Aryan Chadda, blames the local civic authorities for the lack of cleanliness and poor healthcare facilities. “The banners of ‘Clean Agra, Green Agra’, can be seen at all major landmarks of the city, but garbage bags are freely littered on the streets.

Lack of proper sewage system is also a problem for the citizens as it eventually leads to many health issues for the residents,” he said.

Despite its civic issues, Agra seems to be attracting people from smaller towns and villages, as land prices here are cheaper than in big cities. “The result is more congestion, pollution, and municipal problems,” Jain said.

While the romance of the Taj Mahal may be drawing more than eight million visitors to this city, as per Uttar Pradesh Government statistics, evidently for locals the infrastructure leaves much to be desired. It may be the city of love for tourists but for residents, it is a city of woes.

The story first appeared in The Times of Bennett, the lab newspaper produced by the first semester students of The Times School of Media.