Concerns with urban planning

Dear Sir,

It will not be easy to manage the increasing volume of traffic in Qatar in the coming years because of the overall deficiency in urban foresight.

Construction managers seem to have blindly prepared road construction plans without taking into account efficient diversions for future traffic volumes. In the coming years, the roads in Doha are going to be inevitably jam-packed with vehicles and residents will be frustrated with congestions because of poor planning. Vehicle parking in Doha is already an intrinsic problem.

I’m forced to question the feasibility of the current Master Plan devised for Doha, as the few remaining empty plots located within the crowded areas in Doha are still being built-upon (eg Najma, Mansoora and Muntazah).

Common sense says that such empty plots should be utilised for enabling vehicle parking and also providing breathing spaces, green parks and breakpoints for pedestrians.

All future developments must be moved to the outer parts of Doha so that volumes of settlements are distributed evenly through the country. Creation of multiple satellite townships with highway access should be the primary aim rather than building dense infrastructure and buildings in and around the already congested parts of the city.

Doha should not be focused on just building up infrastructure to support the World Cup. This hasty, spur-of-the-moment approach to get things accomplished is not going to benefit the country or its residents in anyway. Lessons should be learnt from case-studying plans of cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The engineering arena should convince the elite that the future of Doha desperately lies in logical design for the benefit of its residents, controlled urban growth, efficient use of per-capita income, value-engineering and acceptance of one’s cultural setting.

Romi Sebastian, (e-mail address supplied)

NRIs should lend a helping hand

Dear Sir,

The Jammu and Kashmir region is reeling under flood fury. Dozens of people have lost their lives and damages to property have been estimated at millions of dollars.

Relief efforts are going on but it is a major calamity. Non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the Gulf and other regions should give a helping hand. Social organisations could also play a constructive role. 

Ramesh G Jethwani, (Address supplied)

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