The voices of Vizagites ring loud in GVCF’s ‘Citizen’s Manifesto’

As we inch closer to the climax of the 2024 election, political parties in the fray have been forthcoming in releasing manifestos, penning down promises for the people’s welfare if elected to power. The TDP-BJP-JSP manifesto, for one, created a buzz with the introduction of a ‘Super Six’ scheme, which listed a number of freebies for different sections of the poor – from school-going students to women. Meanwhile, the YSRCP manifesto assured that the existing schemes would be refined, along with a proclamation that Visakhapatnam will be made the executive capital of the State. With these political manifestos speaking for the citizens, the for the citizens to speak for themselves is now. With that vision, the Greater Visakhapatnam Citizens’ Forum (GVCF) recently issued the ‘Citizen’s Manifesto Of Civic Priorities For Visakhapatnam’ on 4 May 2024, addressing the prospective candidates for the Assembly and Parliamentary elections.

“The GVCF was formed about eight months ago”, said Sohan Hatangadi, the Vice President of the Forum, who explained that the GVCF originated from the interests of some elderly citizens in Vizag, to discuss and work towards the overall well-being of the community. “We focus on civic issues, public health, heritage, environment, and specifically macro civic issues in and around Vizag”, he said.

Political parties have recently formulated manifestos including policies that might have been determined by the support and votes they might fetch the parties. “In this process, our politicians may miss out on what the public considers a priority, and on what might have long-term benefits for the city. That is why we have announced a Citizen’s Manifesto of Priorities for the city of Vizag”, said Sohan Hatangadi. Together, the members of the forum identified several missions that should be taken up on a priority basis for Vizag by the next political leaders.

One such mission centres around the improvement of air quality. “Air is something we live and breathe. It is something that will succeed generation after generation”, expressed Sohan. One of the first priorities under this aspect would be to impose strict regulations to control fugitive coal dust generation from the Visakhapatnam Port Authority, according to the manifesto. Additionally, the GVCF calls for adequate AQI sensing instruments to be placed throughout the city and suburbs to ensure that the Air Quality Index (AQI) stays below 50 and in no case exceeds 100.

On another note, the Citizen’s Manifesto focuses on the city’s green cover, emphasizing that there must be a comprehensive plan for the afforestation and preservation of green spaces. The ultimate aim of such measures would be to increase Vizag’s urban green cover from around 8% to at least 40%. “The city’s green cover is often put at risk because of commercial or real-estate projects. Trees are cut down without a second thought for infrastructure projects – but this is not in the interest of our city’s future well-being”, said Sohan.

Highlighting road infrastructure and public transportation systems as areas of improvement, Sohan explained, “Most traffic signals in Vizag, for example, do not have an amber light, and this often causes accidents.” The manifesto also insists on the need for fly-overs to be built at intersections like the Seethamadhara and the Hanumanthawaka junctions, where motorised traffic is a regular issue for many.