An aerial view of Ashok Nagar, a congested neighbourhood in the heart of Ranchi

Ranchi doesn’t fall in the earthquake-prone zone. Yet, many of its buildings are not safe

Given its hilly topography, the state capital was once touted as a clean and green zone. Today, it is synonymous with filth and pollution

Civic guardians have done little to steer the city towards the right path of development

The list of negatives that make Ranchi “unfriendly” towards its denizens will be endless given the unplanned development that has taken place over the years with the state mandarins miserably failing to check the wrongs.

This has emerged at a daylong workshop organised by state disaster management on Thursday to brainstorm on ways to reduce risks. Titled “Urban risk reduction, enhancing institutional and community resilience to disasters and climate change (2013-17)”, the programme was supported by Ranchi Municipal Corporation and United Nations Development Programme.

Addressing the inaugural session, disaster management secretary A.P. Singh slammed various city bodies for callousness and opaque vision that has made Ranchi a city of chaos. “Whether it is the municipal body or development agencies like Ranchi Regional Development Authority (RRDA) — all have done precious little over the years to scientifically develop the city. They have failed in their jobs,” Singh pointed.

Highlighting a few examples, he added that the city’s growth had been haphazard and unorganised. “I wonder if any building in Ranch has an occupancy certificate. Without occupancy certificates, neither the authorities can keep track of buildings that keep cropping up on the cityscape nor the people know how safe is the structure they are living. What’s more, the authorities concerned don’t even bother to address this issue,” the official pointed out.

It’s the same when it comes to infrastructure like roads.

“The roads have shrunk, water bodies have become extinct, pollution levels have risen, giving open invitation to various forms of threats. It’s high time that everyone comes together to devise a collective plan to upgrade the city,” he said.

Urban development department’s secretary A.K. Singh agreed with disaster management counterpart.

A.K. Singh pointed out that after 1983, the state capital did not get a fresh master plan. “Ideally, the master plan needs to be revised every 10 years for giving the city a proper direction in view of the changes happening around. It will help Ranchi grow in a people-friendly manner,” he said.

He further pointed out that recommendations of the 1983 master plan in terms of open space, green cover, roads layout etc. had hardly been followed, which is why Ranchi is a mess today.

“However, a new master plan is in the making now and the department will try to implement it as soon as possible. The challenge, however, lies in bringing all stakeholders together to work towards a common goal in a time-bound manner,” he said.

Those present at the workshop included police officers and officials from the district administration.