English City Saturation Index

City Saturation Index

This is an innovative, unprecedented, and first-ever presented concept. If you search on Google or any other internet source, you will notice that such a term, phrase, or concept does not exist anywhere in the world; there is absolutely no record of it up to this very moment!

And therefore, the presentation, publicization, and publication of this innovative, unprecedented, and one-of-its-kind concept must be read and understood with equal seriousness — this is my humble request.

Basic Concept, Writing, Video Presentation

©Vaidya Hrishikesh Balkrishna Mhetre.

MD Ayurveda, MA Sanskrit.

Ayurveda Clinics 

@Pune & Nashik.

+919422016871

City Saturation Index

Abstract 

set a “City Saturation Index” for each city.*Before a city reaches that index, new population growth must be strictly prevented.

**City Saturation Index** should be defined, based on land area and natural resources, the maximum permanent population a city can sustain and the floating population it can handle. Strict controls should apply once the limit is reached.

if we actually implement City Saturation Index, once a city reaches its capacity, there should be a *permanent ban* on new residential, commercial, industrial establishments

ARTICLE : Full Detail Text

After Pune and Mumbai …

Nashik, Kolhapur, Ahilyanagar, Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Amravati, Akola – these cities too are slowly overflowing!

The Nashik and Kolhapur which, barely 10–15 years ago, had open roads, safe intersections, and evenings that felt relatively calm and spacious … today feel suffocated with congestion!

**What is the solution to all this???**

Most people think it lies in road widening, increasing FSI or TDR, demolishing old bungalows/wadas to build 15–40 storey towers, introducing metro, flyovers, improving and expanding public or private transport systems!!

But let me tell you the truth … none of this is actually working, nor will it. We are already witnessing this. In fact, the more advanced and modern facilities big cities get, the more population they attract from nearby villages – a constant drain/flow towards them.

Before 2000, before Rajaram Bridge was built on Sinhagad Road, areas beyond Santosh Hall, Anand Nagar, Hingne were sparsely populated. Huge banyan trees that couldn’t be encircled by ten people stood everywhere till the very end. Even before Rajaram Bridge, up to Panmala, the settlements were sparse – there were brick kilns! The Parvati to Taljai hills were entirely green, open, and uninhabited!

Once Rajaram Bridge came up, the crowd from Karvenagar, Hingne, Kothrud crossed the river and spread past Santosh Hall, right up to DSK Vishwa in Dhayari … and now it is saturated.

Before 2000, places like Chakan, Wagholi, Khed Shivapur, Khadakwasla, Dhayari, Hadapsar, Yavat, Talegaon were considered far-off villages … but today, the people living there say “We live in Pune”! 🙆🤦

In reality, Pune is nothing more than Narayan Peth, Shaniwar Peth, Sadashiv Peth … at the most extend it to Deccan and Shivajinagar, or farthest till Vitthalwadi toll naka. Even Dattawadi’s early colonies are still called “Navi Peth” (new locality). But today, PMRDA Pune has a **radius of 56 km**, which means a diameter of 112 km. People living anywhere in this 112 km circle claim to live in Pune!

Just as in Mumbai, almost every family in Konkan has one “chakarmani” (migrant worker), similarly, almost every village family in Maharashtra has at least one member settled or floating in Pune. And yet, every marriageable girl wishes her prospective groom should own a 3BHK flat in Pune.

Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, the so-called “Third Mumbai” are in an even worse state!

Let’s not even talk about Delhi or Bangalore outside Maharashtra!!!

After the Express Highway was built, the influx into Pune from Mumbai skyrocketed! Earlier, the Mumbai–Pune commute was so tough due to traffic jams in the ghats. But as highways connecting Pune to surrounding districts became wider, faster, and bypassed, the migration only increased – villagers abandoning rural peace and comfort for “facilities + livelihood = money.”

Naturally, so many people cannot be housed in quality residences, nor can they afford them – hence the massive growth of slums, unprecedented in scale. Internal transport collapsed, and uncontrolled daily population growth increased traffic, pollution, vehicle numbers, garbage, delays, blockages, and strain on public systems.

So, the more facilities we provide in cities, the more surrounding villages will empty out – and in reverse proportion, the stress on cities will worsen!!!

We already know this – so why raise it again?!

Because the solution does NOT lie in expanding facilities, modernizing, or adding advanced technology.

Road widening, metro, underground railways are NOT the solutions.

*The real solution is to set a “City Saturation Index” for each city.*

Before a city reaches that index, new population growth must be strictly prevented – with unbreakable rules, no loopholes, no diversions!

Just like in a pathology report, when cholesterol, urea, creatinine, bilirubin, or HbA1c cross critical levels, they become dangerous, complicated, even fatal …

Similarly, a **City Saturation Index** should define, based on land area and natural resources, the maximum permanent population a city can sustain and the floating population it can handle. Strict controls should apply once the limit is reached.

Though India holds only 2.4% of the world’s land, we house 20% of the world’s population (140 crores today). Can Indians migrate freely to other countries with empty land? No! Because passports and visas are strict!

In the same way, if we actually implement City Saturation Index, once a city reaches its capacity, there should be a *permanent ban* on new residential, commercial, industrial establishments.

Instead, new “twin” or “parallel” towns and cities must be developed nearby for those who want to migrate for education, work, or living.

Or better still …

Between two district headquarters that are 3–6 hours apart, there are hundreds of kilometers of empty land, thousands of acres unused! New towns, with smaller saturation indices and limited growth, can be established there.

Or, existing villages can be developed in a decentralized manner with urban, commercial, educational, and industrial facilities.

Because no matter how many facilities we add, today’s bloated – actually *bursting* – cities cannot be brought back to normal, nor can their growing population (permanent or floating) be sustained. Each new day, it becomes “from difficult to impossible.”

So even if no such concept exists in the world yet … just like India pioneered UPI in currency exchange, we can pioneer **City Saturation Index**.

Through grading, classification, and indexing of towns, villages, and cities, existing settlements can be equipped with facilities.

Or new, planned towns can be built in the empty lands between districts – designed to never breach their saturation index.

This is entirely possible – provided we have **social willpower and political intent**.

Indian society, after all, accepts change very rapidly –

whether demonetization, switch from button phones to smartphones, internet and social media, UPI, or ballot papers to EVMs. All these were accepted quickly and smoothly, without chaos or imbalance.

Similarly, City Saturation Index can also be realized. With today’s leadership and capable teams of ministers and officers at state and central level, it is by no means impossible!

In the next 5–20 years, we can establish the concept of City Saturation = in truth, City **Securation** Index – in India (and maybe the whole world).

This will allow us to redesign and restructure urban and industrial systems.

If the City Saturation Index is adopted and implemented, then the ever-growing urban, industrial, educational, health, traffic, pollution, garbage, slum, and crime problems in small, medium, and big cities can finally be controlled – or perhaps even eliminated.

**City Saturation Index = City Securation Index**

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Would you like me to also **summarize this into a crisp policy-style note** (1–2 pages), so it’s easier to present as a proposal?