Chennai, the World Bank and footpaths

I have always maintained, even in my email exchanges with the World Bank's India office that its money has been used to defeat the objectives of sensible and civilised urbanisation.

Here are some scenes that show that all the talk of modernising Chennai is only about commerce. A truly modern and civilised city must cater first to its people. But Chennai is focussed on automobiles -- a decadent, Americanised and people-unfriendly model that is actively aided by the commerce-building strategies of the World Bank and its cohorts.



The scene below shows that the Chennai authorities, municipal, metropolitan development and police are all very tolerant towards encroachment of public space. The devotion to unlawfully exploiting footpaths is being condoned at the risk of the pedestrian losing life or limb.