TLC for our city, please

Dear newly elected representativeFirst of all heartiest congratulations on your victory It was a tough long summer in every sense so this win must be doubly satisfying There must be a lot of relief as well given how close and complex the overall equation was in our city if we consider the split in several political parties and the possible confusion it might have caused to both seasoned and firsttime voters You must have also swallowed the odd extra gallon of water seeing the lessthanassuring turnout of voters on polling day But clearly the universe the Gods as well as luck were on your side to ensure that you emerge victorious We also hope you savour the sweet feeling that comes with such a hardfought battleBut after yoursquove preened around like a proud peacock and attended a zillion felicitations and rallies where you will be praised to the skies for your greatness and leadership skills we suggest you come back to ground zero And soon Bombaywallahs have been a patient lot But deep down they are plain fed up of false and empty promises and the shoddy treatment theyrsquove been given for ages As the elected representative of the constituency there is a truckload of responsibility that lies on your shouldersFirst of all we suggest you surround yourself with genuine experts across fields to help you deliver on your election promises At this point we have a heartfelt requestmdashplease stay away from chamchas and other fraudsters especially the moneyed kinds who will swarm around you but offer only lip service and ego massages They are no good and will use your company for photo ops that they will misuse for their own devious agendas Stay honest and true to the aam aadmi at all costsSecondly we hope you hit the ground running and access the immediate problem areas with your team of urban experts avoid hiring retired idealess babus looking to earn a quick buck and for a return to the power circles The city is creaking at its joints and fatigued by the pressures it has continuously withstood thanks to ceaseless commercialisation unplanned development and illtimed schemes when the need of the hour is more of immediate action plans for pressing issues like the environment climate change and improved public transport These three factors directly impact the local middleclass Bombaywallah in one way or the other but somehow seem to fall on deaf earsSure we are aware that you will be busy hopping between the corridors of the new Parliament building in New Delhi and your home city and use lack of time as an excuse but we expect you to take up your constituencyrsquos welfare as soon as possible to ensure funding for it can at least be initiated Oh yes and we have another requestmdashplease donrsquot use these muchneeded precious budgets for the renaming of streets roads and railway stations It does nothing to improve the everyday existence of the average citizen Instead smooth roads improved train services cleaner air to breathe more green cover advanced garbage disposal methods this is one of our biggest worries quicker completion of the many Metro lines better facilities for commuters outside railway stations have you ever tried to hail an auto or a BEST bus during peak hours better connectivity between locations along the central western and harbour lines will be much more appreciated Seated in your swank cars where you zip past from point to point thanks to your lalbattis in full gusto you can never imagine their hardships And donrsquot even get us started on the rapid pace with which the city has lost its pavements and footpaths Ground realities can be humbling dear neta if you make an attempt which we hope you willThe cost of living is soaring at an unbelievable pace buying or even renting an apartment in the city remains pipe dreams for crores of citizensmdashwhy not look into such issues and try to offer solutions for affordable housingLastly look at the other world cities for inspiration and adapt accordingly Find suitable pragmatic solutions that will work for the city Donrsquot blindly copy ideas Onesizefitsall doesnrsquot work and certainly not for a city like ours Oh and flying away on the pretext of lsquostudy toursrsquo is hogwash We all know what happens on such trips Instead invite indigenous ideas encourage local voices and vision to relook at how the island city and its suburbs can be in better healthmdashfrom an infrastructure and environment standpoint Let the experts do their job with sufficient freedom and we will all reap the benefits of itOn that expectant note we shall sign off and leave you to get cracking We will be keeping a close eye on you to see how well you look after the city You are our hope Donrsquot let us down all over againYours sincerelyLady Flora and Sir Pherozeshah M Mehtamiddayrsquos Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the cityrsquos sights sounds smells and stoneswherever the ink and the inclination takes herShe tweets bombayana Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycom