Airports & cities

There was justifiable jubilation — backslapping — at the opening of the eighth largest terminal —T3 — at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi last week.

The swanky, spacious terminal with its record number of aerobridges and the volume of passengers it would handle marked many firsts for the country, including the successful public-private partnership. Prime minister Manmohan Singh has indicated the potential investment in the civil aviation sector to be around $20 billion in the next 10 years.

Another expanded terminal at Ahmedabad’s Vallabbhai Patel Airport was opened on Sunday by civil aviation minister Praful Patel. Civil aviation is a key sector that could leverage Indian economy in more ways than one.

While improving and innovating our airports, it is not a bad idea to look at improving with equal zest the other modes of transport like the railways, where there is as much a need for ultra-modern and expanded railways stations, improved coaches and on-train facilities.

Without faulting the Singh government for focusing on those aspects of the economy which would attract international attention — be it civil aviation, civil nuclear power, retail sector, university education — it has to be pointed out that the same attention is not being paid to those aspects which pertain to the domestic economy that has a bearing on the quality of life of the urban citizens.

Can we have cities with world class airports as well as sprawling slums? What are the plans that will have to be set out and implemented to improve urban civic conditions?

No one, including the media, pay much attention to these crucial aspects. There is need for better connectivity inside the cities, better places to stay in to make landing in a city with a good airport worth the while.

It is futile and even stupid to argue that it is not necessary to construct these steel-and-glass marvels of airport terminals. It would be a good idea to think more broadly about the cities and their development as well. Infrastructure has to include the last mile road and rail connectivity to the nooks and corners of the country because it constitutes a veritable market.

It is understandable that Singh and his aides cannot, on their own, conceive of the multifarious challenges. It is for the others, mainly the burgeoning private sector and the professional middle class, to talk and create cities to match our airport terminals.