Winds of hope and change appear to be sweeping the skyline of Pondicherry these days.
Here is my humble take on what the denizens of this quaint little territory can wish for by way of reinventing Pondicherry.
Entertainment
1. A Sydney-like Opera House could come up at the Old Distillery on the Beach Road. The terrace could be designed in such a way so as to serve as an open air theater. An exhibition hall and a food park could be planned.
2. A sound and light show devoted to the rich history of Pondicherry, starting from the Roman connection and ending
with its independence from French rule. The narration could include the story of Sage Agastya, Ayi, Subramaniam Bharati and Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. The show could be in three languages every day – Tamil, English and Hindi. Can be planned either at the Old Distillery or at the Botanical Garden.
3. Developing Arikamedu into a heritage walk park.
4. An Oceanarium could be set up. People could walk in and have a look at the rich diversity of undersea marine life.
4. A special tourism circuit showcasing the locations where ‘Life of Pi’ was shot.
5. An annual event of international importance, concerning theater, movies or literature could be planned. Can also capitalize on Ashram and host an international spirituality event where well-known personalities from diverse streams of spirituality could be invited.
6. Existing museums to be upgraded. Interactive museums to be set up, dedicated to our oceans and the Bay of Bengal.
7. A Planetarium would add immense value to the education of young and adults alike.
Infrastructure
8. A six-lane highway bye-passing city areas, starting from near PIMS and ending near Kanniakoil.
9. Railway link to Chennai via Mahabalipuram.
10. Introduction of Shatabdi-like trains to and from Chennai, with a journey time of less than two hours.
11. A mini golf link near Auroville.
12. Battery operated vehicles in the White Town area.
13. Closure of shops jutting on to Ambour Salai.
14. Convex mirrors at corners of all street junctions in the White Town area.
15. Beautification of the twin canal roads.
16. Feasibility of (a) Metro connecting the General Hospital to far-flung reaches of the territory and (b) An elevated monorail within the boulevard area.
Smart City Project
17. A broadband roll out, backed by IT infrastructure which is designed to assist citizens from cradle to grave. Apps
for traffic conditions, crime reporting and for all other citizen services.
18. All public services to be available on-line, with system being managed by an organization like TCS, just like the Regional Passport Offices.
19. Introduction of re-chargeable Parking Fee cards which can be swiped by vehicles entering such areas as J N Street, M G Road and Mission Street.
20. A new Master Plan for Extended Pondicherry Region (EPR), comprising Villupuram, Tindivanam, Cuddalore and Marakkanam, along the lines of NCR around Delhi.
21. All schemes to include EPR, wherever feasible.
22. Implementation of a scientific garbage disposal plan for EPR.
Would you like to add a few more ideas to this list? Go ahead!
(Related Post: https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/puducherry-2025-a-traveller%E2%80%99s-memoirs)
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