The Hindu 13.02.2013
69% women feel unsafe in city, finds survey
Even as demonstrations and discussions on women’s safety
do the rounds triggered by the gang-rape and death of a 23-year-old
girl in Delhi, a recent survey conducted in the city reveals that 69 per
cent of the women feel unsafe here.
The respondents
to a survey on urban problems conducted by students of the sociology
department of St. Teresa’s College cited increasing incidents of eve
teasing and abuse in public transport among the major problems faced by
women. This was a regular feature in the lives of school and college
students, the survey revealed.
The survey threw up a
surprise with 51 per cent of the respondents preferring a flyover to the
proposed Metro Rail as a solution to the city’s traffic problems. The
survey had a sample size of 200 respondents.
Sixty-five
per cent of the respondents found city roads highly unsatisfactory,
especially those in West Kochi. Eighty per cent were not happy with
traffic control measures citing absence of traffic signals, footpaths,
and parking space. Though 85 per cent of respondents reported
availability of corporation water and vouched for its quality, 56 per
cent complained of ‘impure water’.
Interestingly, 43
per cent said they managed waste on their own compared to 46 per cent
who were dependent on facilities offered by the Corporation and another
13.25 per cent on Kudumbasree. Among the respondents, 8.4 per cent have
biogas plants at home. Sixty-nine per cent desired to set up a biogas
plant while 31 per cent were opposed to it on account of space
constraints.
More than 90 per cent complained of
pollution of some kind with 65.5 per cent complaining of air pollution,
35 per cent of water pollution, and 20.4 per cent of noise pollution.
The city’s recreational facilities drew flak from the respondents as 65
per cent of them expressing dissatisfaction with parks, gardens, and
stadiums. They felt the Corporation had failed to maintain the parks,
which had become a safe haven for anti-social elements.
Later,
talking at a colloquium on urban planning organised by the college,
City Police Commissioner said the police had initiated programmes to
ensure the safety of women. K.J. Sohan, chairman of town planning
standing committee of the Corporation, said development of suburban
areas should be given due importance in urban planning.Rajan Chedambath,
director, Centre for Heritage Environment and Development called for
the preservation of the city’s history while planning its future.