Relocating India’s capital

In 1911, the British moved their capital from Kolkata to Delhi. Later, New Delhi was carved out of Delhi. Today, the national capital region of Delhi is one of the most congested places in the world. From a population in 1911 of 2,40,000, it now exceeds 2 crore. ave a population greater than that of New Delhi.

To this high density of population and its damaging consequences especially in maintaining law and order, we must add rainy season woes, lack of adequate public transport and public sanitation, traffic snarls, and dangerous levels of pollution. Property and food prices are sky-high.

Strikes, protests and dharnas have become a part of life in this city. Being the seat of India’s President, Prime Minister and Parliament, and their ubiquitous offices, the space left for Delhiites is limited. And, now there is a report that the Centre is considering constructing a new office complex near Ghitorni in South Delhi, adding further to its congestion.

The woeful story of New Delhi does not end here. The presence of such a large number of government offices, both of the Centre and of the State, requires an equally humongous intelligence and security structure. The ever-present threat of terror is high because of the presence of these authorities and other dignitaries. How long and to what extent can New Delhi survive all this?

Therefore, we must search for a new place to be made the capital of India. Mathematics being a perfect science, any solution arrived at with the help of mathematical concepts will surely give a non-controversial solution. One such concept is the centroid. The centroid of a body is the centre of its mass, the point at which it is stable or balanced under the influence of gravity from any side. The centroid of the map of India falls somewhere south of Jabalpur on the banks of River Narmada and near the Tropic of Cancer. We can think of moving the capital to this area.

Climatically, this place may not be very different from New Delhi except that it has not reached its pollution level. Both Jabalpur and New Delhi have same average altitude, a humid subtropical climate and almost equal average annual rainfall. However, the dense fog that routinely occurs in New Delhi during winter disrupting air traffic may not occur in Jabalpur. On seismic considerations too, Jabalpur is comparatively safer. At present, New Delhi is located about 1,000 km from Kashmir and about 3,000 km from the southern end. In the new location, all four corners of India would be equidistant. Since Delhi is tilted geographically more towards the north, politically and administratively (especially at its lower rungs) New Delhi is seen to be more north-centric than pan-Indian.

Making a new smart capital for India will not only give a sense of remaking India for the 21st century but also give a fillip to various economic activities — new airports, railway stations, highways and other infrastructure, giving rise to great employment opportunities. New buildings for government offices, Parliament, courts and foreign embassies may be planned with the help of modern technology making it more secure structurally and electronically. It would be less onerous for intelligence and security agencies to protect the new capital and its VIPs.

In the process, New Delhi will get full statehood. It can have its own police, and a smaller population will be easier to manageland with lesser population for better management. It can be further developed into a world-class centre for education, technological research, medical science, arts, literature and culture, and tourism. It can become a connecting point between East and West for financial and commercial activities, e-trading and information technology. With better law and order, and city planning, it can provide excellent avenues for international seminars and conferences, and even house some UN offices.

The existing government buildings in New Delhi, the vestiges of the Raj thatremind us of the rule of the British empire, can be rented out to these organisations to help finance the relocation of the capital.

The writer is a retired civil servant

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