another stunning editorial from sunita narain.

when a heavily populated country's growth is being monitored by the number of cars sold, we forget the costs involved.

we seem to be modelling after the car nation america. america is a huge country with a fantastic road/freeway/intercity network. even in crowded area like bay area the roads are able to take up enormous load of vehicles. now add drivers discipline, safety norms on the road, strict policing - you have a comfortable driving scenario even though some of freeways are crowded.

now switch to india, where there is no road, urban greenery is being felled, massive pollution is threatening lives of urban dwellers, no road discipline, lax policing - you have nightmare urban living scenario.

as sunita has correctly pointed out, car drivers should bear the costs of the enormous wastage that they are creating. let us be under no illusion that car sales reflects the health of the economy and hence the health of the people. development does not mean that we have to live in polluted urban areas that resembles choked gas chambers.