Rapid urbanisation leaving cities at crossroads

Urbanisation is gaining importance in India. By 2030, seventy per cent of population lives in cities only. Recently, a number of new initiatives have been launched by the government of India in the last two years; raising the level of ambition of Indian cities — smart cities, clean cities (Swachh Bharat), rejuvenated cities (Amrut), and housing for all.

The first recognition of the importance of urbanization, after years of neglect by both the Centre and the states, came in 2005 when the government of India launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in December 2005.

Public service delivery improved only in cities where state governments provided an enabling environment for innovation and better governance.

Indian cities mostly remain in very poor condition with respect to public service-delivery and governance. So, it is imperative to empower the cities with finances and capacity by the state governments with support of government of India.

Without this, private funds will not come forth to supplement the limited funds of the government and the hope of public-private partnership will not materialize.

Of course, there must be greater autonomy needed to the elected urban local governments in the running of city affairs. Unless this is done, our cities will not be able to improve the quality of life of their citizens and also play their role as engines of rapid growth.

It subsumes two things:

• An increase in the number of people living in urban settlements
• An increase in the Percentage of population engaged in non-agricultural activities. Reasons behind migration
• Better infrastructure
• Better employment opportunity
• Education
• Better Health care facilities etc…
• Better housing facilities

What are the problems of urbanisation?

• Over crowding
• Decrease in standard of living in urban areas
• Housing Problem
• Slums and squatter settlements
• Sewage problems
• Urban crimes
• Problems of Urban pollution etc..
• Air pollution/water pollution

Why cities matter?

• Agriculture growth was close to4 per cent per annum during the Eleventh Plan period (2007-08 to 2011-12), later agricultural growth in India has slowed down to less than 2 per cent in more recent years.
• Indian agriculture should grow at 4 to 4.5 per cent per annum and to make agriculture sustainable there is a need to make large investments in research and development, soil and water management and agricultural extension. But rapid growth of GDP will have to be driven by non-agricultural sectors.
• About 56 per cent population still depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, productivity of labour is low in Indian agriculture as farmers engage in labour-intensive farming. This limits their potential to earn a higher income.
• To achieve GDP growth of 8 to 10 per cent per annum, it is imperative to improve economic conditions in India and reduce poverty within a short period, this can only be driven by industry and services sectors, which can grow much faster than agriculture.
• Growth led by industry and services leads to a decline in the share of agriculture in both GDP and employment. This is called structural transformation and should be welcomed.
• Cities play an important role in developing industries and services. By generating economies of agglomeration and by acting as centres of knowledge and innovation, they make investments in industry and services more productive.
• Due to difficult for the existing rural population to earn a decent living in rural areas, they are migrating to the cities.
• To absorb the exodus of people from rural to urban areas, there is a need to fix cities to provide employment, skills and opportunity for people to engage in industry and services sectors.

Recent initiatives to improve cities
A number of new initiatives have been launched by the government of India in the last two years, raising the level of ambition of Indian cities — smart cities, clean cities (Swachh Bharat), rejuvenated cities (Amrut), and housing for all.

Smart cities:

• Smart city is defined as the ability to integrate multiple technological solutions in a secure fashion to manage the city’s assets – the city’s assets include, but not limited to, local departments information systems, schools, libraries, transportation systems, hospitals, power plants, law enforcement, and other community services.
• Smart city uses information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance quality, performance and interactivity of urban services, to reduce costs and resource consumption and to improve contact between citizens and government.
• Basic infrastructure: Assured water and electricity supply, sanitation and solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, robust IT connectivity, e-governance and citizen participation, safety and security of citizens
• Smart solutions: Public information, grievance redressal, electronic service delivery, citizens’ engagement, waste to energy & fuel, waste to compost, 100 per cent treatment of waste water, smart meters & management, monitoring water quality, renewable source of energy, efficient energy and green building, smart parking, intelligent traffic management system.

How it will work:
After government announces the guidelines, states will be asked to nominate names of cities for a ‘City Challenge Competition’ and the chosen ones will get Central fund of Rs 100 crore each year for 5 years.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation(Amrut)

• Amrut with the focus of the urban renewal projects is to establish infrastructure that could ensure adequate robust sewerage networks and water supply for urban transformation
• Rajasthan was the first state in the country to submit State Annual Action Plan under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
• The scheme is dependent with public private partnership model(PPP) model.
• If required, various other schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission, Housing for All 2022, along with the local state schemes like that related to water supply and sewerage and other infrastructure related schemes can be linked to AMRUT.
• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: This campaign aims to accomplish the vision of a ‘Clean India’ by 2 October 2019, the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
• Elimination of open defecation.
• Conversion of unsanitary toilets to pour flush toilets (a type of pit latrine, usually connected to two pits).
• Eradication of manual scavenging and 100% collection and processing /disposal /reuse/recycling of municipal solid waste.
• A behavioural change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices
• Generation of awareness among citizens about sanitation and its linkages with public health.
• Supporting urban local bodies in designing, executing and operating waste disposal systems.
• Facilitating private-sector participation in capital expenditure and operation and maintenance costs for sanitary facilities.

Way ahead:

• Key issue is whether our cities will be empowered with finances and capacity by the state governments and helped by the government of India. Without this, private funds will not come forth to supplement the limited funds of the government and the hope of public-private partnership will not materialise.
• There must, of course, be elected local governments as the Constitution mandates, but there must also be greater autonomy to the elected urban local governments in the running of city affairs. Unless this is done, our cities will not be able to improve the quality of life of their citizens and also play their role as engines of rapid growth.
• The funds provided by the Government of India are not sufficient to cater the needs of the cities. There is need to have PPP model. The private sector can generate funds for urban infrastructure projects but will do so only if a reasonable return is assured, and for this, reforms in urban planning, finance and management are crucial, and state governments will have to be the principal players.