Examine the need of a new policy for the planning and management of cities in a sustainable manner.

According to the ministry of housing and urban affairs, urban areas account for 33% of Indian population, and 60% of Indian GDP. Both these figures all set to rise and thus the key challenges in urbanisation need to be addressed.

New outlook for urbanisation:

• Governance – Urban local bodies should be empowered to improve amenities and raise quality of life. Therefore provision of funds, functions and functionaries is a must.
• Financial sustainability – It should be ensured in many ways like
  1. Increasing property tax collection.
  2. Issuing municipal boards.
  3. Enhanced devolution by state government.
• Planned urbanisation – Zoning regulations should be strictly enforced. Where illegal slums exist, regularisation can be explored, e.g. Jaaga Mission giving slum dwellers land titles.
• Housing – Focus needs to shift to rental housing, to discourage the mushrooming of slums. Vacant government land and public private partnership model should be utilised in this regard.
• Delivery of basic amenities like water, power and waste management.
• Right sizing administration by hiring more exports and cutting Edge functionaries for urban local bodies.
• User fees should be proportional to cost of delivering services, easy pricing water properly.
• Strictly punishing theft of electricity.
• Smart electricity and water grids to increase efficiency and improve revenue collection.
• Augmenting public transportation networks –

1. Expanding bus network.
2. Biking, Public bike sharing.
3. Metro rail, monorail.

• Sustainable cities – Rooftop solar should be made mandatory. Net metering should be implemented so that the consumers sell surplus renewable power to the grid.
• Disaster management – Maintaining green cover and conserving wetlands will help mitigate urban floods.

Cities are the engines of economic growth. SDG 11 calls for inclusive and sustainable urbanisation. Smart city’s mission and AMRUT scheme will help here.

Topics: GS-I: Urbanization Their Problems and Their Remedies