Not going to down – urbanisation in India

Source– The post is based on the article “Not going to down” published in “The Times of India” on 1st August 2023.

Syllabus: GS1- Urbanisation

Relevance: Challenges faced by emerging urban centres

News– The surge in India’s daily mean rainfall since the last week of June again showed up the poor state of urban India’s infrastructure.

What are the challenges related to urbanisation in India?

Smaller urban centres are facing more challenges. In emerging urban areas, infrastructure doesn’t exist.

As per Census 2011, there were 7,933 urban settlements.  As per Niti Aayog report in 2021, about 65% of these settlements didn’t have a master plan. Almost half of them continue to be governed as rural entities.

What are the root causes behind these challenges?

First, states have not followed the true essence of the 74th constitutional amendment. It provides for the transfer of the urban planning function to an elected local government.

Secondly, the insufficient delegation of powers has resulted in master plans losing touch with reality. They do not align with the evolving nature of urban settlements. These plans lack flexibility and overly focus on zoning.

Master plans fail to consider the informal nature of India’s urban employment market. Consequently, zoning plans encounter unforeseen growth of clusters linked to informal jobs.

What is the importance of urban areas?

GOI estimated that urbanisation contributed to almost 60% of GDP. Almost 75% of the population increase by 2036 will be due to urban growth.

Way forward-

Master plans play a crucial role in improving the urban living standards.

Achieving this goal involves addressing two key aspects. Firstly, political power needs to be decentralised to urban local governments.

Political executives should have greater ownership and influence over master plans. This involvement can bring a dose of practicality and realism to the planning process.