What are major challenges faced by Indian cities?

News: World Cities Day is observed every year on October 31. This has brought focus on India’s urbanisation story.

1. Urbanisation refers to increasing population shift from rural to urban areas, leading to the growth and expansion of cities.

2. Census 2011 estimates India’s urban population to be 31.16% of the total population. While World Bank suggests that around 40% of India’s population lives in urban areas.

3. Unlike the developed countries, India’s urbanisation is largely driven by economic distress, leading to poverty-driven urbansiation.

4. Some of the urban challenges faced by Indian cities include: A) Housing shortage B) Poor access to clean water and sanitation C) Unregulated migration D) Poor local governance E) Environmental degradation.

5. Climate change also severely affects Indian cities, leading to pollution, urban flooding and heat island effects.

6. Initiative taken by Indian government to ensure sustainable urbanisation include: A) Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) B) Smart Cities Mission C) Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework 2.0 D) Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U).