Spotlight
New Delhi, 1 January 2021
100 ‘Smart Cities’
WILL 2021 SEE VISION EXECUTION?
By Dr Oishee Mukherjee
The New Year, it is
hoped, shall see operational ‘smart cities’ at least by December-end as
envisaged by the NDA government. The growth of cities has been a unique
phenomenon in the country. According to the United Nations, India is expected
to add 404 million people between 2004 and 2050. Experts believe that it is
virtually impossible for any country to create the necessary level of
infrastructure services as also education, health care, security facilities
etc. In such a scenario, the Prime Minister had aptly outlined his vision in
2016 for creating 100 ‘Smart Cities’, realising the need for developing
infrastructure in tune with international standards, most of which will become
operational by end 2021 or 2022.
Keeping in view the
fact that Indian level of urbanisation will reach 50 per cent by 2039 and an
estimated $1.2 trillion will have to be spent in urban areas over the next two
decades, the country needs a national urbanisation plan. As of this, the
government decided that some of the existing cities would be upgraded. US
President Trump had on his last visit to India agreed to develop three smart
cities which include Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam after which the Germans
have also signed up to develop three more.
While there are many
dimensions to such a developed city, what is essentially meant is that these
centres should provide a better quality of life. Whether a new city is built or
extends and develops the existing ones – the second option being most judicious
– it needs a model that is faster, better and cheaper. Smart cities herald a
new age where information technology in addition to roads, electricity and
transport facilities are unique. In fact, the digital infrastructure should be
in place from the use of sensors to smart grids and data and analytics to meet
problems and citizens demands effectively and reliably.
A report by McKinsey
Global Institute (MGI) pointed out that with proper planning Indian cities
could produce 70 per cent of the GDP and drive a near-fourfold increase in per
capita income across the nation by 2030. The surge in growth is expected to
bring about employment opportunities to the educated class in cities.
One may mention here
that most cities and towns have grown haphazardly post independence. Behind the
sheen and flitter of the so-called manhattans lies bad planning. Moreover, most
metros are full of slums, squatter settlements, and railway colonies not to
speak of a large population of pavement dwellers. Perhaps the last big planned
city, which came up in the country, was Chandigarh.
Though the government
had launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and
allocated funds for development of services of smart cities, the resources
needed at this juncture have been far less than what has been made available.
Thus, city development would require huge funds, which obviously has to be
garnered through public-private partnership (PPP) to build and operate both
physical and digital infrastructure.
Apart from this,
there is the problem of distorted and shrinking land markets, which have
stymied orderly urbanisation. India was always been land scarce compared to
most countries and by 2050, its land to population ratio would decline
four-fold, making it the one of the most land scarce nations in the world.
Changes and modification in old laws are absolutely necessary without which
little will happen. It is imperative to free up land for urban development and
housing that have been locked due to outdated laws.
In 2013, the UPA
government passed a bill to protect weak landowners against rapacious private
sector land acquirers. However, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and CIDCO
acquired land from farmers at relatively cheap prices and sold the same at
exorbitant prices. Land is needed in every metro or big city for housing needs
of economically weaker sections and the middle class – both upper and lower.
Apart from additional
housing requirement, there is also the problem of shelter upgradation. In
Mumbai 55 per cent of the people live in slums on 35 km. of land while around
25 per cent reside in old and dilapidated buildings. As such, around 80 per
cent of the population needs to be re-housed, which may take a decade to
accomplish the task. The problems in Delhi and Chennai are equally critical.
As is generally
agreed, housing would have a multiplier effect as such construction activity
generates employment for both skilled and unskilled persons. Moreover, housing
has backward and forward linkages with many other industries. Apart from housing,
demand of land for commercial and industrial hubs would increase significantly.
However, questions
arise that if essential services are developed by the PPP model, how will the
parties recover the amount. It is significant to mention here that keeping in
view the need for cities to generate more revenue, the State and municipal representatives
suggested, at a recent meeting, that adoption of certain measures. These
include land monetisation, increased floor area ratio (FAR), norms with
transparency in policies, progress in e-governance and online service delivery
apart from GIS-based master plans for sanitation, land use and digital
connectivity. It was also suggested at the meeting to have fixed tenures for
mayors, municipal commissioners, and minimum educational qualification for
municipal councillors to ensure that the development process is geared in the
right direction.
There has to be
sustained efforts to improve all-round functioning of municipal bodies so as to
face the challenges of population pressure and a severe constraint on their
rather limited resources. It cannot be denied that some improvements have
already taken place in the performance of most ULBs in the last decade through
PPP participation and also through innovation and adoption of modern technology
to carry out their key functions. Budgeting and accounting systems have become
modernised leading to reduction of costs and better service delivery.
However, in the
coming years there is need for further improvement, specially in greater use of
IT in official functioning, relocation of hawkers from strategic points and
business areas, upgrading shelter requirements in slums and the unauthorised
colonies and improving their environmental conditions, including setting up
sanitary toilets, cleanliness of raids and pavements etc.
Though one need not
be too optimistic, one can expect that the thrust on city development given by
the Modi government would augur well in the coming years. In the current
Budget, only Rs 6000 crores have been allocated against Rs 7060 crores given in
the earlier Budget in July. Apparently, no funds have yet been spent
because the smart cities were not identified. There are expectations that most
of the required investment under the smart city scheme would come from the
private sector under the PPP mode. Experts, however, believe that more investment
by the Centre would have attracted funds from the private sector and
international agencies.
However, the Central
government expects it would be able to achieve some, if not all, of the
following outcomes: Establishment and operational of a city-wide framework for
planning and governance; access of all urban residents to a basic level of
urban services; establishment of financially self-sustaining agencies for urban
governance and service delivery through necessary reforms to major revenue
instruments; conduct of local services
and governance in a manner that is transparent and accountable to
citizens; and introduction of e-governance applications in all functions of
municipal corporations and ULBs, resulting in reduced cost and time of service
and delivery processes.
While figures of how
many of the ‘100 smart cities’ have become operational is worth a watch, the
question will linger whether Modi’s vision will be achieved before or at least
by the time envisaged. As it is focus seems to have shifted to the
controversial dream project of the Central Vista. Surely, priorities need to be
put right and at the start of this New Year.---INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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