Urban Update Sep 2015

All India Institute of Local Self-Government

RNI No DELENG/2014/57384

UrbanUpdate Setting The Agenda For Tomorrow’s Cities

Volume II - Issue V

September 2015

India on a cleaning spree Indian cities are looking for expedient solutions to solve the littering, waste and sanitation conundrum

In the name of Mother River Namami Gange approaches Ganga Rejuvenation by consolidating the existing ongoing efforts and putting in place a concrete action plan for the future

No more time to waste Waste needs to be treated and managed with the determination and resolve of the entire population

Rs 100

ISSN 2349-6266

Union Ministry of Urban Development has empanelled AIILSG on the list of consultants qualified to work for Smart City Mission.

AIILSG has been selected to work for Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

Community Based Interventions

Professional Empowerment Project Management

Advisory Services Customised Training

Knowledge Management Capacity Building Information, Education and Communication (IEC)

Policy Research

All India Institute of Local Self Government No. 6, F-Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, TPS Road-12, Bandra-East, Mumbai-400051, Maharashtra Tel.No.: +91-22-26571713, 26571714, 26571715, Fax: +91-22-26572286, Email: contact@aiilsg.org

Inside | Volume II, Issue V

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Inside Cover story

20

India on a cleaning spree

Indian cities are looking for expedient solutions to solve the littering, waste and sanitation conundrum

prevalence of large scale open defection

26 An alarming challenge

India is plagued with various health and sanitation issues because of the Namami Gange

28 In the name of Mother River

Namami Gange approaches Ganga Rejuvenation by consolidating the exist

ing ongoing efforts and putting in place a concrete action plan for the future

Columns

32 Clean cities need capable managers

The challenge is all about the great push to the cleanliness drive of cities. Many

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cities and their managers have virtually been caught unawares

No more time to waste Waste needs to be treated and managed with the determination and resolve of the entire population

Success Stories

31

Youth show a clean path

Chennai Coastal Cleanup is a mission aimed at cleaning up beaches, and restoring them to their former glory

and vibrant colonies in Jodhpur-has seen active participation of municipal officials and citizen groups

38 AIILSG pitches in to make Smart Mohallas in Jodhpur

The Smart Mohalla initiative-an integrated participatory approach for clean

Urban Agenda

46 Innovate for people

Cities around the world are innovating and adopting technologies that boost

connectivity in all its manifestations

RegularS

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September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

Newscan City Brand

7 Pin Point 15 City Images 42 Events

EDITORIAL

Ranjit Chavan President-AIILSG Ramanath Jha Editor-In-Chief Director General-AIILSG, dg@aiilsg.org Apresh C Mishra Managing Editor, apresh@urbanupdate.in Ashok Wankhade Consulting Editor, bhau@urbanupdate.in Lojy Thomas, Aiilsg Associate Editor, lojy@urbanupdate.in Abhishek Pandey Principal Correspondent, abhishek@urbanupdate.in Meenakshi Rajput Graphic Designer, meenakshi@urbanupdate.in Volume II - Issue V For Feedback & Information Write at info@urbanupdate.in Printed and published by Ranjit Chavan on behalf of All India Institute of Local Self Government. Printed at Cirrus Graphics Pvt Ltd B-61, Sector-67, Noida – 201301 Uttar Pradesh. Published at Sardar Patel Bhavan, 22-23, Institutional Area, D Block Pankha Road, Janakpuri, Delhi-58 Phone No. 011-2852 1783 / 5473 Despite careful selection of sources, no responsibility can be taken for accuracy of the contents. The magazine assumes no liability or responsibility of any kind in connection with the information thereof. The views expressed in the articles are the personal opinions of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the All India Institute of Local SelfGovernment. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

Treat the disease, not the symptom

C

ities in India are groaning under the increasingly unbearable burden of urban waste and garbage. The brunt is borne by the poor living on the fringes of the City. Garbage of all kinds is dumped in landfills in their neighbourhood, causing chronic health hazards for citizens and cattle. In addition to the direct and more near term health hazards, such dumping has potential for long term environmental damage with toxic substances permeating the earth’s surface. This has adverse consequences like damaging crop prospects and poisoning the drinking water sources.

The Debate on Waste Management is engaging policy makers, local bodies and citizens intensely. The debate is, however, hampered by its almost exclusive focus on ‘Management’. It is necessary that the supply side, i.e., the generation of waste receives greater attention.

While the problem of urban waste has become more acute with growing populations in cities, i.e., quantitative pressure, it is also due in large measure to the citizens’ habits, preferences and lifestyles, i.e., qualitative pressure.

Segregation of waste at source is prescribed as a remedy for effective waste management. Separation into bio-degradable and non-biodegradable waste will indeed ease the pressure particularly with authorities mandating disposal of the bio-degradable variety within housing societies. This can be subjected to composting and other measures which are becoming increasingly available and awareness is on the rise. The non-biodegradable variety presents the greater challenge. A lot of this variety of waste is the result of changes in lifestyle, habits and preferences of citizens. The proliferation (in fact it has become the norm) of packaged drinking water in PET bottles, milk in sachets and tetra packs rather than reusable bottles, etc. has created burdens of newer kinds and larger volumes.

This is where the principles of 4Rs- Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle can reduce the burden. Carrying reusable shopping bags from home precludes the use of plastic bags greatly reducing the stubborn plastic bags menace. Further segregation of non-bio-degradable waste into cardboard/paper, glass, metal, plastic and its placement into separate bins at the gate of a residential society will enable easy collection by the scrap collector for recycling. Such recycling will greatly reduce the burden of waste while extracting economic value out of it.

Such bins may also be mandated outside supermarkets and malls.

Citizens making smart choices by buying and using reusable/recyclable goods can greatly reduce the waste they send into landfills and contribute to making cities sustainable.

It is now certain that cities will continue to generate more waste due to changed lifestyles, habits and preferences. Certain garbage generating lifestyle changes appear irreversible, like the milk in tetrapacks instead of returnable glass bottles.

Therefore there is an urgent need for intervention by all stakeholders. Citizens can imbibe new practices that can mitigate the negative consequence of their new lifestyles. Urban local bodies need to engage actively with residents and seek their participation in community-wide programs that raise awareness, reduce the generation of waste and enable reuse/recyclingof the waste which gets generated any way. Policy makers can incentivize recycling and encourage use of recycled material (lower duties for example). Other policy levers can be explored.

Innovations have already enabled the use of waste and recycled material in activities like construction and road-building. Newer technologies and applications will emerge. These need to be encouraged and embraced. In our journey towards a Swachh Bharat, we need to address the supply side of urban waste (prevention), just as vigorously as we look for waste management and disposal solutions (cure).

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

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ISRO’s ‘Bhuvan’ to help govt map urban areas for smart city project The initiative will help the town planners to prepare a master plan for many fast urbanising local bodies Application services

NEW DELHI: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has tied up with the Union Urban Development Ministry for mapping around 500 towns and cities, to make a base plan for better planning and management.

This base plan will further help the town planners to prepare a master plan for many fast urbanising local bodies. The mapping is being currently done for municipal local bodies with a population of more than a 100,000.

The project is expected to start by next month.

“We have tied up with the Ministry of Urban Development to map over 4,041 areas. This includes around 500 urban local bodies. After mapping these cities and towns, we can prepare a base plan.

This can help urban planners prepare a better master plan,” said V K Dadhwal, Director of Isro’s National Remote Sensing Centre.

He was speaking at a news conference held to elaborate on additional features incorporated in the Bhuvan, country’s geo-platform launched in 2009. He added that over 2,500 town planners

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have been roped in and trained on how to use the base plan.

“A small percent of the cities have been mapped. This project can cover around 500 urban areas, which will be later taken to 4,041,” said an Isro official.

The space agency will also map and provide management plans for heritage sites and monuments of national importance. Dadhwal noted that Isro has diversified operations under Bhuvan Application Services like 1-metre satellite images for more than 300 cities in the country and 3D city models with extrusions of the buildings and virtual city models, which would be a “useful tool for Smart City Programme of the government.”

Another major programme under the Bhuvan Application Services has been the island information system for developmental decision making for border management. Lauding the ISRO scientists, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), which has the Department of Space under it, said “Bhuvan is India’s

♦♦ One metre satellite images for more than 300 cities in the country; ♦♦ A variety of applications for forest and environment sector of MOEFCC – depiction of ENVIS centre database ‘’CRIS’’ to highlight various environmental parameters; ♦♦ Toll information system for NHAI – a national database of national highways and toll plazas; ♦♦ Geotagging and controlled crowd sourcing application for AP Housing Corporation Ltd, which has enabled geotagging of 3.8 million houses in AP with field photos; ♦♦ Islands information system for developmental decision making for border management; ♦♦ Live link of the GIS databases of North East Region (NER) that showcases tools for better planning and development of NE States; ♦♦ A new tool on Bhuvan, enabling Data Discovery and Metadata display for the ease of navigation by the user community; ♦♦ Cultural heritage sites of the country and its management on geospatial platform – National database for Ministry of Culture & Archaeological Survey of India among others.

Google”. Singh also urged the scientists to increase the “social acceptability” of the projects.

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PIN POINT The state has achieved 100 per cent mobile density, 75 per cent e-literacy, highest digital banking rate and broadband connection upto panchayat level Oommen Chandy Chief Minster, Kerala

The research and innovation shall provide the necessary impetus to the present government’s resolve to achieve the goal of Housing for All by 2022 and creating 100 Smart Cities as these ventures would require adoption of new construction techniques, improved building materials, upgraded skills for smoother and faster implementation

India has an immediate investment opportunity of $1 trillion and the government will take urgent steps to address concerns of the businessmen from the UAE. Infrastructure development and real estate offer tremendous opportunities for UAE businesses in India Narendra Modi Prime Minister

The voice of people interested in cities has grown and come together in very different ways. Lots of city networks globally are pushing for it. Fifty percent of the world’s population now lives in cities and cities are economic powerhouses accounting for 70 percent of global GDP Patricia McCarney Director of the Global Cities Institute

M Venkaiah Naidu Minister of Urban Development, GoI

BUZZ

Since the Government of India is now actively promoting Smart Cities, it is important to also promote Smart Villages M S Swaminathan Agriculture Sceintist @msswaminathan

Traffic jams in all Indian cities reflect collapse of urban planning. Soon people will either work out of home or walk to the office!

Prabhu Chawla Editorial Director, The New Indian Express @PrabhuChawla

Urban Local Governance at its most basic level is fatally flawed in India with multiplicity of agencies & no single point of accountability Shashi Shekhar CEO, NITI Digital @shashidigital

Wake up, wake up, before you end up asphyxiated. 18 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in Subcontinent Shekhar Gupta Senior Journalist @ShekharGupta

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Thane Corporation receives award The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has been bestowed with Skoch Order of Merit Award for implementing green manure conversion from floral waste and effective implementation of LED lights in the City.

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Affordable housing offers Rs 75,800 cr opportunity

NGT directs municipal corporations to ensure regulated parking in Delhi The National Green Tribunal directed all the municipal corporations in Delhi to ensure regulated parking on designated metalled roads in their areas. Single lane parking has been allowed in certain crowded markets in the capital where haphazard parking has led to chaos and rise in vehicular emissions.

The Tribunal had earlier imposed a complete ban on parking of cars on metalled roads in the national capital and directed that any violation would lead to a fine of Rs 1,000.

NDMC to digitise birth, death records

NEW DELHI: Urban affordable housing segment presents a $11.8 billion (Rs 75,800 crore) opportunity for the private sector, estimates real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield in a report released in association with realtors body CREDAI. The consultancy, in a report released at NATCON 2015 held in Istanbul, pegs demand for affordable housing at 535,400 units for homes in the price range of Rs 20-50 lakh in Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune and andRs 50-70 lakh in Mumbai (MMR).

“This spells immense opportunity

for the private sector to explore urban affordable housing in India through various models, which can be profitable for all stakeholders,” said Sanjay Dutt, Executive Managing Director, South Asia, Cushman& Wakefield.

Urban affordable housing has long been neglected in India due to various reasons such as high land prices, delays in getting approvals and low margins in the segment. “Now with renewed focus from government, we expect this segment to gather momentum going forward,” Dutt added.

More religious minorities live in urban areas than rural The civic body has decided to digitise birth and death records for all cases from 1917. The civic body has carried out digitisation of birth and death certificates of 1982-2008 and 2008 to the current period. However records as old as 1917 had not been touched before.

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New Delhi: Religious minorities in India - with the exception of Sikhs -live more in urban areas than rural. This trend existed in previous Census findings too but it appears to have outpaced the general trend of urbanization between 2001 and 2011, according to the Census 2011 data on religious communities released recently.

While only 29% of Hindus live in urban areas, 40% of Muslims and Christians

and a whopping 80% of Jains live in towns and cities.

Over 43% of Buddhists, a large share of whom are converts from Dalit communities, live in urban areas. Sikhs, on the other hand, with extensive land holdings in Punjab are still largely a rural community, with only 28% of them living in urban areas. A mere 9% of other religious communities live in urban centers.

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Andhra ULBs told to prepare annual plan HYDERABAD: The state government has asked all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to prepare the Annual Development Plans (ADPs) for the year 2015-16 and submit the same at the earliest.

The Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA) in a circular issued to the commissioners of municipalities and corporations asked them to propose ADPs for basic services up to 70 percent for drinking water supply, street lighting, road improvement works and storm water drains, etc.

The other infrastructure proposed to be included in ADP are solid waste

management, development of burial grounds, markets, construction of compound walls to open spaces, construction of slaughter houses, development of junctions, medians and parks, viability gap funding for any Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and IT related services, etc.

The CDMA instructed municipal commissioners to prepare the ADPs along with council resolutions and submit the proposals to the regional committee. Priority should be given to the works identified under ManaVooruMana Ward-ManaPranalika programme.

Kerala launches major projects under Aluva Urban Plan KOCHI: Chief Minister OommenChandy launched a slew of projects to prepare Aluva to be resilient to climate change and to improve quality of life in a sustainable way.

The urban plan, ‘Framework to Future Proof Aluva’, prepared by Atkins UK and the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism with support from the UK Government to improve the quality of life in Aluva, was handed over to the Chief Minister

by British Deputy High Commissioner,

Chennai, Bharat Joshi at a function held in Aluva.

The plan consists of a portfolio of projects, set of activities and additions to the Aluva Urban Master Plan. It has identified the investments and projects required for making the urban systems smarter, efficient and resilient to threats from climate change. This will be achieved by addressing three key infrastructure priorities - urban development, Periyar river cleanup and solid waste management.

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60 municipal schools in Pune without principals Nearly 60 of the 300-odd civic schools in the city do not have principals even as the municipal school board talks about improving the quality of education. About one lakh students study in over 300 schools run by the school board in Marathi, English, Urdu and Kannada medium. Most of them come from poor social and financial backgrounds. As per the PMC data, nearly 60 schools do not have head teachers.

Delhi govt. to produce 2,000 MW solar power by 2025

The Delhi Government is targeting to produce 1,000 megawatt (MW) of electricity by 2020 and 2,000 MW by 2025 through solar power generation in a phased manner based on the renewable energy service company (RESCO) mode, Delhi Power Minister, Satyendra Jain said at an event held in New Delhi.

“We want to achieve the 1,000 MW target in next 3-4 years’ time in a phased manner, our target would be 30-40 MW in the 1st year, 100 MW in the 2nd year then 200 MW in the next year followed by 400 MW and so on,” said Jain.

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DJB to increase use of recycled water in Delhi

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Odisha Government approves ‘Housing for All’ Policy in urban areas

Delhi Jal Board aims to increase use of recycled water to 40 per cent from the present 25 per cent which will help meet the purposes of agriculture, horticulture and washing. DJB produces around 2100 million litres of recycled water across its 30 Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs).

Maharashtra: Water audit must for 43 towns Maharashtra has decided to make water audit compulsory in 43 towns, which have been shortlisted for inclusion in a central government scheme to improve basic services such as water supply, sewerage and urban transport. Water audit involves monitoring the water supply from the source to the end user, to ensure no leakage or theft.

Cab parking zones in Kolkata Kolkata will have free parking zones for yellow cabs, the Mayor of Kolkata, Sovan Chatterjee, announced recently. A committee had been formed comprising director of Public Vehicles Department C Murugan, City Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purakayastha and Municipal Commissioner Khalil Ahmed to prepare a report on this issue. The taxi stands will be near major intersections of the city, and nearby hospitals, shopping malls, and colleges.

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BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government approved a policy for ‘Housing for All’ in urban areas.

The new policy got approval of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The policy envisages provisions enabling framework for implementation of affordable housing projects, slum rehabilitation and redevelopment projects and to facilitate development of housing schemes in urban areas. Stating

that people belonging to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Low Income Group (LIG) would benefit from the policy, Chief Secretary G C Pati said the policy aimed to work towards strategies to create a steady supply of affordable housing stock to cater to the growing demands. “Over a period of seven years, the government intends to completely address housing deficit in urban areas and have an operational system where supply matches the demand,” Pati said.

Over 40 percent urban people at risk of anaemia New Delhi: Over 40 percent of Indian men above the age of 45 and living in urban areas are at a higher risk of contracting anaemia, a study has revealed.

The study stated that due to several factors, including micronutrient deficiencies, systemic metal toxicities and intestinal disorders, men have started suffering from abnormal haemoglobin levels, which till now were mostly associated with women in general. The survey was conducted by the leading diagnostic chain SRL Diagnostic after they screened 30 lakh males across the country from 2012-14. The results showed 43.5 percent of men were found to be having low haemoglobin levels.

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City Brand

Bottoms up Cities are shaped by architects and planners, and by numerous other entities to a far greater degree Team UrbanUpdate

A

consumer product can be so new and revolutionary that the company merely has to promote its features and benefits to have consumers willing to purchase. Cities face a different situation.

For the branding to reflect the true image of the city, image development cannot be a top down process. Indian citizens are finally recognizing that cities are not shaped by architects and city planners alone, but by numerous other entities and to a far greater degree – politicians, administrators, economists, activists, transportation engineers, developers, – with architects coming much later into the equation.

And progressive architects in turn are recognizing their real place in the complex game of city making.

This is a good thing, because, for all the theoretical positions and ideologies that are making “better cities” in the West, the fact is that Indian cities are way too complex for clean manifestos and movements.

Indian cities are and will be shaped by a complex web of practices – far more complex than the West. The Indian city will continue to need sparks of tactical brilliance – like NGO’s, citizen groups and activists – that can advocate and act towards immediate change, particularly at the vast bottom of its economic pyramid. It will need ideas with ambition and optimism, and this is

already happening through experiments in “smart technology” by entrepreneurs, technocrats and scientists. And it will need waves of long-term and systemic policy reform, and this will have to come from enlightened politicians and administrators. They may not be easily visible, but many such progressive struggles are well under way. These efforts need to be highlighted and brought to the forefront.

The new heroes of Indian city-making (not architecture) – multifarious and multidisciplinary – need to be identified and recognized, so that their work may inspire and inform many other campaigns and endeavours. In their struggles, successes and failures lie the seeds of India’s urban future.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

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Tax excess usage of water: Survey A group of St Xavier’s College students conducted a survey to find out what citizens expect from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and to assess their awareness about the civic authority. About 69% respondents suggested that BMC should levy tax on excess use of water, 29 % want the municipal body to spend more on sanitation followed by health (21%), education (20%), water supply (18%) and slum development (11%).

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Rs 120 crore for AMRUT cities plans Service Level Improvement Plans for each city to be aggregated into State Level Action Plans

Berhampur city bus service privatised The city bus service in Berhampur will be operated by a private party. The agreement with the stateowned Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), which is operating the buses at present, will end. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Ganjam Urban Transport Services Limited (GUTSL) held recently.

Ahmedabad landfill to get green makeover The Ahmedabad civic body is planning to replace the steaming heap of smelly rubbish with a sweetsmelling garden. Officials said that AMC has asked a few contractors to draw up plans which will be implemented soon.

“Under the process, the entire Pirana dumpsite will be levelled and in its place, a garden complete with various trees and other attractions for the public will be built”, said the officials.

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New Delhi: The Ministry of Urban Development has released about Rs 120 crore to States and Union Territories for preparation of Service Level Improvement Plans (SLIP) for each of the 482 cities identified under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).

In the first release of funds under Atal Mission, each Mission city has been given an advance assistance of Rs. 25 lakhs for preparation of SLIP. SLIP for each selected city/town should identify the gaps in provision of water supply and sewerage connections and draw up detailed plans for bridging the gaps. SLIP should also include strategies for resource mobilization including for Operation & Maintenance costs and plan for implementation of reforms.

All the city level Service Level Improvement Plans will be aggregated into State Annual Action Plan at the level of each State which will be sent to the Ministry of Urban Development for approval. UD Ministry would not assess and approve individual projects unlike under JnNURM. The Ministry has so far identified 482 cities and towns each with a population of above one lakh under AMRUT which was launched on June 25, 2015. These include : UP(60 cities), West Bengal(59),

Maharashtra(43), 32 from MP and Tamil Nadu, 31 each from Gujarat and AP, Rajasthan(28), Karnataka(27), Bihar(26), Haryana(20), Punjab(16), Telangana(11), 9 each from Chattisgarh and Odisha, 7 each from Kerala and Jharkhand, Uttarakhand(6), 4 each from Assam and Delhi, J&k(3), 2 each from Nagaland and Puducherry, one each from A&N Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Lakshdweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura.

The remaining 18 cities will be chosen from the cities/towns on the stems of main rivers, from hill states and tourist destinations. After the approval of State Annul Action Plans (SAAP), first installment of over Rs 2,000cr will be received for implementation of city level SLIPs. Allocation of funds under AMRUT for States and UTs is based on an objective criteria giving equal weightage to the urban population and number of statutory cities and towns in each State/UT.

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Maharashtra: 50% civic body funds for SWM

Buildings in 78% of human habitat area prone to quake

Though Maharashtra shifts to an urban ecosystem, poor solid waste management, lack of sanitation and sewerage facilities and environmental degradation remain some weak links in this unplanned shift. The state government has made it mandatory for these civic bodies to set aside at least 50% of funds received from the 14th finance commission for plugging these gaps.

Agartala: Buildings in 78 per cent of the total human habitat area in India are prone to earthquake because they are not constructed as per proper code, an eminent geo-scientist said. “78 per cent people of the country live in seismic zone three, four and five and there is no vulnerability and land use mapping. The buildings in those areas are made according to the building code of 1968 which was not updated by the government keeping in mind the vulnerability of earthquake,” Director of IIT-Jodhpur and eminent geo-scientist, CVR Murty told a seminar here.

He said, most of the structural engineers are not well aware about the updated knowledge of geo-engineering and the instances of sharing of ideas are very less.

“Following the earthquake in Bhuj in 2002, 36 institutes in Gujarat have started gathering information and researching about constructing buildings in earthquake prone areas,” he said.

UMTC to Conduct Surveys in Kochi The Urban Mass Transit Company Limited (UMTC), will soon launch Household Interview (HHI) surveys on the travel and socioeconomic characteristics of people residing in the Greater Kochi region. The UMTC, the consultant assigned the task by the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), has appointed Datacorp Pvt Ltd for conducting the detailed surveys.

PCMC yet to give octroi land to transport utility The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is yet to hand over land at three octroi posts to transport utility, PMPML, which needs space for parking buses and maintenance works.

The PMPML, during the tenure of former Chairman and Managing Director Shrikar Pardeshi, had made a plea to the Pune and the Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations to give it the land of 15 abandoned octroi posts.

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Himachal CM announces committee to clear encroachment SHIMLA: Taking a serious note on the issue of encroachment on government and forest land, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh announced a high-level committee headed by the financial commissioner (revenue) to take holistic view of the entire situation and to suggest appropriate policy that would address the concerns of the poor and marginalized sections of society.

Issue of encroachment holds significance as Himachal Pradesh is heading for panchayat elections and opposition parties are blaming the Congress government for failing to protect the interest of people by pleading the case effectively. Not only the apple trees on encroached land has been seized by forest department, but power connection of those who have built houses or cow sheds on the encroached land too has been snapped.

While making a suomoto statement in the assembly, Virbhadra Singh said recently there had been widespread debate and discussions in various public forum and media regarding the action being taken to vacate the government land that is under encroachments.

World’s largest solar power station to come up in MP BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh will house world’s largest 750 Mega Watts(MW) solar power station in Rewa district, state’s energy minister Rajendra Shukla said. “Global tenders for commissioning the solar power station in an area over 1,500 hectares at Bandwar region in Gudh tehsil of Rewa, will be invited shortly,” Shukla told. He said that if all goes well, the plant will start generating solar energy by March 2017. “The project - Rewa Ultra Mega Solar - is a joint venture of Solar Energy Corporation of India and MP UrjaVikas Nigam, where in both parties have 50 per cent stake”, he added.

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City Images

Waiting for a facelift The walled city is all set to undergo a major revamp. In a move to protect heritage sites and improve conditions of buildings in Chandni Chowk, the north civic body has decided to beautify the area. While many buildings in the area are more than 200 years old, the

drive will ensure that the classical architecture in the area remains intact.

Apart from monuments, Chandni Chowk continues to be of great religious and heritage importance.

While it is a classical example of Hindu-Muslim unity, the architecture

of the place has redefined building structures worldwide. The plans for Chandni Chowk include renovation of buildings, broadening of roads, and plantation around the buildings while maintaining the original architectural heritage.

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Photo Credit: Swati Choudhary

Chandni Chowk

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Mumbai’s BEST incurs Rs 2.26 crore loss daily

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Berhampur comprehensive development plan approved Berhampur: The much awaited comprehensive development plan (CDP) for Berhampur development plan area has been approved by Odisha government.

Berhampur Development Authority (BDA) received a letter recently from the housing and urban development department in this regard, officials said. The CDP was prepared by the Town and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO) under Union Ministry of Urban Development. The development authority has approved the plan after incorporating some suggestions received from public, the officials said.

Mumbai’s public bus service, popularly known by its acronym BEST, is running into losses of Rs 2.26 crore per day mainly due to declining patronage and high operating costs, an RTI query revealed recently.

50% in Patna sans safe drinking water

Investment proposals worth Rs 90K crore for electronics India is already the fastest-growing smartphone market and is now becoming the manufacturing hotspot for mobile phones

More than half the population in Patna has no access to safe drinking water. It ranks 6th in the descending order among 14 large capital cities of India as far as open defecation is concerned, said Bhim Reddy, associate fellow, Institute for Human Development (IHD), at a workshop.

Focus on green tech to process garbage The Udupi City Municipal Council (CMC) is planning to have a vermicompost plant and a biomethanation plant to process biodegradable or green waste. The plant will be able to process three tonnes daily.

Railways to set up WTE plants in Delhi & Jaipur Railways will set up solid waste plants at New Delhi and Jaipur stations.

The plants are proposed to be set up under the Wasteto-Energy project of the Railways, a ministry official said.

16

September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

NEW DELHI: The government has received Rs 90,000 crore investment proposals in the last two months for electronics manufacturing in India, with both local and foreign firms showing significant interest in making mobile phones.

“About Rs 90,000 crore worth of proposals were received in the last two months. There is hardly any company, which has not shown interest to manufacture in India,” said Ajay Kumar, additional secretary in the communications ministry.

India is already the fastest-growing smartphone market and is now becoming the manufacturing hotspot for mobile phones, he added.

About Rs 1.10 lakh-crore worth of proposals have been received in the last one year from various companies for electronics manufacturing under the modified special incentive package scheme. Of this, over 80% have materialised in the last two months.

“There is significant interest in mobile phones. Now we are seeing a lot of players are coming in, both Indian companies and foreign ones. They are increasing their presence here,” Kumar said.

According to the Department of Electronics and IT, demand for electronics in India is expected to reach $400 billion by 2020, while the sector has potential to attract $100 billion investment and provide jobs to 28 million people.

NEWSCAN

Railways to install CCTV cameras on 20,000 coaches

BRIEFS

NGT stays all new constructions in Aarey The Maharashtra government’s plan to build the Metro-III car shed in lush green Aarey has been stayed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which is redrawing the course of the proposed Goregaon-Mulund Link Road through Aarey, will also have to wait.

MMRDA approves sanctions Rs 35,400 cr for Metro Network

NEW DELHI: To strengthen security on trains, Indian Railways is expediting the process of installing CCTV surveillance cameras in 20,000 coaches at a cost of Rs 700 crore, which will be derived from Nirbhaya Fund.

“It has been decided in a recent meeting held at the PMO to speed up certain projects which include works on new lines, construction of rail overbridges and underbridges, improving passenger convenience, and safety and security,” a senior Railway Ministry official said.

Though railways has plans to install CCTV cameras in a maximum number

of trains, not many barring a few suburban services could be equipped with surveillance cameras so far. The official said as per the plan, installation of CCTV cameras as a security measure is a priority, and the railways is coordinating with the Women and Child Development Ministry for immediate release of Nirbhaya Fund for the purpose.

Nirbhaya Fund was created in 2013, after the brutal gang rape incident in the national capital in December 2012, to support initiatives by government and NGOs working towards protecting the dignity and ensuring safety of women.

India’s urbanization growth to continue NEW DELHI: Urban consumption growth appears to be showing signs of improvement and given India’s favourable demographics and rising disposable income, this trend is likely to continue in future as well, says a Morgan Stanley report. The AlphaWise City Vibrancy Index (ACVI) has registered a 66 per cent rise since 2011 and during this period the country’s financial infrastructure sector has witnessed the fastest growth rate.

AlphaWise City Vibrancy Index is a measure of the drivers of urbanization. It incorporates key ingredients that drive urbanization including infrastructure, job creation, modern consumer services and the city’s ability to mobilize savings. The index reveals the relative growth of urbanization in India’s top 200 cities.

With regard to financial infrastructure, the report said: “ATMs have been the key driver for the strong growth”.

The chief minister-led Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority decided to set aside Rs 35,400 crore to add 118 kilometre more to Mumbai’s Metro rail network by constructing four more corridors, and approved detailed project reports for two phases of the proposed lines. These Metro corridors would be in addition to the existing 11.4-km VersovaAndheri-Ghatkopar Metro, constructed at Rs 4,321 crore, and the proposed 33.5-km fully-underground Colaba-Bandra-Seepz Metro, costing Rs 23,136 crore.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

17

smart cities in india

Centre unveils list of 98 Smart Cities The Ministry of Urban Development unveiled a list of 98 cities with Uttar Pradesh taking the largest share of developing 13 smart cities followed by Tamil Nadu, which qualified to develop 12 Team UrbanUpdate

Nine Capital cities fail

1

Itanagar

2

Patna

3

Shimla

4

Bengaluru

5

Daman

6

Trivandrum

7

Puducherry

8

Gangtok

9

Kolkata

18

September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

Sl. Name of No. of Names of Population No. State/UT cities selected Cities of Cities 1.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands 1 1. Port Blair 1,40,572 2.

Andhra Pradesh 3 1. Vishakhapatnam 18,78,980 2. Tirupati 3,74,260 3. Kakinada 3,50,986 3.

Arunachal Pradesh 1 1. Pasighat 24,656 4.

Assam 1 1. Guwahati 9,62,334 5.

Bihar 3 1. Muzaffarpur 3,93,724 2. Bhagalpur 4,10,210 3. Biharsharif 2,96,889 6.

Chandigarh 1 1. Chandigarh 10,55,450 7.

Chhatisgarh 2 1. Raipur 10,47,389 2. Bilaspur 3,65,579 8.

Daman & Diu 1 1. Diu 23,991 9.

Dadra & Nagar Haveli 1 1. Silvassa 98,032 10.

Delhi 1 1. NDMC 2,49,998 11.

Goa 1 1. Panaji 1,00,000 12.

Gujarat 6 1. Gandhinagar 2,92,797 2. Ahmedabad 55,77,940 3. Surat 44,67,797 4. Vadodara 17,52,371 5. Rajkot 13,23,363 6. Dahod 1,30,530 13.

Haryana 2 1. Karnal 3,02,140 2. Faridabad 14,14,050 14.

Himachal Pradesh 1 1. Dharamshala 22,580 15.

Jharkhand 1 1. Ranchi 10,73,427 16.

Karnataka 6 1. Mangaluru 4,84,785 2. Belagavi 4,88,292 3. Shivamogga 3,22,428 4. Hubballi-Dharwad 9,43,857 5. Tumakuru 3,05,821 6. Davanegere 4,35,128 17.

Kerala 1 1. Kochi 6,01,574 18.

Lakshadweep 1 1. Kavaratti 11,210 19.

Madhya Pradesh 7 1. Bhopal 19,22,130 2. Indore 21,95,274 3. Jabalpur 12,16,445 4. Gwalior 11,59,032 5. Sagar 2,73,296

6. Satna 2,80,222 7. Ujjain 5,15,215 20.

Maharashtra 10 1. Navi Mumbai 11,19,000 2.

Nashik 14,86,000 3.

Thane 18,41,000

4. Greater Mumbai 1,24,00,000

5. Amravati 7,45,000

6. Solapur 9,52,000 7.

Nagpur 24,60,000

8. Kalyan-Dombivali 15,18,000

9. Aurangabad 11,65,000 10. Pune 31,24,000 21.

Manipur 1 1. Imphal 2,68,243 22.

Meghalaya 1 1. Shillong 3,54,325 23.

Mizoram 1 1. Aizawl 2,91,000 24.

Nagaland 1 1. Kohima 1,07,000 25.

Odisha 2 1. Bhubaneshwar 8,40,834 2. Raurkela 3,10,976 26.

Puducherry 1 1. Oulgaret 3,00,104 27.

Punjab 3 1. Ludhiana 16,18,879 2. Jalandhar 8,68,181 3. Amritsar 11,55,664 28.

Rajasthan 4 1. Jaipur 30,73,350 2. Udaipur 4,75,150 3. Kota 10,01,365 4. Ajmer 5,51,360 29.

Sikkim 1 1. Namchi 12,190 30.

Tamil Nadu 12 1. Tiruchirapalli 9,16,674 2. Tirunelveli 4,74,838 3. Dindigul 2,07,327 4.

Thanjavur 2,22,943 5. Tiruppur 8,77,778 6. Salem 8,31,038 7. Vellore 5,04,079 8. Coimbatore 16,01,438 9. Madurai 15,61,129 10. Erode 4,98,129 11. Thoothukudi 3,70,896 12. Chennai 67,27,000 31.

Telangana 2 1. Greater Hyderabad 67,31,790 2. Greater Warangal 8,19,406 32.

Tripura 1 1. Agartala 4,00,004 33.

Uttar Pradesh** 12 1. Moradabad 8,87,871 2. Aligarh 8,74,408 3. Saharanpur 7,05,478 4. Bareilly 9,03,668 5. Jhansi 5,05,693 6. Kanpur 27,65,348 7. Allahabad 11,12,544 8. Lucknow 28,17,105 9. Varanasi 11,98,491 10. Ghaziabad 16,48,643 11. Agra 15,85,704 12. Rampur 3,25,313 34.

Uttarakhand 1 1. Dehradun 5,83,971 35.

West Bengal 4 1. New Town Kolkata 36,541 2. Bidhannagar 6,33,704 3. Durgapur 5,71,000 4. Haldia 2,72,000

Cities by Type 24 cities are capital cities 24 are business and industrial centres 18 are of cultural and tourism importance 5 are port cities 3 are educational and healthcare hubs

Cities by Size 8 have population up to one lakh

35 have population between one and five lakhs

21 cities are in the population range of five to ten lakhs

25 have population of above 10 lakhs and below 25 lakhs

5 in the range of 25 to 50 lakhs

4 have population above 50 lakh

** Meerut and Rae Bareli getting equal points are two contenders for 13th Smart City from UP. The state is yet to choose. # J&K has asked for more times as it wants both Jammu and Srinagar to be developed as Smart City, though the state has got only one slot in the project.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

19

COVER STORY | Swachh Bharat Mission

COVER STORY | Swachh Bharat Mission

India on a cleaning spree Sanitation schemes, deterrents, public awareness programs, fines, strict municipal laws, and community engagement-every nation around the globe has a variety of action plans to keep its cities squeaky-clean. Indian cities too are looking for expedient solutions to solve the littering, waste and sanitation conundrum Abhishek Pandey Principal Correspondent, abhishek@urbanupdate.in

20 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

M

aking Indian streets, parks, railway stations, offices, water bodies, schools, and hospitals clean by 2019 is the target to be achieved under the Swachh Bharat Mission envisaged

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It will not only require funds and technical expertise to execute the Mission but also an exhaustive campaign to change the attitude towards sanitation among the masses.

The mission’s targets in urban areas include construction of 1.04 crore individual household toilets, over five lakh community and public toilet seats and 100 per cent door-to-door collection of solid waste and its transportation and disposal in all the cities, towns and villages. While launching the mission last year, Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, underlined the significance of the mission and said: “We must not tolerate the indignity of homes without toilets and public spaces littered with garbage. Swachh Bharat Mission will be our tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary to be celebrated in the year 2019.” The union government, under the Mission, targets to eliminate open defecation, convert insanitary toilets to pour flush toilets, eradicate manual scavenging, achieve 100 per cent collection and scientific processing/disposal/reuse/recycle of

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), bring about a behavioural change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices, and generate awareness among the citizens about sanitation and its linkages with public health.

On the service delivery side, the government has plans for strengthening of urban local bodies to design, execute and operate systems and create enabling environment for private sector participation in capital expenditure and Operation and Maintenance expenditure (O&M) in the waste management sector. Swachh Bharat Mission is to be implemented over a period of five years in 4041 statutory towns at a cost of Rs 62,000 crores (USD 9.7 billion), of which the Centre will pitch in with Rs 14,623 crores.

It is quite strange that the government has not directly focused on prevention of littering at public places in the Mission objectives.

However, the central, state and local governments across the country have been sensitizing people against littering and urinating at public places through various advertising campaigns, though there has been no mention of deterrents and fines. Littering, a visible indicator of cleanliness, needs a little more attention in the present scheme of things for expediting the process of making our cities litter-free, and spick and span.

Public attitude

People in Indian cities spit and litter on roads and public places with impunity.

Littering on roads and public places is a menace. The laws to fine and punish offenders remain in the statute books with near-zero enforcement. Many countries have set examples for keeping their public places clean by ensuring strict adherence of municipal laws.

In Singapore for example, the penalties for violating public cleanliness laws can be very steep indeed. Citizens convicted of littering can be fined up to S$1,000 (Rs 45,000) for the first conviction. Repeat convictions cost up to $5,000 (Rs 2,25,000), and may lead to community service orders or anti-littering lectures to curb repeat offenders. In the case of a third offence, law-breakers may be made to wear a sign reading “I am a litter lout”. The island country also imposes stiff fines on people for offences like putting spent chewing gum anywhere other than a bin, for failing to flush a public lavatory and so on.

There are many other countries where dropping a cigarette butt or throwing a used water bottles or cold drink cans could invite a hefty fine but Indian cities have not been able to formulate a stringent mechanism to impose the existing laws which restrict people from throwing garbage on roads. There are other countries

We must not tolerate the indignity of homes without toilets and public spaces littered with garbage. Swachh Bharat Mission will be our tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary to be celebrated in the year 2019 Pranab Mukherjee, President of India

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

21

COVER STORY | Swachh Bharat Mission

The toilet is a tool for social change but building toilets is not enough. What you need is a widespread motivation and information campaign

Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder, Sulabh Foundation

where community engagement has been a success in keeping cities clean.

One may wonder about the disciplined behaviour of Indians when they visit these countries and their completely different behaviour when back at home.

Why overseas? Indians seem to behave very differently within the country itself. The spanking clean surroundings in some of our metro stations are in stark contrast to the situation outside or in the Suburban rail stations.

PU Asnani, Chairman, Urban Management Consultants, says that municipal authorities do not appreciate citizens’ role in keeping cities clean and fail to involve them as stakeholders in the decision making process. The level of service is therefore extremely poor and needs out of the box solutions.

Solid Waste Management

Solid Waste Management in India requires an overhaul for several reasons.

Waste generation is increasing by leaps and bounds as per a recent Central Pollution Control Board report. On a daily basis, urban India generates 188,500 tonnes of MSW-68.8 million tons per year. It is expected to grow at 1.3 per cent per capita p.a.-and waste generation increases by 50 per cent every decade.

SWM is in a crisis as the population attracted to cities continues to grow which is increasing the quantities of domestic solid waste while space for disposal is decreasing. To solve the problem, municipal bodies are looking to the development of sanitary landfills around the periphery of their cities as a first solution. However, there is an urgent need to focus on reducing the amount of garbage sent to landfill sites as the preparation of landfill sites will require acquisition of more land and result in increasing day-today operational cost. Also required is optimum management of collected waste through reuse and recycling.

Another major issue cities in India face is that 100 per cent waste generated in households is not collected by the corporations. There are still many cities where door-to-door waste collection facility is not provided by civic bodies.

The government cannot strictly enforce the ‘do not litter’ law if they do not provide appropriate facilities to the people. People cannot be fined for throwing garbage on streets if they do not have any other alternative.

Even the waste which is collected from households is not treated and is dumped in landfill sites causing severe environmental damage by

polluting ground water and air quality around these sites. The regulations for treatment and reuse of garbage, as per the Manual of Solid Waste Management released by Ministry of Environment in 2000, are largely ignored. This is adversely impacting the environment and human lives. Suhash Bhand, Founder, Organic Recycling Systems, says that mixed (non-segregated) nature of Waste in Indian cities is the reason why recycling and reusing of waste is not possible. Most of the MSW in India is dumped on land in an uncontrolled manner despite having legislation in place. Such inadequate disposal practices lead to problems that are impairing human and animal health and are already resulting in economic, environmental and biological losses.

There are several municipal corporations which have begun campaigns for collecting segregated waste at source by encouraging citizens through awareness programs and incentives. However, it is sad that not a single state in India has achieved 100 per cent solid waste collection so far.

Apart from household waste, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has formulated rules for handling of other kinds of waste such as bio medical waste, e-waste,

Most of the MSW in India is dumped on land in an uncontrolled manner. Such inadequate disposal practices lead to problems that are impairing human health and are resulting in economic and environmental losses Suhash Bhand, Founder, Organic Recycling Systems

22 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

Municipal Authorities lack technical and managerial capabilities to manage Municipal Solid Waste. The level of service is therefore extremely poor and needs out of the box solutions PU Asnani, Chairman, Urban Management Consultants

industrial waste, construction waste, etc. Management of hazardous waste is increasingly becoming a major concern as haphazard dumping of hazardous wastes is resulting in severe environmental impairment.

The adverse effects of hazardous wastes as well as the significant potential risks posed by them to life and its supporting systems are increasingly recognized. In 2012, the Supreme Court Monitoring Unit reported numbers of contaminated dump sites in each state. The report states that there are around 150 such sites; out of which 40 are in Andhra Pradesh, 21 in Odisha, 18 in Karnataka, and 10 each in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

According to Sustainable Solid Waste Management in India (2012) report by Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Council (WTERT), Columbia University, informal recycling can be integrated into the formal system by training and employing waste pickers to conduct door-to-door collection of wastes, and by allowing them to sell the recyclables they collect. Waste pickers should also be employed at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to increase the percentage of recycling.

Single households, restaurants, food

courts, and other sources of separated organic waste should be encouraged to employ small scale biomethanation and use the biogas for cooking purposes. Use of compost product from mixed wastes for agriculture should be regulated. It should be used for gardening purposes only or as landfill cover. Rejects from the composting facility should be combusted in a waste-to-energy facility to recover energy. Ash from WTE facilities should be used to make bricks or should be contained in a sanitary landfill facility.

The Report suggests that such a system will divert 93.5 per cent of MSW from land-filling, and increase the life span of a landfill from 20 years to 300 years.

It will also decrease disease, improve the quality of life of urban Indians, and avoid environmental pollution. This will also help in improving the lives of informal workers in waste management (e.g. rag pickers) by providing them regular remuneration, improving their working conditions, and integrating them into the formal systems of SWM.

Other components

Open defecation is a major issue in the country as over 50 per cent of Indians do not have access to toilets. Around

Fact Sheet—SBM (Urban) ♦♦ SBM (Urban) to cost around Rs 62,000 crore (USD 9.7 billion), it is a national campaign covering 4041 statutory towns. ♦♦ As many as 2.7 lakh household toilets and 1000 public toilets have been constructed since the Mission was launched in October 2014. ♦♦ The government has released Rs 860 crore to 28 states for implementation of the Mission. ♦♦ 100 % door to door collection of solid waste has been achieved in 329 towns since October 2014.

22 million girl students in India do not have separate toilet facility because of which many of them drop out.

Providing toilet facility to one and all is a target that the government is trying to achieve by 2019 under the Swachh Bharat Mission. However, their plans to engage corporate and multilateral organisations seem to be failing as most of the corporates such as Tata, Reliance, Infosys, and many others did not achieve the targets of constructing toilets as assigned to them in 2014. However, apart from building toilets in schools and public places, the government has made strict rules requiring that even construction labours be provided with access to temporary toilets at all sites where construction or maintenance work is taking place or where construction labour is temporarily housed.

“Building toilets is not enough. What you need is a widespread motivation and information campaign,” says Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of Sulabh Foundation, a non-profit organisation which has built 1.3 million household toilets in villages. There are many households where toilets exist but people still defecate in the open for several reasons. There is need to bring about a revolution so that people start using toilets. Manual scavenging is another social issue associated with sanitation. According to Census 2011, there are over 11,000 people who are still engaged in manual scavenging despite the law that prohibits the construction and use of dry latrines.

Manual scavengers in urban areas need to be identified and adequately rehabilitated, which entails upgrading the insanitary toilets linked to their employment to sanitary toilets.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

23

Numerographs

The Clean

Swachch Bharat Mission requires a mammoth effort to ensure sustainable solid waste management in cities and to bring about an attitudinal shift among citizens on littering at public places else, in Shashi Tharoor’s words, “the campaign would descend to symbolic photo opportunities for the people who would pick up a broom for the cameras on Gandhi Jayanti”

agenda ULBs spend between

Out of the 78,003 municipal wards in the country, 31,470 wards have so far reported 100 per cent door-to-door collection of solid waste

Rs 500 to Rs 1500 per tonne of solid waste for collection, transportation, treatment and disposal.

About 60-70 % is spent on collection, 20-30 % on transportation and less than 5 % on final disposal 40

Contaminated Dump Sites Reported by Supreme Court Monitoring Unit

326082 350000

Dry Latrines in States

300000 250000

21

18

14 10 8

4

100000 50000

2

1

0

Tam il Nad u Utta r Prad esh Wes t Beng al

Rajas than

Pun jab

Mah arash tra

Mad h Prad ya esh

Kera la

ha Odis

taka

t Guja ra

Karn a

And h Prad ra esh Assa m

1

130330

150000

10

7

5

178443

200000

UP

J&K

West Bengal

27659

26496

22139

Tamil Nadu

Odisha

Assam

Waste Collection in States (%) 100 100 90 90 80 80 70 70 60 60

24 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

Gujarat

Chandigarh

Jammu & Kashmir

A & N Islands

Andhra Pradesh

Daman & Diu

Goa

West Bengal

Karnataka

Uttar Pradesh

Rajasthan

D & N Haveli

Tamil Nadu

Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra

Bihar

Jharkhand

Odisha

40 40

Chattisgarh

50 50

Components 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 Overall Target Individual Household Toilet Units

25 Lakh

35 Lakh

35 Lakh

9 Lakh

104 Lakh

Community and Public Toilet Units 1 Lakh 2.04 Lakh 2.04 Lakh 5.08 Lakh Solid Waste Management Achievement of 100% collection and transpotation of waste (No. of cities)

1000

1500

1500

41

Achievement of 100% processing and disposal of waste (No. of cities)

100

1000

1000

1941

To achieve Scientific Solid Waste Management in 4041 cities/towns for a population of 30.6 Cr

Source: Ministry of Urban Development, ENVIS, Census of India 2001 and 2011, Sustainable Solid Waste Management in India (2012), Central Pollution Control Board

To eliminate the practice of open defectaion, 1.10 Crore public and households toilet units will be built under SBM

Total solid waste generation during July 2015 in urban areas was reported to be 1,42,580 tonnes per day

Solid Waste Generation (Million tonnes per year) 2011 2025 (Projection) India

40 137

USA

229 256

China

190 510

Over 11,000 are still engaged in manual scavenging in India

Urban 2001 Urban 2001

All India

Mizoram

Tripura

Lakshadweep

Kerala

Manipur

Meghalaya

Sikkim

Nagaland

Assam

Uttarakhand

Punjab

Haryana

Delhi

Urban 2011 Urban 2011 Arunachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh

Annual Targets under Swachh Bharat Mission

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

25

Leaderspeak | Open Defecation

Ranjit S Chavan President, AIILSG

An alarming challenge India is plagued with various health and sanitation issues because of the prevalence of large scale open defection. We are far behind our neighbours in tackling the problem as, at present, less than three per cent of Bangladesh, 23 per cent of Pakistan, and one per cent of China, defecate in the open while over 50 per cent of the Indian population still attends to nature’s call in the open

E

nding open defection in a country as large and diverse as India is a gargantuan challenge. The government targets to eliminate open defecation by 2019 through a nationwide mission on sanitation and cleanliness and by ensuring availability of toilets to every household.

Around 130 million households in India do not have access to toilets and, over 50 per cent of India’s population answers nature’s call in open fields, along railway tracks, behind bushes, or by the roadside. Of the 1 billion people in the world who have no toilet, India accounts for nearly 600 million. The situation in Indian villages is particularly bad as more than 68 percent defecate in the open. Reports suggest that people, who defecate in the open, excrete close to 65,000 tonnes of faeces into the environment each day.

Health hazards

A United Nations (UN) report on sanitation says: “Open defecation perpetuates the vicious cycle of disease and poverty and is an affront to personal dignity.”

The report further explains: “Open defecation

26 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

becomes disastrous when practiced by groups in close contact with each other. Because India’s population is huge, growing rapidly and densely settled, it is impossible even in rural areas to keep human faeces from crops, wells, food and children’s hands. Ingested bacteria and worms spread diseases, especially of the intestine. They cause enteropathy, a chronic illness that prevents the body from absorbing calories and nutrients. That helps to explain why, in spite of rising incomes and better diets, rates of child malnourishment in India do not improve faster.” According to UNICEF, the UN’s agency for children, nearly fifty percent of Indian children remain malnourished and open defecation is one of the major causes.

Ending open defecation will bring immense benefits by helping India in improving health standards, and in turn show affirmative progress on health indicators such as Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and malnutrition among children and women, among others.

Social problems

Non-availability of toilets for girls and women has various other social consequences. Many teenage girls in India leave school when they

People need to be taught the value of sanitation in the first place. People can be seen urinating right outside a public toilet.

The reasons could be a behavioural issue or poor cleanliness in public toilets

start menstruating because they have no privacy. Around 42 percent schools in India do not have toilets for girls.

The situation is alarming in the North Eastern states and in J&K where girls’ toilets are available in only 22 to 30 percent of schools. Rajasthan and Punjab are among the best states having toilet facilities for girls in 90 percent of their schools.

Sexual violence is another threat that women face in day to day life when they go out to attend nature’s call. Recent incidents in Western Uttar Pradesh, in which two girls were raped and killed, have highlighted the ground-reality.

Awareness is the key

Some fallacies on this subject derive from our ignorance of the socio-cultural

context in India. Open defecation is not only linked to the absence of toilets in every household but it is also a habit in rural India stemming from deep-rooted beliefs. People in rural India believe that they should not defecate inside the house where they live, eat and worship.

Many Hindu scriptures including Manu Smriti encourage defecation in the open, far from home, to avoid ritual impurity. A large number of people, especially in the villages of Northern and Eastern India, still prefer attending nature’s call in the open-even if they have toilets at home.

Achieving better sanitation is not an easy task as there are behavioural aspects that prevent people from adopting improved sanitation. Targets for construction of toilets are somewhat inadequate to resolve the sanitation problem completely. Building toilets does not mean that people will use them and there seems to be a host of cultural, social and caste-based reasons for that.

People need to be taught the value of sanitation in the first place. People can be seen urinating right outside a public toilet. The reasons could be a behavioural issue or poor cleanliness in public toilets. Alongside building toilets, the government needs to put in place a mechanism to maintain them and to promote their use.

India spent 2.6 billion rupees in fiscal 2013 on a campaign to help eradicate polio after 44 cases were reported

between 2010 and 2011, according to the World Health Organization. In the same year, the nation spent half that amount on education for toilets and sanitation. There is need for a wellthought of awareness drive engaging communities and social organisations to promote the significance of toilets; particularly in the rural areas where the government is providing generous financial aid to build toilets.

Sulabh International, which has emerged as a pioneer in the field of building toilets, has come up with a community toilet model that serves the needs of the rural populace looking for an opportunity to meet other folk while going out to attend to nature’s call.

However, this model does not seem to have become popular among the rural masses.

Open defecation in urban areas is driven by a number of reasons including, lack of space to build toilets in high-density settlements and tenants unwilling to invest in toilets where landlords do not provide them.

The Swachh Bharat Mission is an opportunity for rural and urban India to eliminate open defecation and ensure clean and healthy environment. There is need for awareness campaigns, media exposure, and pressure from school-age children. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has, this Independence Day, underlined the significance of children as the driver of transformation for the Swachh Bharat Mission.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

27

Article | Namami Gange

In the name of Mother River The Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission called Namami Gange approaches Ganga Rejuvenation by consolidating the existing ongoing efforts and putting in place a concrete action plan for the future. The program has a budget outlay of Rs 20,000 crore for the next 5 years. It is a significant four-fold increase over the expenditure in the past 30 years as the Government of India incurred an overall expenditure of approximately Rs 4000 crore on cleaning Ganga since 1985 Dr Ajay Pradhan, Chairman, Institution of Water & Environment India

28 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

M

any governments in the past have taken up the task of cleaning Ganga River. Ganga Action Plan envisaged

by Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 covering 25 Ganga towns in three states cost Rs 862.59 crore to the exchequer. Phase II covered 59 towns in five states; Rs 505.31 crore were spent. Subsequent governments too made efforts with significant allocation of funds under different programs to clean the river.

No results were visible.

This time, marking a major shift in implementation, the Government is focusing on involving people living on the banks of the river to attain sustainable results. Significantly, the approach is underpinned by socioeconomic benefits that the program is expected to deliver in terms of job creation, improved livelihoods and health benefits to the vast population that is dependent on the river.

Drawing from the lessons of previous programs of cleaning Ganga, the mission also focuses on involving the states and grassroots level institutions such as Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions in implementation. The program would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e., State Program Management Groups (SPMGs). A three-tier mechanism has been proposed for project monitoring comprising of a) High level task force chaired by Cabinet Secretary assisted

by NMCG at national level, State level committee chaired by Chief Secretary assisted by SPMG at state level and District level committee chaired by the District Magistrate.

An amount of Rs. 2650 crore has been allotted for the financial year 20152016. In addition, a sum of Rs. 100 crore has been allocated for developments of Ghats and beautification of River Fronts at Kedarnath, Haridwar, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Patna and Delhi in the current financial year. The interventions at Ghats and River fronts will facilitate better citizen connect and set the tone for river centric urban

ROAD MAP TO CLEAN GANGA Challenges

♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦

High degree of public visibility-varied Stakeholder expectations Pervasive perception of bitter results from earlier initiatives The growing quantum of untreated sewage discharged from cities along the river Growing gap between installed capacity of STPs and quantity of wastewater for treatment The lack of enforcement against point-source pollution from industries dischargingwaste into the river.

Funds availability to commission and operate STPs Financial implications for the existing industries due to regulatory pressure Different political and socio economic challenges arising out of the involvement of five states Influence of Bilateral and Multilateral financers on program and policy design Improper utilization of funds

Opportunity

♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦

Robust regulatory framework and institutional model Opportunity to learn from experiences of available proven technologies Adoption of river basin approach Government’s commitment towards allocation of adequate funds Awareness and inclination of civil society to contribute Public Private Partnership approach model based on pre-feasibility studies Monitoring and Evaluation Framework Funding from Corporates as part of their CSR funding budget

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Article | Namami Gange

Influence Public Behaviour

♦♦ Defining a Ganga Code of Conduct (GCC) for end users, service providers, support organizations and local administration ♦♦ Identifying, acknowledging and rewarding Ganga Wardens in each district on the banks of Ganga, that help in implementing the GCC ♦♦ Penalizing local administrators and individuals violating the GCC ♦♦ Close monitoring of activities around Ganga using CCTVs, incognito volunteers and local police ♦♦ Educating people on the need to keep Ganga clean and the various measures they can undertake. Make in-flight announcements, affix posters in buses/ trains and put up roadside hoardings in cities on the approach to and in the Ganga region.

Long term initiatives

♦♦ Create river by-pass for each major city on the banks of Ganga and regulate the flow of water joining the main stream, from the city stream ♦♦ Ease the impact of dams and remove the obsolete dams and barrages and possibly regulate their discharges. This will rejuvenate the natural flow of the river, supporting the marine species and natural flood control mechanisms. ♦♦ Levy a “Ganga Cess” on the State Government where most of the pollution to Ganga happens.

planning process.

‘Namami Gange’ will focus on pollution abatement interventions namely Interception, diversion &

30 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

treatment of wastewater flowing through the open drains through bio-remediation, appropriate insitu treatment, use of innovative

technologies, sewage treatment plants (STPs), effluent treatment plant (ETPs); rehabilitation and augmentation of existing STPs and immediate short term measures for arresting pollution at exit points on river front to prevent inflow of sewage, etc.

Regulate Access to Ganga Ganga can be classified into three zones environment fragile, economically viable for tourism and trade, and access for public services.

These zones shall have varying levels of access. Environmentally fragile zone should not allow access to public at large and permit controlled access only for scientists, environmentalists and authorized personnel. Such a measure will ensure that the environmentally fragile zones of Ganga are not tampered with or further ruined because of religious or tourism related reasons.

Regulated access provided only to licensed operators to carry out trade and tourism related activities in ‘economically viable for tourism and trade’ zone. This will ensure that only permitted activities and participants thrive in this zone and will also boost the local economy. Examples are water cruises, river side cottages, river parkways, river fairs, etc.

Paid for access for public zones towards services such as bathing, last rites, visarjans, etc in ‘access for public services’ zone. This will ensure that public at large does not treat Ganga as a free resource, and their choice of actions as a right – but a privilege, and a paid-for service. Engaging the corporate sector could enable set up ghats and services that are safe, hygienic and environment friendly. The revenue generated from such ghats could be ploughed back into conservation, maintenance and growth of the Ganga ecosystem.

Engaging corporate houses in the mission can ensure zero liquid discharge from industrial units and come up with effective ways to use or dispose of the treated sewage. Providing tax breaks, subsidies and incentives for innovative use of technology and enterprise that reduces water consumption for agriculture, industrial and urban needs will also help the Mission objectives.

Case Study | Success Story

Chennai Coastal Cleanup

Youth show a clean path Chennai Coastal Cleanup is a mission aimed at cleaning up beaches, and restoring them to their former glory. The initiative started in 2010 by Chennai Trekking Club has now become a regular annual event in which thousands of volunteers along with several organisations participate Team Urban Update

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round 150 volunteers from Chennai Trekking Club travelled to Tada in 2010 and went deep inside the forest to restore the scenic Tada falls to its original natural beauty. More than 500 big bags with 2 tons of garbage including plastic and broken bottles were removed from this “eco tourism” spot. Later, the team replicated the environment awareness movement to clean up Chennai’s beaches covered by a layer of garbage thrown into the city’s streams and then swept ashore.

Chennai Trekking Club organised the first Chennai Coastal Cleanup in May 2010 during which 880 volunteers retrieved 8.9 tonnes of garbage along the 15-km coast from Marina to Injambakkam. A second edition followed in January 2011 with 1,000 volunteers collecting 9 tonnes of garbage.In February 2012, 45 groups participated and entered the Limca Book of Records for the fastest cleanup with 2,369 volunteers collecting 17.6 tonnes of garbage in two hours. This year, the volunteers target to remove 50+ tons of garbage from over 20 km of the Chennai sea shore and the City’s lakes with more than 8000 volunteers.

The initiative has been a great success and sees increasing participation from all ages, classes and denominations – ranging from individuals, colonies,

In February 2012, 45 groups participated and entered the Limca Book of Records for the fastest cleanup with 2,369 volunteers collecting 17.6 tonnes of garbage in two hours groups, and even corporates.

Garbage is properly segregated and dispatched to the right agencies where it can be re-purposed, recycled or

responsibly disposed of. Most of the plastic waste collected from beaches was also segregated and dispatched to an NGO, Hand in Hand to lay plastic tar roads.

One of the main aims of the campaign is the #noplasticchallenge to get people to minimise the use of plastic in their daily lives. A part of the initiative encourages plastic-free shopping by identifying and patronizing grocery retailers who use and encourage ecofriendly packaging.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

31

Article | Clean Cities

Clean cities need capable managers Urban India has gained extraordinary attention ever since the new government took charge at the Centre. Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is considered a panacea to all the cleanliness and sanitation problems our cities face today but India requires more than a scheme to clean up its cities

Ranjan K Panda, Convenor, Water Initiatives Odisha

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ith rapid urbanisation in India, its urbancentric programmes have occupied centre stage in public debate. However equally sharp is the realisation that there is a lack of capacity in Indian urban infrastructure and its institutions to host the fast paced urbanisation.

The recent SBM cleanliness ranking of

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cities has exposed this.

Prime Minister Modi made the SBM initiative a hugely visible programme soon after he took over. He invoked the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and made a promising statement to the people about his intentions to bring about cleanliness. The cities, his favourites, were supposed to get much attention. Since 15th August last year to the Independence Day this year,

it is said, about ninety crore rupees was spent on SBM advertisements alone. The PM himself participated in many cleanliness drives to spread the message. Several film stars and other prominent public figures were involved in the campaign and during the initial months many people seemed to be happy with photo opportunities that involved with SBM cleaning activities with celebrities.

August this year, when the Union Urban Development Ministry released a report on the cleanliness of 476 cities, the tempo for SBM was not visible anymore on the streets but the need for a Swachh Bharat has become more

important than ever before.

The reality check

In India one often finds people speaking about cleanliness of foreign cities.

Interestingly, most of these people

would be chewing tobacco and spitting on the road while discussing such topics. I have met villagers who give examples of cleanliness from Indian cities. Most of the time the wide roads of the cities, lights, large hoardings,

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Article | Clean Cities

buildings dominate the aspirational minds of the village folks while the wastes and garbage of cities don’t figure at all. Many Indians flock to religious shrines and cities along sacred rivers regularly. The pollution there does not catch their attention. We are

have been trying to clean the Ganga River and Varanasi has always been in the target. However, the city has not been able to show any improvement.

The urban development ministry says the current rankings are the result of exercises carried out before the SBM was launched. However, experience shows current rankings may not result in any significant improvement either.

A lot depends on the city managers and Indian cities face many challenges in this regard.

City managers and cleanliness

Municipalities faced funds crunch, planning issues and many other challenges that typically Indian urban areas have been facing traditionally but the push from the top was not as aggressive as it is now

indeed lost in a lot of such aspirations, imaginations and religious beliefs and most of the time the filth and squalor of our cities don’t enter our minds.

Varanasi, the religious city that voted the PM to power, is a perfect example of the paradox in our understanding about cleanliness. It stood 418 among the 478 cities whose cleanliness was ranked. For decades, governments

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One may have noble objectives but one cannot achieve them unless there is a holistic approach in pursuing them. India has historically faced the typical challenge of top down planning. Leaders at the top set some visions and then the ones below start working on the modalities. SBM does not really face that challenge as the PM himself is seen spearheading this drive to clean up Indian cities. Many cities and their managers have virtually been caught unawares. There have been programmes before but it was with a ‘business as usual’ approach.

Municipalities faced funds crunch, planning issues and many other challenges that typically Indian urban areas have been facing traditionally but the push from the top was not as aggressive as it is now.

As soon as the rankings were released, municipal corporations of India’s capital city fumed. Placed at 398, the Mayors of the North and South Delhi civic bodies told India’s Urban Development Minister that most of the parameters for the rankings actually fall under the purview of departments and agencies of the State Government and they could not do much about it.

Ravindra Gupta, Mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, reportedly said, “36 points out of the total 100 were for services provided by the civic body like solid waste management and protection for sanitary workers. Had we been assessed on these parameters alone, we would have scored 70 per cent, putting us in the top of the list.”

He as well as Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation blamed the previous Congress government for having taken away majority of their responsibilities pertaining to the parameters of this ranking. They complained that the Corporations are not responsible for the slums, unauthorised colonies, sewers and water, obviously to wash off their hands from the crisis that looms large over the fate of Delhi as a whole.

Such blame games would not stop anytime soon in Indian politics. The SBM rankings have many lacunae. Real clean cities won’t be achieved unless several other issues such as pollution of rivers and water bodies, air pollution so on and so forth are addressed.

However, the need of the hour is to manage all available resources at hand in a manner where all stakeholders can be involved and in which cleanliness supersedes political mudslinging.

Delhi, under whomsoever it is, has been trying to take several measures.

In fact it is the city which has the longest sewer lines in the country. A lot of money has been spent on cleaning the Yamuna. However, the planners there have ignored the burgeoning unplanned city spaces that not only make most of Delhi a dirty place but also expose it to several disasters. The water logging during rains that is a common phenomenon in the city is solely because of the encroachments upon the flood plains of the Yamuna and other natural water ways. The SBM guidelines wouldn’t cover this but the planners must not miss it.

SBM has given a big push to thinking about cleanliness but it needs to bring into its fold many more parameters of real cleanliness and integrate holistic planning and co-ordinated effort by all concerned. What is more important to understand is that the Indian urban areas are already starting to determine the fate of our rivers, water bodies, forests and rural areas. Cleanliness of urban areas must not mean dumping of dirt in rural areas, crop fields and water resources. And towards all this, we seriously need to augment capacity of our city managers.

City Sanitation | Column

No more time to waste The scenes in city after city, town after town, show that there are cesspools of filth, plastics and overflowing sewerage. Leave aside some elite areas, or the kothi/ bunglow zones, the spectacle of garbage everywhere is the most stark reminder of a time bomb ticking as it takes its toll on the health and prosperity of the citizens

W

Raj Liberhan Former Director, India Habitat Centre liberhan@gmail.com

e hear sirens of 100 smart cities ringing aloud.

Many have attempted to define them, but amidst the different visions emerging, from digital to wi-fied cities, efficient transport and housing for all, we do not hear the word clean cities or healthy cities. Perhaps, it is included or perhaps the word SMART takes care of everything. The question to ask is: have we got the sequence of our needs in the cities right? Sure, we need housing, sure we need wi-fi enabled public spaces, we need public transport that takes us to our destinations, quickly and in comfort, but sure as anything else, we need a healthy and clean city.

Look around anywhere and you see garbage and filth in varying quantities.

We now need to understand that waste does not go away by itself, it has to be treated and managed with the determination and resolve of the entire population, be it in a rural setting or an urban one. The popular perception is that somebody will clean things up, the

streets, the office space, the house and who cares as to where the waste ends up, so long as it is not in my backyard.

Indeed, it is time for us all to wake up.

We are generating about 50 million tons of municipal solid waste annually of which barely 20-30 percent is being recycled and processed. The rest is dumped anywhere and everywhere.

The magnitude of waste is huge and has different dimensions. It begins with our mindset. ‘I pay my taxes, there is a body set up by the government, and hence it is their job to remove the garbage’. This is pretty much the pervasive attitude. We have mentally disowned our responsibility to keep public places clean.

Public spaces belong to the government so they should clean them up and since they don’t do it, they are corrupt, lazy and inefficient. Do we have a responsibility or not? We need to realize that nature does not produce waste; it is the people who do. We obtain what we need and throw it away when the need has been met. Think of anything; a paper, empty packaging materials, worn out fabrics, and keep

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Column | City Sanitation

multiplying endlessly. It is all piling up somewhere on a landfill site.

Health hazards

Waste is posing serious threats to our lives. Just last month, the National Green Tribunal sought an undertaking from the Delhi government for a time frame to complete the Treatment storage and Disposal Facility for hazardous waste as it has been languishing for years.

Population growth and rapid urbanization has meant bigger and denser cities and increased waste generation in each city. The data compiled by reputed researchers based on a study of 366 cities in 2012 indicates that; these were generating 31.6 million tons of waste in 2001 and are currently generating 47.3 million tons, a 50% increase in one decade. It is estimated that these 366 cities will generate 161 million tons of MSW in 2041, a five-

We now need to understand that waste does not go away by itself, it has to be treated and managed with the determination and resolve of the entire population, be it in a rural setting or an urban one. The popular perception is that somebody will clean things up, the streets, the office space, the house and who cares as to where the waste ends up, so long as it is not in my backyard

36 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

fold increase in four decades. At this rate the total urban MSW generated in the Country in 2041 would be 230 million TP (630,000 TPD).

The situation in the slums is even more abysmal. With no sanitation facilities or proper garbage disposal, the water being accessed from ground sources is highly contaminated. We have Hepatitis B and C assuming epidemic proportions. There are over a six and a half thousand slums in Delhi alone, housing over a million households. About 16 % live alongside the nullahs/drains, 27.65 % alongside railway lines and about 53% in other areas bordering on industrial belts and residential areas. These are veritable health hazards and the waste from these areas goes into drains, nullahs and is dumped in open areas.

Beyond SWM

Solid waste is only a part of the problem. We have bio medical waste to contend with. District wise biomedical waste generation potential is estimated based on the number of hospital beds.

To illustrate the magnitude, the total quantity of biomedical waste for the state of UP alone, is estimated at 20.7 MT per day. A WHO study has shown that, of the total biomedical waste, about 85 percent is non-infectious, 10 percent is infectious but non-hazardous and rest 5 percent is both infectious as well as hazardous in nature. The State’s pollution control authorities are getting their act together to regulate but have yet to make a significant impact on compliance. This is the story in state

after state and we can scale the amount of this waste for the country as a whole.

As of now, a landfill of the size of West Bengal is needed to dump the 21630 metric tons of construction and demolition waste and still more if the waste from the infra projects is added.

Recycling is minimal and whatever facilities exist they are non-functional.

The BIS does not treat recycled waste as standard for use. This when sand is scarce and bricks expensive, we still are not willing to address this issue.

To add to the heaps, India’s usage of feminine care products is at 12% and this adds 9000 tonnes of waste, enough for a landfill of 24 hectares. Due to heavy use of polymers, the waste is not biodegradable. We have not even accounted for hazardous waste and

City Sanitation | Column

water and wells from livestock and human excrement is causing havoc on the health of millions of people. The amounts of waste are huge. With no reliable data, we only surmise, that it is in the range of 250 million tonnes of agri-waste per annum.

Solutions

e-waste yet.

The complete lack of waste management in rural areas has resulted in large mounds of trash, predominantly plastic, piling up all along national/ state highways and taking over vast tracts of the hinterland. As the waste is non-degradable, the amount of damage will be extensive. Cattle are already affected as they consume this inorganic trash. According to some studies, people in rural India are generating 0.3 to 0.4 million tonnes of trash per day. There have been programs like the Total Sanitation Campaign, but these have had limited impact because of various factors. The other dimension is the problem of agri-waste. Our crops are contaminated with heavy metal residues due to sustained use of

chemicals for increasing production.

There is the ever present danger of dengue and malaria due to rising levels of plastic waste and clogging of water tanks and irrigation channels. Rough estimates indicate that between 50 and 250grams of plastic waste is generated per capita per day in rural areas. In periurban areas it is between 150 and250 grams per day. In rural remote areas it is about 50 grams per capita per day.

The government does have schemes and programs, but their efficacy is a question mark.

The dimension of the agri-waste, which is a big problem as well, has not yet been reckoned with. We have not even begun to look at it with any seriousness. Use of chemicals, coupled with nitrate contamination of ground

We need to set non-negotiable standards of conduct in standards of public policy and its implementation. Every standard that has been laid down, has been compromised in implementation.

Pollution Control boards have been set up, for sure, but the enforcement is indifferent or non-existent.

We are facing a waste challenge of gigantic proportions. The widespread notion that public space belongs to nobody, hence we can misuse it as we like, needs to be erased from our collective thought. A solution can only begin with the belief that if we want a right to clean environment, then we have to be the cleaners. Only then we will be the cleaned. Yes solutions are tough, but we will have to bring them on if we do not want to choke on our own filth. The argument of the cost is unacceptable as life is valuable. We have to install waste management corporations funded by the joint sector in every city. These corporations will have to knit the rag-pickers community into partnerships for waste collection and segregation. Funding will have to come from levies and state budgets through ear marking of moneys. Smart cities will emerge if we make the credible effort to manage waste.

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Success Story | Smart Mohalla

AIILSG pitches in to make Smart Mohallas in Jodhpur The All India Institute of Local Self-Government initiated the Smart Mohalla program-an integrated participatory approach for clean and vibrant colonies in Jodhpur. The initiative has seen active participation of municipal officials and citizen groups Sumit Singh, Regional Director, AIILSG, Jodhpur

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ublic health and sanitation are among the foremost duties of municipal bodies in cities across the world.

Urban society is characterised by high population density, existence of industries and high dependence on congested marketplaces in day to day life. Therefore, municipalities have a challenging task at all three levels of municipal waste management – collection, transportation and disposal of waste.

Experience in the past two decades has shown that a majority of municipal bodies have failed to deliver quality services especially in terms of public health. In the recently conducted national survey on public health and quality of life, all cities of north India lag far behind. The city of Jodhpur has a population of about 15 lakhs in 3 lakh households and more than 1 lakh commercial establishments spread across 65 wards. Like many other cities, Jodhpur did not have a proper waste management system. The municipal corporation tried to outsource the waste collection and processing system twice in past to private firms but it did not work out.

Thereafter the Jodhpur Municipal Corporation along with the district administration took up the issue on top priority. The corporation launched Mission ‘Clean Jodhpur – Green Jodhpur’ on August 15 in 2014.

38 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

It received a huge response from various social organisations, academic institutions, industry groups, students and all other stakeholders. The mission got a boost when Swachh Bharat Mission was launched at the national level on October 2, 2014.

On January 26, 2015, the civic body launched JOSH (Jodhpur – Swachh, Smart, Harit) initiative to engage students and the youth for keeping the city clean. Persistent efforts by the dedicated officials and citizenry started yielding results. Door to door collection of household waste started in many colonies with financial support of residents. In commercial areas, owners of eating joints and other shops adopted the practice of keeping dustbins. The waste was being collected by municipal staff on a daily basis. However, the impact at city level was still not visible

and a large number of slums, market areas and public places remained as filthy as ever.

When AIILSG studied the situation, it found that though the program received huge support from all sections of society since its beginning, it could not translate into positive outcomes on the same scale. The primary reason behind the gross mismatch in response and outcome was the absence of a formal structure of participation at the local level. The whole initiative was being conceptualised, managed and supervised by very senior officials at the district level with no administrative structure available at the ward or lower levels to facilitate participation of dedicated local activists and professionals. Though a few NGOs and Mohalla Vikas Samitis took the initiative to clean their respective

Dr Preetam B Yashwant, District Collector, Jodhpur addressing a citizen forum on the significance of sanitation

localities, they did not have any formal coordination with the municipal corporation.

It was at this point that AIILSG started devising strategies to create a structure of participation which is stable and formally attached to the Municipal Corporation. Dr Preetam B Yashwant, District Collector, suggested that we create a local monitoring mechanism on the lines of Nigrani Samiti model which is adopted in rural Rajasthan for Open defecation free villages.

This author was fortunate to have worked as Advocacy Associate to Ramesh Ramanathan, Co-Founder, Janaagraha and Chairperson, National Technical Advisory Group, JnNURM in the beginning of his career. Also when Ramesh Ramanathan was member of National Core Group on Urban Poverty of Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India, they had co-authored a policy paper on ‘Participatory Governance in India- focus on the Urban Poor’ in 2008.Ramesh Ramanathan was the key person involved in drafting Nagar Raj Bill which was circulated to all states and 12 states including Rajasthan have enacted laws based on it. The Bill advocates the creation of Ward Committee and Area Sabha in cities to decentralise governance systems of municipal bodies.

Combining the two ideas, AIILSG proposed an institutional structure as follows:

While Mohallla Sabha will be a general body of residents at Mohalla level responsible to contribute to overall development of the area, Mohalla Nigrani Samiti will be a committee designated with the responsibility of ensuring cleanliness in Mohalla with people’s support. The pilot project to implement the new mechanism was started in four mohallas of Jodhpur- Prem Vihar, Shikshak Colony, Pooja colony and Sir Pratap colony. Ghanshyam Ojha, Mayor, the District Collector and Municipal Commissioner visited the selected areas in the last week of July, 2015 and discussed about the new initiative with the local residents. The message was clear- If the residents could come together to develop the area as Smart Mohalla by August 13, the Mohalla would be awarded by the Municipal Corporation at a function on August 15, and all pending development works of the Mohalla would be executed on top priority by the government.

The announcement was received with excitement in the local community.

Nigrani Samitis in all four wards were formed on the same day and cleaning work started in all areas.

As overall Coordinator of the initiative, this author used to visit all four Mohallas and interact with the community and closely observe the developments. Prem Vihar being a small area of around 100 households took the lead since the beginning as

community cohesion and interaction between families was very high.

As Ashok Raizada and Dev Anand of the locality say, “Prem Vihar as a society is very diverse as it has inhabitants who originally belonged to Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and many other states. Yet we live very happily and celebrate all festivals together.”

They worked hard as a family on all fronts – Shramadaan to clean public places, financial contribution to hire JCB and tractors for cleaning vacant plots, painting of garden walls, trees, etc. Their contribution was unique as all sixteen members of Nigrani Samiti were women and they had put in tremendous efforts to achieve the target.

Prem Vihar was declared ‘Smart Colony’ by the Municipal Corporation in the presence of Gajendra Singh Khinwsar, Minister of Industries, Government of Rajasthan, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Member of Parliament, Jodhpur, Ghanshyam Ojha, Mayor and many other dignitaries.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Preetam B Yashwant, District Magistrate of Jodhpur, said, “This is a bottom up approach in the true sense and one by one, all Mohallas will follow Prem Vihar model and the entire city of Jodhpur will become clean and smart within one year.” The whole initiative has shown the way to all other Mohallas of Jodhpur. Hari Singh Rathore, Commissioner, Jodhpur Municipal Corporation, says, “We are happy to create a bright spot through Smart Mohalla-Smart Ward initiative in Jodhpur. The municipal corporation has taken up an ambitious target of developing one Smart Mohalla in each ward by October 2, 2015.”

The initiative has already started showing impact as councillors and residents of many wards of Jodhpur are approaching us to know the process and develop their areas as Smart Mohallas too. All India Institute of Local Self-Government has been designated as nodal agency for the initiative.

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39

Velocity | Mysuru

Heritage city is the cleanest city Mysuru’s endeavours for cleanliness have born fruits Team UrbanUpdate

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he emergence of the heritage city of Mysuru as the cleanest city in the country in the preSwacch Bharat rankings has surprised many. Mysuru leads the list with minimal open defecation and extensive adoption of solid waste management practices.

Thanks to rapid urbanisation, Mysuru currently produces over 435 tonnes of solid waste daily. It is a formidable challenge for the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) to handle such huge proportions of garbage and keep the city clean.

With the number of municipal wards (65 at present) likely to go up with the inclusion of several localities under the MCC limits, there will be a substantial increase in waste handling for the corporation, which needs to deploy more workers for the collection and disposal of waste.

Endeavour for cleanliness

The MCC has reasonably good infrastructure and systems for garbage collection and disposal.

The sewage plant created in 1994 is today also an important source of cattle fodder. Door to door collection of garbage is efficient with the participation of civic groups and NGOs. In the well-laid out localities there are clearly demarcated areas for garbage collection.

Mysuru has also clearly maintained the demarcation between its sleepy residential localities and commercial

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areas. In recent months sensing a garbage threat to the city, including several of its heritage sites, through the uncontrolled proliferation of roadside eateries, the MCC has launched a drive to regulate such eateries and move them to designated sites.

Another key factor in Mysuru’s emergence as a clean city is its dominant position as a tourism destination of historical and cultural importance.

It attracts nearly 70,000 foreign and 20 lakh Indian tourists each year on account of its palaces, museums and its yoga institutions. Therefore there has always been pressure on the administration and citizens to keep cleanliness in focus.

Civil Society

It is here one must appreciate the efforts of Mysore Grahakara Parishad (MGP), a non-profit people’s NGO which has stood like a watchdog keeping a close eye on some of the grandiose plans that the local municipality comes out with from time to time.

MGP conducts weekly meetings in which interaction takes place with officers in charge of civic utilities.

These help in ensuring common man’s needs are taken care of while preserving the City’s attractiveness as a tourist destination.

MGP is as much responsible as the city administrators in maintaining the heritage position of Mysuru and not allowing it to become a chaotic urban slum.

Citizens, with expertise and

voluntarily willing to serve in committees meet in groups and come up with plans that would guide the city into the future while maintaining its grand heritage. The solid waste management which enabled the city claim the number 1 spot in the country is an off shoot of one such effort.

Way forward

As of now, the city is generating 402 tonnes of garbage a day of which only fifty percent is processed daily while the rest is dumped. To attend to the growing problem, the MCC has announced the setting up of two more solid waste management plants

at Kesare and Rayanakere for better disposal of the garbage. With each of these plants having a capacity to process two hundred tonnes per day, the garbage problem is likely to be addressed efficiently.

The missing link was segregation of waste at source, which the MCC is now addressing even as it starts work to build the new plants. The MCC has procured dustbins under the integrated municipal solid waste management plan at a cost of Rs. 2.95 crore.

Already, the MCC has set its eyes on earning revenue from municipal waste.

But, in spite of efforts made in previous years in this regard, it is yet to set an

example by making it happen. A team from MCC visited Sweden to study the technology developed in a municipality there where waste is converted into bio-fuel for running vehicles.

After earning the ‘cleanest city’ tag, the corporation has set its eyes on bagging the distinction of being the country’s healthiest city (categorised green). Will it happen without scientific solutions? Mysuru was classified in the blue category (recovering, but still diseased), ahead of Bangalore that has been placed in the black category (needing considerable improvement).

MCC has a better chance of showing the way unlike other major

civic agencies.

Sure enough, Mysuru has still a long way to go. But it has a strong backbone beneath, thanks to the efforts of visionaries of the past, an efficient municipal corporation, and a vigilant watchdog MGP which reins in any effort to drag Mysuru off into disorder and urban chaos.

Mysuru combines its modernity with its heritage values and that is its USP. A lot more needs to be done. But it has shown it can combine its glorious past with dedicated efforts in the present in a harmonious blend to make it among the top tourist destinations of the world in the future.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

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Events

Transforming Urban India

Developing Smart and Sustainable Cities Team UrbanUpdate

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ITI Aayog organised a workshop titled “Transforming Urban India: Developing Smart and Sustainable Cities” on September 2, 2015 at India International Centre in New Delhi.

The Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Bengaluru was the knowledge partner for this event.

A report proposing a Reference Framework for Smart Cities, prepared

by CSTEP, Bengaluru, was also released at the event. The Report proposes a reference framework for smart cities that offers directions for sustainable ways of city planning to

both practitioners and theorists. The Framework is based on the following four guiding principles: 1) Wellbeing; 2) Equity; 3) Efficiency; and 4) Foresight. These guiding principles have been derived from the United Nation’s (UN’s) draft Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Framework primarily aims to crystallise future pathways for smart city development in India.

The workshop was attended by various stakeholders viz State Governments, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Central Government Ministries, experts, academia and industry. Over 250 participants includingover 100 representatives of

Bibek Deboroy, Niti Ayog member, addressing the participants during the workshop on ‘Developing Smart and Sustainable Cities’

42 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

states & union territories attended.

The participants ideated on some of the critical aspects that enhance the quality of life in a city and make a city sustainable and therefore, smart.

As the Smart Cities Mission and Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation and Transformation have been recently launched, it was emphasised that the Centre and States will work together to take these forward. Ministry of Urban Development and NITI Aayog will facilitate the States in implementing these Missions.

The Workshop was chaired by Mr Bibek Debroy, Member NITI Aayog. Mrs Sindhushree Khullar CEO, NITI Aayog and Dr V.S. Arunachalam, Chairman CSTEP addressed the participants. Dr Sameer Sharma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development made a presentation on Smart Cities Mission Guidelines.

Participants highlighted the need for capacity building in all aspects of smart cities -- from concept to implementation -- and private sector’s participation in the Mission.

They also raised concerns such as lack of implementation of the 74th Amendment (devolution of power to states), slum and poverty management, position and powers of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) viz. ULBs. Speaking at the event, NITI Aayog Member Bibek Debroy said that the states would have to find out what they want to do for sustainable urban development.

“Why should NITI plan what should

be done for the states. It is for the states to figure out what they want to do. And the NITI is there to facilitate that,” Debroy said.

Also, it is for the citizens to decide what form of smartness they want in their cities, he added.

Debroy said that the government is not going to decide a set of targets like that in Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM).

“What is significantly different about this way is that as compared to JnNURM, it is not that the government is planning to do A, B, C, D. It is not that the government is going to spend X amount of resources....it is about states involving the private sector, involving citizens,” he said.

“Level of urbanisation in India is very low. They are low not in comparison with the developed countries, they are low in comparison with the levels of urbanisation even in developing countries,” he said.

NITI Aayog CEO Sindhushree Khullar said at NITI Aayog government is looking for outcome-based programmes.

“We are not looking at input based programmes, we are looking at outcomes,” she said.

She said collaboration and building bridges between the states and NITI Aayog is the only way so that transformation happens.

“Cities require good governance, rules, laws and regulations. For our cities to become smart, they need to be based on collaboration, innovation

and transparency. Niti Aayog will work towards achieving this with state governments through an outcome focused approach,” she said.

Dr V S Arunachalam, Chairman, CSTEP opened the Workshop saying, “To be smart, Indian towns and cities have to solve many problems common to our cities and there is merit in our working together. The solutions are going to be similar and with innovations we should be able to develop solutions that are made for India.”

In response to the multitude of questions, concerns and challenges that have featured in public debates in India since the announcement of the Smart Cities Mission and other urban development initiatives by the Modi government, CSTEP’s report titled ‘Reconceptualising Smart Cities: A Reference Framework for India’ proposes a reference framework for smart cities that offers directions for sustainable ways of city planning to both practitioners and theorists.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

43

Events

Innovating for safe and smart mobility Emphasis on adoption of new technologies such as GPS based system, passenger information system, CCTV cameras, automatic fare collection system and electronic ticket vending Team UrbanUpdate

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inister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari has said that the Government is committed to improve the safety of Indian roads. He said a bill adopting the best practices in the world in road transportation and safety standards will be brought soon. He was addressing the International Conference and Exhibition on Public Transport Innovation - 2015 in New Delhi on August 13. The event was organized to mark the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Association of State Road Transport Undertaking (ASRTU) which was established on 13th August, 1965.

Gadkari said his vision is to make the functioning of the transport sector corruption free and transparent. He added that services should be delivered in a time bound manner. The Minister emphasized on adoption of new technologies such as GPS based system, passenger information system, CCTV cameras, automatic fare collection system and electronic ticket vending.

He asked the Indian automobile manufacturers to ensure international standards in vehicle manufacturing.

The goal should be good quality at reasonable cost, the Minister said.

Gadkari underlined use of bio-diesel and other alternate fuels to reduce the level of pollution in the environment.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Anant Geete said that his Ministry will fully cooperate with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways in the development of automobiles

44 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

that are in line with the Make in India slogan of the Prime Minister as well as environmentally conducive. He also suggested that incentives can be given to manufacturers in this regard.

During the inaugural session, Vijay Chhibber, Secretary, Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways and President, ASRTU said that the need is to work in the direction of environment friendly transport system which is sustainable too. He said that steps should be taken in the direction of manufacturing hybrid vehicles and developing alternate fuels.

National Transport Excellence

awards were also presented on the occasion by Gadkari. A coffee table book encapsulating the origin and journey of road transport in India was released and a short film on public transport was screened.

The International Conference and Exhibition on Public Transport Innovation - 2015 was two-day event in which various topics were discussed such as Sustainable Public Road Transport - Challenges & Future Road Map, Smart Vehicle Technologies & Alternate fuels, Women’s Safety & Challenges in Public Transport and future of Bus industry in India.

CII Energy Conclave

The next frontier is solar power Team UrbanUpdate

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ith the cost of import of coals for producing thermal power increasing, the next frontier is solar power, according to Manish Gupta, the West Bengal Minister for Power and Non-Conventional Energy Sources.

“Shortage of coal is going to get acuter. In 30-40 years’ time, India will see import of coal rising, and the country will not be able to set up new thermal power plants,” he said at the inaugural session of the CII Energy Conclave 2015.

Almost 61 percent of the power is generated from coal, according to a CII-PwC study titled Changing Rules of Indian Power Sector: Empowering the Economy, which was launched by the Minister today.

That explains why the West Bengal

government is strongly backing solar power, Gupta said, adding that the cost of solar power is steadily coming down.

“Our target is to generate at least 100 MW of power from rooftop solar panels in the next 2-3 years,” he said, adding that the State Government, as a matter of principle, has rejected nuclear power.

Gupta stressed the need for larger investments in R&D to devise technologies for efficient grid parities.

“That will go a long way in addressing power needs,” he said.

“Coming together of the Government, the industry and the academia is the key. “No Government can claim to be repertoire of all knowledge. So, we must join hands, work in tandem and help each other,” he said.

The Minister also said support has been sought under the centre’s green energy initiative. The National

Clean Energy Fund was set up by the Centre with an objective to provide investments in entrepreneurial ventures and promote research in the field of clean energy technologies.

Reji Kumar Pillai, President & CEO, India Smart Grid Forum, said the blueprint of the National Smart Grid Mission has been prepared. “The Prime Minister will launch the Mission very soon. The Mission seeks to create a roadmap for adopting top-notch technologies by striking a balance between what is going to happen in the world and what is going happen in India,” he said.

Rabindra Nath Sen, Chairperson, West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC), laid emphasis on efficiency in generation, distribution and transmission. “These are the things which will ensure quality power for consumers,” Sen said.

Narayan Swaroop Nigam, Chairman & Managing Director, West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL), explained how hard the State Government is trying to provide power to every household in the State.

By June 2016, it is going to be one hundred percent, he said.

Aniruddha Basu, Chairman, CII Energy Task Force & Managing Director, CESC, explained the context saying that the theme of the Energy Conclave Transforming the Energy Sector through Policy, Regulation and Technology is in line with CII’s vision of creating an enabling eco-system for the vastly untapped power sector.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2015

45

URBAN AGENDA | Innovation

Innovate for people Apresh Chandra Mishra Managing Editor apresh@urbanupdate.in

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ig data, social network, sensors... and many more!

New technologies and concepts are adding to innovating cities to foster connectivity between diverse sectors like ICT, energy and mobility, for creation of an ecosystem that integrates everyone and everything.

Barcelona has set an example of an ecosystem, which is broken down into three layers: people, information and city structure.

The concept As Rick Robinson, Chief Architect, IBM-UK writes, “In all of my contacts across the world, in technology, government and urban design, I don’t know anyone who thinks it would be ‘Smart’ for cities to be run by technology; who believes that digital data can provide ‘perfect knowledge’ about city systems; or who thinks that cities built and run entirely by deterministic plans driven from the top down would be healthy, vibrant places to live.”

A smart city should create an environment in which technology, infrastructure, policies and culture encourage and support ‘bottom-up’ and localised innovations that make people, communities and businesses more successful. The challenge is that this also requires a significant degree of top-down leadership and change. So, the argument shouldn’t be

46 September 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

about whether top-down or bottomup approaches are the right way to create better cities, but instead how to make both of them work effectively together.

A consumer play Infrastructure is becoming a consumer play. Consumers are interacting with road, rail, phone, energy and water systems in new ways, by ‘consuming’ the services provided — through regulating their consumption pattern assisted by data from smart energy or water meters, or using a cell phone to report a leaking pipe, or experiencing time-of-use charging for roads and parking, or installing their own personal solar power stations on their roof-top.

The digital data do much more realistic and enthralling things.

They allow us to uncover the hidden opportunity to interact locally with people and businesses in our community and reveal patterns in the complexity of social, economic, physical and environmental systems that help us look forward to the likely outcomes, and take proactive measures and do more with less.

A smart city creates an environment, in which technology, infrastructure, policies and culture make people safe, and provide the resources and opportunities they need – including better access to technology and information – to create safer and more rewarding lives.

Countries around the world are innovating and adopting technologies that boost connectivity in all its manifestations – man to man, man to machines and machines to machines – with the sole aim of creating more liveable urban spaces

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Urban

Dialogues Dialogues Next Smart cities Chandigarh

Partners

Organising Team

Ranjit S Chavan President AIILSG

Ramanath Jha Director General AIILSG

Raj Liberhan Former Director IHC

M Ramachandran Former Secretary-UD GoI

Dr Sudhir Krishna Former Secretary-UD GoI

For speakers and sponsorship requirements, please contact: Lojy Thomas: + 91 98688 73850, lojy.thomas@yahoo.com Ravi Guru: + 91 98180 98411, raavi.guru@gmail.com

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