Urban Update September 2016

Setting The Agenda For Tomorrow’s Cities

ISSN 2349-6266 RNI No DELENG/2014/57384

UrbanUpdate Volume III, Issue V

sEPTEMBER 2016

Rs 100

Women in Cities

Lost in urban maze!

The concept of gender mainstreaming in city development is catching the attention of policy makers and urbanists alike globally. To ensure inclusivity, Indian cities need to follow suit vigorously more than ever before‌

The project is funded by the European Union.

The project is implemented by the AIILSG.

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

UrbanUpdate A monthly magazine published by the AIILSG — a project funded by European Union’s ‘Equi-City’ programme for India.

Ranjit Chavan President-AIILSG Capt. Anant Modi Editor-In-Chief Director General-AIILSG, dg@aiilsg.org Ashok Wankhade Managing Editor Abhishek Pandey Editor Ravi Ranjan Guru Executive Editor

Mail Box Readers’ comments, criticism and suggestions are welcome. Letters to the Editor can be sent by e-mail, or regular mail. They should include name, address, phone number(s), and e-mail address, if available. The subject of the communication should be clearly mentioned, and we reserve the right to edit for sense, style, and space.

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Kumar Dhananjay Consulting Editor Arzoo Arora Editorial Assistant Meenakshi Rajput Graphic Designer Volume III - Issue V Printed and published by Ranjit Chavan on behalf of All India Institute of Local Self-Government.

Printed at Artz & Printz, 208, DSIDC Shed, Okhla Industrial Area Phase-I, New Delhi-110020 Published at Sardar Patel Bhavan, 22-23, Institutional Area D-Block Pankha Road, Janakpuri, Delhi-110058 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 Self-Government.

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The project is funded by the European Union.

The project is implemented by the AIILSG.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission.

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September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

EDITORIAL

Women need more than just safe cities

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Capt. Anant Modi Editor-In-Chief dg@aiilsg.org

At a broader level, the Indian woman’s participation in the workforce presents a dismal picture.

At 27 percent in 2014, the figure is well below all other BRICS nations.

What’s more, the rate has fallen from 35 percent in 1990

ew York emerged as the best city globally for women entrepreneurs, in terms of attracting and fostering women owned businesses. In the study conducted in early 2016 comparing 50 cities around the globe, New York was followed by San Francisco, London, Stockholm and Singapore.

The discourse on ‘women and cities’ is invariably limited to women’s safety; how secure are women on the streets at night, how friendly is the city to single women, and so on and so forth. There is limited discussion on other aspects of how cities treat women. Cities’ engagement with women can and must go beyond safety and encompass other aspects. Cities, cultures and communities can influence the woman in her professional attainment, in entrepreneurship and in career advancement. There is a need to go beyond just non-discrimination on the basis of gender and to promote affirmative action in favour of women aspirants in education, governance, professional spheres, business, trade and commerce. Reservation in local bodies is an initial step towards greater empowerment of women. A proposal on the anvil is the hike in reservation for women in local bodies through a constitutional amendment to 50 percent from the 33 percent now. Urban local bodies and gram panchayats in about 15 states have already implemented this even before its enactment. In the case of the top ranked city New York in the survey quoted above, the presence of large numbers of women in city government has apparently helped the cause of women entrepreneurs there. Having so many women in the city government “has been huge in changing the culture associated with women starting businesses,” said an official involved in the survey exercise.

Policies and programs, especially with regard to funding options and mentoring of women are necessary and progressive steps in realizing the goal of greater women’s participation in business.Unrestrained educational attainment is crucial for

women to realise their professional potential and reach higher levels in the corporate world. However, often mandates for women empowerment are observed more in letter than in spirit. In India for example, SEBI mandated a minimum of one woman director on listed company boards. Companies, many family owned, complied by including female relatives of promoters who would only toe the promoters’ line rather than bring in any professional competence or diversity to the board. The companies in effect made a mockery of the law. Observers state that this is not unique to India. In the US and Japan, where there are no stipulations, the number of women on corporate boards is very small suggesting that even enlightened corporates will not allow women into boardrooms unless compelled to.

At a broader level, the Indian woman’s participation in the workforce presents a dismal picture. At 27 percent in 2014, the figure is well below all other BRICS nations. What’s more, the rate has fallen from 35 percent in 1990. These ILO numbers quoted by the World Bank pertain to percentage of girls out of total female population over 15 years of age.

Inadequate educational attainment of women curbs realization of full potential and limits their access to professional work. Often traditional and cultural barriers come in the way of educational and professional achievements of women. Studies reveal that urban poverty is experienced differently by men and women with women bearing a higher burden. However, urban poverty alleviation programmes are gender neutral thus undermining the success of the interventions.

P V Sindhu, Sakshi Malik and other lady athletes showed at Rio that Indian women are ready to take control without being cowed down by traditional restrictions.

It is upto all stakeholders including citizens, governments, corporates and institutions to not just remove barriers but to actively facilitate them in fully realising their aspirations.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

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Quotes

PIN POINT BUZZ

Goal to put everyone on path of development isn’t just aspiration. Domestic policy & action must get support from int’l regimes & frameworks

Energy efficiency simply means using less energy to provide the same services, reducing energy intensity and thereby creating more resilient cities

Narendra Modi Prime Minister India

David Ribeiro Senior Analyst ACEEE (American Council for an EnergyEfficient Economy)

Piyush Goyal Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines in Government of India @PiyushGoyal

All solar rooftop projects to be geo-tagged in order to ensure their scrupulous monitoring

Colin Foreman News Editor @MEEDColin

Urbanisation demands a revolution in infrastructure planning

Brent Toderian City planner + urbanist at@TODUrbanWORKS @BrentToderian

Mobility is at the heart of city development and regeneration. It touches upon the quality of life and boosts employment, local economy and health

There is now clear evidence that we need greener cities to ensure the next generations are physically, mentally and spiritually healthy, and able to keep a healthy sustainable environment

George Kaminis Mayor of Athens

Karen Tambayong Chair of the AIPH Green City Committee

If someone shifts from a long commute to a walk, their happiness increases as much as if they’d fallen in love #walkablecities #happycity

Mike Bloomberg Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and three-term mayor of New York City @MikeBloomberg

I urge local leaders to continue pushing their national governments to ratify the #ParisAgreement

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September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

Inside

Volume 3, Issue 5

Inside September 2016

Article

30

AIILSG committed to empower women-in-distress

Women’s empowerment and gender

issues are at the heart of AIILSG’s works.

Its institutional entity ‘International

Center for Women-in-Deprivation’,

established with the vision of ‘Life of

Dignity and Equity for the Women-in-Deprivation’

34

Gender sensitive approach to urban poverty It is high time to look at urban poverty through a gender lens, understand how various issues affect women and men differently in their access to rights, employment, social protections, social dialogue and remain committed to promotion of gender equality

Event

40

Cover story

BRICS nations come together to solve common urban challenges

22

Picturesque, beautiful and smart city Vizag hosted the third summit of BRICS Urbanisation Forum. Delegates from all the member countries met and shared their experiences

LEADerspeak

Good reads

44

The most urgent task of our time ‘The Great Derangement’ serves as a brilliant writer’s summons to confront the most urgent task of our time, Climate change. It is forcing each one of us to stand up and contribute to mitigate the force of the disaster

RegularS

6 10

Pin Point Newscan

15 46

City Images Urban Agenda

26

Lost in urban maze!

The concept of gender mainstreaming in city development is catching the attention of policy makers and urbanists alike globally. To ensure inclusivity, Indian cities need to follow suit vigorously more than ever before…

Bringing women at the forefront of local politics is a must Women’s representation in local bodies in India has seen a significant rise with the implementation of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts in 1993 that guaranteed 33% reservation in ULBs. However, the representation of women has not resulted into their proactive participation because of several social, cultural and institutional constraints

ONE ON ONE

38

Challenge is to create cities, not buildings: Sandrine Sandrine Capelle-Manuel, International Project Manager, Urban Partnerships for Poverty Reduction, tells Urban Update how she sees the future of poor in upcoming cities and what are the practical ways for cities to address urban poverty issues

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

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feature | Equi-City

Service level benchmarking as an essential tool in equi-city!

Team Equi-City

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agpur, being the first Equi-City, is on the path of growth and development. As per census 2011, Nagpur city population is around 2.4 million. It is the 13th largest urban agglomeration in India and the largest city in Vidarbha Region. Municipal services like water supply, drainage/wastewater management, solid waste management, primary health and education facilities, maintenance of municipal roads, and city transport are key to efficient, healthy, and economically viable communities. Although ensuring the adequate provision of these services is a critical public sector function, many national and sub-national governments fall short. Standard civic services support the economic development of municipal areas, while poor levels of service, interruptions, low coverage levels, and other problems can undermine quality of life of municipal citizens, retard economic growth, and erode trust between resident stakeholders and local governments.

Need for service level benchmarks

In every sector, there are a few key performance indicators which are understood by most stakeholders in that sector. Similarly, in the urban sector too there have been a number of performance indicators related to service delivery that have been defined, measured and reported. Systems for measuring performance and taking further action on them have not been widely institutionalised in urban agencies. It is therefore important

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September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

SEWERAGE & SANITATION

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

♦♦ Coverage of Toilets ♦♦ Coverage of waste water network services ♦♦ Collection efficiency of waste water network ♦♦ Adequacy of waste water treatment capacity ♦♦ Quality of waste water treatment ♦♦ Extent of reuse and recycling of waste water ♦♦ Extent of cost recovery in waste water management ♦♦ Efficiency in redressal of customer complaints ♦♦ Efficiency in collection of sewerage related charges

♦♦ Household level coverage of solid waste management services ♦♦ Efficiency of collection of municipal solid waste ♦♦ Extent of segregation of municipal solid waste ♦♦ Extent of municipal solid waste recovered ♦♦ Extent of scientific disposal of municipal solid waste ♦♦ Extent of cost recovery in SWM services ♦♦ Efficiency in redressal of customer complaints ♦♦ Efficiency in collection of SWM related charges

WATER SUPPLY SERVICES

STORM WATER DRAINAGE

♦♦ Coverage of Water Supply Connections ♦♦ Per capita supply of water ♦♦ Extent of metering of water connections ♦♦ Extent of non-revenue water (NRW) ♦♦ Continuity of water supply ♦♦ Quality of water supplied ♦♦ Extent of cost recovery in water supply services ♦♦ Efficiency in redressal of customer complaints ♦♦ Efficiency in collection of water supply related charges

♦♦ Coverage of storm water drainage network ♦♦ Incidence of water logging/ flooding

Source: Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation

that the basic minimum standard set of performance parameters are commonly understood and used by all stakeholders. Depending on specific need additional performance parameters can be defined and used.

Measuring service levels of civic agencies implies measuring outcomes, and thereby indirectly also reflects on institutional capacity, financial performance and other parameters.

Service level parameters can be measured either from a utility manager’s / planner’s perspective or from a citizen’s or consumer’s perspective. Further, to facilitate comparison between cities / service delivery jurisdictions, and changes in performance over time, it is important that the performance levels are benchmarked, and monitored against those benchmarks.

Benchmarking is well recognised as an important mechanism for performance management and

The municipal SLB activity is supposed to develop and implement a system that optimises stakeholder satisfactions. Efforts are being made to encourage widespread adoption of the rating system in the city. Furthermore, the activity aims to empower the stakeholders to review delivery of municipal services through a municipal rating system. This rating system will not only be used to promote citizens’ participation in local decision making but also to improve citizens’ attitudes towards NMC

accountability in service delivery. It involves the measuring and monitoring of service provider performance on a systematic and continuous basis.

Sustained benchmarking can help utilities to identify performance gaps and introduce improvements through the sharing of information and best practices, ultimately resulting in providing better services to people.

Despite numerous infrastructure and development projects, it is estimated that one-third of the city’s population lives in slums spread across the city and more than 300 slum pockets exist in the city.

Loopholes in Municipal service delivery system in Nagpur Municipal Corporation

The urban sector is being increasingly recognised as a critical growth driver for the Indian economy. The share of population residing in urban areas is also witnessing rapid growth. Even as additional investments are being made in these services, there is a critical need to increase accountability for service delivery. This has also been the cornerstone of the urban reform agenda being implemented as part of various centrally sponsored schemes like Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, HRIDAY, Housing for All, Swachh Bharat Mission, etc. It envisages an increased focus to delivery of service outcomes from the angles of quantity and quality both.

What Is Service Level Benchmarking?

Service Level Benchmarking has been developed and released by the MoUD. It seeks to: ♦♦ Identify a minimum set of standard performance parameters for the water and sanitation sector that are commonly understood and used by all stakeholders across the country; ♦♦ Define a common minimum framework for monitoring and reporting on these indicators; and ♦♦ Set out guidelines on how to operationalize this framework in a phased manner.

Benefits of benchmarking

The municipal SLB activity is supposed to develop and implement a system that optimises stakeholder satisfactions. Efforts are being made to encourage widespread adoption of the rating system in the city.

Furthermore, the activity aims to empower the stakeholders to review delivery of municipal services through a municipal rating system. This rating system will not only be used to promote citizens’ participation in local decision making but also to improve citizens’ attitudes towards NMC. The activity will draw on the lessons learnt from the development of different monitoring and evaluation tools.

Benchmarking provides the platform to♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦

Rationalize decision making Strengthen the accountability Provide greater transparency Proper resource mobilization and allocation ♦♦ Prioritize development activities

Activities being carried out in the city

Sanitation & Hygiene Workshops in different wards of the city The sensitisation workshops in couple of slums of the city have already been conducted and few more are being planned to promote the awareness through Equi-City Project.

The broader theme of these workshops is based upon Sanitation and Hygiene.

Furthermore, the workshops had envisaged to generate awareness regarding sanitation, to understand the condition of municipal services, to sensitise people about the existing situation and to identify problem areas.

Painting Competition

As a part of the awareness campaign for the Equi-City project, one drawing and painting competition was organised in Nagpur.To promote awareness amongst the young minds of the city,the initiative has generated enthusiasm across the city. The students were very excited and came up with creative ideas which reflected in their paintings.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

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NEWSCAN

BRIEFS

NEWSCAN

‘New Urban agenda to ensure better living, economic growth’ ♦♦ Last two years’ push worth efforts of previous ten years, asserts Minister ♦♦ Southern States in the forefront of enabling housing for urban poor ♦♦ Investment of about Rs 51,000 cr approved for basic urban and housing infrastructure in southern States during last one year ♦♦ Southern States so far approved central assistance of Rs 16,579 cr

Chennai: Expressing serious concern over the acute deficit in urban infrastructure in the country, Minister of Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation M. Venkaiah Naidu asserted that the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has mainstreamed the urban agenda, ending decades long neglect.

He spoke of a range of challenges in the urban sector and the concerted efforts launched to address the same while addressing the ‘Regional Editors Conference’ in Chennai.

Venkaiah Naidu stated that the Modi led Government inherited not only a derailed economy but also a crumbling urban landscape adversely impacting the quality of life and economic activities. “Prime Minister Shri Modi asked us to convert these challenges into opportunities and a comprehensive action plan has been launched to recast the urban landscape with the involvement of citizens, urban local bodies and the States, through a

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September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

“

...a crumbling urban landscape adversely impacting the quality of life and economic activities M Venkaiah Naidu UD Minister

paradigm shift in the approach” said Naidu.

Comparing the initiatives taken during 2004-14 and the last two years, Naidu noted that “in a very short period, we have either exceeded or close to what was done under 10 years of JnNURM in respect of all comparable and measurable parameters”. In support of his assertion, Naidu stated: Central Government has committed to provide central assistance of Rs 1,13,143 cr for improving urban infrastructure (excluding housing infrastructure) which is 333% increase over Rs 33,902 cr that was approved under 10 years of JnNURM during 2004-14. Under the new urban missions, an investment potential of about Rs 18 lakh crore has been created of which an investment of Rs 1,80,213 cr has already been approved within a short span of over one year of launch of new schemes.

He added that as against construction of 13.70 lakh houses for urban poor approved during 2004-14, construction

of 9 lakh houses has been approved during the last one year which comes to 66% of the approvals of the previous ten years.

Under the new urban missions, total central assistance of Rs 53,747 cr to States and urban local bodies has been already approved for release which is almost at par with the total central assistance of Rs 54,974 cr that was approved in the previous ten years, including for housing for urban poor.

And, grant of about Rs 87,000 cr is being directly made available to urban local bodies over a period of five years from 2015-16 as against only Rs 23,000 cr during the last five years. In addition, share of states in divisible revenues has been increased to 42% from the earlier 32%. Naidu explained that the scale and pace of project approvals and resource flows have been enhanced through a paradigm shift in the approaches that include extensive one year long stakeholder consultations including with citizens, urban local bodies and State Governments, objective selection of cities and towns under different new urban missions, introduction of innovative competition based selection of cities under Smart City Mission and incentivizing implementation of reforms for better urban governance.

These measures have resulted in a new consciousness and a spirit of healthy competition among urban local bodies and states, he said.

The Minister stated that southern states are in the forefront of implementation of housing projects for urban poor under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). Elaborating further, he said that though southern states account for 27% of urban population of the country, they have got 3.80 lakh houses sanctioned accounting for 42% of the 8.99 lakh houses sanctioned.

NEWSCAN

Amar Chitra Katha to publish Comic Book on SBM Delhi: The Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Amar Chitra Katha to publish and distribute a special edition of the comic book, focusing on Swachh Bharat Mission here today. The 32-page comic book will carry messages pertaining to sanitation and solid waste components of Swachh Bharat Mission.

On this occasion, the Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu appreciated Amar Chitra Katha for collaborating with the Swachh Bharat Mission and said that the youth and students are one of the biggest change agents for any social transformation and the comic book would aim to engage with them in an innovative manner and spread the message of cleanliness. The Minister said that he expects the comic book to inspire children to take steps and create a long-lasting impact on the cleanliness of their homes, schools, neighbourhoods and eventually their cities. This initiative will push the Swachh Bharat Mission one step further towards making Swachh Bharat a ‘janandolan’, he added.

The book would comprise a series of inspirational stories from the mission,

cleanliness rankings of cities, the public figures and ambassadors, environmental impact, and stories of individuals and organizations that can inspire children to the concept of ‘Swachhata’. Further, there will be an interactive workbook of tips and tricks which children can use to clean their own areas. It will also include a section about how to organize community cleanliness drives and what other things they can do to make a remarkable impact on their immediate surroundings. Amar Chitra Katha will be developing and creating the special edition comic book in English and translating into Hindi. In order to ensure large scale dissemination of these stories, MoUD will distribute them through national school boards like CBSE, Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya.

Need to Continue Dialogue on Sustainable Lifestyles: Dave DELHI: The Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Anil Madhav Dave, emphasised the need for continued dialogue on sustainable lifestyles, phase-down of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under Montreal Protocol, Research & Development, cooperation on Global MarketBased Measures (GMBM) under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and implementation of Paris Agreement.

A US delegation, headed by Dr Jonathon Pershing, Special Envoy for Climate Change, Department of State and Ambassador Jennifer Haverkamp, US Special Representative for Environment and Water, Department of State, held a discussion on issues of mutual interest and urgent global matters under negotiation at multilateral fora. After the discussions, US Ambassador to India, Richard R Verma and Ambassador Jennifer Haverkamp and other officials called on the Environment Minister. Dave appreciated the outcome of Joint Working Group (JWG) on Climate Change on long-term cooperation in areas such as air quality, climate resilience, climate fellowships, forestry and energy co-operation. The Environment Minister emphasised the catalytic leadership of Prime Minister Modi and US President and their vision in achieving the Paris Outcome.

BRIEFS

Online registration of pet dogs in Delhi

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has started the process of registering pets online for the first time. The civic body had passed a proposal on the initiative in May. Mayor Shyam Sharma launched the facility for pet owners in south Delhi, with the aim of estimating the number of pets in SDMC areas.

Unregistered pet dogs found roaming in south Delhi will be detained by the municipality.

Now, a certificate and a token will be generated online. After printing the token, the pet owner will have to laminate it and hang it on the dog’s collar.

Assam govt to engage Dredging Corporation to de-silt B’putra Assam government has engaged Dredging Corporation of India Limited to dredge the Brahmaputra every year. A team undertaking will visit the state within 8 to 10 days to carry out a survey of the 720-km stretch of the 2,800-km-long river that flows through Assam before draining into the Bay of Bengal. CM Sarbananda Sonowal said, “To give succour to the people ravaged by the perennial floods and erosions in the state, we, with the help of Dredging Corporation of India Limited, will start dredging the Brahmaputra. Dredging will primarily emphasize on erosion control, sediment management and flood control. The whole process will be carried out in line with the hydrological character of the Brahmaputra,” he added.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

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BRIEFS

GVMC to engage students to study dengue outbreak

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) had decided to take up a detailed study to ascertain the reasons behind the spread of dengue, within its limits. About 299 cases with dengue symptoms have been reported within the GVMC limits as on date from January 1, 2016 with nearly 60% increase as compared with last year figures, said officials. The virus is largely confined to slum areas. However, cases have been reported from posh localities as well. GVMC commissioner M Hari Narayanan said they had identified as many as 71 areas in the city where the presence of the dengue virus has been detected.

Center reviews Dengue, Chikungunya situation The Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha reviewed the preparedness of Dengue and Chikungunya in a meeting of Committee of Secretaries of the Union Government and representatives of the Government of Delhi and local bodies such as NDMC and Delhi corporations. The Cabinet Secretary asked the participants to accelerate action for prevention of Dengue and Chikungunya and asked for further facilitation by running public awareness programmes, availability of medicines and doctors, helpline facilities and use of mobile clinics. Sinha hoped that the residents will also participate by by maintaining cleanliness and the local bodies will carry out necessary increased fogging in the area.

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September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

NEWSCAN

Government approves subsidized helicopter services in J&K, Himachal

DELHI: The Government has accorded its approval for operation of helicopter services in the State of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh on a pilot basis in 10 sectors, as per the stipulation that the most inaccessible destination points should be chosen. The scheme can be extended to other/additional sectors at a later date depending upon the assessment of the justifiable needs of the local population.

The State Governments of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh will re-identify/chose and finalize the most critical sectors in their States, with number of flying hours by the State Governments in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs based on current justifiable needs. While deciding the sectors for providing the air connectivity, the difference of time between the road travel and air travel may be taken as an important factor.

In case of Jammu and Kashmir, the recommendation of the Joint Working Group for the following five sectors in Srinagar-Drass-Kargil-Zanskar-Leh has been accepted: Srinagar - Kargil – Srinagar, Srinagar - Drass – Srinagar, Kargil - Padum - Leh - Padum – Kargil, Leh - Lingshed – Leh, Srinagar - Leh –

Srinagar. The above 5 sectors may be realigned based on the fresh assessment made by Government of J&K in consultation with MHA. The Government of India will subsidize only the cost towards actual number of entitled passengers utilizing the helicopter services. No subsidy will be provided for the vacant seats.

Emergency services and common passenger services to the local residents of the State will be provided on priority and at subsidized rates. VIPs, Officers of the State Government on tour, Income tax payers or tourists will not be eligible for subsidized fares. Such persons will have to pay full fare subject to availability of seats.

The operator of the services will be selected by open tender process by the State Government. The operation of helicopter services in the State will continue till March, 2017 or expiry of contract, whichever is earlier.Review and rationalization of annual ceiling of flying hours vis-a-vis actual utilization as well as internal review of the sectors/ scheme will be carried out in consultation with Financial Advisers of Ministry of Home Affairs and Civil Aviation after March, 2017.

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NEWSCAN

BRIEFS

NEWSCAN

Credit rating of cities under urban reforms begins ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦

Ahmedabad, NDMC get A- - rating 85 cities to be rated by March next year Substantial lending support to Smart Cites identified from World Bank, ADB, JICA, BRICS Bank, AIIB UD Minister reviews the progress of urban missions Pune and Ahmedabad are in advanced stage of going for municipal bonds

New Delhi: Speedy implementation of new urban missions launched last year has resulted in the Ministry of Urban Development spending 70% of Plan Funds for 2016-17 during the first five months of the current financial year. This was revealed during a review of progress under different missions taken by the Minister of Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu.

Under the initiative of Credit Rating of urban local bodies, 85 cities have launched the process and the same has been completed in respect of 12.

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) have got A-- rating (positive credit worthy). All these 85 cities would be given credit rating by March next year. Pune and Ahmedabad are in advanced stage of going for municipal bonds.

The Minister has directed the officials to follow up with States and ULBs on a regular basis to ensure that all ULBs get credit rating at the earliest which is necessary to float municipal bonds for mobilizing resources.

As a part of handholding the States and Urban Local Bodies for speedy execution of projects under

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September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

new initiatives, the Ministry of Urban Development has identified substantial sources of funding from various domestic and multi-lateral lending agencies. This includes ; Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank- US $ 5 billion, Asian Development BankUS $ 1 billion, Japanese International Cooperation Agency- US $ 500 million, BRICS Bank- US $ 500 million per city, AFD-Euro 100-200 million. HUDCO is likely to support Smart City Mission with Rs.10,000 cr.

The Minister was informed that in addition to 68 projects that were launched in 14 smart cities in June this year, another 134 projects have been identified of which 114 projects are under bidding. While the first batch of all 20 smart cities have set up Special Purpose Vehicles, the 13 cities identified under Fast Track Competition would do so by the end of this month.

M Venkaiah Naidu expressed satisfaction over the Ministry approving an investment of Rs 1.24 lakh crore for improving basic urban infrastructure.

This includes Rs 78,000 cr investment under Smart City Plans of 33 cities and another Rs 45,935 cr under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban

Ministry of Urban Development has identified substantial sources of funding from various domestic and multi-lateral lending agencies. This includes ; Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank- US $ 5 billion, Asian Development Bank- US $ 1 billion, Japanese International Cooperation Agency- US $ 500 million, BRICS Bank- US $ 500 million per city, AFDEuro 100-200 million. HUDCO is likely to support Smart City Mission with Rs10,000 cr Transformation (AMRUT).

Naidu noted that reforms introduced like involvement of States and ULBs in conceptualization of new urban missions, autonomy to states in formulation of projects, their appraisal and approval, competition based selection of cities etc., have begun to yield positive results in the form of speedy clearance of investments.

The Minister directed the concerned officials to take necessary measures jointly with states and ULBs to promote conversion of municipal solid waste into compost. As against Plan allocation of Rs 21,000 for 2016-17, the Ministry of Urban Development has incurred an expenditure of Rs 14,725 cr till August this year.

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Streets, art and cities

Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is well-known for its vibrant street art culture. The city also boasts of the largest murale. The artist El Regreso de Quinquela painted the work of Alfredo ‘El Pelado’ Segatori.

The city provides conducive environment to artists. Art is socially acceptable and artists can paint their works by just taking the consent of the property owner or society. The laws of the city are comparatively relaxed in comparison to any other global city. The city government itself has

commissioned many large-scale arts at various public places.

Recently, Art Basel, the organisation that stages premiere and modern art fairs, announced Buenos Aires as its inaugural city for its Art Basel Cities initiative.

The organization will work with the city to curate a program of events that will both celebrate the local art scene by collaborating with institutions, art organizations and galleries, while bringing in the international art world for a series of events and programming.

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Historical paintings on Varanasi’s walls Students and artists of Varanasi would paint the city walls with murals depicting the multi-cultural aspect of the city. As part of Union urban development ministry’s Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) scheme, the walls of Nati Imli ground, also known as Bharat Milap ground, were recently painted by a group of artists and former students of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). The Central government has allocated Rs 89.31 crore to Varanasi for development under HRIDAY scheme, which was launched in January last year by the Union ministry for urban development, with a focus on holistic development of 12 heritage cities of the country, with an investment of Rs 500 crore.

Bhopal strives to become urban innovation hub Bhopal Municipal Corporation tied up with Intel to create an innovation hub. “The project is on the lines of Digital India and Startup India wherein technology would be used for innovative projects to be utilised under the smart city,” said BMC commissioner Chhavi Bharadwaj. For this, 10–20 crore will be sanctioned by the state planning commission under the Atal Innovation Mission. The civic body also collaborated with IT company Cisco to implement a pilot solution in Bhopal called the ‘Bhopal Golden Mile, that will include wi-fi, remote governance, kiosk, transport, environment, city portal and citizen app, data centre/ cloud centre and digital portal solutions of Cisco.

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September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

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HP, Singapore sign MoU for smart integrated township Shimla: Himachal Pradesh government today signed a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore government for developing a smart integrated township in Jathiadevi near Shimla airport.

The MoU was signed between Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) and Asian Pacific Singapore Enterprise in the presence of Urban Development and Town and Country Planning and Housing minister Sudhir Sharma during a meeting here. Presiding over the meeting of delegates of the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE), government of Singapore and senior officers of the HIMUDA, Sharma said development of a smart integrated township near the state capital was an ambitious project of the government which would go a long way in decongesting the highly populated city.

He said the population of Shimla has increased 10 times, which was initially developed for 25 thousand people only, resulting in congestion and over utilisation of infrastructure and it was high time for development of a smart integrated township outside the city with a state-ofthe-art social, physical, institutional and economic infrastructure.

He said HIMUDA has acquired 32 hectare land for developing this township at Jatiadevi which was connected by three national highways. “The preliminary MoU has been signed today for this project which will be expanded soon after detailed discussions between the two governments and the state is also looking forward to explore possibilities for expanding this MoU for more housing projects in the state as well”, the minister said. He said a working group has been constituted with representatives from both the governments to chalk out plan, exchange of ideas and working on key factors for this new township, adding in order to enhance quality of life of the citizens and ensure social inclusion, boosting economic and environmental impact, the state government was working for developing smart integrated townships with futuristic planning.

Kevin Chong, Director, Asia Pacific said SCE was very keen to assist HIMUDA in the project and the new township would be developed in a cost effective manner, smartly with Asian concept. He said the township would be developed as per the expectations of the state government and taking into consideration the topography and other conditions of this hilly state.

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Sebi chairman for flexi-pricing of municipal bonds Upendra Sinha said Sebi will be more than happy to look into any issues related to rating of municipal bonds and asked municipal corporations to do away with old accounting practices

Mumbai: Calling for flexible pricing of municipal bonds to deepen this nascent market, market watchdog Sebi today asked urban bodies to upgrade their services and charges as well as adopt modern accounting practices to secure better credit ratings. “There is price ceiling of 8 percent now...Some flexibility can be brought in this such as linking it with 10-year government security yields,” Sebi Chairman Upendra Kumar Sinha told a summit on municipal bonds organised by the regulator.

The Sebi chief also said he would be taking up this matter with the government so that municipalities can better tap the capital markets to part meet their capex bills, which according to some studies will be to the tune of Rs 40 trillion over the next two decades.

Sinha added he would prefer sectoral regulators and agencies such as pension funds and mutual funds to invest in municipal bonds.

Asking urban bodies to do away with obsolete accounting practices and adopt new mechanisms to improve their credit ratings, Sinha said Sebi

will be looking into any issues and suggestions concerning credit rating of municipal bonds. “One feedback is on account keeping of municipal bodies...

It is high time we move away from the obsolete accounting system which municipalities follow, and (they) need to adopt latest modern investor-friendly accounting norms,” the Sebi chief said.

Sinha further said if local bodies do not have the right accounting practice, it will affect the rating and they will not be able to issue bonds. “Sebi is trying to sensitise people on the issue. If credit rating improves, they would be able to raise funds,” Sinha added. Urging urban civic bodies to offer better services and also price them higher, Sinha noted that “earlier payment for municipal services was resisted as the people did not find them of good quality and did not want to be over-charged...But today people don’t mind paying if the services are good.”

He also warned that “municipal bonds will not succeed if people resist paying for services”. Addressing the gathering, Union Urban Development Secretary Rajiv Gauba called upon

municipalities to tap the capital markets to meet their funding needs.

“Municipal bonds have tremendous potential but till now it has been used only sparingly,” Gauba said. He added that only Rs 1,750 crore has been raised through this route so far, compared to over USD 300 billion raised in the US in one year alone.

Sinha added, “Our cities are looking for different sources of funds and this source of funding is getting lot of attention and we are helping municipal corporations to get credit ratings as well as improve credit ratings. “There are 100 cities shortlisted from 500 cities under the Amrut Project (which) need credit ratings and some of them are in advanced stages of this process, while some have completed the process.” Accordingly, Sinha noted it is essential for municipalities to garner funds from new sources such as bonds for development of urban regions.

The Sebi chairman also admitted that the market is not developing as per its potential as participants are looking for the secondary market to develop first, which he described as a “chicken-andegg situation”.

“We should not wait for these things to happen...Unless there is a certain size secondary market cannot develop... it’s a chicken-and-egg situation..If we wait for secondary markets to deepen, we will have to wait for very long of time,” he said. Sinha also said the norms for municipal bonds provide clear-cut guidelines and hoped such bonds will get listed. “Sebi has tried to focus on the clarity of the disclosure process and safeguards for investors have been laid out under these norms,” he said.

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Planting trees must for building permit: GO In a bid to increase the green cover in Hyderabad, the state government has now made it mandatory for all buildings in the city to plant trees after a government order issued on September 1. If one fails to do so the government would withhold the building permit, or claim the expenditure incurred for planting from the property tax. In the order it has prescribed all residential buildings with a plinth area of 100 sq mts or higher, to have at least 1 tree. Two trees must for residential plots measuring 101200 sq mts, five for 201-300 sq mts, 10 for 301 sq mts & above for residential plots. Similarly, for commercial buildings with a plinth area of 200 sq mts, two trees have to be planted.

Chennai Corp to plant palm trees to guard city’s coast

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Kapil Sharma alleges BMC of corruption, Fadnavis intervenes Mumbai: In a couple of tweets directed to Prime Minster Narendra Modi, Kapil Sharma, a TV actor and comedian, complained that he has to pay Rs 5 lakh as bribe to the BMC for getting approval for an office in spite of paying income tax regularly.

In his first tweet in this regard, he had said, “I am paying 15 cr income tax from last 5 year n still i have to pay 5 lacs bribe to BMC office for making my office @narendramodi”. He asked the PM in the next tweet, ““Yeh hain aapke achhe din @narendramodi.” Maharashtra Chief Minister assured him in his tweet saying, “Kapilbhai pls provide all info.

Have directed MC,BMC to take strictest action. We will not spare the culprit.@ KapilSharmaK9 @narendramodi.”

After CM Fadnavis’ tweet, the BMC also requested Kapil Sharma to file a formal complaint. He was also asked to reveal the name of the officer who demanded a bribe from him. “BMC will take strict action if allegations are true. BMC doesn’t tolerate this kind of corruption in its departments,” Manohar

Pawar, Chief Engineer, Vigilance said in Mumbai. Pawar assured Sharma in a letter addressed to him saying: “MCGM has taken serious note of your complaint.

We assure that MCGM will thoroughly investigate the matter and take serious action against concerned. To enable us to take the action, you are requested to share the name of the concerned who have demanded the bribe, and also the case relating to the matter. Let me assure you that if you desire to keep any disclosure made by you in this matter confidential, the same shall also be ensured.” It is to be noted that MCGM has sent Sharma Stop Work notice on July 16, 2016.

Driving Licenses, Vehicle Registration now on Mobile App Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to plant three to five feet tall palm trees along the 25-km coastline to reduce the impact of natural calamities and soil erosion.

The Corporation Council passed a resolution on Friday for the initiative that the civic body plans to take in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. “In the first phase, we plan to plant 2,000 trees from the Light House to Pattinapakkam along the inner side of the loop road, they will also protect soil from erosion by water and wind,” said an official.

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September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

New Delhi: Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping and Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice jointly launched a new service - integration of DigiLocker with Driving Licenses (DL) & Vehicle Registration Certificates (RC) in New Delhi recently. With this integration people will no longer need to carry around physical copies of their RCs and Driving Licenses. They can instead access digital copies of the same on their mobile phones via the DigiLocker mobile app. Driving Licenses and Vehicle Registration documents can now be issued directly to the DigiLockers of individuals in digital formats. These digital copies can be shared with other departments as identity and address proof. They will also be used for on the spot verification through the citizen’s mobile, by various law enforcement authorities like the Traffic Police.

Besides being convenient for people, this will also result in assured authenticity of such documents and reduction of administrative overhead.

Speaking on the occasion Nitin Gadkari said that this platform is a major step forward towards ensuring greater transparency and cutting down corruption and red-tapism. He said the move will benefit a large number of people by facilitating ease of access to the documents. Launching the service Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the integration will bring a paradigm shift in the vision of paperless governance. It will serve to bring agility and efficiency to the entire process of issuance of driving licenses and vehicle registration certificates through IT enablement.

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Dubai unveils masterplan for new city district

dUBAI: The masterplan has been launched for Jumeirah Central, a major new district of Dubai. The project includes 278 individual building projects and involves the construction of a mixeduse development with a gross floor area of 47 million sq ft. It will be built along Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road and is set to be home to 35,000 people.

The Jumeirah Central masterplan is a product of the collaborative work carried out over the last two years by about 19 government and private agencies, international specialists and consultants under the leadership of Dubai Holding.

Jumeirah Central will include a multimodal transport network that includes aerial gondolas. Over half of the district will be made up of open spaces. It will be connected by a comprehensive cycling network that spans over 33 parks and open spaces. Other facilities will include nine million sq ft of retail space including three malls and 7,200 hotel rooms.

Dubai Holding chairman Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi said: “Jumeriah Central is a result of extensive research into future urban development and the creation of more cohesive societies.

It is a clear demonstration of our

leadership’s vision, aiming to further Dubai’s global position as an attractive destination for residents and tourists alike. The uniqueness of this project will not only be a model for advanced urban development, but will also play a key role in enhancing the quality of life and in shaping future generations. All project plans and designs have been endorsed by government authorities in Dubai and we expect to start development in the coming months.”

“Jumeriah Central is a result of extensive research into future urban development and the creation of more cohesive societies. It is a clear demonstration of our leadership’s vision, aiming to further Dubai’s global position as an attractive destination for residents and tourists alike. The uniqueness of this project will not only be a model for advanced urban development, but will also play a key role in enhancing the quality of life and in shaping future generations. All project plans and designs have been endorsed by government authorities in Dubai and we expect to start development in the coming months,” said Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Chairman of Dubai Holding.

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Over 1000 CCTV cameras to be installed in Bengaluru

Bengaluru corporation has decided to install over 1000 CCTV cameras in the city to ensure better surveillance and improve safety net. Bengaluru already has 152 cameras installed by the police’s law-andorder wing in the city’s central areas and 175 traffic cameras and another 600 law-andorder cameras and 200 traffic cameras are in the pipeline.

Also, under the municipal corporation’s Hawk Eye project, 198 cameras will be installed.

Given the circumstances, the cameras have become essential to policing, said MG Nagendra Kumar, Deputy Commissioner

Bihar to make comprehensive mobility plans for 11 municipalities Urban Development and Housing Department of Bihar signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Institute of Urban Transport (IUT) for the preparation of comprehensive mobility plans (CMP) of 11 municipal corporations-- Patna, Danapur, Khagaul, Phulwarisharif, Bhagalpur, Munger, Katihar, Purnia, Begusarai, Ara, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Biharsharif and Gaya. CMP will be prepared after doing survey and studying the topography and landscape of a particular area. The idea is to understand the growing population of the city, and accordingly prepare the traffic and transport strategy for the next 20 years.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

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Swedish Human Rights City Project Underway

The Raoul Wallenberg Institute and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) have started a cooperation on human rights in Swedish municipalities and regions

Stockholm: The Raoul Wallenberg Institute and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR) have started a cooperation on human rights in Swedish municipalities and regions.

The Swedish Human Rights City Project aims to set out standards for what characterizes a human rights municipality or region (‘Human Rights Cities’) and how this is implemented in practical terms in the Swedish context.

A Human Rights City is a place where local government, local parliament, civil society, private sector organizations and other stakeholders apply international human rights standards, by ensuring that human rights are promoted and protected. A Human Rights City is a place where people are empowered to understand and claim their rights, as well as participate in decisions that affect them. In short, human rights cities aim to translate international human rights standards to the local level.

The project will begin by exploring and developing thinking regarding what characterizes human rights cities, how to become a human rights city, mechanisms for implementing human rights on the municipal and regional levels, and monitoring of municipal

20 September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

authorities with regards to human rights fulfilment.

Academics from various disciplines and practitioners from municipalities, regions and civil society have submitted articles and given interviews on challenges and opportunities of working with human rights at the local level. This material will be discussed during a workshop from 5-7 September 2016 where researchers and practitioners will take part. The purpose of the workshop is to identify which particular aspects should be brought forward to best ensure human rights enjoyment in cities and regions.

The findings from the workshop will feed into the final product, which is a platform that lays out criteria for how to develop and perform as a human rights city in Sweden. Throughout these activities, RWI will cooperate closely with SALAR to ensure the successful implementation of activities.

The Institute will provide relevant expertise for the successful implementation of the activities drawing on its own human resources and its extended research network. The Institute will also ensure overall quality control and assume a coordinating role in the cooperation with SALAR and identified researchers.

Afghan UD Minister presents Urban National Priority Programme Brussels: The Minister of Urban Development and Housing Syed Sadat Mansoor Naderi presented a comprehensive Urban National Priority Programme (U-NPP) at the Special Meeting of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) on Brussels Conference on Afghanistan. Prepared in coordination with all urban stakeholders, the Urban National Priority Programme’s process included engagements by more than 20 government and public entities. Minister further added that U-NPP has been organized under three pillars, with the first pillar focusing on strenghtening of urban governnance and institutions.

“A transformation of urban governance is already underway.

Our first priority was to end corruption. Under my leadership, MUDH has put 6 corrupt officials in jail. We – not just myself but also my fellow Ministers — have increased the share of young, motivated and highly educated men and women in the government. Their commitment and professionalism are the best medicine against the ways of the past,” he added.

According to Minister Naderi, there are 20 new highly professional mayors who have immediately produced a 2.5 million dollar increase in revenue that they can now spend on improving their cities.

Pointing towards the breakthroughs achieved as a result of the reforms, Minister Naderi said “Under my watch, MUDH’s development budget execution increased from a pitiful 17% in 2014 to 49% in 2015.

On a base that has risen by nearly 300%. By the second half of 2016, MUDH had already spent 50.5% of its budget, with a target of 90% by the end of the year.”

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Israel to subsidize hotel development outside cities Jerusalem: As part of the Tourism Ministry’s initiative to decrease costs of vacationing in Israel and boost hotel room availability, the Knesset Finance Committee approved a priority map for the industry recently.

The priority map aims to increase the supply of hotel rooms in new areas of the country through government grants, particularly supporting tourism projects operating in the periphery of large cities and close to Ben-Gurion Airport, a statement from the ministry said.

Proposed in a Tourism Ministry order, the program also calls for more budget hotel and hostel options, hoping to catalyze price reductions in the tourism industry. “This is another important step in reducing the cost of vacationing in Israel and increasing the hotel room supply,” said Tourism Minister Yariv Levin.

“Expanding the map will facilitate higher grants for building hotels in the new areas and will lead to a wider range of hotel rooms and the creation of many more jobs throughout Israel.” Levin credited Finance Committee chairman Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) for approving the ministry’s order to expand the national tourism priority area.

The order to expand the map stipulates that tourism sector entrepreneurs within the newly defined priority area are entitled to grants of up to 20 percent of their total investment, the ministry

said. The approval of this benefit comes just a few weeks after the government authorized another proposal by Levin to provide 33 percent in financial support for investments in building budget hotels within the same priority areas. The total annual budget for grants currently stands at NIS 200 million, the ministry said.

The new priority map now involves most areas of the country, excluding Tel Aviv and Herzliya proper – a fact that irked certain Knesset members. At the Finance Committee meeting, MK Stav Shaffir (Zionist Union) questioned why Tel Aviv must be excluded across the board, without considering “disadvantaged neighborhoods in it that are no less peripheral than farther areas.”

“If you want to prioritize geographically remote regions it’s alright – prioritize these areas with higher grants; but it’s not right to completely exclude Tel Aviv,” she said.

“When there are no inexpensive hotels, tourists go to Airbnb, which means there are fewer apartments to rent,” Shaffir continued. “Moreover, tourists from abroad rely primarily on public transportation, and the current order encourages tourism entrepreneurs in cities like Hadera, Rehovot and remote areas in which there is no good and available public transportation, so you may not achieve the objective of encouraging enterprises for tourists looking for inexpensive hotels.”

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Lucknow to have special parking for green vehicles

Non-motorised vehicles will also be allotted space in parking lot under the smart solution scheme.

In the first meeting of board of directors of Lucknow Smart City Ltd, LDA handed over the Globe Park and Sarojini Naidu Park to the company to make an underground parking zone. “Next to cycle tracks, we are coming up with parking zones for cycles so that Lucknow could be greener,” said Udayraj Singh, CEO of the company. In the meeting, Udayraj Singh, Municipal Commissioner, Lucknow municipal corporation was appointed the CEO of the company.

NDMC sets up 5 e-waste collection centres New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has set up five e-waste collection centres in its areas.

The collection centres have come up at Kautilya Marg, Palika Niwas, Amrita Shergill Marg, Rajendra Prasad Road and Ashoka Road. According to NDMC secretary Chanchal Yadav, most people are not aware of environmental hazards likely to be caused due to unscientific disposal of discarded electronic devices. “Garbage collection is obligatory function of civic agencies. It is also important to ensure that e-wastes are getting disposed of properly. We have set up five collection centres in our areas where people can dispose of electronic scrap. They can also raise a request by calling NDMC, which will collect it from their doorstep within a day,” said Yadav.

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COVER STORY | Women and Cities

COVER STORY | Women and Cities

Lost in urban maze!

22 September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

Cities are sprawling with larger population, more land area, state-ofthe-art infrastructure, improved services, and buzzing public spaces.

The process of new age urban development cannot be termed inclusive and complete if the interests and needs of women and girls are not given due importance. Globally, the concept of gender mainstreaming in urban development is catching the attention of policy makers and urbanists alike. Keeping in view the poor gender sensitive urban development all these years, Indian cities need to follow suit vigorously more than ever before‌

T

Abhishek Pandey | Editor ap.urbanupdate@gmail.com

raditionally women had been pushed to the fringes in almost all societies world over.

Their differentiated needs were not acknowledged and their requirements were taken for granted.

Their roles in society were stereotyped to the level of making them cocooned inside the four walls of homes.

Times changed. A gradual change in perception has shown the way towards a brighter future for women in the modernising world. Many women became heads of nations, rose to the highest ladder of corporate world and headed social institutions. They broke through the glass ceiling and societal boundaries. This could happen

only when families and societies empowered women through education and provided them equitable space for participation in public policy and development discourse. According to a survey published by Save The Children, an Non-Government Organisation (NGO), only 14 in every 100 girls in our cities reach Class XII, ahead of rural India, where only 1 in 100 reach Class XII. The challenges are many as the progress towards attaining gender equality in all spheres of social life has been sluggish. The challenges also vary from region to region and society to society. Governments and policy makers need to mull over the ways and means to empower their women population in existing and sprawling

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COVER STORY | Women and Cities

The Berlin Handbook on gender planning illustrates how gender planning should be done and executed. It suggest that a genderaware survey can highlight and define the specific pro-blems, objectives and potentials of various groups ahead of time and further the establishment of precise goals. Before precise goals can be formulated, it is usually necessary to complete preliminary studies. Genderspecific surveying and data analysis and their evaluation form the basis for integrating gender aspects into the subsequent planning process

urban setups.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) - 5 ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’ brings to the forefront the issue of gender equality. Many urbanists and consulting agencies have stated that cities need to play a crucial role in achieving targets under the 17 SDGs. Alongside, the United Nations (UN) says that women have a critical role to play in all of the SDGs, with many targets specifically recognizing women’s equality and empowerment as both the objective, and as part of the solution.

The UN underlines that women and girls make up more than half the world’s population — and they are on the frontlines — often more deeply impacted than men and boys by poverty, climate change, food insecurity, lack of healthcare, and global economic crises.

Their contributions and leadership are central to finding a solution. Focus on urban development, and women

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empowerment and equality issues need to be linked and it requires a new prism through which governments and policy makers would see sustainable and inclusive urban development.

Gender planning

Bringing gender mainstreaming in urban planning and management of cities is about two major aspects: participation of women in active leadership roles in urban local bodies and consideration of women’s perspectives into all forms of urban planning and development through constant engagement mechanisms and consultations.

Women play the central role in building and sustaining families and communities. Engaging them in how urban infrastructure, housing, and services should be constructed and managed to meet the requirements of everyday life, would bring about a positive change in cities. Participation of women in politics and their proactive role in the process of policy making for city development is imperative for making cities inclusive and sustainable.

Ingeborg Junge-Reyer, Senator for Urban Development, Germany, says in one of her statements on gender mainstreaming of cities that gendersensitive cities and city neighborhoods reflect society’s diversity, they are barrier-free, have well developed infrastructure, are interconnected and offer spaces that can be interpreted and utilized according to diverse needs. Equal opportunity introduces

new living and working models, encourages girls to score goals and boys to fly high on swings. Integration is no longer a political program. It is real life lived within a variety of cultures and religions. She adds that a gender-aware city integrates living, working and leisure activities, utilizes synergies, creates interconnections and transforms places of residence into sustainable living areas. It avoids noise yet creates a compact infrastructure.

This necessary change includes a shift in gender relationships, governance, policy priorities, and the allocation of resources in the public and private sectors and in civil society. To accomplish these important objectives, women of all ages must provide stronger and more vibrant leadership in every aspect of daily life and community decision-making. The Berlin Handbook on gender planning illustrates how gender planning should be done and executed. It says that a gender-aware survey can highlight and define the specific pro¬blems, objectives and potentials of various groups ahead of time and further the establishment of precise goals. Before precise goals can be formulated, it is usually necessary to complete preliminary studies. Genderspecific surveying and data analysis and their evaluation form the basis for integrating gender aspects into the subsequent planning process. As a general rule, the practical applications of gender analyses are important tools for communication and guidance since detailed gender-specific data

Gender Criteria for Planning ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦

Diversity and flexibility of space Options of social usage Space for communication and interaction Reconciliation of professional and family-work Security Sustainability and protection of natural resources Participation Source: The Berlin Handbook on Gender Planning

management makes it possible to assess the gender relevance of urban development measures in a much more differentiated manner.

In India, Jagori, an organization advocating for women’s rights in cities through campaigns and consultations, published a report with support from UN-Habitat and UN Women under Safe City Initiative-Delhi. The report highlighted that the design of public spaces - from urban planning standards to bylaws - need to address geographies of exclusion and ensure equal access for women and girls. For example, when designing neighbourhoods, planners must make sure that streets, bus stands, community toilet complexes, water stand points and metro stations are adequately lit, and that they are more likely to be used by a diverse set of users, including women, children and the elderly. Over the years, the organisation has suggested policy and structural changes based upon the findings of safety audits and studies to urban planning departments, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the United Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure Centre, Delhi Development Authority and the Delhi Dialogue Commission. Taking the cue from such initiatives in Indian cities and elsewhere, governments must engage civil society organisations and women in decision making process to ensure better accessibility for women in cities.

Growing inequality

In a traditional societal setup in developing countries, the major problem women faced, apart from patriarchal mindset, has been work-personal life balance especially after marriage. According to many research and survey findings, career interruptions related to family responsibilities after marriage.

Motherhood may make it harder for women to advance in their careers and compete for top executive jobs. Apart from bringing changes in how societies treat women, people in power in corporate, societal and government institutions have to formulate policies to provide equal access to opportunities. As

per the latest report of the International Labour Organization (ILO), there was a decline in female participation in the country’s labour force from over 35% to 25% between 2004 and 2011. The New York Times has analysed the data to link it with age old gender norms in India; in a male dominated society, women are rarely encouraged to seek jobs outside their homes. There are also biases against certain jobs which lead to poor participation of women in the labour force.

Another gender-based research carried out by Anupriya Singh of Delhibased Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management in 2014 highlights that there is “gender inequality” in placement of women in the corporate sector in India. Only five percent of working women in India make it to senior leadership positions in the corporate sector, compared to the global average of 20 percent. According to the study, women’s representation at the board level was lesser at just two percent. The study said that in India, women’s strength in the labour force stands at 28 percent at the junior level, 14.91 at the middle level and 9.32 percent at the senior level.

Poonam Barua, Founder Chairman of the WILL Forum, says, “The problem is not the supply of capable, dedicated, talented women; the problem lies entirely on the demand side of the equation. By this, I mean there is a total lack of equal opportunity in the workplace for women across corporate and government sectors. There is trust deficit in advancing women as the private and government sector believes that women will leave their jobs because of family issues, women are not independent thinkers and have family pressures, women cannot travel or work late and also women are soft and cannot take tough decisions.”

She adds that governments can take certain initiatives to promote women in leadership roles. They should offer safe work environment, safe transport for women working late, and gender sensitization programs for the workforce. The Forum for Women in Leadership (WILL Forum) brings

The designs of public spaces - from urban planning standards to bylaws - need to address geographies of exclusion and ensure equal access for women and girls.

For example, when designing neighbourhoods, planners must make sure that streets, bus stands, community toilet complexes, water stand points and metro stations are adequately lit, and that they are more likely to be used by a diverse set of users, including women, children, the elderly and others

together senior women executives in leadership positions from across corporate India for an open dialogue on their aspirations, opportunities, mentoring and harnessing the rewards of collective thinking for improving the workplace for women.

Of late, many reforms have been brought in India. The Sexual Harassment of Women at Work Place (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, strong campaigning for women reservation in Parliament and legislative assemblies, and growing advocacy for empowerment of women through education and other means is slowly but gradually creating a conducive space for women.

Follow the writer on Twitter @abhishekpandey

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

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Leaderspeak | Women Reservation

Ranjit S Chavan President, AIILSG

Bringing women at the forefront of local politics is a must Women’s representation in local bodies in India has seen a significant rise with the implementation of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts in 1993 that guaranteed 33% reservation in ULBs. However, the representation of women has not resulted into their proactive participation because of several social, cultural and institutional constraints. This article explores the possibility of developing a mechanism through which women participation can be ensured by regular corrective interventions by governments and civil society organisations

T

he genesis of local governance in India dates back to the British rule.

The first local body came up in Madras (now Chennai) in 1688 and it was followed by the setting up of urban local bodies in Bombay (now Mumbai) and Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1762. Lord Ripon, who is considered the founding father of urban local government, developed the concept of municipal authorities as units of selfgovernment and brought forward a resolution in May, 1882 which dealt with the constitution of local bodies, their functions, finances and powers and laid the

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foundation of local selfgovernment in India.

Much later, as part of reforming urban governance, the Government of India came up with the 73rd and 74thConstitutional Amendment Acts that recognized urban local bodies (ULBs) as the third tier of urban government by assigning them specific civic functions. One of the major provisions in the CAAs was constitution of three types of municipalities based on the population of urban agglomerations, setting up of Wards Committees, District Planning Committees, Metropolitan Planning Committees and State Finance Commissions, and

providing for 33 percent reservation for women in urban local bodies.

At present, 33% of the seats in rural and urban local bodies are reserved for women as per the 73rd and 74thConstitutional Amendment Acts (CAAs) passed in 1993.However, women still face multiple challenges in participating in the political sphere.

These include inadequate education, lack of financial independence, burden of productive and reproductive roles and opposition stemming from entrenched patriarchal views.

According to a recent news report published in the Indian Express, Union Minister

for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Chaudhary Birender Singh has said that a proposed legislation is on the cards this year to reserve 50 per cent of the seats in rural and urban local bodies for women. The Constitution (110th Amendment) Bill, 2009 and the Constitution (112th Amendment) Bill, 2009 to reserve half the seats in all rural and urban local bodies for women was first introduced in Parliament by UPA-II. However, it lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha.

This is a welcome initiative of the present government.

However, it must be noted that representation does not necessarily translate into participation as we have learned over the years after studying the implementation of 73rd and 74th CAAs in urban and rural local bodies. Training, therefore, has emerged as a critical input for facilitating their effective participation. Such an understanding must pave a path for the setting of objectives and building a mechanism where not only representation but also participation of women is ensured. It has been observed that despite a woman being elected at the local level, in panchayat or urban local body, the closest male kin of the woman calls the shots.

This has to change. And, it can be broughtabout by regular

systematic interventions by governments and multi lateral agencies working in the domain of capacity building to empower women politicians to take the lead from the front.

Women in Local Bodies

India had seen its first woman mayor in Mrs Sulochana M. Modi (Mumbai) who was elected in 1956. The first mayor of Delhi was a woman—Aruna Asaf Ali, elected in 1958. The same year Tara Cherian won the mayoral elections and became the first woman mayor of Chennai. However, Mumbai took almost 40 years to get its second woman mayor when Mrs. Niramala Samant Prabhavalkar got elected in 1994. The situation has improved in many Indian cities after the implementation of the 73rd CAA and if the proposed new bills are passed in the parliament one would see a further rise in the phenomenon.

At the global level, Paris recently got its first woman mayor in Anne Hidalgo.

And, she is an example for many woman leaders in local government as she has taken several out of the ordinary initiatives for improving the functioning of the City.

Other present woman mayors include Ana Botella (Madrid, Spain), Patricia de Lille (Cape

Town, South Africa), Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (Warsaw, Poland), Snehal Ambekar (Mumbai) and Satya Sharma (Delhi).

The role of women in local politics, rural or urban, is paramount for numerous reasons. Local government in particular offers an opportunity for women seeking to represent their community.

Traditionally in a country like India, local politics is about issues that concern women’s daily lives—water supply, waste management, sanitation and health, etc. It does not imply that they should be limited to local politics but it underlines the significance of their role in understanding the civic issues and requirements of the local populace. Their participation at local level would also ensure that policy outcomes take into account the special needs and interests of women living in a city.

According to an UN report, women’s representation in local governments has made a difference. Research on panchayats (local councils) in India discovered that the number of drinking water projects in areas with femaleled councils was 62 per cent higher than in those with male-led councils. In Norway, a direct causal relationship between the presence of women in municipal councils and childcare coverage was found.

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Leaderspeak | Women Reservation

nudged aside by men who are eager to corner these positions. This does happen even from within the family of a female politician who is given a chance because the seat is reserved for women candidates.

At the global level, Paris recently got its first woman mayor in Anne Hidalgo. And, she is an example for many woman Hand-holding for efleaders in local government as fective participation she has taken several out of the According to a study ordinary initiatives for improving ‘From Representation to Participation: Women in the functioning of the City. Local Government’ by Niraja Other present woman mayors Gopal Jayal of Jawaharlal Nehru University (Delhi),two include Ana Botella (Madrid, innovative models of civil Spain), Patricia de Lille (Cape society intervention in Town, South Africa), Hanna rural India for empowering women representatives can Gronkiewicz-Waltz (Warsaw, be mentioned and replicated Poland), Snehal Ambekar elsewhere. The first is a model which works through (Mumbai) and Satya the training of women who Sharma (Delhi) are called Panchayat Sakhis

It is a matter of grave concern that devolution of powers and finances to local bodies as required has not seen the light of day.

It is essential to empower local bodies to make the participation of women effective. There are many course-correction efforts sought by activists including advocating for the rotation of constituency of the reserved seats. Many believe that it provides women in different wards an opportunity to be active in politics. However, some object to such rotation, reasoning that this is detrimental for women to craft a long term political career because their efforts in the first term can be washed away in the next election, when they are generally

28 September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

(friends).

These women, generally graduates, are recruited and trained so that they have a fair knowledge of the laws, rules and procedures of panchayat functioning, as well as of the various anti-poverty programmes available, and how these might be accessed. These women in turn motivate and empower the elected women representatives so that they become more effective in the performance of their tasks.

They do so by providing the requisite information, by accompanying them to panchayat meetings and assisting them there, and in educating the men in their families about the value of women’s participation.

With this support, women representatives are helped to withstand pressure from rural elites as well as the local bureaucracy; to assert their rights of participation in

public life; make panchayats more responsive to women’s needs; and learn how to mobilize financial resources for local development needs.

A second innovation is the creation of innovative institutions such as federations and associations which bring together elected women representatives across several villages and wards, with a view to enhancing their strength as a collective.

These federations have also attracted the involvement of women who were previously elected representatives but are no longer formally a part of the local councils. Some of them may have contested the election a second time, or contested election to an unreserved seat or at the next higher level, and won or lost that election, but they all remain committed to the task of leveraging the collective strength of elected women. In interviews, many women claim that, if they returned to their previously cloistered existence, it would be a shameful waste of the experience and knowledge that they gained in one term as elected representatives.

They feel they have a useful role to play in passing on their expertise to currently elected representatives and to contribute to the pool of political talent for future elections.

We need to understand the fundamental tenet that effective participation of women cannot be legislated.

All of us together need to build a political and social environment in which women become aware of their rights and responsibilities and develop skills and confidence to voice their concerns and of those whom they represent.

Numerographs

Gender Equality

The transition

Women in cities are facing multidimensional discrimination that includes low participation opportunities in decision making, poor ratio in senior roles in the corporate world, lower wages, safety issues and gender sensitive infrastructure deficit. Women empowerment needs an improved vision and approach to address these issues collectively…

Powerpuff Mayors Jyoti Pandya Mayor of Vadodara

Anne Hidalgo Mayor of Paris Civil servant, State Sec for Women’s Rights, Former National Sec for Culture and Media, the 1st Deputy Mayor of Paris

Medical practitioner, known for her personality & organisational skills. Former president of the city’s BJP Mahila Morcha

Azra Jafari Mayor of Nili Compiled By Team Urban Update Designed By Meenakshi Rajput, Graphic Designer

Afghanistan’s 1st female Mayor, Writer, contributed in 1st book of ‘The Making of the New Constitution of Afghanistan’

Became 1st Dalit woman, 7th female mayor, First time Shiv Sena corporator elected 75th Mayor of Mumbai

Virginia Elena Raggi Mayor of Rome

Aja Brown Mayor of Compton

Italian lawyer, represents the antiestablishment Five Star Movement (M5S), 1st party candidate & 1st woman as Mayor

2013: Community Development Professional made history; city’s youngest Mayor defeated two incumbent Mayors

Women Reservation

Political Participation

The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts guarantee 33 % reservation for women in local bodies

The global average for Women in Parliament stands at 22.4%. In India, there are only 12% women in Parliament

Gujarat amended Gujarat Mulki Seva (Women’s Reservation) Niyam 1997 in 2014 to give 33 % reservation to women in government jobs

Snehal Ambekar Mayor of Mumbai

Equality 143 out of 195

On average women in the labour market countries guarantee still earn 24% less equality between women and men in their than men globally constitutions as of 2014 Source: United Nations, ipu.org

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Article | Marginalised Women

AIILSG committed to empower women-in-distress Women’s empowerment and gender issues are at the heart of All India Institute of Local Self-Government’s (AIILSG) works. Its institutional entity ‘International Center for Women-in-Deprivation’, established with the vision of ‘Life of Dignity and Equity for the Women-in-Deprivation’, is devoted to the issues of women-in-deprivation from all development domains of urban, rural, tribal areas, and women belonging to Denotified & Nomadic Tribes

O Shweta Gupta Head, International Center for Women-in-Deprivation, AIILSG

ne of the key features of AIILSG’s grass root interventions is ‘building development centric pro-women leadership’. Experience shows that the women in leadership roles contribute to transformative change not just in in their own lives but also in their families and communities.

AIILSG’s past and current initiatives, movements and projects address the pertinent yet largely neglected aspect of fostering women leaders at the grassroots by center-staging women’s role as key decision makers.

The key focus areas of its work include-

♦♦ Building resilience of women & girls against disaster risks & climate change vulnerability ♦♦ Developing a cadre of Disaster Risk Reduction Volunteers from among the women from the vulnerable communities ♦♦ Addressing health and reproductive health issues of women & girls, enabling their access to healthcare ♦♦ Promoting ‘Appropriate Technologies’ for women-in-deprivation, addressing gender gap in technology, developing technologies which ad-

Workshop on Dissemination of Innovations for Empowerment of Disadvantaged Women with International Delegates

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♦♦

♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦

♦♦

dress drudgery of women leading to improvement in their health and fostering a cadre of ‘Women Technopreneurs’ Special focus on education of under-privileged girl child through our innovative model of ‘Shikshan Ranjan Kendra’ – Learning with Fun Livelihoods promotion for womenin-deprivation Promoting financial literacy & financial management skills among women-in-deprivation Putting forth ‘gender segregated analysis’ is a key feature of the researches conducted ‘Grassroots Gender Inequality Report’: Bringing to the fore issues of gender inequality, exclusion, lack of health, education & economic opportunities Bringing on radar holistic development issues of most marginalised women

Center-Staging Women’s Role as Key Decision Makers

AIILSG’s innovation ‘Community Self-Assessment and Planning with Women’s Participation for Disaster Risk Reduction Planning of Vulnerable Communities’ is recipient of RISK AWARD 2015 supported by The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Munich Re Foundation-Germany and Global Risk Forum-Davos. The grassroot intervention spread over 13 slums has enabled mainstreaming & centerstaging role of women-in-deprivation as key decision makers (& not just mere recipients) of disaster risk reduction planning at settlement level. The global innovations being fostered through this Risk Award 2015 Project are: ♦♦ Gender sensitive disaster risk reduction planning by centre-staging the participation of slum dweller women as decision makers who are worst affected by disasters ♦♦ Gender sensitive self assessment & planning by the vulnerable slum communities to assess their own disaster preparedness and plan for

Portable Solar Cooker made out of waste

disaster risk reduction ♦♦ Establishing grassroot participatory mechanisms e.g. ‘Slum Level Disaster Risk Reduction Committee’ with atleast 50% women members as key decision makers and members ♦♦ Developing a cadre of ‘Women Master Trainers’ and ‘Women Volunteers’ from the community itself for enabling the sustainability of the initiative ♦♦ Developing participatory & child friendly visual tools ♦♦ Mobilising participation through innovative IEC through creative communication mediums e.g. street play, puppet shows etc, ♦♦ Developing innovative scientific and systematic tools like ‘Slum Disaster Risk Reduction Plan’

Movement of Youth for Disaster Risk Reduction‘MY DRR’

This movement has been initiated by the International Center of EQUI-T of AIILSG which brings to the forefront the role of ‘Youth’ towards disaster risk reduction planning at micro level and building resilience of the local disadvantaged communities against

disasters and climate change. In appreciation of the fact that women and children are worst affected by the disaster impacts there is a conscious focus on brining to the forefront the role of young women in the process of disaster risk reduction planning. There are consistent efforts in the direction of building a cadre of ‘Young Women Leaders’ through the ‘Movement of Youth for Disaster Risk Reduction’ (MY DRR).

Reaching the Unreached

For the empowerment of Denotified and Nomadic Tribal Women who are amongst the most under-privileged in the world, AIILSG is closely working with the Denotified and Nomadic Tribal women who are amongst the most marginalised and vulnerable populations today in India. The DNT women have extremely low status and they face the worst forms of gender inequality. These women still face inhuman medieval atrocities e.g. social boycott and ostracism, made to walk through fire, shaving the head, made to carry human or animal excreta, and even branding the tip of the tongue with hot iron.

The inhuman atrocities faced by

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Article | Marginalised Women

Key Innovations Developed and Fostered for Empowerment of Women-in-Deprivation

♦♦ Mainstreaming & center-staging role of women-in-deprivation as key decision makers for disaster risk reduction planning, building resilience against climate change & environmental damage. ♦♦ Developing a cadre of Women Master Trainers and Volunteers on the front of Building Disaster Resilience. ♦♦ Building a cadre of ‘Young Women Leaders’ through the ‘Movement of Youth for Disaster Risk Reduction’ (MY DRR). ♦♦ Ensuring atleast 50% women as key decision makers and members in the grassroot sustainability mechanisms like ‘Slum Level Disaster Risk Reduction Committee’, ‘Parent’s Organisation for Education of Under-privileged Children’, ‘Settle-

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ment level Health Committees’ ♦♦ Education of under-privileged Children with special focus on Education of Girl Child. Through our global innovation of ‘Shikshan Ranjan Kendra’ supported by National Stock Exchange of India Limited, Corporate Social Responsibility we are reaching 1634 children of which 813 (49.7 %) are girls. There has been special emphasis on girls from marginalised sections. ♦♦ Developing & fostering a cadre of ‘Women Technopreneurs’ by promoting ‘Appropriate Technologies for Women-in-Deprivation’ ♦♦ Promoting and establishing a cadre of ‘Women Health Enablers’ for addressing Health and Reproductive Health Issues of Women-in-

Deprivation. ♦♦ Engaging women-in-deprivation as ‘Enablers’ and ‘Leaders’ at community level for Health & Nutrition, Environmental Education, Livelihoods Development, etc. ♦♦ Enabling participation of illiterate women and women with low literacy levels in the planning process by developing picture based and easy to understand tools for decision making, e.g. ‘Self Assessment and Planning’ (SAP) and pictorial Information, Education & Communication (IEC) material to convey key messages ♦♦ Sensitising and engaging men in the process of recognising women as key actors and leaders in the community.

these women and lack of access to basic services severely impact their health and reproductive health status.

Child marriages are very common so are the early pregnancies. AIILSG is currently working with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on ‘Improving Health & Reproductive Health of Women & Girls from Denotified and Nomadic Tribes’.

The focal point of our work is developing a cadre of ‘DNT Women Health Enablers’ and settlement level (DNT women) ‘Aarogya Doots’ from the community to enable access of the DNT women to healthcare services.

This innovative model is further reinforced by establishing ‘Settlement level Health Committees’ ensuring atleast 50% women members. This fosters DNT women’s role as decision makers in the entire process.

tribal and denotified & nomadic tribal women. Lack of appropriate technologies have grave impact on the health and overall quality of life for these women in deprivation. One such illustration is of women using traditional ‘chulha’ for cooking meals.

The smoke emitted from the traditional chulha affects the respiratory health and eyesight of the women. Alternative low cost technologies like smokeless chulha, solar bulbs made out of used water bottles and portable solar cookers made out of waste can improve quality of life for these women. A crucial aspect of AIILSG’s work at the grassroots is promoting appropriate technologies for women-in-deprivation and developing a cadre of women technopreneurs by imparting training to these women in manufacturing or assembling these technologies.

Promoting Appropriate Technologies for Womenin-Deprivation and Fostering a Cadre of Women Technopreneurs

Dissemination of Innovations for Empowerment of Disadvantaged Women to Enable Upscaling and Replication

There is a huge gender gap vis-à-vis technology tailored around women’s needs. This is significantly true for the technology needs of women-indeprivation from urban slums, rural,

There have been conscious efforts for disseminating learnings with international & national stakeholders for replication and up scaling of our innovations across the world

DNT women participating in ‘Aarogya Jalsa’ (Health Festival) organised by AIILSG

AIILSG’s innovation ‘Community Self-Assessment and Planning with Women’s Participation for Disaster Risk Reduction Planning of Vulnerable Communities’ is recipient of RISK AWARD 2015 supported by The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Munich Re Foundation-Germany and Global Risk Forum-Davos.

The grass root intervention spread over 13 slums has enabled mainstreaming & center-staging role of women-in-deprivation as key decision makers (& not just mere recipients) of disaster risk reduction planning at settlement level

for ‘Empowerment of Womenin-Deprivation’ and ‘Building Development Centric Pro-Women Leadership’.

The global innovations which AIILSG has developed for women’s empowerment and center- staging women’s role as decision makers in the context of women from disadvantaged sections have potential for replication throughout the world. This has special significance in the light of fulfillment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5- ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’ vis-àvis ‘ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decisionmaking in political, economic and public life’.

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Article | Poverty & Women

Gender sensitive approach to urban poverty One in every six persons in the world lives in India at present and one in ten urban citizens of the globe resides here. Even though progress has been made in reducing poverty, policies which directly address the causes of poverty reveal that challenges to poverty reduction in India are not just economic. It is high time one looked at urban poverty through a gender lens, understand how various issues affect women and men differently in their access to rights, employment, social protections, social dialogue and remain committed to promotion of gender equality which is integral to a country’s economic development

O Arpan De Sarkar Project Manager, Equi-City d

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n similar lines as the Millennium Development Goals, Sustainable Development Goal5 speaks of improving female members’ societal, economic, and political contribution to put together gender impartial societies. Escalating prospects for female members of the society is a mainstay development approach that not only promotes them, but also strengthens the social order greatly.

Liberalisation and economic growth have generated urban challenges for countries alongside unfurling of ample opportunities. India is not an exception.

In 2011, as per World Development Indicators 2015 (World Bank), almost 60 percent of global 1 billion ‘extremely poor’ individuals used to live in just five countries: India, Nigeria, China, Bangladesh, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Poverty in developing Asia is rapidly urbanizing. The share of urban poverty

in the region has risen from 16 percent in 1990 to 22 percent in 2008. Among those lifted out of poverty during the same period, only 10 percent were in urban areas. Gender matters while discussing such urban poverty trends in Asia, as women make up a considerable part of the urban poor. UN-HABITAT’s State of Women in Cities 2012-13 alerts us to the fact that future cities will mark feminized sex ratios particularly pronounced in older cohorts as women outlive men. It is projected that this will result in the increased proportion of vulnerable female-headed households among the urban poor. According to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) publication, 35% of women in South Asia are vulnerable to urban poverty.

While there is significant apprehension about inequality, both internationally and in India, much consideration has been given to the attainment of comprehensive cities.

Issues of sustainability, inclusivity and security are at the forefront.

Development practitioners across the world have agreed over the fact that men and women experience poverty differently due to socially designed norms, values, roles, behaviour and attitudes. All these have been attributed to them over time and space across different cultures. Such differentiation further translates into differential impact of poverty reduction interventions for male and female members of the society.

India is at the threshold of a demographic dividend in the backdrop of different urban challenges. The average age of young people migrating to urban areas has constantly been decreasing as adolescents moving alone to cities to seek employment or education, or others. Rural-urban migration, low income, isolation and high living costs make these young people vulnerable, women particularly so. It has widely been argued that migration to urban areas often implies higher paid-employment prospects and more freedom for women although impartial sharing of welfare as a result of urbanisation needs to be scrutinised from gender lens in a systematic

manner to understand the nonincome dimension of urban poverty specifically. Gender issues are being progressively debated in the context of urbanisation and poverty alleviation policy framework pertinently. There is no debate that gender impartiality is a human right. Female members are equally entitled to live with dignity and free from fear. Women’s equal right to satisfactory urban basic services and resources are recognised across the global sphere of law and policy.

Why a gender perspective to urban poverty is important?

Analysis of poverty from a gender perspective facilitates to understand why a set of human beings, due to their sex, are more prone to be affected by poverty. The gender angle examines the significance of poverty by viewing it as a ‘process rather than a symptom’ . Men and women experience and counter urban poverty in diverse ways owing to gender restrictions, opportunities and prospects in terms of admittance to livelihoods, incomes, resources, consumption patterns and several other factors. The evidence of male and females’ difference in susceptibility is widely researched. Poor women outnumber poor men as urban poor.

Women endure more poverty than men and this form of poverty has only increased over the years. Although there is global recognition for the fact that empowering women has an overall impact on the well-being of the entire household and contributes to overall economic growth, little has been done systematically to ensure sustained progress on this front. A major priority for us could be mainstreaming this perspective.

Are the urban poverty alleviation approaches gender sensitive?

Ahead of designing any programme, it is deemed vital to assess vulnerabilities – both economic and social. Public policies and programmes concerning urban poverty reduction continue to change their scope and emphasis.

Even though men and women jointly share disempowerment as a result of poverty, their distress is often different form each other. Present urban poverty alleviation approaches in the form of slum improvement or, provision of affordable housing or, building the capacity of urban poor or, direct cash transfers do not have the kind of specialised focus on gender dimensions as they should.

Consequently, gender differences are inadequately addressed in typical poverty analyses, and strategies are designed gender neutrally alongside indifferent monitoring systems that do not generated gender dis-aggregated information.

This insufficiency undermines the probability of success of poverty alleviation interventions from a gender lens.

Basic services in urban areas, including in squatter settlements, have witnessed improvments over the last decade. In spite of this, there is a long way to go before we achieve global best standards. Across the developing world, access to potable water, hygienic sanitation services, rates of maternal mortality and reproductive maternal and child services varies extensively.

In India, estimates indicate that waterborne diseases cost the economy 73 million working days per year.

Women and girls, especially those living in squatter settlements, suffer extensively from poor access to clean water. The overall assessment is that issues of access to basic urban services have had inadequate focus on gender issues so far.

Can we link gender and property rights?

It has often been argued that gender concerns in housing and property rights are not taken on board effectively.

While most programs now pay some focus on issues such as health care, primary education and microfinance, there are still risks and uncertainties associated with lack of tenure security and property rights.

Women in poorer urban settlements face inequalities throughout the globe in terms of reproductive health

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Article | Poverty & Women

risk, sexual threat, and violence, alongside the most terrible obstacles to education, employment, shelter and basic services. Most of these are associated with social outlook due to absence of secured property rights- be it for housing or for entrepreneurial/ livelihood activities. Although several international instruments and declarations have acknowledged the significance of ‘equal access to property rights’ like the UN General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, accepted in 1948, the Platform of Action assumed at the Beijing World Conference on Women in 1995, and the Millennium Development Goals, set in 2000, gross disparity exists in ownership of properties by women visà-vis that by men.

Changing participation ratio of women in the workforce

There is sufficient evidence indicating that when women unfurl their full labour market potential, there can be noteworthy macroeconomic improvements. The workforce in usual status (ps+ss), at the all-India level, was about 459.0 million (rural male: 231.9, rural female: 104.5, urban male: 99.8 and urban female: 22.8) as on 1st January 2010 which increased to 472.9 million (rural male: 234.6, rural female: 101.8, urban male:109.2 and urban female: 27.3) as on 1st January 2012. Unemployment rate (number of person unemployed per 1000 persons in the labour force), according to usual status, was 16 in the rural areas and 34 in the urban areas. It was as high as 57 for urban females compared to 28 for urban males. Strange but true, among the educated youth (age: 15-29 years and level of education: secondary and above), the unemployment rate was predominantly high in both the rural and urban areas. According to the usual status, the rates were 8 per cent for rural males, 18 per cent for rural females, 10 per cent for urban males and 23 per cent for urban females. During 2009-10, the proportion of usually employed females who were found not to be employed during the week

36 September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

preceding the date of survey was 15 per cent in rural India and nearly 6 per cent in urban India. The corresponding percentages for usually employed males were 3 and 1 only which reflects much higher underemployment among females .

Previous National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS) analysis of NSSO data points out that labour in India is being informalised and the vast proportion of informal sector workers are poor.

In light of the new data from NSSO, it becomes important for policy makers to understand if indeed a longer stint in formal education is the reason for low workforce participation among women. It is to be noted that India has the world’s youngest work force with a median age way below that of China and OECD countries.

Urban safety through gender lens

Rapid urbanisation, on one hand, presents improved opportunities like education, employment, health and access to better basic services, but on the other hand, creates new forms of gender discrimination, social exclusion, crime and violence.As per UN Habitat estimates, 60 percent of urban citizens in developing countries have reported suffering from incidents of crime. These rates are as high as 70% in certain urban areas of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Strategies to address urban safety have emphasised

concentrating on individual and social development and on bringing in excluded groups to participate in affirmative transformation of cities.

Successful cities must give priority to gender, safety and security. This requires taking a multi-pronged approach. Lack of safety is experienced by girls and women in multiple sites across the city – in the home, workplace, public spaces, poorly lit streets and on transport – reinforced by gender norms and practices and impactgirls’ and women’s self-belief.

The issues are interlinked and often complex.

Conclusion

The gender gap has shown no signs of receding in the recent past. As urbanisation picked up pace in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, poverty began to urbanise; urban poor women would face greater risks, discrimination, exploitation and vulnerabilities. The planning process in most countries is genderblind or gender-neutral. For all the inefficiencies of the state and the market in addressing gender specific issues, most countries attempted to bring in gender-sensitive programmes.

These initiatives were in the nature of “add-on” and were not internalised into the development and planning frameworks and the benefits therefrom were necessarily of a short-run, ad-hoc nature while they need a longrun strategy.

References ♦♦

♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦

Lorena Godoy and Sonia Montaño, Understanding poverty from a gender perspective, Women and Development Unit of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), June 2004; Rebecca Holmes and Nicola Jones, How to design and implement gender-sensitive social protection programmes, ODI, October 2010; Department for International Development of the United Kingdom. Drinking water quality in rural India: Issues and approaches. BackgroundPaper. United Kingdom; IMF Staff Discussion Note, Women, work and the economy: Macroeconomic gains from the gender equity, September 2013; Carol S. Rabenhorst, Gender and Property Rights: A Critical Issue in Urban Economic Development, International Housing Coalition (IHC) and Urban Institute, July 2011;

EDMC Mayor | one on one

Better sanitation is my top priority: EDMC Mayor Satya Sharma, Mayor of East Delhi Municipal Corporation, has been on the mayoral post for the last couple of months. She speaks to Urban Update on how lack of coordination between the state, local bodies and central government is creating trouble in managing basic civic services in her territory Kumar Dhananjay | Consulting Editor | kd.urbanupdate@gmail.com

Municipal governance is critical for cities.Delhi has three tiers of governance and unfortunately, there is very poor co-ordination among them. What are your plans to resolve the problems and for getting the best as a Mayor?

The main work for local bodies is to provide basic civic amenities to the people. Municipal corporations are suffering the most due to present indifference between the governments.

My priority as a Mayor of East Delhi Municipal Corporation is to focus on provision of the basic infrastructure amenities to city dwellers. I have raised these issues in my agenda.

Just a few months ago, you have been given the responsibility of Mayor of East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

What is your vision to improve the situation in Delhi in next 12 months?

East Delhi has many unauthorised colonies and slum population. My first priority is to ensure improved sanitation facilities and facilitate hygienic conditions to prevent any outbreak of diseases such as Dengue and Chikungunya. We will take all steps to ensure better hygienic condition in the city. For any government, be it state or local governing bodies, the first duty is to provide necessary facilities to the people. We are expecting support from Delhi Government.

But is there any political reason behind the strife between municipal corporations, and state government, which is somehow obstructing local bodies from providing best possible services to urban dwellers?

Coordination between the state and municipalities is necessary. Both should complement each other, not create hurdles in each other’s way. Nothing can justify poor delivery of essential services to the people. Our corporation is making all efforts to ensure that people in our territory are provided with the best possible facilities. It is the duty of all the three governments to work towards providing good facilities to city dwellers. Public have expectations from governments to ensure basic civic services as they have chosen their leaders expecting them to take care and manage city efficiently.

Chief Secretary of Delhi Government had discussed about the initiatives they have taken regarding health issues and transport management.

What planning is EDMC mayor doing to embrace those facilities?

I do not agree that the initiatives of Delhi government have brought about major changes in the lives of people.

I doubt that pollution level had come down because of vehicle rationing scheme of the state. You can check the records. There is no change in

the pollution level in East Delhi. The government need to lay serious focus on increasing the number of DTC buses and metro frequency. If we can improve our public transport system with provision of better accessibility, facilities and connectivity, people would opt for public transport.

As far as Mohalla clinics are concerned, there is a need to work on improving the quality of health services.

The government has simply renovated old clinics, which is somewhat good, but they are fairly small in numbers to cover the huge population.

This year we have seen many changes in urban mobility sector of Delhi, whether it was increasing number of buses, extension of metro line or introduction of Odd-Even formula.

What else can be done to make urban mobility smoother for citizens?

I think urban mobility is just a single dimensional aspect for better civic services in the city. We need to focus on Health issues and Education issues.

Delhi government was planning to add more schools, but it is still in the pipeline. Government hospitals are still facing inadequacy in manpower and medicines for the patients. I think for a better future, we have to have a three dimensional approach towards development and improvisation of the amenities to city dwellers.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

37

one on one | Urban Poverty Alleviation

Challenge is to create cities, not buildings: Sandrine Sandrine Capelle-Manuel, International Project Manager, Urban Partnerships for Poverty Reduction, UNDP, has been working in the field of development in many countries including Haiti, Nicaragua, Brazil, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Cambodia for the last two decades. She tells Urban Update how she sees the future of poor in upcoming cities and how cities can address urban poverty issues Abhishek Pandey | Editor | ap.urbanupdate@gmail.com

Almost 54% of global population lives in cities. This makes the role of cities important in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). What do you think will be the role of cities in achieving SDGs in fifteen years’ time?

There are 17 Sustainable Development Goals where the 11th goal specifically recognises the central role of the cities.

But it does not mean that the role of a city is reduced at this particular SDG. If we look at all the SDGs, 60% of the specifics targets towards all the SDGs are related to the cities’ capacity. So the cities are the centre for sustainable work.

It is always a challenge for the city to gain the right data, arranging the sustainable finances and human resources. The solution might come through this kind of horizontal coalition as well as handling vertical relation with community, city and nation. We are looking for new urban agenda at Habitat III, Quito in October, 2016. We believe that urban poverty, resilience and governance will be the core discussion points andthe UNDP will be a part of that.

In addition to 60% role of the cities’ capability in handling the goals, what part do the local bodies have to play in this scheme of things?

In the local government authority assessments there are seven key func-

38 September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

tions that have been identified for local governing bodies. Capacity assessment, human resource and property management need to be managed well. Besides that, large set of services are to be delivered to the constituents based on the legislation which includes urban infrastructure, water services and waste management. A lot of pressure is really on these local bodies. We have different kinds of cities. We have diverse municipalities not only a single type.We know from all the surveys and researches that major urban boom will happen in medium size cities. These cities are perhaps not the best equipped to face challenges like migration, poverty or climate change.

In a big city like Mumbai in India, nearly 50% of urban population lives in slum areas. The informal housing situation is the same in most of the mega cities in developing countries. What could be a solution for handling problem of slums and their habitants in India and other developing countries?

First of all we have to understand that there is not a one solution that fits all.

We have learnt this from our previous programs. The major factor is participation.One of the sayings goes: “Nothing about us, without us”.It is clear that community participation is necessary because we believe it is not just about building houses, it is about building

cities. When we are doing community action planning with slum dwellers, the plan does not only focus in building houses for them. It is our job to ensure that adequate water supply, sanitation,basic education, employment, etc. is accessible to them at the right tariff. All these changes should come from the community,working with local government authorities. This radical link between the people and local bodies is absolutely critical.Building of capacity of local government authorities so that they can work with communities is equally important.

When we start action, we think of different levels. One is to gather the correct urban poverty data. Planning is essential because for us it is about coproducing, co-financing and co-living in a city besides building that city. And then the other level is to decide the financing mechanism based on the needs and priorities of the city and finding proper funding to implement these prioritised projects. This will ensure a sustainable approach towards living.Another challenge is to restrain the construction of houses by slum dwellers for themselves. They cannot construct necessary civic amenities like sewage systems or roads, besides just building houses. This in future becomes difficult to manage for the local governments trying to help them out. So we need to provide technical

We are facing social, environmental and spatial inequalities in terms of lacking the basic amenities for the cities. We cannot build cities only for the elite and high class only. It won’t work. Cities should be welcoming to the poor.

We should build cities with the poor for the poor, with the women for the women; making cities inclusive. Thus the cities would provide equal rights and opportunities to all city dwellers. This is the model we need for the 21st century

assistance to make people aware and obstruct this ownership governance by slum dwellers.

But will thegovernments allow for such assistance to slum dwellers because the slums are not legal. So how will you manage to do so?

For this, the key step of the local government is to understand the importance of urban poverty management and alleviation. Building political will to address the problem should absolutely be a necessity. Without equal participation of local authorities and slum dwellers, we cannot do sustainable work. And there comes the role of mayors and politicians, who are ready to address these complex issues to address these challenges and embrace sustainability.

We would like to know about the UNDP program of urban poverty reduction in Bangladesh?

For urban poverty reduction, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has announced a program called National Urban Poverty Reduction Program (NUPRP)for six years.

Urban poverty is multi-dimensional

and has different levels of issues from lack of access to basic services and unplanned cities. This program is adopting an integrated approach and looks at five specific components.

The first one is the most critical among the others. It is about urban policy making regarding proper and climate sensitive planning with municipal finance capacity. The second one is social empowerment. Living in a city is about living together. It is important to empower the social gatherings, so our second component is about building social urbanity.

The third one is about enhancing the economy and creating livelihood opportunities particularly for slum dwellers. The forth component is low income housing. The last one is about climate sensitive infrastructure and services provision to all.

We will be working on three levels; Community, City and National level.

With this integrated top-to-down and bottom-up approach, we can really drive change. In less than 40 cities in Bangladesh, six million slum dwellers will be targeted. This work will be done with the help of Ministry of Local Governments.

What will be the future of cities which are facing these challenges at present with less manpower and scant necessary resources?

We need to be careful. Nowadays, we are using different jargons like smart cities, resilient cities, and debating on them as well. But on ground level we are lacking the concept of ‘cities for all’. Social and environment inequality also need to be addressed. Even in Europe, we are facing migration trend on a large scale. As you mentioned, almost half of the population is living in cities, so accepting the fact that cities are for tomorrow there should be liveable cities. We are facing social, environmental and spatial inequalities in terms of lacking the basic amenities for the cities. We cannot build cities only for the elite only. It won’t work. Cities should be welcoming to the poor. We should build cities with the poor for the poor, with the women for the women; making cities inclusive. Thus the citieswould provide equal rights and opportunities to all city dwellers. This is the model we need for the 21st century.

(Transcribed By Arzoo Arora)

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

39

Event | 3rd BRICS Urbanisation Forum

Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information & Broadcasting, M Venkaiah Naidu, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri N Chandrababu Naidu and other dignitaries with the delegates of the BRICS countries in a group photograph, at the inauguration of the 3rd BRICS Urbanisation Forum, in Visakhapatnam

nations come together to solve common urban challenges Picturesque, beautiful and smart city Vizag hosted the third summit of BRICS Urbanisation Forum. India took over the chairmanship of BRICS in February 2016 and will continue to hold it till December 2016. A series of events have taken place since then involving all five BRICS countries. BRICS Urbanisation Forum was one in the series before the summit meeting in Goa later in October Kumar Dhananjay, Consulting Editor, kd.urbanupdate@gmail.com

BRICS Urbanisation Forum has been established to address the common concerns of the comity of the five nations. In the inaugural event, representatives of the governments from member countries were present.

The three day deliberations attracted people from all sectors where debate and discussions threw light on all aspects of urbanisation, the problems

40 September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

that it brings and the solutions.

On the sidelines of the conference, Government of India and Andhra Pradesh jointly organised an exhibition showcasing Smart City Mission, Housing for All, Swachh Bharat Mission and the proposed capital city of Andhra Pradesh Amaravati.

Setting the tone of the conference union minister of urban development

Venkaiah Naidu said that the political class of the country is now more sensitised than ever before to the challenges in the urban sector. He said that there is a need to fix these challenges at the earliest in the interest of rapid economic growth besides enabling a decent quality of life. Urban Demographic transition and haphazard growth, and poor infrastructure due to incapability of urban local bodies have to be addressed to improve the quality of life. He said “Urbanisation is a reality today. People are moving faster to urban areas because of employment, education, entertainment, economic activities and enhanced medical facilities.� In a lighter vein he added that he himself has moved from the ministry of rural development to urban development.

Urbanisation, particularly in the developing nations of the world and the challenges it faces are social, economic and political in nature. This has

become a natural process and in a sense is irreversible as well. There is need to focus on the challenges of urbanisation.

Therefore Venkaiah Naidu stressed the need to discuss the issues threadbare among the member nations. He said “what are the good practices, what are the challenges and what are the solutions? That is the agenda before us. There is a need to learn from each other’s experiences, keeping in mind the growing urbanisation and a need for solutions to these challenges”.

BRICS nations constitute fiftythree percent of world urban population.

Rising aspirations of the people for better opportunities is the driving force behind urbanisation across the globe. Naidu said that India is confident of turning the challenges into opportunities. He underlined the need for enhanced cooperation among member countries on various critical issues including challenges of urbanisation so that full economic potential of the group can be realized.

‘Perform, reform and transform’ is the new mantra of the Indian government.

Naidu said it is mission MODI that

is driving this government. He said MODI stands for ‘Making of Developed India’. Venkaiah Naidu also redefined BRICS. He said though BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia,India,China and South Africa, it also stands for BuildingResponsive,Inclusive andCollective Solutions.

The challenge before the BRICS nations is sustainable development, livelihood opportunities and creatingvibrant urban spaces. Care is necessary to ensure that the growth is inclusive taking along the downtrodden and oppressed people. And that is why Naidu stressed that “every section of the society must feel that they are part of this success story. Keeping that in mind our government is going for inclusive policies in various sectors.”

Naidu underlined that BRICS nations collectively have a population of over 3 billion that account for over 42% of world’s population and about one fourth of global GDP. He called for better cooperation among these countries in addressing the challenges associated with urban transition based on sharing of experiences and

Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Information & Broadcasting, M. Venkaiah Naidu addressing at the inauguration of the 3rd BRICS Urbanisation Forum, in Visakhapatnam.

Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N. Chandrababu Naidu and other dignitaries are also seen.

To address the challenges emanating from rapid urbanisation such as migration, governments need to address allied challenges such as housing, basic civic services, health and education facilities and employment opportunities.

The State has a vision for Vizag and will develop it as a livable city

Chandrababu Naidu Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh

knowledge. He further said that given the size of the economies of BRICS countries and the potential still to be realised, member countries need to collectively address urban challenges so that they could drive global economic recovery.

Naidu pointed out that the much desired awareness is a result of the initiatives taken by the central government to enable urban revival during the last two years. He said that after detailed consultations with all stakeholders including citizens, urban local bodies and state governments, the central government has set in motion a 10-point strategy for urban renaissance and this paradigm shift has begun to yield results. He said that India is working through MISIDICI approach—MI (Make in India), SI (Skill India), DI (Digital India), CI (Clean India).

Stating that resources are the key to address huge infrastructure deficit in urban areas, Naidu said that the central government is taking measures to enable increased flow of resources to urban local bodies and states which includes enhanced central assistance.

He added that “The pace and scale of project and investment approvals

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

41

Event | 3rd BRICS Urbanisation Forum

have increased manifold since 2015 with the central government approving an assistance of Rs.1.84 lakh crores.

This includes Rs.78,292 crores under smart city plans of 33 mission cities, Rs.45,293 crores under Atal Mission and another Rs.56,231 crores for building affordable houses for the urban poor. These are the early gains of urban renaissance in the country”.

Smart City Competition among cities is targeted to enable them cope up with new challenges and promote healthy competition among municipalities. He said that these new schemes also focus on active community participation.

Naidu stated that the central government led by Shri Narendra Modi has ended the ambiguity in government’s approach to urban development since Independence as

China’s new urban policies focus on new cities, management of traffic and large urban spaces. He stressed that the government is giving impetus to innovations in inclusive development and enhancing the resource carrying capacity.

Living conditions and its management, construction management system, harmony of man and environment, and coordination between the society and governance are among the few major sectors on which the Government of China is working

Ni Hong Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, People’s Republic of China

42 September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

planned and well guided urbanisation is central to economic growth.

Addressing the conference,Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu said that there are many challenges in the wake of growing urbanisation and governments need to plan simultaneously as large scale migration is taking place. He said that “to address the challenges emanating from rapid urbanisation such as migration, governments need to address allied challenges such as housing, basic civic services, health and education facilities and employment opportunities. The State has a vision for Vizag and will develop it as a livable city. He added that his idea for the new Andhra Pradesh is to make the State among the top three states with high Happinessindex and a preferred destination for many industries. He also mentioned that AP is set to become the first state to make all its urban areas Open Defecation Free (ODF) by October 2, 2016.

There is a need for sustainable development through proper planning by the State. Chandrababu Naidu said that our development has not been a planned one and thus it has resulted inhaphazard growth. He said that the government of India has taken many steps to make our cities livable. The CM of Andhra Pradesh said that programmes like Swachh Bharat Mission, competitive nature of schemes like Smart Cities Project, and the new housing policy will help the urbanisation process and will also ensure transparency and accountability.

Among others who addressed the delegates were Dr Arvind Panagariya,vice chairman ofNitiAayogand Rajiv Gauba, secretary in the Ministry of Urban Development.

NitiAayogvice chairman in his speech during the inaugural session said, “Coastal cities have always been engines of growth and at the forefront of development. Vizag, a coastal city, is an appropriate venue for this BRICS Summit.” He said that urban renaissance is the most important part of urban transformation. Some major issues with urban areas are: land

availability for urban development, horizontal and vertical growth of urban areas, scarcity of basic services, inadequate connectivity (transport and digital), and ULB financing.

RajivGauba stressed on learning from each other to solve common urban challenges and underlined the importance of the need for cooperation and collaboration in various sectors.

He said that there are some issues which can be resolved through right policy framework. He said that the aim towards sustainable development is ensuring productivity and efficiency.

Speaking about the National Urban Agenda, he said the government’s agenda focuses on poverty eradication, inclusive growth, and sustainable consumption. He highlighted the need formaximising the ambit of constructive ideas, strengthening bilateral and multi-lateral relations, cooperative projects, and to convert ideas into action.

The three day conference had eight plenary sessions on various issues related to urbanisation. Topics ranged from National Urban Agenda to Smart City Conclave, Financing Urban Infrastructure, Inclusive Housing,Climate Change, Water and Sanitation,Regional Planning and Urban Renaissance.

Addressing the plenary Diana Motta, Director of Department for Policies on Accessibility and Urban Planning, Ministry of Cities, Brazil highlighted the significance of community level participation and added that it would have long a lasting impact on sustainable outcomes. She said that policies should be strengthened in the informal sector.

She added that coordination and collaboration between different tiers of the government is also important and that focus on planning the management of metropolitan areas isnecessary.

She added that social integration, improvement of public policy and living conditions, and capacity building are required for sustainable and resilient cities.

Ni Hong, Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, People’s Republic of China said that

China’s new urban policies focus on new cities, management of traffic and large urban spaces. He stressed that the government is giving impetus to innovations in inclusive development and enhancing the resource carrying capacity. Living conditions and its management, construction management system, harmony of man and environment, and coordination between the society and governance are among the few major sectors on which the Government of China is working. He stressed upon four aspects of changes in China: Urban Layout, Ecology–Urban Settlement, Cultural Heritage, and People Oriented Development.

Rajiv Gauba, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development said during the discussion, “India has taken urban renaissance measures through smart city mission and an integrated approach through various schemes such as heritage city development programme, Clean India, Housing for All, Green and Brown field development, among many other initiatives”. He added that the focus is on bringing about systemic changes by lowering interest rates in real estate, provision of livelihoods for economically weaker sections, empowering the people working in informal economy such as street vendors and capacity building of ULBs.

He said the government has paved the way for 100 per cent FDI in the construction sector, created SPVs for smoother implementation of schemes, and improved provision of basic civic services and living standard in cities.

Andries Nel, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa, said, “South Africa government has launched Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF) for sustainable and inclusive development.” He said the government in South Africa is working on sustainable growth model through urban-rural linkage. He added that transforming municipalities and improving local governance are crucial for building better cities.

At the end of the three day conference, addressing the valedictory session minister of state for urban development Rao Inderjit Singh urged the BRICS nations to step up cooperation to effectively address the new urban agenda focusing on inclusive urban development. He said that member countries should ensure effective follow up actions in pursuance of new urban agenda to be finalised at the HABITAT-III Conference to be held in Quito, Ecuador next month.

Inderjit Singh said that there is immense scope for cooperation within BRICS grouping on matters

The Minister of State for Planning (Independent Charge) and Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Shri Rao Inderjit Singh at the valedictory function of the 3rd BRICS Urbanization Forum, in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on September 16, 2016

South Africa government has launched Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF) for sustainable and inclusive development. The government is working on sustainable growth model through urban-rural linkage.

Transforming municipalities and improving local governance are crucial for building better cities

Andries Nel Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, South Africa

of urbanisation based on respective experiences and shared goals.

Appreciating the intense three day deliberations, he stressed on the need to enhance capacities of urban local bodies.

BRICS nations have many commonalities and also control a collective bargaining power in the economic affairs of the world. The deliberations on urban transition are therefore critical. The growth rate of urbanisation in these countries differs and it ranges from 0.3percent in Russia to 2.7 percent in China annually. Every country has a distinct set of problems and has to be understood in that particular context. There cannot be one solution that can apply to every member nation. But the exchange of ideas and experiences of each country can infuse new direction in order to solve some common problems of the cities like food security, poverty alleviation, rural-urban migration, water and waste management and public health. Hence, the cooperation among BRICS countries is important to learn useful lessons from each other on urban transition.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

43

Good reads | Climate Change

The most urgent task of our time Book The Great Derangement Climate Change and the Unthinkable Author Amitav Ghosh Publishers Penguin Pages 275

Good

Reads

Price Rs 399

A

Abhilash Khandekar National Political Editor Dainik Bhaskar kabhilash59@gmail.com

44

mitava Ghosh and climate change? The famous author, considered by many in the literary world as one of the greatest Indian writers, writing a non-fiction has taken people by surprise.

Both, those who have been reading his fiction and essays and those who dabble in environment for long.

In fact, when I was invited to his interview by the famous environmentalist Sunita Narain in Delhi around the time the book was launched, I somehow thought it to be an event I could afford to skip. Upon reading the small, concise book on such a vast and global issue, I am however, repenting my decision now. I should have rescheduled my other engagements to be present at the CSE book reading event.

Well, Ghosh has already collected a lot of (deserved) acclaim for doing this small but very well-researched book. The Great Derangement serves as a brilliant writer’s

September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

summons to confront the most urgent task of our time, says the book cover as it introduces the content of the book briefly.

Climate change is no longer a subject that we can leave for scientists and environmentalists alone. The fact is that each individual around the globe, in varying degrees, is already suffering the impacts of extreme climate events. And that is forcing each one of us to stand up and be counted for individual contributions to mitigate the force of the disaster. This book forces us to strengthen our resolve for doing our bit!

Cities, be they from India or America; China or Africa, would bear the worst brunt of these changes. Ghosh has reintroduced the subject, already in public discourse for over 20 years, not as science but as culture, politics and power and compels people to think about the problem in a wholly new way (Naomi Oreskes).

The book is divided neatly into three sections: Stories, History and Politics. In an extremely easy style, Amitav Ghosh introduces you to the history, seriousness, depth and political trappings of CC, with intermittent sprinkling of his Indian experiences, way back right from his college days in Delhi University, or some of his ancestors’ stories of what is now Bangladesh where their village was swept away by the mighty floods of the Padma River in mid 1850s.

The book, like many other non-fiction works is without a preface, introduction or a foreword and takes the reader straight into the newly created world, surrounding climate change. It’s indeed heartening to read the prose.

“I imagine what my forebears experienced on that day when the river rose up to claim their village: they awoke to the recognition of a presence that had moulded their lives to the point where they had come to take it as much granted as the air they breathed.

But, of course, air too can come to life with sudden and deadly violence--as it did in Congo in 1988, when a great cloud of carbon dioxide burst forth from Lake Nyos and rolled into the surrounding villages, killing 1700 people and an untold number of animals. But more often it does so with quiet insistence-as the inhabitants of New Delhi and Beijing know all too well-when inflamed lungs and sinuses prove once again that there is no difference between using

and being used. These too are moments of recognition, in which it dawns on us that the energy that surrounds us, flowing under our feet and through wires in our walls, animating our vehicles and illuminating our rooms, is an all-compassing presence that may have its own purposes about which we know nothing.”

My quoting of this particular para of the author’s thinking and experiences (or recognition) is to share with the reader how the tricky subject handled rather easily by Ghosh may have developed in his mind for writing this book.

While introducing the importance and history of the climate change, Ghosh states that even in the first years of the 21st century, portents of accumulative and irreversible change could be seen, in receding shorelines and a steady intrusion of salt water on lands that had previously been cultivated.

Amitav Ghosh narrates a personal experience of going through an unprecedented disaster that hit parts of North Delhi, when he was an MA student in Delhi University. It was in March 1978 when “a freak, funnelshaped whirlwind, accompanying by rain, left in its wake death and devastation in Maurice Nagar, a part of Kingsway Camp, Roshanara Road and Kamla Nagar in the Capital”.

The first of its kind tornado’s pattern in the history of the region was not even much known to the meteorological department, writes the author to perhaps underline the fact that climate change was actually around us for many years.

He also touches upon the Mumbai flood disaster of July 2005 and rues the fact that the 94.4 cm of rain in 14 hours, one of the highest ever rainfalls recorded anywhere in a single day, did not teach us any lessons even after 500 deaths. In a separate chapter, he also draws parallels between New York and Mumbai which are quite riveting.

But what is striking about the book is not the early urban experiences of the author in India but the vast references of global events and the

analysis he has done very briefly yet beautifully to explain the era of climate change through arts and literature. He gives ample examples of books and essays in numerous publications across the world.

In the history segment of the book, Ghosh says: “to look at the climate crisis through the prism of empire is to recognise, first, that the continent of Asia is conceptually critical to every aspect of global warning: it’s causes, it’s philosophical and historical implications, and to the possibility of a global response to it.”

While pleading the case of Asia, Amitav feels the discourse on global warming has been largely Eurocentric though the most threatened geopolitical area is Asia. The Bengal Delta, among the most densely populated parts of the world, with more than 250 million people living in the area, is quite vulnerable. The 1971 Bhola cyclone is thought to have killed 3,00,000 people and in 1991, a cyclone in Bangladesh resulted in 1,38,000 dead. Significant rise in sea level would be quite dangerous to people. As the melting of Himalayan glaciers accelerates, the variations in the rivers’ flow will increase, falling to unprecedented lows in the dry seasons.

Tracing history, economics, industrialisation and climate change, the author says that most of the mighty rivers of the world which run dry before reaching the sea, are found in Asia. He says, in the context of the most populous continent, that Asia’s historical experiences demonstrate that our planet will not allow these patterns of living to be adopted by every human being...every family in the world cannot have two cars, a washing machine and a refrigerator-not because of technical or economic limitations but because humanity would be asphyxiated in the process.

The author extensively writes about carbon-intensive economies of the world, why did most populous Asian countries industrialise very late in 20th century and not earlier and about the ‘gargantuan consumption’ of the developed countries like the U.S.

Reviewer’s Recommendation

A

A Must possess in personal collection B Must read in library C Casual reading suggested D Borrow from a friend and return

While the reader may think that some of the facts-historical or otherwisewere known to him, the author has painstakingly done research to link the climate change issue to history and politics.

In the section related to politics, which is more interesting but slightly complex, the writer takes us through art and literary movements, to modernity, growth and global politics to help understand the role of capitalism and empire in changing the course of the world. He says distribution of power in the world lies at the core of climate change. Ghosh differs with those who identify capitalism as the principal fault line on the landscape of climate change and he has his own lengthy arguments for the same.

How things go forward in mitigating the challenge is difficult to say, but surely Amitav Ghosh has contributed significantly yet differently to the fast emerging literature on climate change. Indian and Asian perspective is much clearer in this book, considering global complexities and factors such as oil exploration, military power, technological excellence and consumption patterns of the rich and the poor nations and of course the regional politics at global platform.

www.urbanupdate.in | September 2016

45

URBAN AGENDA | Gender Stereotyping

Is society prejudiced towards women leaders?

W

omen in any kind of leadership role face more challenges than their male counterparts. India may have had a number of strong women politicians at the helm of affairs in almost all tiers of governments but they had to face numerous challenges while stepping up on the success ladder. This is true not only for politics but also for business houses.

According to Grant Thornton IBR Women in Business Report 2016, India is among the three worst performing countries with just 16 per cent women in senior management roles. Japan fares the worst with just 7 percent women in senior management. Russia has the best record with 45 per cent women employed in senior management roles.

All of us can find numerousexamples, from local body politics to national politics, where people’s perceptions of leadership are aligned with traditional definitions of masculinity and femininity. Such gender stereotyping pushes women and men in certain kinds of roles and responsibilities and leads to a cul-de-sac. In these modern times, one cannot dictate what roles are fit for women and what are not.

Many assert that they are more suited to office-bound roles. At times, women also get trapped in such gullibility and propagate similar sentiments.

This perception needs to be changed to bring women leaders in the mainstream. We have empirical evidence that such stereotypes manifest informulation of unfair policies and projects, inequitable access to

46 September 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

public resources and discriminatory denials or favours. India is among the few countries which have made serious efforts to encourage women to participate in politics. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) has been instrumental in ensuring participation of women at local level. However, there have been several roadblocks in implementing these and ensuring that women participation does not become just representational. All these initiatives and approaches desperately require to change the mindset of society and for that, education of girls and women have become the integral component of government’s efforts in the direction of women empowerment.

Women in every stream, be in politics, sports, technology, journalism, business or academics, have proved their mettle at par, and many times, much above, with their male counterparts. The pigeonhole mindset of society is changing. Parents in rural and urban India are beginning to realize the importance of educating the girl child. The central and state governments are also giving impetus to girl education with a range of initiatives and incentives. This is one of the most important initiatives for empowering women. There has been significant surge in participation of girls in student politics too and they have become vociferous in putting forward their demands. Social media and technology are becoming strong tools to provide a platform to women to express their opinions and views without any discrimination and limitation.

Ashok Wankhade Managing Editor bhau1008@gmail.com

The perception towards women’s role in public life needs to be changed to bring women leaders in the mainstream.

We have empirical evidence that such stereotypes manifest in formulation of unfair policies and projects, inequitable access to public resources and discriminatory denials or favours.

India is among the few countries which have made serious efforts to encourage women to participate in politics at local level through constitutional amendments

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All India Institute of Local Self-Government (AIILSG) whole heartedly supports Swachh Bharat Mission and is committed to play a proactive role to realise its objectives.

The institute is organising regular orientation workshops on SBM to augment the capacity of ULBs and also generating public awareness on cleanliness

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