Urban Update August 2021

ISSN 2349-6266 RNI No DELENG/2014/57384

Setting The Agenda For Tomorrow’s Cities

UrbanUpdate Volume VII, Issue IV

August 2021

Cities need to assess their risks, act accordingly

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UrbanUpdate A monthly magazine published by the AIILSG. Ranjit Chavan President-AIILSG Rajiv Agarwal Editor-In-Chief Director General-AIILSG Ashok Wankhade Managing Editor Abhishek Pandey Editor Ravi Ranjan Guru Executive Editor Ashley Paul Senior Sub-Editor

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ISSN 2349-6266 RNI No DELENG/2014/57384

Setting The Agenda For Tomorrow’s Cities

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UrbanUpdate Volume VII, Issue IV

August 2021

ISSN 2349-6266 RNI No DELENG/2014/57384

Setting The Agenda For Tomorrow’s Cities

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ISSN 2349-6266 RNI No DELENG/2014/57384

July 2021

AIILSG’s contributions and innovations for COVID-19 relief, resilience building

Cities need to assess their risks, act accordingly

Preparing Indian cities for better disaster response

Cities can make

economic Rebound

equitable

More value, less waste central to sustainable urban economy

Recovery has to be environment positive

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project The project is implementedThe by the AIILSG.is funded by the European Union.

The project is funded by the European Union.

The project is implemented by the AIILSG.

European Union The project is funded by the European Union.

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August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

Editorial

Rajiv Agarwal | Editor-In-Chief | dg@aiilsg.org

Preparation key to disaster risk reduction The recent landslide in Himachal’s Kinnaur caused the tragic deaths of over 25 persons.

The severe nature of the landslide and the treacherous terrain of the region created untold challenges for the rescue teams, comprising the best of men and machines. Around the same time, a cloudburst in Uttarakhand caused severe hardship, displacement, and loss of lives. The two events have brought into sharp focus the risks of disasters in the modern world. In cases where development measures such as building roads, bridges, and rail networks, essential for improving the lives of locals, are required to be undertaken in ecologically sensitive regions, the risks seem to get elevated.

There is a pressing need to balance the needs of development and the necessity to reduce risks. This is one of the central themes of the Prime Minister’s 10 point agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction. It stresses the need for imbibing disaster risk reduction approach in all development schemes. It calls especially for protecting the poor and vulnerable through financial inclusion and risk insurance. Other themes in the Agenda include greater involvement/role for women in risk reduction efforts and to learn lessons from past disasters. This 10 point Agenda is covered in greater detail in this issue of Urban Update.

Our cities are particularly vulnerable to fires, floods, and building collapse incidents. When these incidents take place in sensitive and vulnerable buildings such as hospitals and schools, the outcomes can be particularly traumatic. Often such disasters happen due to violation of safety regulations and ignored warnings (in case of collapse of dilapidated buildings). In that sense, these disasters are man-made and avoidable.

Disaster risk reduction calls for wide-ranging actions. While building disaster resilience into our development agenda, local populations need to be sensitized on the role of the natural ecosystem.

Forests and other vegetation along hillslopes reduce the risks of landslides; wetlands play a role in preventing flooding; coastal vegetation such as mangroves greatly mitigates the effects of cyclones.

Sadly, these natural ecosystems do not receive the required care and attention in both urban and rural settings and therefore several avoidable disasters befall us.

Early warning systems need to be honed and refined constantly in order to prepare for and minimize the impacts of natural disasters. Here, the use of technology by local governments as with weather forecasting has proven very useful. We have seen accurate early warnings in the case of cyclones which enabled timely evacuation of populations to safety. Social media has been deployed extensively in such instances to issue warnings and mobilize local populations. Local governments can devise many innovations using technology to build resilience and ensure timely, effective response.

Cities and citizens must imbibe a culture of safety, and adopt risk reduction approaches in all aspects of everyday life; and above all, preparedness to meet any eventuality that may occur nonetheless. For, as the saying goes, ‘By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail’.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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Quotes

You cannot do conservation without having indigenous communities involved. And the way to do that is to engage them from the beginning, right when you design your whole programme by doing a consultative process with them

Rental housing for migrant labour in Delhi will receive a fillip with the Delhi Development Authority approving inclusion of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes scheme in Master Plan 2021

Rushikesh Chavan Head, The Habitats Trust

Niranjan Hiranandani National President, NAREDCO

PIN POINT

With the rapidly growing share of renewables in the energy mix in the country, the benefits from transition towards e-mobility are only expected to become more significant in the coming years

Master plans for cities are increasingly moving towards inclusivity and participatory planning. This is possible only if we are willing to recognise the roles of, and protect the rights of the most marginalised and vulnerable groups

Alok Kumar Secretary, Ministry of Power, GoI

Malavika Narayan Research Consultant, WIEGO

BUZZ Rafael Tuts

Albert Solé

Marcia L Fudge

IURC Asia & Australasia

Director, Global Solutions Division

Senior Urban Consultant, World Bank

Secretary, H&UD Department

@iurc_aa_india

UN Habitat

@on_clusters

Govt of US

@RafTuts

There is unmistakable momentum for the voice of the Local and Regional Governments constituency to become stronger and more central in the global sustainable development debate #Listen2Cities

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@SecFudge

A city that grows in population, but not in productivity and incomes, will not generate enough economic demand for its spatial expansion to keep pace with population growth

Ensuring community living has become an even greater priority due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Providing people with housing and services is critical to protecting people with disabilities & older adults from infectious diseases

Concept of #ClimateSmartCities conducive to positive environmental outcomes has become central to today’s urban development. From climate change, pandemics, and AI to transportation, electrification, waste and water, broadband

Content

Inside Volume 7, Issue 4

Pin Point Newscan

13 46

City Image Urban Agenda

August 2021

Girl Power Project

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6 10

Empowering Women by Building Skills and Entrepreneurship

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Cover Story

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Preparing Indian cities for better disaster response Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 10-Point Agenda has been lauded as one of the most diverse set of actions for building disaster risk resilience. Covering almost all aspects of disaster mitigation, it sets out a path for urban local bodies in India to make their cities resilient to disasters and prepare the public for responding to one. Let us understand what it is and how successful it has been in addressing relevant issues

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CEDM envisages safe urban habitats for all

Cities need to assess their risks, act accordingly

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Landslides - Major roadblock to DRR

Nations have to reevaluate disaster risks, direct impacts, and spill-over consequences on people, infrastructure, economy, and services. At the local level, cities have to understand their vulnerabilities and blind-spots specific to a particular kind of disaster for building local capacity and acquire required tools, resources, and framework

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Fire disasters are catastrophic, but avoidable

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Charting a path from policy to practice for Indian cities

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India’s Andaman and Nicobar is sinking

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Right to safe drinking water for all

LEADERSPEAK

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Articles

39

E-Dialogues

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Training women at the local level is key to their empowerment All India Institute of Local Self-Government, in collaboration with Girl Power Project, organized the twenty sixth edition of ‘E-Dialogues’ on ‘Empowering Women by Building Skills and Entrepreneurship’ on Tuesday, August 3. The webinar was organized to solidify the efforts and initiatives under AIILSG’s Girl Power Project

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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Girl Power Project

Empowering Women by Building Skills and Entrepreneurship Team girl power project

I

n 2019, approximately 20.7 per cent women were part of the labor force in India, in comparison to the figure being 30 per cent in 1990. The data questions the impact of the increase in literacy rate among women and their position in India. A report by the Initiative for What Works to Advance Women and Girls in the Economy on ‘Impact of COVID-19 on Working Women’ stated that inadequate mobility, safety and lack of childcare options, sexual harassment inside and outside the workplace, and a fear of being stigmatized by the community are few of the many reasons that restrict women from seeking work or pushes them to drop out of paid work.

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Gender plays an increasingly important role in the economic growth process, both in terms of capacity building for success and the nature of the influence of certain development plans and initiatives. In the case of micro-enterprise approaches, gender becomes especially crucial to consider, as women’s typical home-centered duties can make it far simpler for them to participate in such programs than in more traditional and medium enterprises.

To counter this, the Girl Power Project, implemented by AIILSG in Jharkhand and funded by the European Union, is striving to strengthen the ability of the Indian civil society and its organizations to perform their role as independent agents of

change, implanting actions that bring transformative change into the lives of women and girls. The project aims to provide women and girls with skill training and entrepreneurial support centers. Jharkhand Mahila Social Entrepreneurship Market Connect (JMSEMC) has been introduced under the project to act as a single point of contact for women and CSOs to connect them with prospective buyers in the marketplace.

Jharkhand is one of the backward states in India and a high level of illiteracy is witnessed, especially among women and girls, in this region. Due to this they are unable to create opportunities for themselves to chart their path towards growth and development. The following project will involve partners from within the state with innovative models and best practices to build capacities and knowledge of CSOs by engaging them with social enterprises focusing on women and girls. It will also provide skills and competencies for strengthening Self Help Groups (SHGs) and creating social enterprises for empowering women and girls.

Rural markets in India have been growing much faster than the urban sector, resulting in overall social development and a balanced economy.

The rural market has more potential than the urban market for consumer’s durables and services.

Also, a majority of the rural population depends on agriculture, which contributes to nearly 50 per cent of the total national income. Starting your own enterprise comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Women establishing and running their own enterprise come with added responsibilities and obstacles. During

the Baseline Survey, it was visible that there were a lot of obstacles that existing women entrepreneurs had to face on a daily basis in operating their enterprises. Women encounter significant challenges in marketing of goods and services. Lack of awareness of new products in the urban market, as well as technical skills in business administration, are major obstructions.

Not only this, the remote location from the market also results in increased transportation costs.

The Girl Power Project is focusing on Building self-esteem and capacity through counselling, life skills training, and mentoring support through the entire journey of self-development and growth. This includes support in making a decision, capacity building, and work opportunities, as well as overcoming barriers.

It focuses on market-led enterprisebuilding, which is identifying gaps in already functioning value chains so that one knows where the maximum margins can be made to benefit the informally employed poor, create quality entrepreneurs for growing the business, laying emphasis to serve a variety of market segments and women with varying levels of capacities and social constraints. The integration

aims to support women and girls to move forward confidently in new market situations.

The integration allowed for linking women’s roles in the enterprise, their needs, and therefore their rights, and hence builds perspective; it is less threatening for the ecosystem than directly addressing violence against women; it is novel to have mainstreamed domestic violence issues into core business-oriented training and hence has strategic value in many contexts.

Several reports after the pandemic highlight how the novel coronavirus has aggravated the gender challenge in India given the societal roles of ‘breadwinner men’ and ‘caregiver women.’ An already existing gender gap in terms of access to digital equipment and lack of knowledge on its operation and usage led to a worsened situation for many women during the lockdowns.

Availability of agency and the removal of constraints faced by women and girls is essential to ensure sustainable and equitable development of a community, and in turn, a nation. Owing to several policies and campaigns, the literacy rate among women has gradually increased in rural India.

However, literacy directly does

not translate into a relevant skillset required for employment and there still exist major historical, social, and cultural hindrances for women and girls, especially in rural areas. In the developing world, India has some of the worst gender statistics. The contribution of women in India to its GDP is only 17 per cent which is one of the lowest in the world. The lack of decently paid and safe work, as well as the existence of a labor surplus economy, has kept women confined to unpaid care jobs, particularly in rural agricultural areas. The female labor force participation rate is one of the lowest in the world. Among those women who do work, most are in unpaid or irregular work, and continue to face tremendous barriers to success.

Their creative ability has often gone unnoticed or underutilized.

Focusing on women’s skills development and economic empowerment is one of the most urgent means to drive progress on poverty eradication, gender equality, and social and economic growth.

When women and girls gain economic empowerment, the effects are spread across communities. Despite this, they still struggle to take their rightful place.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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NEWSCAN

Mumbai, Kochi, Chennai among cities on the brink of being submerged NEW DELHI: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report issuing direct warnings for India. The country is already going through an unpredictable upheaval in weather patterns and environmental factors, and the report said that the most dangerous risk factor for India is rising sea level that is threatening to submerge 12 coastal cities in India by the end of this century. In fact, the report established that this could lead to several coastal regions across the world being submersed.

The climate change report by IPCC warned that cities, including Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, and Vishakhapatnam, could be nearly three feet underwater by the century’s end. The analysis was released by NASA, which used the IPCC report to assess changes occurring in sea levels across the world. The space agency identified 12 Indian cities that are likely to experience the brunt of climate change and rising sea levels if the situation is not contained in time.

IPCC has been providing assessments of Earth’s climate on a global scale every five to seven years since 1998.

Their assessment focuses on changes in temperatures and ice cover, greenhouse gas emissions, and sea levels across the planet. Their projections on sea level changes are based on data gathered by satellites, on ground instruments, analysis, and computer simulations.

The report described that sea levels around Asia have been rising at a rate faster than the global average. Extreme changes in sea levels, which were previously seen once in 100 years, could happen once every six to nine years by 2050. It added that coastal areas will continue to witness sea-level rise throughout the 21st century, which will contribute to more frequent and severe coastal flooding in low lying areas. Additionally, coastal erosion with extreme sea-level events, which earlier occurred once in 100 years, could happen every day by the end of this century.

According to the IPCC analysis, climate change is bringing multiple different changes in different regions, which is expected to increase further without warning. These include changes to wet and dryness, to winds,

snow and ice, coastal areas, and oceans.

It noted that estimates made between 2016 and 2018 highlight global mean sea level rising at a rate of around 3.7 millimeters per year. Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region are expected to continue shrinking and the snow cover will retreat to higher altitudes.

Krishna Achuta Rao, one of the authors of the report, said that the snow cover has reduced since the early 21st century in the HKH region, and the glaciers have thinned, retreated, and lost mass since the 1970s. The report traced how sea levels rise and continuous melting of glaciers in the Himalayas will affect over a billion people in the Indian subcontinent, who are directly and indirectly dependent on these resources. Following is a chart of projected submersion of the Indian cities mentioned in the report.

A landmark report released by the United Nations on the state of climate science had shown that the world’s continued reliance on fossil fuels is warming planet Earth at a rate unprecedented in the past 2000

3 2.7

2.5 2.32

2.06 2

1.96

1.9

1.87

1.93

1.87

1.87

1.9

1.77

1.5

1

0.49

0.5

0 Kandla, Gujarat

Okha, Gujarat

Bhaunagar, Gujarat

Mumbai, Maharashtra

Mormugaon, Goa

Mangalore, Karnataka

Cochin, Kerala

Extent of water submergence (Feet)

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Paradip, Odisha

Khidirpur, West Bengal

Vishakhapatnam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu Andhra Pradesh

Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu

NEWSCAN

years. Its effects are already visible as record droughts, wildfires, and floods devastate communities, and global warming continues to increase around the world. The average global surface temperature is reported to have risen by about 1.1 degrees Celsius between 1850–1900, a level not seen since 1,25,000 years. The IPCC report similarly predicted that global warming will certainly result in temperature increase in every part of the world, causing heat-waves. For India, it said that these heat-waves would be ‘extreme heat-waves’ due to how much hotter they will be in comparison to heat-waves seen in the past.

A report released by the Indian Institute of Technology-Indore on the glacial hydrology of rivers in the Himalayan Karakoram region has said that glaciers and snowmelt are important components of the Himalayan Karakoram rivers. They have greater importance for the Indus

than the Ganga and Brahmaputra basins. The report had projected that the total river runoff, glacier melt, and seasonality of flow will increase until the 2050s, and then decrease.

The IPCC report laid out how large uncertainties hang in post 2050 sea level rise, and that planning and decision making practice are needed along with introduction of coordination within and between governance levels and policy domains. The responses on the issue of sea level rise (SLR), however, raise equity concerns about marginalising those most vulnerable.

Therefore, they could potentially spark or compound social conflict. The report added that choosing and implementing responses to the threat is more difficult due to lack of resources, vexing tradeoffs between safety conservation and economic development, multiple ways of framing the ‘SLR problem’, power relations, and various coastal stakeholders having conflicting

interests in the future development of heavily used coastal zones.

IPCC stated that using a locally appropriate combination of decision analysis, land use planning, public participation, and conflict resolution approaches can help to address the governance challenges faced in responding to sea level rise. Effective responses will depend on taking a longterm perspective when making shortterm decisions, improved coordination of SLR responses across scales, sectors and policy domains, prioritising consideration of social vulnerability and equity to promote fair and just climate resilience and sustainable development, and public awareness and understanding about SLR risks and responses. IPCC has made initial projections at the current rate only.

However, if the trends continue by the end of the century, these coastal cities will go under as much as three feet of water.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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BRIEFS | NEWSCAN

Robust SWM to be implemented across J&K

Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir, chaired the 8th meeting of the State Level Apex Committee SLAC on Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) to review the functioning of solid waste management across the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It was informed that under SBM, initiatives are being undertaken to implement scientific solid waste management with the aim of bringing about behavioural change and capacity-building measures. 100 per cent door-todoor collection of solid waste is being done in 984 wards with 100 per cent source segregation in 178 wards.

Andhra Pradesh to provide housing for middle-class families The Government of Andhra Pradesh announced that they will be initiating the process of offering housing plots for middle-class families in urban areas. They will be developing a layout that is expected to promote planned and integrated development of the city. The state government has decided to do so to address the aspirations of the middle-income groups for better infrastructure and quality housing facilities. The state government will also be including basic amenities like roads, water supply, drains, and electricity in the planned layout.

Families could avail the plots at a price fixed by the government for the middle-income groups. https://www.constructionworld.

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Ganges water contains high level of microplastics: Study NEW DELHI: Toxics Link, a Delhibased NGO, released a study on the high quantity of microplastic found in River Ganga. They concluded that the river, covering over 2500 km and then flowing into the Bay of Bengal, contains highly polluting microplastics. With an average length of less than 5mm, microplastics are a type of plastic debris. Since they are small in size, marine habitants ingest the debris, which is then carried further along in the food chain. The study highlighted how microplastics have affected over 660 marine species and that if consumed by humans, they can cause several health problems. The researchers also found other kinds of plastics in the samples taken from Ganga, which were taken from Haridwar, Varanasi and Kanpur. The plastic pollution was highest in Varanasi. The study highlighted that untreated sewage, industrial waste, and religious offering that are immersed in the river add to the pollutants in it. Priti Mahesh, Chief Coordinator, Toxics Link, said in an official statement that humans should reflect upon solid and liquid waste

management as they are being flown into our river systems. Eventually, Ganga flows into the Bay of Bengal and then the ocean, which greatly impacts marine life.

Efforts to manage the growing pollutant levels have been going on for over 40 years now. National Mission for Clean Ganga (2011), Namami Gange (2015), Ganga Action Plan (1985) and IIT Consortium (2011) for water diversion and effective treatment have been some of the programs launched by the government to clean River Ganga.

However, according to the study, these programs have not been able to yield substantial results.

Jharkhand’s immunization drive picks pace as vaccine supply arrives RANCHI: Over 1.5 lakh people in Jharkhand received their COVID-19 vaccination dose on July 24, the highest count in a day for the month of July, reported the National Health Mission (NHM). The progress in the immunization campaign was a consequent effect after fresh supplies from the Govt of India were sent over to the state.

According to data released by the NHM, Jharkhand administered at least 1,11,529 first doses and 40,398-second doses to the beneficiaries. As of July 24, over 91,000 residents below the age of 45 years received the first jab and 1375 individuals belonging to the aforementioned age group received the second vaccine dose.

The Co-Win portal showed at least 1202 operational sites in the state on July 24. Out of the total vaccine booths, 85 were operational in Ranchi and 87 were located in East Singhbhum. Earlier in the month of July, the state’s immunization drive stopped progressing due to a shortage of vaccines. Health officials said that till July 24, around seven lakh Covishield and 40,000 Covaxin doses were in stock.

As per the data released by NHM, the active caseload in Ranchi came down to 61 and East Singhbhum’s dropped to 26 on the same day. More than 11 districts did not report any fresh COVID-19 cases on the day. The state tested over 70,000 swabs of residents and only 0.04 per cent were found infected with the virus.

City Image

Scientists plan to develop Earth’s digital twin The European house Agency (ESA) is working on a ‘digital twin’ of Earth with the hopes of better understanding our planet’s past, present, and future. The project, first declared in September, last year, can deploy AI, additionally as quantum computing, to create Earth’s digital doppelgänger in a virtual house. Therefore, scientists hope that this Digital Twin Earth can facilitate them forecast extreme, climate change-induced weather events and how they are impacting the Earth’s ecosystem.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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SMC flags off 22 waste disposal vehicles

The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) introduced 22 new vehicles, which would be used by the conservancy department for prompt collection and disposal of waste across the Siliguri area. The initiative has been undertaken to meet the target of making Siliguri a ‘waste-free city’.

Gautam Deb, Chairman of the board of administrations of SMC, informed about the incorporation of 22 new vehicles, which will be reserved for waste disposal purposes, of which, eight are covered vans and 14 e-rikshaws.

Puri first Indian city with safe drinking tap water

Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, inaugurated the ‘Sujal’, or drinking-from-tap mission, on Monday, July 26. He informed that Odisha’s Puri has joined the league of big cities, including London, New York, and Singapore, to provide safe drinking water from tap for 24 hours, seven days a week. “Puri is the first city in the country to achieve 24X7 clean water directly from tap for drinking, cooking, and other household purposes. The water can be used directly as there is no need to filter it,” said Patnaik.

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DTC’s entire fleet is ‘over-age’ NEW DELHI: 3760 Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses operating in Delhi are beyond their age of six years, reported Hindustan Times (HT). Since the inception of DTC in 1971, this is the first time that the entire fleet of buses has been termed as ‘over age’.

HT informed that a majority of DTC buses have surpassed their technical limit for low-floor CNG buses. These buses have been operating for over eight years. According to Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, a low-floor CNG bus can operate for a maximum of 12 years or till 7.5 lakh kilometers. The situation in Delhi is so alarming because the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi is in dire need of additional buses now, more than ever, to augment the ease of commuting for Delhiites.

Moreover, the maintenance cost

of these old buses is also high. Vijay Bhaduri, Managing Director, DTC, informed HT that they are planning to add new buses to DTC’s fleet, keeping in mind the high cost of maintenance of these old buses. “Running over age buses can compromise on the safety of the people and State Transport Authority has now allowed using the buses up to 15 years, which will provide us a time window of 2-3 years to replace the entire fleet of buses,” he added.

Kailash Gahlot, Delhi Transport Minister, conceded that these buses are the lifeline of Delhi’s public transport.

“So, we have planned to pump in 1300 new buses in the next few months,” Gahlot said. Currently, the city is in need of 11,000 buses and DTC is mandated to maintain a fleet of 5500 buses. However, the current strength of 3760 shows how low the actual number of buses in use are.

School reopening is a must to avoid ‘generational catastrophe’ NEW DELHI: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) urged decision makers and governments across the world to plan and prioritize safe reopening of schools. It said that keeping schools shut due to the fear of COVID-19 might result in a ‘generational catastrophe’.

A tweet by UNICEF’s official handle stated that it has been over 18 months since the COVID-19 outbreak started, and around 156 million children are still out of school. It added, “Getting children back into classrooms cannot wait.” The organisation had expressed concerns over nations allowing bars and restaurants to function, while keeping the schools shut.

UNICEF remarked in a statement that the losses that children and young people are incurring from not being in school may never be recouped. Issues like learning loss, mental distress, exposure to violence and abuse, missed school-based meals and vaccinations, and reduced development of social skills have arisen due to the shutting down of schools, the consequences of which will be faced by children in their academic achievement, social engagement, and

physical and mental health. UNICEF stated that the children most affected by this are the youngest children for they are at key developmental stages, and are from low-resource settings, who do not have any access to remote learning tools.

Therefore, school reopening cannot wait till cases go to zero.

Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organisation, furthering the appeal of UNICEF, said that if teachers and adults working in schools are prioritized for vaccination and adequate preventative measures are in place, schools can safely reopen.

Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, had also commented that districts could reopen schools in a staggered manner.

BRIEFS | NEWSCAN

BMC starts door-to-door collection of e-waste Bhubhaneshwar Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched door-to-door collection of electronic waste in the city. The Corporation announced that it will run the e-waste collection drive on Saturday every week.

For the first time in India, a drive has been started in a city to put a stop to littering of e-waste and mixing of e-waste with municipal solid waste. BMC is aiming to ensure segregation of waste at source with this drive.

In the early phase, ten wards of the BMC will be eligible to avail this facility.

Karnataka first Indian state to reserve 1% seats for transgenders

Karnataka has become the first state in the country to reserve one per cent seats for the ‘transgender’ community in all offices of the Government of Karnataka.

The state government has submitted a report to the High Court regarding this as the notification has already been issued after amending the Karnataka Civil Services (General Recruitment) Rule, 1977. The notification clearly states that one per cent reservation will be provided in general as well as reserved categories for the third gender.

The notification also added that whenever an order is released to invite applications for government jobs, it should contain ‘other’ option along with that of male and female.

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August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

Lunar wobble and climate change to cause high tide flooding in US: Study WASHINGTON DC: A new study conducted by NASA concluded that in the mid2030s, coastal areas in the United States of America will see a dramatic surge in high tide floods as the ongoing climate change on Earth will align with natural shifts in the moon’s orbit. The study was conducted by collecting data on astronomical causes of flooding. They found that the alignment of rising sea levels with the moon’s cycle will have a monumental impact on the number of high tide floods. Bill Nelson, the NASA administrator, explained that the lunar gravitational pull, along with the rising sea levels and climate change, has been furthering the coastal flooding along coastlines worldwide. In the report, NASA added that this is not a new development and neither is it dangerous.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported over 600 high-tide related flood cases in the year 2019. In other words, many of the US’ coastal areas have already started witnessing the impact of climate change on tide levels. The new aspect found in this study is that the Moon’s gravitational pull, which causes Earth’s tides, will be even more impactful now that the rising sea levels will be furthered due to climate change.

Delhi transport department to show real-time bus information DELHI: The Department of Transport, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), has joined hands with the tech giant Google to facilitate the launch of a system that will permit commuters across Delhi to access real–time information about buses, their arrival and departure times, and their routes.

The virtual launch was headed by Kailash Gahlot, Minister of Transport, GNCTD; Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson, Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi; and officials from the transport department and Google.

Real-time bus schedules in the Capital will be available shortly, which will be accessible on Google Maps as well.

The Delhi government is working with Google to incorporate the public transit system onto the Maps platform. “This will enable commuters to get an estimation of how long their trip is going to be, their arrival and departure times, and if their

bus is delayed,” said Gahlot.

Dr Ravinder Singh Minhas, Deputy Chief General Manager, Delhi Transport Corporation, informed, “The project is deemed ‘commuter friendly’ and once it kicks off, static and dynamic real-time data of Delhi buses will be available for passengers. This project will not only enhance the public service experience for users, but will also enhance several other transit apps to tap into the open data portal of the transport department for more innovative ideas to flourish.”

In 2018, the Delhi government had promulgated Open Transit Data with technical aid from Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi to provide real-time data. “We are glad to work with Delhi’s transport department in launching real-time transit information for the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System agency on Google Maps,” Ramesh Nagarajan, Global Head, Network Cloud, Google, said.

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NEWSCAN | BRIEFS

Haryana formulates rehabilitation scheme for Khori slum dwellers CHANDIGARH: The Government of Haryana has proposed a rehabilitation scheme for Khori slum dwellers of Faridabad under which, EWS flats equipped with electricity, water and toilet facilities will be provided in the nearby Dabua Colony and Bapu Nagar area. Around 50,000 migrants settled in Khori area of the Aravali forest in Faridabad district are on the verge of becoming homeless as the Supreme Court has instructed the land to be cleared of encroachments. According to the conditions laid down for the scheme, people who feature in the electoral list of the National Capital Region of Delhi will be excluded. Three documents have been decided, which will set the criteria for the residents of Lakkarpur Khori to be included in the rehabilitation scheme.

“In this, the income of the applicant’s family should not exceed Rs 3,00,000 annually, and the name of the head of the family should be registered in the voter list of the Badkhal assembly constituency of Haryana as on January 1, 2021,”

Garima Mittal, Commissioner, Faridabad Municipal Corporation (FMC), stated.

“The head of the family should also have a ‘Parivar Pehachan Patra’ (family ID card) issued by the state of Haryana before January 1, 2021,” she said.

The FMC commissioner also informed that the people who will fall under the prerequisite criteria will be allotted Economically Weaker Section category flats, fully equipped with electricity, water supply and toilets. An amount of Rs 2000 per month would be extended to the person concerned, till the time houses are under construction. This will supplement their rental expenses. The money would be transferred to the people concerned in the form of instalments.

Behavioural intervention can help reduce water consumption: Study BANGALORE: The Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B) conducted a study that concluded that behavioural interventions can influence household water conservation with a long term impact.

The research was conducted by field experimentation and implementing a habit change in a set area. Kanchan Mukherjee, the lead author of the study, explained the basis of the experiment and how habits are intertwined in human life.

“When people act in a particular way repeatedly, such as taking a shower every day, they do it in an automatic mode without much conscious thought. That is why attempts to persuade people to conserve water by appealing to their better senses has had limited success. People may get influenced by these messages temporarily, but the force of habit eventually takes over and behaviourial change is short-lived,” said Mukherjee. The study established a framework which induced a habit change in one’s conscious awareness. These actions, directed by unconscious thought, lack self-awareness and may have an unfavourable impact. The intervention, which lasted for five weeks, reduced household water consumption by about 25 per cent. “More importantly, the effect lasted for the entire observation period of two years after the intervention was stopped, establishing the potential of using behavioural methods to achieve a significant long-term reduction in water consumption,” read a statement released by IIM-B.

Delhi civic bodies prepare for third COVID wave

East Delhi Municipal Corporation has devised a plan for strengthening medical infrastructure and spread awareness on COVIDappropriate behaviour and vaccination. Officials from all three municipal corporations of Delhi said both the waves had exhausted the medical system to its limits. Therefore, efforts are being made to ensure the situation does not repeat. “We are focusing on the vaccination drive and around 5.75 lakh people have been inoculated at our centers. If the situation worsens, we will be prepared,” said Mukesh Suryan, Mayor, South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Odisha ULBs to spend 25% on slums The Government of Odisha directed all urban local bodies of the state to spend 25 per cent of their budgetary allocation on the development of slum areas.

Sangramjit Nayak, Director (Municipal Administration), Government of Odisha, wrote letters to the authorities of all 114 ULBs in the state. In the letter, it has been said that the government has made an amendment in the Odisha Municipal Act 1950, and the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act 2003. These amendments make it mandatory for all ULBs to spend a sum equivalent to 25 per cent of the amount under capital expenditure relating to development work for providing basic service and infrastructure to slums.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

17

NEWSCAN

COVID-19 lockdown increased pace of Telangana’s urban development HYDERABAD: KT Rama Rao, Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Commerce, and Information Technology, Government of Telangana, released the Telangana Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) annual report for the year 2020-2021 on July 9. This was the fourth such report released by Telangana. He said that because nearly half of the state’s population resides in urban areas, the development of urban local bodies is a top priority for the state government.

The report stated that the government and authorities made use of the lockdown period during the COVID-19 pandemic, and took up major urban infrastructure development works like laying greenfield link roads, flyovers, rail under and over bridges, and recarpeting of existing roads. During the lockdown period, the development works on roads were taken up for 12-16 hours every day because the roads were free of traffic. It was in stark contrast to working for only three-four hours during normal days.

Rao praised the services of frontline workers of MAUD department during the pandemic, where they also ensured daily sanitation, water supply, and other essential services. Works which would have normally taken at least nine to twelve months for completion, was completed in a record time of only twofour months.

The Government of Telangana has decided to complete a long overdue project of construction of 15 new bridges across River Musi in the city.

These bridges are to help millions of people save time and ease their travel, and additionally open up new areas for planned development. Strategic Nala Development Plan (SNDP) has also been initiated to plan and execute proper drainage, surplus water flows in

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August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

Hyderabad Urban Agglomerate during the rainy season.

Arvind Kumar, Principal Secretary, MAUD, said that the state is planning an Urban Centre of Excellence, which will be the hub of urban research, startups, training and conferences, and will work as a center addressing urban issues meaningfully. The state is also planning a greenfield township ‘Neopolis’ at Kokapet. Planned infrastructure growth for the same is already underway and it will become a new hub, thereby playing a crucial role in Hyderabad’s growth. In a bid to make urban local bodies (ULBs) financially sustainable, around 20 ULBs in the state got the ratings done in the past year and nine of them are in the process of accessing market borrowings based on their ratings.

The report described implementation of TS Building Permission Approval and Self-Certification System (TSbPASS), a self-certification based instant approval process for building permission, as a major highlight of the

year. Over 28,000 instant approvals have been issued since its introduction in Telangana. The system launched to ensure transparency, strict timelines, and zero tolerance to corruption, has ensured minimizing citizens’ interface with officials, which will go a long way in ensuring convenience for citizens.

A first-of-its-kind Trauma Care facility in the country was also introduced on Outer Ring Road (ORR) by the Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL) at 10 interchanges, thereby rendering exceptional services for any emergency/accidents taking place on the ORR. The report also mentioned construction of first cablestayed bridge lighting in India at Durgam Cheruvu with architectural illumination, deck lighting, and rock lighting, with a project cost of Rs 184 crore. LED Street lighting on ORR was also commenced for balance stretch of length 136 km, which is to facilitate improving the safety of road users on ORR and control any anti-social and illegal activities.

NEWSCAN | BRIEFS

Cities are filling tech gaps but governance gap sill prevalent: Report GENEVA: A report titled ‘Governing Smart Cities’ was released by the World Economic Forum on July 13 which seeks to help city leaders identify gaps, protect long-term interests, and keep up with the pace of technology. It tries to provide a benchmark for ethical and responsible use of smart city technologies by looking into the inner workings of 36 pioneer cities. The report established that cities of all sizes, geographies, and levels of development across the world have serious governance gaps, including failure to designate a person accountable for cyber-security or to assess privacy risks when procuring new technology systems. City leaders can close these gaps and protect long-term by acting immediately.

The report follows the call to action from G20 ministers in 2019 that resulted in the formation of G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance to act as a platform to help cities strengthen their knowledge, expertise, and governance of smart city technologies. Over 2,00,000 cities, local governments, leading companies, start-ups, research institutions, and civil society communities are represented by the Alliance and its partners.

According to the report, in spite of an unprecedented increase in global cybersecurity attacks, most cities have not yet designated a specific government official as an ensuing accountable person for cyber-security. Even though, majority of cities were found to recognize the importance of protecting the privacy of their citizens, only 17 per cent of the cities surveyed are in the practice of carrying out privacy impact assessments before deploying new technologies.

In a bid to understand and assess the implementation of a set of five essential policies identified by the G20 Alliance last year, government officials and policy experts were interviewed between January 2021 and March 2021.

Kerala to strengthen PPP mode in healthcare sector Veena George, Minister of Health, Government of Kerala, said that the state will adopt the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in the healthcare sector.

Addressing a virtual meeting organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)’s Kerala council, George said that the state has set an example in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. George added that although complex diseases after COVID-19 have been reported in the state, it has set an example in COVID-19 resistance. She added that Kerala has invested and developed the health infrastructure and the PPP model will strengthen it further.

38 smart parking lots to be developed in Patna

Pandemic took ‘zero hunger’ farther from reach: UN report NEW DELHI: A multi-agency United Nations report published on July 12 established that world hunger and malnutrition levels have worsened dramatically in the last year. The report mentioned that the increase is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report published by the United Nations and prepared by agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organisation, and the World Health Organisation, said that the number of undernourished people across the world has risen to about 768 million, which is equal to 10 per cent of the world’s total population. The foreword of the report said that the pandemic continues to expose weaknesses in the world’s food systems. No region in the world has been spared the increased hunger and malnutrition, which threatens the lives and livelihoods of people globally.

According to the report, more than half of all the undernourished people live in Asia. Additionally, Africa witnessed the biggest jump in cases of malnutrition in the last year, at 21 per cent of its population. More than a third of Africa’s population is estimated to be undernourished as per the report.

It stressed that children remain the ones who pay the highest price among the victims as more than 149 million children, who are aged less than five, are estimated to be afflicted with stunted growth.

This report is the first comprehensive assessment done on food security and nutrition since the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in December 2019. It mentioned that hunger was spreading around the world even before the pandemic, with other major causes of food insecurity being conflict, economic recessions, and climate extremes.

Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) will be developing smart parking lots in 38 locations on pilot basis due to the increased number of vehicles on city roads causing heavy traffic. The official source said that a Haryana-based private firm has been assigned the task and the authorities are expecting to finish the work

by August-end this year. The official said that the project has been prepared on publicprivate partnership (PPP) basis to address the conventional parking problems in Patna. The smart parking lots will contain LED direction signage for better guidance and other facilities like portable cabin, drinking water, toilets, etc.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

19

NEWSCAN

NMCG launches initiative to make Ganges Basin cities water sensitive NEW DELHI: National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), in association with Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), launched a new capacity building initiative on ‘Making water sensitive cities in Ganga basin’. It aims to improve river health/ flows by focusing on water sensitive urban design and planning, urban water efficiency and conservation, decentralized wastewater treatment and local reuse, urban groundwater management and urban waterbodies / lake management.

Shri Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, Director General, NMCG, reiterated the need for respecting traditions and proposed that focus should be on the basics of water cycle in urban areas. He emphasized on the need to protect, conserve, and restore the ecosystem along with pollution abatement. He also gave insights on Jal Shakti Ministry’s ‘Catch the Rain’, initiative which focuses on rain water harvesting. He said that there is an urgent need for public spaces in urban spaces - meaning river

20 August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

fronts which connect communities with water bodies in cities.

Mishra emphasized on creating a framework for integrating Urban Built Form by including landscape and urban water cycle. He said that since a larger share of responsibility for the deteriorated state of rivers lies on cities, therefore, they need to play a vital role in the rejuvenation efforts as well. For the first time, there was a paradigm shift in planning for River Cities. He mentioned a unique platform for river cities to collaborate and collectively achieve river rejuvenation through sustainable development and capacity building - the ‘River Cities Alliance’.

Shri Suresh Kumar Rohilla, Senior Director, CSE, said that the aim of the initiative is capacity building and action research for promoting sustainable urban water management, which may cause improved river health in Ganga basin cities. He further explained how the program will engage all stakeholders, including SPMGs (State Program Management

Group, Namami Gange), municipal corporations, technical & research constants, international organizations, and local grass-root communities.

Sunita Narain, Director General, CSE, pointed to the impact of climate change on rivers and hydrology. She shared data highlighting how the intensity of rain has increased over the years but the number of rainy days has reduced, making water management one of the most crucial subjects. She stressed on the need for returning to roots and bringing back the traditional knowledge of rain water harvesting by giving examples of Ahar Pyne system of Bihar, wells in forts of Rajasthan, and of South India’s Cascade tanks, etc.

This initiative is part of a series of ongoing efforts by NMCG aimed at ensuring convergence of the Namami Gange Mission with national flagship urban missions like AMRUT, Smart Cities, Swachh Bharat Mission, HRIDAY, NULM, alongside other missions like Atal Bhujal Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Jal Shakti Abhiyan at state /city level across Ganga basin states. This initiative would include more than 40 training programs supported with development of learning materials/ practitioner’s guides and spread over a period of three years. The programmes will comprise of residential trainings, online trainings, field visits, and webinars etc.

The initial phase of the project will be implemented in 3-4 pilot cities within the Ganga basin. This is a first of its kind capacity building program. More than 840 people have participated in this event from nearly 240 cities across 33 countries.

In order to minimize hydrological impacts of urban development on environment, Water Sensitive Urban Design and Planning is an emerging urban development paradigm which includes the method of planning and designing urban areas for optimum utilization of water, reduce the harm caused to our rivers and creeks and focuses on complete management of entire water systems (drinking water, storm water run-off, waterway health, sewerage treatment and re-cycling).

NEWSCAN | BRIEFS

Maintaining population growth is SDG inclusive, claims Yogi Adityanath LUCKNOW: At the launch of the Draft Regulation Policy 2021-30 on July 11, Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, said that high and ever increasing population can be a deterrent to the development goals. The launch of the policy, entailing various aspects of a person from birth to old age, was held on the occasion of World Population Day, and the CM said that the new policy takes every community into account.

CM Adityanath added that high population is connected with poverty and the issue requires awareness among the people. Yogi added that this issue is also related to sustainable development goals set by the United Nations. He informed that the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is currently the most populous state in India, will work to deal with the issue. The policy introduced has set the goal of reducing the state’s reproductive rate to 2.1 by 2026 and to 1.9 by 2030.

In line with the CM’s aim of controlling the state’s population growth, the first draft of the Population Control Bill was released by the Uttar Pradesh State Law Commission, which includes provisions to exclude people with more than two children from the benefits of government schemes and perks. Justice AN Mittal, Chairman, UP State Law Commission, informed that this bill proposes to disentitle the violators of the twochild policy from contesting local body elections and from applying for government jobs in the state. The bill also has a provision to limit ration card units to four. Moreover, the new Population Control Bill proposes to provide rebates on water and electricity bills, house tax, home loans to people who are not in government service but follow the two-child policy.

Climate change made North American heat wave likely: Study WASHINGTON: A group of leading climate scientists found in an analysis that the record-breaking heat wave witnessed in western United States of America (USA) and Canada at the end of June would be ‘virtually impossible’ without human induced climate change.

The group of scientists named as the World Weather Attribution Group said that due to global warming caused by Green House Gas emissions, the heat waves were 150 times more likely to happen. The heat waves caused rise in temperature in Pacific Northwest areas of the two countries by several degrees and Lytton in Canada saw record temperature of 49.6 degree Celsius and was completely destroyed by wildfires. Friederike Otto, Climatologist, University of Oxford, said that there is no doubt that climate change has played a key role in the occurrence.

The scientists studied historical

observations and computer simulations to compare the climate with present situation, which is a result of a 1.2-degree Celsius rise in temperature due to global warming since the late 1800s.

Predicting future occurrences, the study said that if the planet warms by 2 degrees Celsius, which could happen as early as in the 2040s at the current rate, heat waves like this can occur every five to ten years.

The researchers suggested two broad explanations as to how climate change made it more likely. First explanation says that pre-existing drought deprived the area of evaporative cooling and made a slow-moving high pressure system in the atmosphere, which was supercharged by climate change. The second theory suggests that climate change has crossed the threshold where even a small amount of overall global warming is inducing a sharp rise in temperatures.

Seoul organises fashion show to promote ecofriendly clothing

The Metropolitan Government of Seoul, in partnership with the Green Seoul Citizens Committee, hosted a fashion show on July 9 to underscore the importance of climate variability at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul. The show with slogan ‘Dealing with climate change with citizens’ was held behind closed doors without an audience. Lee Dong-ryul, a senior official overseeing the city’s environmental policy, commented that this event was organised in view of the government’s plans to attain net zero emissions of carbon by 2050.

Karnataka government will construct 9 lakh houses in 2 years The Government of Karnataka decided on July 8 to construct nine lakh houses within two years under various housing schemes of the state. This decision was taken during a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on housing schemes of the state. A release from the Chief Minister’s Office said that under this, five lakh houses will be constructed under state housing schemes and four lakh will be constructed under central housing schemes.

It added that a subsidy of Rs 1.75 lakh is to be provided to beneficiaries from scheduled castes and a Rs 1.2 lakh subsidy will be provided to others for construction of houses.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

21

EVENT | HLPF

Countries discuss need to act on Agenda 2030 The High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) is a platform established by the United Nations to discuss sustainability goals. The HLPF meeting, held from July 6 to July 15, reviewed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals NEW DELHI: The High-Level Political Forum 2021 was a three-day ministerial event conducted under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. In the HLPF meeting, different ways to ensure a sustainable and resilient recovery from COVID-19 that puts us on track to realize the 2030 Agenda were discussed. This year’s theme was “Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that promotes the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development: Building an inclusive and effective path for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in the context of the Decade Of Action and delivery for sustainable development”.

The 2030 Agenda is an action plan for the people, the planet, and its prosperity. The Agenda seeks to build on the Millennium Development Goals and achieve the goals that were not done by it. Not only does the 2030 Agenda include sustainable development goals, but it wishes to balance its three dimensions: economic, social, and environmental.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or the Global Goals, formulated by the United Nations, are a collection of 17 interlinked goals designed to lead us towards a

22 August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

sustainable future. The HLPF discussed the 17 SDGs that are based on poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, economic growth, reduction of inequalities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, peace, and strong institutions, and on partnerships in depth. The Formulators of Agenda 2030 and the SDGs did not take into account the coronavirusinduced pandemic and how it might hamper the timeline. The participants of the meet discussed the response to the pandemic and calculated its impact. They explored policies and international cooperation that is necessary to control the pandemic and to put the globe back on track to achieve the SDGs by 2030. In order to conduct a follow-up, the 2030 Agenda encourages members to conduct regular reviews of the progress done by countries. Agenda’s 84th paragraph declared that the national reviews by the HLPF are to be state-led, voluntary, should include both developed and developing countries, and should provide a platform for stakeholders and partners.

In the concluding remarks by Oh Joon, President, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), deep concern over the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

on the SDGs and most notably poverty, equality, and environmental crisis, was expressed. He emphasized that global solidarity is the need of the hour. Joon said that the responsibility of providing financial support to developing countries should be shared equally. He highlighted that the ministers and the leaders were aware of what is needed to be done to recover faster. The stimulus packages introduced by the countries should support investments in sustainable infrastructure, strengthening social protection systems, ensuring universal health coverage and the SDGs. Talking about the ministerial declaration, he said that it expresses the commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the realization of the vision of a sustainable future.

The ministerial declaration recognized the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and how it exacerbated the globe’s vulnerabilities by highlighting the inequalities within the countries. The pandemic also highlighted the systematic weakness that threatens to slow down the progress made towards realizing the Sustainable Development Goals. The Ministerial declaration emphasized the need for a renewed commitment to the policies of sustainable development.

The ministers declared that they will be open to conduct inclusive and transparent discussions on the proposed measures of “total official support for sustainable development”. They also reaffirmed the commitments towards creating an environment at all levels that would work towards achieving relevant SDGs. The declaration also read that the ministers are committed to significantly increase access to information and communications technology. They will strive to provide universal and affordable access to internet in at least the developing countries.

Survey Based report

Indian vaccine rollout could have been better, says majority NEW DELHI: Team Urban Update conducted a survey on ‘Issues in the Great Indian Vaccine Rollout’ to better understand the vaccination campaign run by the Government of India.

India officially launched its vaccination drive on January 16 this year, with Covishield and Covaxin.

Over 74 per cent of people agreed that the vaccination drive could have been better, while 20 per cent were unsure and the remaining five per cent were satisfied with the route chosen by the authorities. According to data collected by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, over 12.1 crore people had been fully vaccinated till August 16.

When asked if people thought the vaccine being administered in India has reduced the COVID-19 caseload, 78 per cent said yes, 16 per cent said maybe, and the rest said no.

Initially, the urgent rollout of the vaccination drive led many individuals to wonder if the vaccine was safe. What started off as a rumour by a boomer became a reality as it translated into low numbers of Indians who were willing to get the vaccinated. It was then that the government started campaigning for the vaccine which helped over 68 per cent of individuals get over vacancy hesitancy. Of the 35.8 per cent people who have been vaccinated, over 24.5 per cent still have to receive their second dose.

One of the major reasons for vaccine hesitancy is uninformed opinions shared online which were perceived as facts. Over 54 per cent of people were satisfied with the COVID-19 related information received through media, while 34 per cent were not and 12 per cent were unsure. Media, especially social media, brings the mic to the micro-level for an incomprehensibly large audience.

Hence it plays a key role in addressing issues and drawing the government’s attention to the concerns of the

24.70%

6.80% 68.50%

Do you think the COVID-19 vaccine awareness campaigns helped people overcome vaccine hesitancy?

16.40%

5.50%

78.10%

Do you think the COVID-19 vaccines being administered in India have been effective in reducing the caseload?

20%

6%

74%

Do you think the vaccine rollout process could have been better?

Yes No Maybe

citizens. It is especially vital in a public health emergency as it can inform

the public about non-pharmaceutical interventions and broadcast information about COVID appropriate behaviour.

The prices of vaccines available in India (Covaxin, Covishield, Sputnik, and Moderna) have been decided by their respective manufacturers. Bharat Biotech has said that its Covaxin will cost `600 for state governments and `1200 for private hospitals. Serum Institute of India sells its Covishield, which has been developed by OxfordAstraZeneca, at `400 to states and at `600 for private hospitals. The Russian Sputnik is available for `995 in India.

Over 47 per cent of people believe that the vaccines have been priced appropriately. On the other hand, 53 per cent were dissatisfied with it.

Experts believe that putting a price on vaccines in India as high as the per day wage of most of the population would put people off and push them away from getting the vaccine. However, it must also be noted that most people are availing free vaccines from government centres.

Currently, the vaccine is not available for children. The pandemic has taken away almost two academic years for students across the world with nearzero classroom learning and only online teaching. This has not only hampered their skill development but experts fear that it has plucked children out of their social circles.

The reopening of schools largely relies on their vaccination numbers. About 80 per cent people agreed that they are ready to get their child vaccinated once the government approves it, while the rest were unsure. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, said in July 2021 that the vaccine would be open for children in August. The European Union approved the use of the PfizerBioNTech mRNA vaccine on July 23 this year for adolescents aged 12-15.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

23

Cover story | Disaster Risk Resilience

A

report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction ranked India as the world’s third most disaster prone country. Having one of the widest varieties of landscapes, India is consequently also prone to a diverse set of disasters, both natural and manmade. While states in the south and

east are prone to cyclones, the north and north-eastern states are prone to landslides. The Kedarnath flood of 2013, caused by cloudburst and heavy rainfall and the overflowing of the Chorabari Lake, led to the death of 5700 people in the region, making it one of the worst natural disasters in India in recent times. Cyclones Amphan and Tauktae also unleashed destruction on the eastern and southern states

of India and led to several deaths and displacement of lakhs.

Disasters not only result in loss of life, they also entail financial and economic loss for the people and the country at large. A study by Down to Earth determined that India lost an estimated US$ 232 billion in 2019 due to natural disasters alone, not only in post-disaster rehabilitation efforts but also due to the destruction that the

Preparing Indian cities for better disaster response 24 August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

disasters caused.

To top it off, the recent report by the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change has named 12 Indian cities which may be submerged under water by the end of this century due to the adverse effects of climate change.

These are striking statistics based on satellite imaging, which reveal the path on which the world treads.

Cities are naturally the most prone to

man-made and natural disasters. One of the main reasons for this is their high population density and fast-paced, often unplanned growth. As a result, the chances of man-made disasters are also high in cities, where, in the case of India, infrastructure often does not adhere to the building bye-laws prescribed by the government. This is another reason why cities in India are more prone to disasters.

Keeping in mind the problems that India faces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking at the 7th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2016, outlined a 10-Point Agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction with the aim of making disaster risk reduction a priority for Indian cities, reducing human and economic losses and ensuring that a research based method of reducing the effects of disasters is developed.

The 10-Point Agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 10-Point Agenda has been lauded as one of the most diverse set of actions for building disaster risk resilience. Covering almost all aspects of disaster mitigation, it sets out a path for urban local bodies in India to make their cities resilient to disasters and prepare the public for responding to one.

Let us understand what it is and how successful it has been in addressing relevant issues

The Prime Minister’s 10-Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction (PM TPADRR) enlists a road map for India on how to prepare for disaster, minimize the destruction caused by them and ensure that post-disaster rehabilitation is inclusive and longterm. Since 2016, the framework of various state disaster management authorities has been strengthened, and central disaster management agencies, along with research institutions, have led the way. The budget allocation for DRR has also increased consistently, marking an increase of nine per cent between the budgets of 2019-20 and 2021-22. However, a mere increase in budget often does not translate into on-ground change. Thus, to track the progress of PM TPADRR, every point in the Agenda must be analysed individually.

Making DRR primary to development

Ashley Paul Senior Sub-Editor

The first point in the Agenda deals with development projects carried out by the government. Prime Minister Modi, with this point, appealed to ensure mainstreaming of DRR in all development projects - airports, roads, canals, hospitals, schools, bridges, etc. Development and disaster are the two sides of the same coin. Planned development can result in DRR, and unplanned development can multiply effects of a disaster. Thus, it is extremely important to ensure that a uniform set of guidelines are compulsorily followed by all development projects, to ensure that they are least prone to disasters.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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Cover story | Disaster Risk Resilience Since 2016, the government has worked on launching new schemes or reframing old one to ensure mainstreaming of DRR. The Centre’s flagship Smart Cities Mission is one of the biggest examples for this. Through its compulsory checkpoints like landuse mapping, building bye-laws and green area development, Smart Cities have begun their journey to become disaster resilient. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission has also helped in reducing disaster risk in Indian cities by encouraging state transport authorities to switch to CNG buses, which have lower emissions. This not only brings down the pollution in cities but also ensures that the carbon footprint of the city is reduced drastically.

Risk coverage for all

A disaster that strikes a city affects everyone, irrespective of their caste, creed, gender, or wealth. Thus, disaster risk reduction must ensure risk coverage for all. Only when everyone is equally protected from the effects of a disaster can a city be called truly disaster resilient. Although the poor, women and children are at a higher risk and suffer more, multinational corporations, and small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) suffer too.

The Government of India’s Jan Dhan Yojana and the Suraksha Bima Yojana are both examples of how it has tried to make the under-privileged safer in the event of a disaster. Additionally, the strict imposition of the building byelaws for factories and other installations has also been another way in which the government has tried to ensure risk cover for both SMEs and multinational corporations.

Involvement of women

Women make up the most vulnerable section of society in the event of a disaster. A survey by the National Statistical Office conducted in 2021 revealed that female literacy rate in India stands at 70.3 per cent. This indicates that a considerable part of the country’s female population is at a higher risk of being affected

26 August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

by disasters, often unaware of what can be done to avert it or reduce the destruction caused by it.

We need large numbers of women volunteers, engineers, masons and building artisans to participate in postdisaster reconstruction and promote women self-help groups which can assist in livelihood recovery. There is a need to include women in national and state disaster response forces, and to train elected women representatives at the local level. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to ensure participation of women in the Aapda Mitra program of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). Since 2016, NDMA has been implementing the scheme to train volunteers at the grassroots level on the skills required for effective response to disasters and helping those affected. Many states have reported that these Aapda Mitras have come in to be extremely helpful and that their training has helped in quicker response and rehabilitation.

Increased participation of women in this scheme, and in the disaster response forces, would help in uplifting their status in society, making them financially independent and socially secure.

Invest in disaster risk mapping

This is another important point of the PM TPADRR which calls for investment in mapping disaster risks in India. This is also an area where cities can lead the way and show how planned investment in disaster mapping can greatly help in building DRR. It must be kept in mind that during the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of smart cities surveilled heat maps and sewage to pin point the possible hotspots of the disease and initiate containment and test-tracking protocols to control the virus spread.

In a similar way, the National Institute of Disaster Management releases a National Disaster Risk Profile which categorises areas across the country based on their vulnerability to natural disasters. This helps the cities prepare better for the upcoming disasters by investing in better technology to reduce

disaster response time and destruction.

Since Prime Minister Modi announced the PM TPADRR, the Building Material and Technology Promotion Council has also started releasing the Vulnerability Atlas of India, which is a collation of the existing hazard scenario for the entire country and presents the digitized State/UT-wise Hazard Maps with respect to earthquakes, winds and floods for district-wise identification of vulnerable areas.

Technology for DRME

In a fast-moving world, technology has a big role to play. It is with the help of technology that we communicate instantaneously with each other and travel around the world and beyond it in a short duration of time. While it is not yet possible to accurately predict occurrences of a flood, an earthquake, a cyclone, or a landslide, technology is being used effectively in early warning systems, coordinating relief and rehabilitation measures, and for reaching inhospitable locations to rescue people.

In India, the use of technology for disaster risk management efforts (DRME) has been increasing since the PM’s address at the Asian Ministerial Conference. One of the biggest examples of this could be India’s deal with five other countries, agreeing to set up a constellation of remote sensing satellites to better manage disasters. Big Data, Internet of Things and Blockchain have also given new opportunities to deploy advanced technologies in managing disasters.

Develop a universities’ hub

It is extremely necessary for the youth to understand the importance of DRR and management. Teaching children and making them aware of the possible disasters that may strike them, and the way in which they can keep themselves safe, is an important aspect of building DRR. For this, setting up universities/ institutes, and encouraging existing ones to take up different courses related to disaster management is the way to go.

Point 6 of the PM TPADRR speaks about developing a network of universities. In this regard, the NIDM launched the India Universities and Institutions Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (IUIN-DRR), which acts as the focal point of coordination between all universities/institutions training students in the art of disaster management and mitigation. A total of 27 universities and 23 stand-alone institutes are currently a part of this network and are working with one another, with the help of the IUINDRR, to better both the quality of their courses and their outreach. This has helped greatly in providing a platform for thousands of aspiring disaster management officials to imbibe new learnings, thereby increasing India’s disaster response force and strengthening its research in the area too.

Use of mobile, social media

The wonder of the 21st century, social media and mobile technology, has been a boon for facilitating instant communication. This has had a cascading effect on a number of sectors, including DRR and management. With the help of social media, authorities have often been able to reach the worst hit locations for rescue operations. It has also helped in quick and reliable information dissemination regarding a disaster, which further helps other people in potentially dangerous places to evacuate in time.

The active role of NIDM, NDMA and other national and state disaster management authorities on their social media handles has been lauded by many experts. NDMA, for example, used Twitter to keep the public informed of the efforts it is undertaking in relief measures during the Uttarakhand floods. Similarly, the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and the Indian Army also responded to a number of cries for help while carrying out relief activities post-disaster.

Building local capacity

The people working at the grassroots level are the ones who play an essential

role in being first responders to a disaster. Their understanding of the local topography and demography of a region proves valuable in disaster response. Often this valuable local knowledge is not incorporated in disaster response and rehabilitation.

For improved effectiveness of DRR, it is essential that capacity building is localised.

Particularly in India’s case, where cities are witnessing record-high growth rates, the role of authorities needs to be supplemented. Here, local capacity building comes to play and fills the gap. Recently, All India Institute of Local Self-Government, in collaboration with NIDM and Foundation EMDA Southasia, organised a series of workshops for urban local body officials, informing them of the developments in the DRR and management sphere and making them aware of the need to develop local disaster mitigation plans. The workshops were of much help to the officials in understanding the process and importance of being ready to respond to a disaster.

Learning from the past

One of the only takeaways from a disaster are the lessons learnt. If we treat a calamity as just that, we will never be able to build on our governance, disaster mitigation and resilience efforts. After every disaster, a thorough research must be carried out to understand the underlying causes and how, if a similar disaster strikes again, destruction of property and loss of life can be minimised.

Scientists have, for years, stressed on the importance of mangrove forests in the Sunderbans delta and along Mumbai’s coastlines. The recent Cyclone Amphan, which hit the eastern coastline of India, devastated homes and lives of people. However, according to experts, the mangrove forests of the Sunderbans greatly helped in reducing its effect in West Bengal. They further suggested that had the forests been cared for, the effect could have been reduced further. It must be noted here that India does not lack research, but

there must be willingness to learn quickly and then put these learnings into practice. After decades of cyclones, the state governments of both West Bengal and Maharashtra have finally begun restoring the mangrove forests along their respective coastlines. We need to, therefore, augment adaptation to lessons learnt from previous disasters and implement them in our governance models as quickly as possible.

Cohesion in international response

Dialogue and collaboration with international organisations and other countries can also help in reducing the damage caused by disasters. Often, a disaster may affect multiple neighbouring countries.

In such a scenario, an active line of communication and coordinated efforts to mitigate the disaster may go a long way.

With the help of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), two villages in the east-Indian state of Odisha Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district and Venkatraipur in Ganjam district - have been declared tsunami-ready.

This certification is given by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UNESCO after judging 11 parameters. By collaborating with UNESCO, the Government of Odisha ensured that the people of these two villages, which were among the worst affected during the 1999 Super Cyclone, were ready to respond in the event of another tsunami or cyclone.

The PM TPADRR has played a revolutionary role in making urban local bodies aware of the need to enhance disaster risk resilience. Much has been done, but a lot more needs to be undertaken if we really want our cities to be disaster resilient.

Adherence to building codes, capacity building, awareness drives, and mock drills are just some of the ways in which the urban local bodies can engage with the citizens, making them ready to face the next disaster which could strike their city, eventually aiding in reducing damage caused by them.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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Numbrograph | Climate Change & Calamity

Tracking

Indian

Disasters

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s report ranking India third in terms of being prone to disasters has raised eyebrows. People and authorities are now worried more than ever before of the destrcution that disasters cause, both in the short and long term, mainly due to the effects of climate change that have increased in recent times. With this numerograph, Urban Update has tried to track the disaster and climate change timeline in India, and how it has caused havoc across the country

Ashley Paul | Senior Sub-Editor

68% of India’s land is prone to drought, 60% to earthquakes, 12% to floods and 8% to cyclones, making India one of the most disaster prone countries in the world, affecting over

85% of Indian land and more than 50 million people Number of deaths due to natural disasters in India 5677

6000 5000 4000

3764 3405

3000 2000

2310 1677

2057 2045 1674

1600

1460 1487

946

1000 0

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019

28 August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

79,732 people have lost their lives and

108 crore people were affected in 321 incidences of natural disasters in India

Between 1901- 2018 India has experienced a

Between 1986–2015

0.7°C

temperature rise

Temperatures of the warmest day and the coldest night of the year have risen by about

0.63°C and 0.4°C By the end of the 21st century

India’s average temperature is projected to rise by

4.4°C relative to 1976–2005 avg

Frequencies of occurrence of warm days and warm nights are projected to increase by

55% and 70%

These temperatures are projected to rise by approximately

4.7°C and 5.5°C

The number of heatwaves is projected to rise by

3 to 4 times

Heatwave duration is also expected to double

Source: Worldfocus.in, UNDRR, Statista.com, Reliefweb.int

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Leaderspeak | Risk Assessment

Cities need to assess their risks, act accordingly Nations have to reevaluate disaster risks, direct impacts, and spill-over consequences on people, infrastructure, economy, and services. At the local level, cities have to understand their vulnerabilities and blind-spots specific to a particular kind of disaster for building local capacity and acquire required tools, resources, and framework

C

OVID-19 is a reminder for cities to relook at their disaster resilience. The impact of the Pandemic was widespread, cutting across several sectors and communities. Urban habitats are vulnerable to climate change impacts, natural disasters, and health crises such as COVID-19, which could result in a long-term spiralling effect on the socioeconomic fabric of a city. The Pandemic has exposed problems in overstretched urban health systems, non-resilient urban economies, and inequitable access to civic services. The latest Global Risks Report 2021 highlights infectious diseases rank highest among the top hazards of the next decade, followed by climate action failure and other environmental threats, as well as weapons of mass destruction, livelihood crises, debt crises, and IT infrastructure breakdowns.

Nations are gradually recovering from the impacts of the Pandemic.

However, some areas are still struggling to cope with the fallouts. Local governments need to understand the risk areas and address them accordingly by building their capacities and direct their investment in areas that need immediate attention. The mitigation strategies and post-disaster recovery have to be tailor-made and sectorspecific, addressing immediate and long-term requirements. In response to the Pandemic, governments and public institutions have demonstrated the value of engaging the private sector to address large-scale challenges-provided that risks and rewards are shared fairly and appropriate governance is in place.

The role of the private sector, including skilled individuals, in finding the solution to urban challenges, especially in developing the resilience of cities, is quite essential. It becomes crucial in situations such as the Pandemic.

It is for sure that cities that anticipate and adapt to the coming trends in resilience and mitigation will propel growth, innovation, and sustainable development in the time to come

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Informality and disasters

A majority of successful cities around the world house a high percentage of migrants. Data suggests 20% of all migrants live in just twenty cities, and many still have strong ties to rural areas. And, these groups of people live in informal settlements and depend on informal economic activities. Thus, they are deprived of social safety nets, public services like health and education, and even clean water and basic sanitation.

They had a lower level of resilience because of differences in financial stability, access to healthcare, education, and technology. Due to existing social and economic inequalities in cities, COVID-19 caused far more damage to people from lower-income groups and people living in informal settlements.

It was starkly visible during the time of the health crisis in cities. The lack of data with local governments further exacerbated the situation.

Moving forward, cities have to keep in mind that people living in informal settlements and slums should be crucial in the urban resilience strategy.

When cities face challenges during a disaster, it puts a strain on their coffers and pushes back their objective of developing inclusive and sustainable urban habitations. Policymakers in various cities have made the economic resilience of local governments a central theme of local development. To address the issue of the poor, cities have to find ways to make sure that their efforts in the direction of making urban services

Ranjit S Chavan President, AIILSG

inclusive are not affected; else, the efforts of years can go down the drain.

Digital threats

Almost every city moved online for an assortment of business and governance activities during the Pandemic.

COVID-19 expanded the use of e-commerce, e-governance, online education, digital health, and remote work. However, it also highlighted the need to bring digital inclusivity in our planning. From booking tests to tracing and vaccination, a host of health services went online. However, many people having no access to digital devices and internet access were left out. It is a new domain where disparity may be exacerbated, and cities must make extra efforts to see that their processes are inclusive. The digital gap is quite huge in various countries worldwide.

As low as 12 per cent of people have access to the internet in countries like Bangladesh. Cities will have to address these issues if the digital services are being expanded, and they cannot afford to ignore a large population from such services. However, the expansion of online information through dedicated websites and social media is a doubleedged sword. Infodemic and spread of misinformation is another disaster that is staring us in the face. Cities will have to build comprehensive communication policies for interacting with their citizens, especially during a disaster, so that rumours and misinformation

Global Risks Horizon

When do respondents forecast risks will become a critical threat to the world?

Economic

Environmental

Geopolitical

Societal

Technological

% of respondents

Clear and present dangers

Infectious diseases

58.0

Livelihood crises

55.1

Short-term risks (0 – 2 years)

Extreme weather events

52.7

Knock-on effects

Asset bubble burst

53.3

IT infrastructure breakdown

53.3

Price instability

52.9

Existential threats

Weapons of mass destruction

62.7

Long-term risks (5 – 10 years)

State collapse

51.8

Biodiversity loss

51.2

Medium-term risks (3 – 5 years)

Source: World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey 2020

do not derail the local governments’ efforts. Local governments have always been central to addressing crucial issues of development and economy.

And, if they want to remain on the right path of growth, they cannot afford to ignore the impending risks of various kinds of disasters. Therefore, it is natural that cities that anticipate and adapt to the coming trends in resilience and mitigation will propel growth, innovation, and sustainable development in the time to come.

The collection of data for risk mapping and socio-economic profiling of cities will be instrumental in this regard. It will require the role of existing development agencies along with experts for building an analytical framework. The agenda of building an analytical framework has to be embedded in the development plans.

It also needs to be robust yet flexible to include the effects of changing urban environment, new threats, and forwardlooking scenarios. This mechanism will help identify and compare tradeoffs required by different mitigation proposals and examine responsive capabilities against emerging crises.

When economies are reviving, greener manufacturing and consumption can be embraced to build a strong foundation for resilient communities. Local initiatives at the city level will also help the national government transform their economy by combining green and inclusive measures with short-term solutions to bridge gaps in health, education, employment prospects, and social safety nets. Strong and resilient urban habitation can enable opportunities for everyone in the long term.

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ARTICLE | Environment & Disaster

CEDM envisages safe urban habitats for all Vadodara Regional Centre of All India Institute of Local Self-Government established the Centre for Environment and Disaster Management (CEDM) as a separate wing to espouse the causes of Environment and Disaster related issues immediately after the devastating earthquake in the Kutch and other parts of the State of Gujarat in the year 2001

Hansa Patel Executive Adviser

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s the Vadodara Centre was already engaged in Fire and Safety training programs and assisting the industrial units and local bodies to get their concerned personnel trained in fire prevention, fire protection and firefighting aspects at National Fire Academy, it was thought apt to contribute and assist the attempts of newly constituted body of Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority in mitigating the impacts of disasters.

Further, the tragic after effects of the disastrous earthquake and the miseries of people prompted the Centre to approach the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority to direct the local bodies to depute the personnel working in their Fire & Emergency Services to attend the short term training programs tailored by the CDEM to mitigate and minimize the impacts of disasters and manage the manmade and natural disasters with better skills and awareness. The existing tieups of the Institute with Netherlands

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encouraged CEDM to approach them for their support and cooperation in providing the fire officers of various municipal corporations in the State of Gujarat to updated training programs in disaster management. Of focus would be the use of latest equipment in saving the lives of people buried under debris and removing obstructions for easy movement of men and machines in the affected areas. After the short term training programs, the fire officers returned with renewed confidence to tackle various challenges to save the lives of people with better knowledge, skills and efficiency.

After their return from Netherlands, the Vadodara Centre could organize workshops and seminars meant for the local body personnel and the concerned personnel of industries to share their knowledge and experience and the infrastructure requirements needed to manage the disasters and to evacuate people to safety.

Even after normalcy was established, CEDM took up various training programs related with fire and safety including the components of disaster management jointly with National Fire Academy for the concerned personnel of industrial units ranging from small scale industries to medium scale and large scale sectors of private and public sector in the State of Gujarat.

The current global COVID-19 pandemic has also become a health disaster and almost all countries are

struggling to cope up with the emerging issues and to save the lives of people.

The fire disasters in COVID wards of some hospitals in our country, including in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) has been a matter of great concern and pain to all. All concerned swung into action to investigate these cases, find out the root causes and fix them immediately to prevent any recurrence of such incidents.

CEDM is also planning to conduct training programs for the hospital staff to create awareness about the causes of fires, their prevention, and the necessary actions required in case of any sudden fire incident to evacuate the patients to safer places and to secure fire-fighting services.

Such programs are proposed to be conducted in collaboration with the Fire & Emergency Services, to secure better response and effective remedial actions. CEDM will also create awareness of the possible reasons for such fires, study specific cases to find out causes and suggest remedial actions and preventive measures to be implemented by the hospital administrations.

Tie-up with SMC

CEDM recently tied up with the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) to train about 900 of their fire marshals including watch and ward staff. These programmes were well appreciated as adding to the capability of the

This picture is for representation purpose only

concerned personnel.

The approval of Directorate of Industrial Safety and Health, Government of Gujarat to National Fire Academy, Vadodara enabled take up the training programs for large scale industries. This needed more infrastructure and larger training ground to conduct mock drills and live fire-fighting demonstrations.

Therefore, with necessary planning and inputs from technical experts, the Institute acquired a large piece of land at a prime location close to Vadodara City to set up an ultra-modern training

and study center to enable us to take up training and consultancy programs on a larger scale in the areas of fire, safety and disaster management.

The construction of the facility is in progress and is likely to be ready for use in about two years’ time.

In addition to the above activities, CEDM is also working actively in the area of environment protection.

The Centre has chalked out various programmes to create awareness and to promote sustainable actions with respect to environment protection including afforestation, sustainable

agriculture and waste management, among others. There is also an urgent need to address issues of vehicular emissions in our cities given the severe threats of global warming and climate change disasters. CEDM is now increasing its activities to address these concerns too.

CEDM is also encouraging the community for tree plantation and organizing seminars and workshops on various environmental issues with the help of other similar voluntary organizations and NGOs working in the field.

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ARTICLE | Landslides in India

Landslides - Major roadblock to DRR Mitigating disaster risk has been a challenge for India in both natural and human induced incidents and it has affected our cities on a large scale. After the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change seems to have come with full force and it is high time that we realise the need for disaster risk reduction (DRR) techniques Hitesh Nigam | Reporter

L

andslides have been a regular occurrence in India, but 2021 can be termed as a turning point as the country witnessed landslides and other rainrelated disasters in almost every region, including Mumbai, Pune, Kerala, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. According to the United Nations Office for DRR, India suffered 79,732 deaths due to natural disasters in 300 incidents between 2000 and 2019, which is the third highest in the world, after the United States of America and China.

Climate and landslides

According to the United States Geological Survey, landslides occur when forces under the Earth’s gravity exceed the strength of materials which make the slope. Snowmelt, stream erosion, heavy rainfall, change in water level, etc., are some of the factors which trigger this slope movement.

In India, excessive rainfall is the key concern which triggers devastating landslides in various places. This, in turn, is linked to climate change, as suggested by a study named ‘Robust Increase of Indian Monsoon Rainfall

34 August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

and Its Variability’ published in Earth System Dynamics Journal. The study clearly states that there will be a surge in monsoon rainfall by 10 per cent at least, even if the two degree Celsius rise in temperature target of Paris Agreement is met. In case of failure to comply by the target, the mean rainfall can go up by 24 per cent, the study suggests.

We are at fault

In addition to natural causes such as rainfall, various human induced events also add to the frequency of landslides. Geological Survey of India said in a statement that encroachment activities in hilly areas, excessive deforestation and developmental projects in Western Ghats have made the region vulnerable to landslides.

The State Environment Division of Himachal Pradesh had prepared a strategy and action plan in 2012 as part of the National Climate Change Action Plan, which clearly states that major challenges faced by the Himalayan environment are the escalation of landslides and other disasters through atmospheric and man-made interventions.

A report by India Spend clearly states

that the primary cause of landslides in India is human intervention and cites the report of Copernicus Publications which tells us that 18 per cent of the global human-induced landslides occur in India. The report mentions that activities like construction, mining, quarrying, and hydro-power projects loosen and remove soil, gravel, and vegetation, leading to lower groundwater retention capabilities, which increases the risk of flooding.

Need for government intervention

Together with mitigating climate risks, policy formulation is the first step in order to streamline the process of risk reduction due to landslides. They are a region specific hazard and in India, most of them occur in states with hilly terrain. According to Geological Survey of India, almost 15 per cent of landmass in India is prone to landslides. In this regard, localisation of state policies is important as awareness needs to seep down to ground level so that it can help people inhabiting such areas.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the nodal agency for disaster risk reduction

IIT-Mandi to the rescue

under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, has formulated specific guidelines to help the people and states in tackling landslides.

These guidelines, formulated with the help of the National Remote Sensing Centre, Department of Science and Technology, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other universities, are actively followed in Landslide Hazard Zonation (LHZ) areas, according to the NDMA. In order to enforce these guidelines, National Green Tribunal plays a major role in regularising encroachment activities in such susceptible states. It also rebuked the Shimla administration in July this year in order to eradicate encroachment activities in the city.

Solutions and way forward

Talking about the administrative level of solutions, there can be two important ways to go about it.

Firstly, policy formulation for DRR in vulnerable regions of the country.

Secondly, there is a need to shift the approach of policy formulation from response-based to prevention-based.

DRR must adopt a prevention-based strategy in order to make cities more resilient towards future disasters.

Recent devastating landslides in Himachal Pradesh have once again sparked off discussions calling for a directional policy framework at the local level for disaster resilient infrastructure in such regions as well as for urgent evacuation of people at risk during such events. In this regard, NDMA has also released an exhaustive document for ‘Landslide Risk Management Strategy’ (LRMS) which covers various aspects of risk reduction for landslides. Generation of user-friendly landslide hazard maps, development of landslide monitoring and early warning systems, awareness programmes, capacity building and training of stakeholders, etc., are some of the measures elaborated in the strategy.

Development of an effective early warning system is one of the most important and challenging tasks of landslide mitigation efforts. The LRMS suggests the adoption of Rainfall-based Early Warning System (EWS) for landslides, especially for Himalayas and the Western Ghats regions.

Conclusion

Mitigating the risk of landslides in

After the devastating landslides in Himachal Pradesh, two professors of the Indian Institute of TechnologyMandi (IIT-Mandi), Dr Varun Dutt and Dr KV Uday, created a device that could provide early warning before landslides. Their 13 monitoring devices are deployed in the vulnerable areas of Himachal Pradesh and the duo has planned to develop 20 more devices for the district administration in the next three years.

The device is made with the help of accelerometers through Internet of Things (IoT). Accelerometers are motion sensor devices which detect small movements and IoT is a system that sends and receives data through the cloud. The system collects the information on soil movement in the area and issues a warning few minutes before the disaster, giving time to the administration to clear the nearby area.

Developers of the system informed that with all its sensors and alerting mechanisms, the device costs around `1 lakh. On the other hand, it is almost 200 times cheaper than the conventional counterparts, which are priced in crores.

India is a long awaited and urgent issue. The COVID-19 infection with such disasters has caused huge loss of lives in the country. Various factors affecting landslides are natural but DRR is a viable way to tackle this through reforms in policies and effective EWS. Innovative reforms such as the EWS by IIT-Mandi and disaster-proof infrastructure in cities, especially those in vulnerable regions, are some of the ways to mitigate the risk. Together with DRR, reducing the consequences of such disasters with the support of administration and special forces such as the National Disaster Relief Force is also important as they are the first responders. Climate change is the major contributor to these natural disasters which has to be addressed without any further delay.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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ARTICLE | Industrial & Wildfires

Fire disasters are catastrophic, but avoidable

The massive disturbances inflicted upon nature by humans have resulted in the event called Climate Change. There is general agreement among scientists that many regions across the world have and will continue to experience more fire-conducive climate due to climate change, which will create drier and warmer weather conditions. This trend is already visible in many regions. In addition, occurrences of industrial fires have become more frequent Pooja Upadhyay | Trainee Reporter

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ire is a natural phenomenon that has contributed to shaping the Earth’s biosphere for the past 400 million years. Expanding human footprint has been bringing more ignitions,

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thereby increasing fires resulting in greater community vulnerability towards fire hazards. 24x7 media coverage over the past few years has informed the whole world about the catastrophic forest fires in Australia, Brazil, and the United States of

America. After wildfires, industrial fires have emerged having catastrophic outcomes. Fire in a New Delhi factory in December 2019 is one such example.

Fire is an uncontrollable element that can never be tamed. If not managed carefully, the element providing light and warmth can burn anyone and anything to ashes in a matter of seconds. Presently, human activities have been found to be responsible for most fires, up to 99 per cent of the fire incidents in many regions.

Wildfires

As of the first week of August 2021, over 42,000 people in California were forced to flee their homes because nine large wildfires in the state continue to burn out of control. The Dixie fire,

which reportedly started on July 14, 2021, is the second-largest fire in California’s history and has now been burning for over a month. A United Nations report on climate change, released on August 9 referring to the fires in California, said that it is visible that the planet is not coping well with the human influences on its climate and that the situation is bound to worsen.

Wildfires still raging in Turkey have been described as the worst in at least a decade. The temperature in the land around the Mediterranean Sea has soared to over 50 degrees Celsius and residents in countries including Greece, Italy, and Turkey have been evacuated. A sparsely inhabited region in the northeast of Russia is trying to cope with wildfires that have already broken annual records of fire-related greenhouse gas emissions.

Catastrophic bushfires in Australia in 2019 did not come as much of a shock, as did the wildfire in the Amazon rainforest. Unlike usual bushfires in Australia, the one that had emerged at the end of September 2019 went on raging and destroying everything that came in its way till February 2020. More than 12 million hectares of land were burned, thousands of structures were destroyed, and at least 33 people and over 1 billion animals were killed. Prolonged drought, increased temperatures, and strong winds, most being a result of climate change, intensified the bushfire that went on for months. The Amazon rainforest, unable to adapt to the fire, fell victime to the wrath of fire disaster in 2019. Scientists cited a sharp rise in deforestation in the name of development and demand for land as the reason behind the fire catastrophe in the rainforest.

Industrial fires

Increased industrial activity, new raw materials, many combustible, and some unsafe practices are adding to workplace risks including those of fire and explosions. Such events are now common in our cities and some

result in loss of lives and property. It is the responsibility of factory owners, builders, contractors, and architects to create safe industrial infrastructure and put in place recommended safety measures including fire prevention and fire protection systems; but the increasing number of fire-related disasters in industrial spaces shows lack of preparedness. A gas leak from an underwater pipeline in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula resulted in a fire on the ocean surface in July 2021. No injuries were reported but the harm inflicted on the ocean, its marine life, and increased carbon footprint remains uncounted and irreversible. It brought to light the weak regulations and enforcement methods in place.

In India, blatant disregard for fire safety measures is a major cause of workplace fires. Fire at a factory building in Anaj Mandi in Delhi in 2019 highlighted major gaps in the planning of urban areas and fire safety measures in place. The Delhi Fire Services had reached the location within five minutes of the call but was unable to get in for a long time because of the congestion, narrow lanes, and blockades. The building used to hold a workshop for the production of school bags and shoes, and the local police chief had stated that the building lacked a proper fire license, and its use as a factory was illegal.

How to avoid the endless burn

One cannot avoid floods or earthquakes or landslides from occurring, but industrial fire and the resulting destruction can be avoided with proper safety measures. Lack of adequate urban planning creates additional issues like densification of areas, non-compliant use of properties, on-street parking leading to local traffic congestion, greatly restricting movement of fire tenders during firefighting operations. A majority of industrial fires occurs at places with non-compliant construction; lack of precautionary maintenance like the upkeep of extinguishers, locked fire

doors, material stored in fire exits, no marking of fire exits and absence of refuge/assembly areas. Gross disregard for safety procedures such as evacuation drills and safe work procedures, and improper storage of inflammable material can be found everywhere. Cities are the hubs of manufacturing and industrial activity and thus are highly prone to industrial fires. Increasing fire incidents in factories and buildings calls for cities to make themselves ‘smarter’ in terms of avoiding fire-related disasters. The Smart City Mission has the potential to change the whole mien of a city by making it manyfold safer by the stricter and organized implementation of the National Building Code (NBC) of India 2016. Indian smart cities are trying to become more socially inclusive, technologically smart, and eco-friendly. Industrial fires pose a big threat to not only property and structures, but also lives and the environment.

We have seen the dramatic and disastrous outcomes of human activity in the cases of wildfires. Complete disregard for the environment while pursuing an unsustainable development agenda has destroyed large parts of the forest and wildlife ecosystem and put many more in grave danger. This could have irreversible consequences for life of this planet and compromise the well-being of generations to come. Similarly, human negligence and complete disregard for safety, whether relating to building construction practices or workplace systems in factories and industries, puts many lives in danger and has potential for great damage to property.

Sadly, in our cities, by such negligence of citizens, the lives of our valiant firefighting personnel are put to great risk when they engage in the line of duty to save lives and property. We must imbibe a culture of ‘safety first’ through constant awareness creation and respect for regulations. All violations of safety protocols must be punished as per law to serve as an effective detterent.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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ARTICLE | Flood Management

Charting a path from policy to practice for Indian cities Floods are a recurrent phenomenon in many parts of India, and human and economic losses are consistently rising with increased exposure to the hazard. These losses can be significantly reduced by eliminating the encroachment on floodplains and regulating the land use within it through floodplain zoning, a widely accepted and effective non-structural policy measure Radhika Matta | Editorial Assistant

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looding is also a natural event vital for geomorphological process and ecology of rivers. Flood fury has caused massive damage to livelihoods and property in the last six decades in India.

Over the years, floodplains have become sites of development due to their economic potential. Increasing human presence in the floodplains has hampered the normal pathway for floods. An active floodplain signifies the replenishment of soil and nutrients.

The fertile floodplains have always been ideal agricultural sites since the periodic flooding has ensured a fresh supply of nutrient-rich fine-grained sediment.

Several government agencies and experts have attributed the increasing frequency and damages caused by floods to the encroachments in the floodplains of Indian rivers.

“Rivers do not always flow in a fixed line but have the virtue of expanding on both sides of the rivers, several times in a year. Here, the floodplains allow them a comfortable zone to accommodate the excess water and prevent flooding of human settlements. However, with the passage of time, these floodplains have become victims of illegal as well as

38 August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

planned legal invasion by governments across the country,” said Jayshree Vencatesan of Care Earth Trust, Chennai (reported by Prevention Web, July 13, 2021).

Impact of encroachments on floodplains

In India, we have seen devastating floods in Uttarakhand (2021), Srinagar (2014) and Madhya Pradesh (2021), in addition to frequent events in Bihar and elsewhere to bring home to us the ill effects of invaded river flood plains.

However, since then, all concerned have failed to learn any lessons and adopt corrective measures..

Increasing encroachments on floodplains of Yamuna and Brahmaputra have strangled the rivers. The large-scale damage caused by floods in western Maharashtra and Konkan has put the spotlight back on massive encroachment of floodplains and the lack of regulations in the state. A report submitted in May 2020 mentioned that “a cursory analysis of these floods revealed that it was not just the fury of nature that wreaked havoc, but the large problem can be attributed to human interventions in the riverine and stream ecosystem.” Its recommendations have not been acted

upon yet either.

The 2021 report of a NITI Aayog Committee for the formulation of strategy for flood management works in the country also recommended floodplain zoning as an important nonstructural measure to counter flood damages. The report also urged the Jal Shakti Ministry to impress upon the states on the need to take measures to ensure floodplain zoning.

Examining India’s Floodplain Zoning Policies

Regulating floodplain use in India has largely been a flawed exercise.

The constitutional provision of flood management falls under the purview of the state governments, while central government organisations such as the Ganga Flood Control Commission, Brahmaputra Board and the Central Water Commission, can only provide technical support to the states. It is up to the states to weigh the costs and benefits of floodplain zoning as a viable flood management option.

The Model Bill for Flood Plain Zoning (MBFPZ) and the National Disaster Management Guidelines for floods (NDMG) are two key policy documents that reflect the central government’s position on floodplain zoning and capture the governance mechanism that it has tried to impress upon the states.

But these instruments will remain ineffective unless the state governments can muster enough political will to pass legislations.

The policies will have to be contextualized according to the existing socio-political and economic realities in each state. This is important

for customising the ‘model bill’ and the guidelines to fit the needs and constrains of the region where it is to be implemented.

Despite the crucial need for floodplain zoning, several states have resisted such efforts, including the enactment of a law. There could be two reasons for their reticence: the constraints arising from evacuating people who occupy the floodplains, and resettling these people elsewhere given the paucity of land.

Removing these bottlenecks is crucial for successful realisation of floodplain zoning and to put in place an integrated approach for flood management. The West Bengal government has prepared a draft bill on floodplain zoning and the Madhya Pradesh government has demarcated 36 towns affected by floods and continues to carry out necessary administrative work towards demarcation of flood zones.

♦♦ Structural measures like storage reservoirs, embankments and levees, flood plain zoning, and river training works. These measures aim to keep floodwaters away from the damage centres ♦♦ Non-structural measures that include flood forecasting, warning systems, and flood insurance.

These techniques typically aim to temporarily move people from damage centres to safe locations or risk-sharing India has successfully set up systems for forecasting cyclones, which has resulted in almost zero loss of lives in recent cyclones. Similar success stories need to be replicated for inland flooding.

India is slowly beginning to realise that floodplains are an integral part of a river area; a river with a complete floodplain is not just in equilibrium but also in good health.

Resolution

Conserving floodwater

Scientific studies have concluded that in India, complete protection against floods cannot be provided to all and people need to learn to live with floods. Clearly, a shift in approach from disaster control to disaster management is needed. We have some available measures to control floods and they can be broadly categorised into two groups:

Ironically, just a few months after the flood season, many parts of the country start to witness droughts. Thus, the practice of passing flood water to the ocean at the earliest is not a good approach. If we view flood flows as a resource, a better approach would be to conserve floodwaters for subsequent use and pass only that water which cannot

be conserved and may cause harm.

Regular monitoring

Intense rain events are one of the main causes of (flash) floods—such events are likely to become more common in a warming climate. Concerned agencies have to remain vigilant around the year and regularly monitor surface water bodies, hill slopes and snow or glacier cover for early detection of changes that could cause harm. Timely alerts can save numerous lives while minimising damage to property.

Significant reduction in damages by riverine floods is possible in India by implementing flood plain zoning.

In fact, many floodplains can be used to temporarily hold floodwaters, thereby helping in controlling floods and simultaneously recharging groundwater. This step would, of course, require political and administrative determination. In the ‘sponge city’ concept, paved surfaces in the cities are converted to porous surfaces that absorb some of the floodwaters and check falling water tables.

Flood management is likely to become more challenging in the changing climate. Therefore, creating awareness among the people and educating them about the ways to survive in a flood is also the need of the hour.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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ARTICLE | Rising Sea Levels

India’s Andaman and Nicobar is sinking Scientists estimate that the Indian islands of Andaman and Nicobar will be uninhabitable by 2100 due to melting ice caps and rising sea levels. The Government of India would either have to adopt institutional changes or convince tribals, who are already vary of the government, to vacate the island Shivi sharma | Editorial Assistant

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cross the globe, over 600 million people live along coasts. Most of these places are less than 10 meters above sea level.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

40 August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

(IPCC), a United Nations (UN) body that assesses the impact of climate change, released a special report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in Changing Climate (SROCC) in September 2019.

It announced that along with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, several

other low-lying islands would soon be uninhabitable due to the exponential rise in sea levels. Since the world is heating up, oceans are undergoing thermal expansion, i.e., water is expanding as it gets warmer. With land-based ice melting and glaciers

softening, the oceans are further eating up the land.

The IPCC report further said that the severity of climatic events might increase in India. The report also pointed out that climate change is affecting wind patterns and the rainfall cycle, which might also increase the frequency of natural disasters. India ranks among the top three countries in the world that have recorded the maximum number of natural disasters in recent years, the other two being the United States of America and China. Globally, the average number and cost of billion-dollar disasters have also drastically increased in the past five years. From seven events per year (1980-2020) with a cost of $45.7 billion, the events have now increased to over 16 per year with a cost of over $121 billion.

A similar situation globally

Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Tokelau and Tuvalu have been recognized by the UN as the most vulnerable nations in the world to climate change. According to data from 2019, over 11,600 people live in Tuvalu. As Tuvaluans are grasping their sinking reality, many are worried if the people from bigger countries are going to accept them as they vacate the island. The UN Environment Programme pointed out that moving people to industrialized countries is going to increase their consumption and accelerate climate change. In other words, city life is the leading cause of climate change. Adding more hands in the capitalistic loop would only further the problem.

Aminath Shauna, Minister of Climate and Environment, Maldives, while in conversation with CNN, said that if the world continued at this pace then “there will be no Maldives by 2100.”

The Maldives is one of the aforementioned nations that are at the forefront of facing the impact of climate change as their land is inching away from under their feet. According to scientists, the island will vanish in the next 30 years or sooner.

How is the globe dealing with it?

Maldives is a country with the lowest terrain, with 80 percent of its 1190 coral islands standing less than 1 meter above sea level. To tackle the rapidly growing issue, Maldives is creating artificial islands like Hulhumale. This new island is made by pumping sand into the seafloor onto a submerged coral platform. This way, the newlycreated island is two meters above sea level. The Government of Maldives is also exploring the option of buying land on higher ground in another country for a situation where the country’s resilience is broken down by climate change.

Tuvalu, a country described by the United Nations Development Program as the “least-developed country” that is “extremely vulnerable” to the effects of climate change, is planning the construction of a sea wall. The muchdelayed sea wall will be constructed to protect the administrative center of the capital. Local town councils have also planned to reclaim the land south of Fongafale and raise it by 10 meters above sea levels. They would then build high-density housing in the area.

However, these plans require funding that the country cannot afford on its own.

India’s plan for Andaman and Nicobar

National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) has developed a `75,000 crore vision for the ‘Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands’.

The proposal includes a greenfield international airport, a power plant, a township complex spread over 166 sq km and an international container transhipment terminal. The construction would mainly be done in the coastal systems and tropical forests. The plan has raised several eyebrows by environmental groups. In a review meeting, it was pointed out that the proposal does not include the number of trees to be felled during this development process. The number

could go up in millions since most of the construction work is planned in areas of tropical forests. Trees allow the soil to soak in water and retain its nutritional value. If the proposal is taken up for consideration, it would further the impact on the island’s forests and consequently push it further into the sinking hole.

Mihir Kumar Bhatt, Director, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, suggests that the issue needs to be taken into cognizance on a global level.

“The climate change response agenda should be of a transformative nature”.

He said that in order to reverse the effects of climate change, the world needs to have a response agenda that transcends the development pace and pathways. What the world currently needs is to evaluate the risk depending upon the analysis of how much the seas will rise, who and what it will impact the most, and who is going to be its first casualty. “Considering multiple types of hazards reduces the likelihood that risk reduction efforts targeting one type of hazard will increase exposure and vulnerability to other hazards, in the present and future,” said IPCC in its report. Hence, it is crucial to keep the urban ecosystem in mind while formulating a strategy to counter a certain aspect of climate change.

With regard to the situation of India’s Andaman and Nicobar islands, preventive measures need to be adopted soon. Scientists estimate that sea levels will continue to rise and reach around 30-60 cm by 2100 if greenhouse emissions are not sharply reduced. With regard to these studies, Bhatt advises that it is all the more important now for citizens of India to actively partake in adaptive measures. “To address climate change now, it is crucial for the society to help authorities in resistance building”.

The sinking islands really put one through the imaginative drive if Atlantis was a real island. Legend has it that Atlantians got greedy and hence God decided to put them in their place in the ocean’s basin. So where does that leave humans?

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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ARTICLE | Water Crisis

Right to safe drinking water for all

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his July, as the world was preparing to celebrate eleven years of ‘Human Right to Water’- recognized by the UN - an investigation into detention camps in Libya made some shocking revelations that would shame the civilized world. Refugees and migrants are being forced to trade sex for water, the Amnesty International report found out!

The report reads: In the first half of 2021, more than 7000 people intercepted at sea were forcibly returned to Al-Mabani. Detainees held there told Amnesty International they faced torture and other ill-treatment, cruel and inhuman detention conditions, extortion and forced labour. Some also reported being subjected to invasive, humiliating and violent strip-searches.

Former detainees there said that guards raped women and some were coerced into sex in exchange for their release or for essentials such as clean water. “Grace” said she was heavily

beaten for refusing to comply with such a demand: “I told (the guard) no. He used a gun to knock me back.

He used a leather soldier’s shoe … to (kick) me from my waist,” said the report.

The Human Rights Watch reported in 2016 that migrants and refugees rescued off the coast of Libya are not escaping death; instead, many of them are suffering a slow death in Libya’s 18 detention centres. These centres, managed by the Interior Ministry Department for Combating Illegal Migration (DCIM), are currently holding about 3500 people from all over Africa, including neighbouring countries like Egypt and Tunisia.

Growing refugee crisis & curtailed rights

Refugees and migrants are growing in huge numbers all across the world.

There are approximately 80 million displaced people in the world, of which about 26.3 million are refugees: people displaced from their own country.

Remaining 45.7 million are internally

displaced people due to various reasons. The number of refugees is growing steadily over the last decade.

All of these refugees are entitled to their right to a dignified life, and that includes safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene. International human rights conventions and instruments spell out that asylum seekers and refugees are entitled to all the rights and fundamental freedoms.

Access to justice – in real terms – means people can go before the courts to demand their rights to be protected, regardless of their economic, social, political, migratory, racial, or ethnic status or their religious affiliation, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

However, in war torn and conflict zones, the victims hardly have support systems. In fact, vulnerable people could suffer even for a so called cooperation effort between nations.

The Amnesty report testifies this.

“The fresh evidences of harrowing violations, including sexual violence, against men, women and children intercepted while crossing the Mediterranean Sea and forcibly returned to detention centres in Libya, highlights the horrifying consequences of Europe’s ongoing cooperation with Libya on migration and border control”, said the report.

The detention centres are being run by Libya’s interior ministry but that has not helped in abating the horror they have been forced to.

European Union lawmakers, civil society groups and others have been asking the European Commission to stop the cooperation with Libran coastguard as the country was not safe for disembarkation of people rescued at sea.

War situations and right to water

As the world urbanises faster, the nature of wars and conflicts are also

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Ranjan K Panda Convenor, Combat Climate Change Network

changing. Battles are increasingly fought in population centres, primarily as a result of the prevalence of noninternational armed conflicts between states and non-state armed groups. A 2018 report of the UN and the World Bank has to say, “Violent conflicts today have become complex and protracted, involving more non-state groups and regional and international actors, often linked to global challenges from climate change to transnational organized crime. It is increasingly recognized as an obstacle to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030”. Major violent conflicts have tripled in number since 2010.

The war and conflict situations lead to several kind of problems for the vulnerable groups. Water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH) infrastructure get badly impacted, curtailing thereby the right of the people to these lifesaving services. A latest UNICEF report says, “Even the most resilient water and sanitation systems can fail in the face of attacks, leaving previously realized development gains among the rubble. Millions of children around the world suffer the worst consequences of armed conflict, paying a steep and unjust price when parties to conflict fail to respect and protect essential services”.

“Not only are children in extremely fragile contexts, often more than eight times worse off across WASH indicators than children born into a stable, protected and developed country context”, says the report further.

Damaged WASH infrastructure and services leads to a cycle of problems for the children and their families.

Their health, nutrition, education

get severely affected and they are denied their right to life, growth and happiness. Conflicting parties hardly recognise such rights. In a world that is still struggling to meet the water and sanitation targets for population in normal situations, these conflict and war zones hardly get the attention they deserve.

Ensuring right to water against all odds

Deeply concerned by the fact that approximately 884 million people lacked access to safe drinking water and that more than 2.6 billion did not have access to basic sanitation, and alarmed that approximately 1.5 million children under 5 years of age died and 443 million school days were lost each year as a result of water- and sanitation-related diseases, the United Nations (UN), in its General Assembly on July 28, 2010, adopted a resolution recognizing the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.

The UN acknowledged the importance of equitable access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as an integral component of the realization of all human rights. It also reaffirmed that it is the responsibility of states for the promotion and protection of all human rights, which are universal, indivisible, interdependent and interrelated, and must be treated globally, in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same emphasis.

The right to water entitles everyone to have access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic use. The right to sanitation entitles everyone to have physical and affordable access to sanitation, in all spheres of life, that is safe, hygienic, secure, and socially and culturally acceptable and that provides privacy and ensures dignity.

A decade after this important recognition, in 2020, around 1 in 4

people lacked safely managed drinking water in their homes and nearly half the world’s population lacked safely managed sanitation.

COVID-19 has highlighted the urgent need to ensure everyone can access good hand hygiene. At the onset of the pandemic, 3 in 10 people worldwide could not wash their hands with soap and water within their homes.

While the world needs to step up its investment in making provisions for universal WASH, the pace has to accelerate in case of Least Developed Countries. To achieve universal access to safely managed drinking water by 2030, the current rate of progress in the Least Developed Countries would need to increase ten-fold. In fragile contexts, where people were twice as likely to lack safe drinking water, it would need to accelerate by a factor of 23.

For the war zones and conflict stuck areas, special initiatives with the involvement of UN, experts and peace makers should work to engage with governments to ensure that all parties to armed conflict comply fully with their obligations under international law. For detention centres such as the ones from Libya, discussed in this article, the respective donors and others involved should make immediate evaluation of the situation and take measures to ensure right and dignity of the migrants and refugees.

Climate change is another huge threat that needs to be tackled with appropriate global and local actions.

Climate change is projected to increase the number of water-stressed regions and exacerbate shortages in already water-stressed regions. In 2050, about 2.7 to 3.2 billion people will be living in severely water stressed areas. It therefore means, even after three decades from now, we will still be struggling to realise the goal of right to water and sanitation for all, unless we put our priorities right.

[The views expressed are the author’s own. They do not purport to reflect the views of Urban Update.]

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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E-Dialogues 26.0 | Entrepreneurship, Skill Building

Training women at the local level is key to their empowerment All India Institute of Local Self-Government, in collaboration with Girl Power Project, organized the twenty sixth edition of ‘E-Dialogues’ on ‘Empowering Women by Building Skills and Entrepreneurship’ on Tuesday, August 3. The webinar was organized to solidify the efforts and initiatives under AIILSG’s Girl Power Project Team Urban Update

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he venerable panel for the event comprised of Farida Jalees, Managing Trustee, Lucknow Mahila Sewa Trust; Ankita Kashish, Program Manager, Umang; Dr Jaykishor Chhangani, Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Rural Industrialization (MGIRI); and Dr RK Gupta, Project Director, Girl Power Project, AIILSG. The event was moderated by Ashley Paul, Senior SubEditor, Urban Update.

Paul started by emphasizing the importance of women entrepreneurs as people around the world have started recognizing the need for integrating women into the workspace. Building on entrepreneurship skills directly uplifts women’s social status. He mentioned several schemes run by the Government of India like the Ujwala scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and the Nirbhaya scheme, that are working towards empowering women.

44 August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

The first speaker, Dr Jaykishor Chhangani, began by saying that Indian society considers women to be a mighty source of power. Quoting the Vedas, Chhangani said that God resides where women are respected.

Sadly, the picture portrayed by the holy books does not get translated into real life. Chhangani said that it is essential to involve women in the workspace for financial stability of the nation. “Unfortunately, the erstwhile governments have not taken this as seriously as they should have”. He stated that according to the data released by NITI Aayog, women’s contribution to the GDP is 23 per cent, a severely low number as compared to international standards. He informed that he is currently working with MGIRI, which aims to empower women through entrepreneurial development based on ‘Panchagavya’. Stating that there is an urgent need for upliftment of women, especially in the rural landscape, he

implored that government packages cannot be a solution and that women entrepreneurship development is the only way. He said that women need to be empowered with scientific and technological intervention. Panchgavya are the five products that a cow can provide - cow milk, clarified butter, curd, urine, and dung. These products, sold worldwide, have proven medical properties. Seeing the commercial importance of these products, MGIRI conducts five-day workshops training women the art of manufacturing the aforementioned products. The Institute has also conducted several training sessions with local self-help groups. For instance, women of the Adivasi Pardi tribe from the Wardha district of Maharashtra were part of a five-day training program where they were taught how to make phenyl from cow urine. Those women went on to set up their own businesses and are now independently handling the product’s marketing, sales, and manufacturing.

Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh has several ashrams for widows that raises funds through donation. These women have also been part of the institution’s fiveday training camp. The next step in this project is going to incorporate Naxalite women for which the organization has already received a grant of `1 lakh.

Dr RK Gupta took the discussion ahead by speaking about womenfriendly food value addition and other technologies for a sustainable livelihood. The Girl Power Project (GPP) is aiming to empower over 5000 urban women with the help of Central

Statistics Office. Speaking about the GPP, he informed that the project has five main goals namely capacity building of NGOs and self-help groups (SHGs), establishing market connect, providing skill development training, network building, and increasing the engagement of women in policy generation. For the unskilled women, the project runs surveys to identify their area of interest and then provides the training. With regards to food value addition, Dr Gupta spoke about an innovative way to use technology for commercial gains.

He was pointing out that commodities that can make the everyday life of people easier have a huge demand, especially in urban areas.

Under the project, his team has helped several SHGs and NGOs in establishing businesses around this model with the use of technology. In his concluding remarks, he stated that there is a need to identify and popularize womenfriendly technologies through skill development and entrepreneurship training. Not only would this help budding women entrepreneurs, but also financially empower them by establishing their own enterprises in the micro, small and medium enterprises sector.

The third speaker, Ankita Kashish, first commended the initiatives under the GPP. She said that skill-building is extremely subjective, and conducting surveys to figure out the niche of a person is critical to the process.

The counselling and mobilization process is very important as it helps in strengthening the motivation of the person and makes the process more fruitful. She then pointed out the key factors of success of a social enterprise, especially by women-led SHGs. Speaking from her personal experience in Jharkhand, she said success is directly dependent on market recognition, money investment, nurturing, capacity building, human resources, and handholding support.

Promoting teamwork and healthy transactional relationships is key for an enterprise to thrive in the long run and for it to sustain itself.

Once the organization reaches the stage where it does not require external support, the entrepreneur’s driving force comes to play. Kashish emphasized the need for strong motivation and determination for entrepreneurs that only comes from vision. “The vision comes from exposure, education, and aspirations of one. However, India’s current education system does not

empower the youth, especially the girls,” said Kashish. Mentioning a study conducted by BCCI, she informed that the aspiration for engaging in economic activities by girls is quite high. However, a majority of them do not have matching educational aspirations. “The key reason for that is the lack of career counselling and guidance. The same is the case with entrepreneurship”. She suggested that the information and skilling programs be made more accessible for the beneficiaries.

Farida Jalees said that in her opinion, 93 per cent of the labour force in Uttar Pradesh are involved in the unorganized sector out of which, 97 per cent women are not office goers. When a woman has a stable financial source, leadership and knowledge, only then she has the confidence to voice her opinion, and most importantly, to be seen. Lucknow Mahila Sewa Trust helps organize small female farmers in the field of food processing. The women involved in the process, or the RUDI sisters, then sell the products within five kilometre of their location. From purchasing to providing the manufactured product, all is looked after by women through a mobile app. This not only provides women with financial support but also empowers them to have a say in their household. The Lucknow Mahila Sewa Trust, to provide a platform for household help, has started with a para nursing training program called ‘Saman Sewa’. This program allows women to earn over `10-15 thousand as there is a huge demand for nurses in the health sector.

The webinar was successful in highlighting the lack of policies and support given to budding women entrepreneurs. Engaging women in the entrepreneurial area is actually the solution to many of the social issues that will also help in uplifting the economy of the country. There are various projects that are involving women and providing hand-holding support to their enterprises. But for it to expand and reach the larger population, there is a need for institutional and policy change.

www.urbanupdate.in | August 2021

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Urban Agenda

Reinventing Approaches

Time to consider pandemics as disasters Ashok Wankhade Managing Editor

The COVID-19 pandemic not only cost millions of lives worldwide, it also showed that the infrastructure in cities is incapable of handling a pandemic-like situation. And considering this was not the last pandemic the world will see, it is time that cities reform the way they look at pandemics Ever since the pandemic began last year, cities have actively tried to control the virus spread, initially by imposing lockdowns, and now by vaccinating as much of its population as possible. However, many experts have said time and again that these are only temporary measures. Controlling coronavirus with the help of vaccines will work to eradicate COVID-19. However, the possibility of another contagious disease spreading among humans is not extinguished. Thus, rethinking how city governments treat pandemics is of vital importance.

The best way to do that is to treat a pandemic as a disaster and work on containing and eradicating it with similar policies and techniques. Much like a disaster, a pandemic also causes loss of life, and sometimes infrastructure too. Here, the case of Indian smart cities is one which has set an example for cities across the world to follow.

Smart cities in India followed a strategy similar to that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 10-Point Agenda for Disaster Risk Reduction. Prominent among those was the use of social media to address public issues. The proactive role that integrated command and control centres took up to deal with COVID-19 cases made it easier for city administrations to track new and existing cases. A wellplaced digital infrastructure helped them in coordinating efforts between the general public, relief organisations and medical institutions, much like Point 5 and 7 of the Agenda.

Secondly, various research institutes continue to take up research projects to better understand coronavirus and how it is mutating, what can be done to counter its spread and how severe the disease can become. This is in line with Point 9 of the Agenda and helps in creating a kind of ‘database’ of the virus.

Thirdly, the increased role of ASHA workers and other women volunteers, mainly as medical nurses, also cannot be ignored. For many women, the pandemic was a chance to step out of the house and serve the community. This not only helped in increasing their self-respect, but also made them feel confident and increased their status in society. Much like Point 3 of the Agenda, the initiative of city administrations to include women as frontline warriors contributed to women empowerment in a major way.

Prime Minister Modi’s announcement of distributing free vaccines to all created a safety net around the most economically vulnerable section of the society, and assured them that they will get the chance to be vaccinated too. On the other hand, the government’s relief packages for companies and businesses has also given a boost to economic activities. This replicates Point 2 of the Agenda.

Lastly, the world came together to fight the pandemic in India during its second wave in May-June this year. Not only did countries show empathy but also sent medical equipment and supplies to the country to help the failing health infrastructure of the country. This way, international collaboration was taken to new heights, as enlisted in Point 10 of the Agenda.

Thus, it is clear that Indian cities worked to control the pandemic by considering it a disaster and adhering to the Prime Minister’s 10-Point Agenda. Yes, many innocents lost their lives. But further destruction was averted only because cities adopted this approach without hesitation and in unison.

46 August 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in

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