Urban Update January 2017

ISSN 2349-6266 RNI No DELENG/2014/57384

Setting The Agenda For Tomorrow’s Cities

UrbanUpdate Volume III, Issue IX

JANUARY 2017

Rs 100

VISION FOR CITIES

What if mayors really ruled our cities!

The role of city leaders is supreme in execution of national policy decisions to ensure people’s real needs are addressed. A new calendar year offers our city leaders a chance to learn from the mistakes of 2016 and past years, and to keep adapting to a shifting urban landscape

Reform financial management of ULBs The project is funded by the European Union.

The project is implemented by the AIILSG.

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

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

Community Based Interventions

Professional Empowerment Project Management

Advisory Services Customised Training

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

Policy Research

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

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

Ranjit Chavan President-AIILSG Ashish Deosthali Editor-In-Chief Director General-AIILSG Ashok Wankhade Managing Editor Abhishek Pandey Editor Ravi Ranjan Guru Executive Editor

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

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

Printed at Artz & Printz, 208, DSIDC Shed, Okhla Industrial Area Phase-I, New Delhi-110020 Published at Sardar Patel Bhavan, 22-23, Institutional Area D-Block Pankha Road, Janakpuri, Delhi-110058 Despite careful selection of sources, no responsibility can be taken for accuracy of the contents. The magazine assumes no liability or responsibility of any kind in connection with the information thereof. The views expressed in the articles are the personal opinions of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the All India Institute of Local Self-Government.

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The project is funded by the European Union.

The project is implemented by the AIILSG.

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

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January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

EDITORIAL

Cities are better prepared in the coming year

A

s we welcome the new year, we look forward with renewed hope, confidence and energy in our quest towards more efficient, safe and inclusive cities. The year 2016 witnessed continued progress at the national level on all urban rejuvenation missions including launch of smart cities into implementation mode, Swachh Sarvekshan rankings, many villages, cities and districts achieving ODF status and launch of several poverty alleviation measures. With momentum now very much in place, we expect to see rapid implementation progress and noteworthy outcomes as we progress in the new year.

This is also that time of the year when we look into the future with expectations and dreams for our cities and the urban landscape.

When we look into the future, what do we see?

We see urbanisation continuing its relentless march with continued rural-urban migration on account of the economic opportunities that our cities offer. At the same time we also see our urban centres more prepared, anticipating the migration and looking to manage the trend sustainably. With such influx into our cities there is bound to be pressure on urban housing and service delivery. The affordable housing interventions may take more time to produce results and in the interim we will see the proliferation of informal settlements and urban sprawl. Alongside, service delivery, especially water supply could face pressure coping with increasing numbers of new urban residents.

But with respect to other services, we can see increasing use of technology and the result will be more reliable, efficient and effective response to citizen needs. As more cities implement modules of their smart cities proposals, we will see a gradual reform in the way our cities are managed. Urban transport will remain a challenge and we will see cities grappling with

the acute issues of congestion and emissions.

This will require ULBs to marshal all resources at their command because the problem of urban mobility has wide-ranging severe implications, most notably GHG emissions and the resulting public health dangers. The challenges are no doubt imposing but the responses have started to become more focused and will improve going forward.

Alongside, policy makers have felt the need to articulate a ‘Rurban’ mission. There is realization that rural centres also need sufficient economic opportunities and thus the mission aims to provide social, economic and physical infrastructure in select rural centres which illustrate potential for growth by virtue of having economic drivers and locational or competitive advantages. By developing such clusters and exploiting their potential, we hope to see emergence of new economic centres and contain the influx into the main cities.

For this issue of Urban Update, we invited some of our well-wishers and experts in various fields to write on issues facing urban governance and their hopes, expectations, vision and dreams for our cities. We bring you their thoughts on a wide range of themes from urban governance, urban ecology, climate change mitigation, urban mobility, municipal accounting reform, technical capabilities of municipal bodies and so on. We believe that these are insightful and make a useful contribution to the debate on urbanisation in India.

Ashish Deosthali Editor-In-Chief dg@aiilsg.org

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

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PIN POINT BUZZ

Energy is a key driver of economic growth.

Sustainable, stable and reasonably priced energy is essential...On one hand, to meet the increasing demand, we need affordable and reliable sources of energy. On the other, we must be sensitive towards the environment Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India

Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all.

It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthen governance Ban Ki-moon Former Secretary-General, United Nations

Amina J Mohammed @AminaJMohammed Environment Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Our little ones need us to lead by example. We owe them a clean & safe environment to grow up in

Christina Cooke @xtinacooke Associate Editor, CivilEats

Smart ideas on how to support urban farming—make arable city land available, invest in ag training, discourage lawns

Tom Murray @tpmurray VP, Corporate Partnerships, Environmental Defense Fund

I believe the most daunting challenge is to double food production by 2050 for an increasingly prosperous and growing population, while also providing water for more domestic users and meeting industrial and energy demands Takehiko Nakao President, Asian Development Bank (ADB)

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January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

Good governance is the key to ensure that gains of urban development reaches all, and in making the cities resilient and sustainable.

Investors and firms who don’t get on the #sustainability train will miss out on the ride of their life

M Venkaiah Naidu Union Urban Development Minister Mukhisa Kituyi @UNCTADKituyi Secretary-General of UNCTAD CTAD

Graduation is not the winning post of a race to escape from the LDC category.

It is the first milestone in the marathon of sustainable long-term development.

Volume 3, Issue 9

ARTICLE

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Anticipate public aspirations to create liveable cities

Wi-Fi in public areas is good, but only after utilities such as clean water, power supply and waste management are addressed. This will happen through diligence and doable smart and sustained strategic plans

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Many molestation incidents on the last day of 2016 makes us rethink about the state of women safety in Indian cities

River basin management needs sensitive and responsible cities

Industrial and urban wastewater cause maximum pollution of our rivers. They enter into cities as rivers but come out of them as dirty dead drains.

This has to change!

Hansa Patel elected Co-Chair for Women Empowerment Committee of UCLG-ASPAC

Hansa Patel has been doing far-reaching work in India on the issues of women, children and youth empowerment for many years now

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Paris makes public transport free It is by now well accepted that urbanization creates wealth. There is, therefore, little surprise to find the great degree of excitement not only among the cities, but also among the people at large, about the Mission on Smart Cities (MSC), announced by the Government of India (GOI) in 2014

RegularS

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LEADerspeak

News Feature

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January 2017

No country for women

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Inside

Pin Point Newscan

43 46

City Images Urban Agenda

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NO PARKING! The rapidly growing vehicle population in our cities alongside an inadequate and fragile public transport system in India is giving sleepless nights to urban planners, city administrators and citizens alike. Parking is a related problem which needs urgent, innovative and durable solutions

article

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What if mayors really ruled our cities!

14

Reform financial management of ULBs

The role of city leaders is supreme in execution of national policy decisions to ensure people’s real needs are addressed. A new calendar year offers our city leaders a chance to learn from the mistakes of 2016 and past years, and to keep adapting to a shifting urban landscape

It is by now well accepted that urbanization creates wealth. There is, therefore, little surprise to find the great degree of excitement not only among the cities, but also among the people at large, about the Mission on Smart Cities (MSC), announced by the Government of India (GOI) in 2014

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

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LEADERSPEAK

Multiple aspects

No Parking!

N

umbers of private vehicles in Indian cities are on the continuous rise. It is not just causing air pollution and congestion on city roads but also throws up a problem of parking of these vehicles when not in use. One can easily fined thousands of vehicles parked idly on roads, footpaths or lanes, blocking road space. In metro cities, at night, a majority of vehicles are parked on roadsides because most of them who own vehicles do not have space for parking and in absence of any alternative, they park their vehicles near their houses on roads or wherever they can find space.

Parking facilities may be available in

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January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

our cities but could be inconvenient to access from public places or remain poorly managed. This may be the result of inappropriate design or construction, or inadequate management arrangements. In the present scenario, it is important that local bodies build up parking spaces at residential and market places with innovative technological interventions.

This will solve the parking problem and also help in generating more revenue for cash-strapped ULBs. When the government is able to build an efficient infrastructure then they can make it mandatory for every car owner to pay a certain fee every month, if they do not have personal parking space.

The recent developments in Delhi with respect to ambient air quality are making headlines in many parts of the world. While details are not yet available, one can presume that a significant part of the problem of air quality is resulting from vehicular emissions. This is a challenge major cities and even smaller towns are facing in many parts of the globe.

The situation in some of our large cities is alarming, not getting any better. According to Motor Transport Statistics of Maharashtra 2014-15, Greater Mumbai, for example, had a population of 25.71 lac vehicles as of 31.3.2015 growing at over 10% compared to the previous year. The neighbouring Thane Region had an even larger population of 28.88 lakh vehicles. In terms of vehicle density Greater Mumbai has an astonishingly high number at 1292 vehicles per Km of road length.

In Greater Mumbai, if you take away about 15 lakh two-wheelers, that’s still over 10 lakh 3 and 4-wheelers which present the larger fraction of the parking problem. Quite obviously in our metros like Mumbai one needs urgent, innovative and lasting solutions to address mobility issues.

While there can be no restriction on car ownership, car use on city roads needs to be dis-incentivized. While the odd-even formula can help, a system like the Certificate of Entitlement as prevailing in Singapore would be more lasting.

This system which allots permits through an auction limits the number of cars that can be used in the city. The rest simply remain locked up in garages at home. While such restrictions can ease the parking problem as well, some more innovative solutions need to be found especially in the high density precincts of business districts of our cities.

Policy measures

Citizens should get used to paying to park their cars. Paying more than they have been. This itself can be a

Parking Managment

The rapidly growing vehicle population in our cities alongside an inadequate and fragile public transport system in India is giving sleepless nights to urban planners, city administrators and citizens alike. Parking is a related problem which needs urgent, innovative and durable solutions. In addition to building more parking space, the government must give emphasis to efficient parking management and utilize a wide range of tools—parking sensors, pricing, regulations, and information technology systems and other innovations being practiced worldwide

disincentive for using private cars as it is in Tokyo which is among the top 5 most expensive countries in the world to park. This revenue needs to be ringfenced by the ULB to create more sophisticated parking infrastructure like vertical stacking and robotic parking/retrieval systems.

ULBs need to mandate adequate parking space in building plans of both commercial and residential buildings when these come for sanction. This is to ensure that there is no more on-street parking beyond what already exists.

There has to also be strict enforcement later on. Often, in the case of malls and commercial buildings, spaces shown as ‘parking’ in the plan are later used by the developer for storage and other purposes. Such violations need exemplary punishment.

As another measure, while buying a car, a citizen needs to prove that he has parking space for it- in his residential complex and his workplace. Or else he cannot buy a car. Difficult to implement, but worth trying. As reported in the Times of India on December 23, 2016, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu has proposed such a measure.

Smart Parking

There is scope for substantial and extensive use of IT when it comes to parking solutions. Very often drivers spend frustrating time looking for

vacant slots to park their cars. Our cities need to display in real time, the number of number of vacant slots at nearby public parking spaces. So motorists can head there with minimum fuss, causing no congestion and avoiding added pollution. In addition, each public parking lot needs to have some premium slots where one can pay more to park. This will generate further revenue for the ULBs. Another concept we should get used to is differential parking charges based on car attributes. For example, larger cars need to pay more for parking than smaller ones simply because they occupy more space. We already have a differentiated pricing structure for larger cars. Cars of greater than 4 metres length attract a higher excise duty and hence cost more to buy.

Such cars can also cost more to park.

Makes sense doesn’t it? Similarly cars which pollute more, say for example diesel cars, need to pay more. It is a kind of ‘Sin Tax’. On the other hand an electric car may pay very little to park. Cars which have engines of larger displacement generate more power and consume more fuel and possibly emit more. Therefore a car with a 2.0 litre engine needs to pay higher parking fees than a car with a 1.5 litre engine. Seems quite fair.

But how does one capture all this information at the time of parking

Ranjit Chavan President, AIILSG

and charge accordingly. Quite simple really. The license plate (registration number plate) of every car is unique and during the process of registration, all details, whether petrol engine or diesel or electrics, size of car, engine capacity all are captured in the registration document. These details need to be embedded in the registration number plate. The number plate is never tampered with since it is a major offence. So while parking, the attendant simply scans the number plate and his handheld console will print out the parking ticket. The driver has just to mention the intended period of parking.

It may also be a good idea to charge lower fees from neighborhood residents than from far-away visitors.

Why? One because local residents in any case pay taxes to the local authority.

Secondly, it could encourage people to go shopping in neighbourhood malls than far away ones-preventing congestion and causing less pollution.

Again the owner’s address is recorded while registering the car and this can be embedded in the number plate.

We already have such a system in Mumbai where vehicles entering (and exiting) the city limits pay a toll every time they do so. Vehicles moving around within the city limits would not pay the toll because they are residents and in any case pay local taxes.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

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ARTICLE

What if mayors really ruled our cities!

Members of the Global Parliament of Mayors in The Hague, The Netherlands during the inaugural meeting of the Parliament in September 2016.

B

enjamin Barber, the famous political theorist of the USA, wrote the book ‘If Mayors Ruled the World’ in 2013 and underlined the value of cities in global economy and the roles of mayor in accelerating urban prosperity and global sustainability measures through local interventions. The key point highlighted in the book was that mayors, unlike political leaders at national or state level, show a non partisan style of governance to improve livability of their cities. He emphasized, “We would all be a lot better off if mayors ruled the world.”

The thoughts Barber put forward a couple of years ago are still relevant in the times when the world is facing abundant sustainability related challenges; and world leaders are looking towards cities to achieve most of the Sustainable Development Goals.

If cities have an important role to play then it is obvious that we need to delegate more powers to city leaders to

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January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

attain what we desire for a prosperous and sustainable world. He has also proposed a global “parliament of mayors” that could achieve a good deal of concord voluntarily both on common policies and on common actions.

Global Parliament of Mayors

Global Parliament of Mayors was formed by over 60 mayors representing cities from all over the world during a conference in The Hague, the Netherlands on September 11, 2016.

This new platform is aimed at enabling cities to further their cooperation in addressing global challenges.

According to the attendees, mayors are well positioned to offer local notions and best practices to support and accelerate global answers in an ever interdependent world.

The mayors agreed on ‘The Hague Global Mayors Call to Action’, stating that the GPM will allow cities and their pragmatic, problem-solving mayors to cooperate on critical issues such as

climate change, refugees, pandemic disease, inequality and urban security, problems that other institutions have not always been able to address. These founding cities are at the forefront of what will expand to be an even broader and more encompassing association.

The GPM will share best practices, offer a common global voice for cities, and act as a permanent action oriented platform. It will work with and advise international organizations like the OECD, the World Bank and especially the United Nations. According to the mission statement released in the first convening, “Global Parliament of Mayors can and will draw on successfully implemented policies and activities by mayors around the world.

Their track records should serve as guidance for national governments and international organizations, and manifest the decisive force of every individual mayor and of the GPM as a whole.

More than 50 per cent people live in cities. Cities produce more than

Mayoral Power

City governments are the most direct and closest contact for urban residents. Cities provide test beds for feasibility of any project or policy targeted to benefit citizens. A new calendar year offers our city leaders a chance to learn from the mistakes of 2016 and past years, and to keep adapting to a shifting urban landscape. This will call for more powers for city leaders in particular and local governments in general

80 per cent of GDP. It is therefore inconceivable that national and international bodies discuss and decide on policy actions without cities and their mayors present at the table.”

Indian scenario

Whenever any Indian city is faced with any big problem, be it a flood, cyclone or a terrorist attack, local residents tend to find out who is politically accountable for the urban chaos. In many cases, local bodies and city leaders look at the central or state government for help and relief for resolving the problems as local bodies and city leaders have remained powerless and sans needed resources. Are our mayors just a constitutional decree? The answer is obviously “yes”. Though democratically elected by the citizens, mayors do not wield much administrative power and remain dependent on the bureaucrats appointed by the state governments.

Despite numerous attempts to delegate powers and responsibilities to city leaders through legislation and constitutional amendments, Indian cities are still alien to delegation of crucial powers to mayors. Unlike mayors in global cities like Paris and London, mayors in India have limited administrative powers and many of the crucial departments such as water boards, development authorities, transport department and police department do not come under the jurisdiction of city mayors. They report to state government officials and political leaders of respective

ministries. Most of the key departments which run the cities are not under the jurisdiction of local bodies hence making city leaders dependent on the head of the agencies to get the works done. Despite being elected under rigorous democratic process, they remain mere paper tigers.

In August 2016, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor presented a private member’s bill in the Lok Sabha and vouched for more powers for city leaders and local bodies through constitutional amendment. Explaining the problems of city governance, he has reiterated in one of his articles for the Quint, “In theory, city governments are led by mayors. In practice, however, the mayor is little more than the powerless chairperson of a municipal committee that is itself powerless. Indian cities are managed by a spectrum of disorganised bodies that also serve as instruments for state governments to circumvent basic principles of local democracy. The mayor more often than not finds herself parked in a glorified position with titles like “Worshipful Mayor” but with no executive authority and no budgetary power, while municipalities are headed by a state appointed bureaucrat devoid of all democratic legitimacy. Similarly, the parastatals delivering basic services like water and urban planning report directly to state administrations, again making it difficult for city residents to hold anyone, least of all the mayor, accountable.” Tharoor has proposed for a city governance system similar to US presidential system. In the bill he

Abhishek Pandey Editor

has suggested that the Chairperson of a Municipality to be known as Mayor shall be chosen by direct election by electors of the territorial constituencies of a Municipal area, to be held in such manner as the Legislature of a State may, by law, provide. The term of the office of the Mayor shall be co-terminus with the term of the Municipality. The mayor will be given a council made up of members who are elected by direct voting and will be different from the existing presidential system where there is a separation of executive and legislative powers. The bill, thereby, empowers local municipal bodies by providing them with autonomy, making them self-sufficient, and compelling the state governments to give them powers by restructuring their constitution. According to the bill, there shall be constituted by the Mayor, within a period of thirty days of entering into office, a Mayor-inCouncil for a Municipal Corporation or Metropolitan Authority, as the case may be. The Mayor shall exercise administrative powers to implement the provisions of any law made by the Legislature of a State relating to the Municipality. The main idea behind the concept proposed by Tharoor is that accountable political leaders for cities will help cities evolve into vibrant urban centres that can emerge as global hubs. The idea floated by Tharoor may need analysis and feasibility of implementation has to be seen but it is an idea worth considering to help cities turn into liveable places.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

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Numerographs

Unfit cities for PwDs

When we talk about disabled-friendly cities, not a single Indian city or a specific city service would come to mind. India has a significant disabled population of 21 million. Since the scope of coverage is renewed in the new bill, the number would significantly go up. To address their issues of accessibility and improving their living standards, Government of India has amended the existing disability law to provide Persons with Disabilities (PwD) with better services and friendly infrastructure in cities. Now it’s the time for a paradigm shift in policy and programme implementation to build a disabled-friendly environment. Team Urban Update has figured out some important facts and figures to critically analyze present situation in our cities

State-wise disabled population (%)

Jammu & Kashmir 1.35%

Himachal Pradesh 0.58% Punjab Uttarakhand 2.44% 0.69% Haryana 2.04% Delhi 0.88%

Uttar Pradesh 15.50%

Rajasthan 5.83%

Assam 1.79%

Bihar 8.69% Gujarat 4.07%

Jharkhand 2.89% West Bengal 7.52%

Madhya Pradesh 5.79% Chhattisgarh 2.33%

Daman & Diu 0.01%

Meghalaya 0.17%

Nagaland 0.11%

Manipur 0.22% Tripura 0.24% Mizoram 0.6%

Odisha 4.64%

Maharashtra 11.05%

Dadra and Nagar Haveli 0.01%

Telangana 3.90%

Goa 0.12%

Andhra Pradesh 4.55% Karnataka 4.94%

Lakshadweep 0.01%

Tamil Nadu 4.40% Kerala 2.84%

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Arunanchal Pradesh 0.10%

Sikkim 0.07%

January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

Andaman and Nicobar Islands 0.02%

Source: Census 2001-11, 5th Annual Meeting of Washington Group September 21-23 ,2005 Rio de Janeiro

Empowering Disabled

Disabilities added in the Rights of PwDs Bill-2016 Low-vision

Leprosy Cured persons

Mental Illness

Dwarfism

Cerebral Palsy

Intellectual

Locomotor

Sickle Cell disease

Acid Attack victim

Parkinson’s disease Blindness

Muscular Dystrophy

Speech & Language Chronic Neurological Specific Learning disability conditions Disabilities

Hearing Impairment Autism Spectrum Disorder

Multiple Sclerosis

Hemophilia

Thalassemia

Multiple Disabilities including deafblindness

Global Disability Status by type Global Disability Status Disabled population Persons 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

In seeing

In hearing

In Speech

In Movement

Mental Retardation

Mental Illness

Any Other

Multiple Disability

8%

19%

18% 19%

3% 6%

20% 7%

% Population With Disability

Disabled population by sex and residence 30000000

5000000 4500000

25000000

4000000 3500000

20000000 Urban Population

15000000

Total Population

10000000

3000000

Urban Males

2500000

Urban Females

2000000 1500000 1000000

5000000

500000 0

0 2011

2001

2011

2001

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

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ARTICLE

Reform financial management of ULBs

T

he Smart Cities Mission targets to cover 100 cities spread across all States and Union Territories and envisages investment of Rs 50,000 cr from GOI, with equal, if not bigger, contribution from the states and the cities. In fact, the framework of the MSC is very well applicable for the remaining 3,500 cities and towns, and even for the villages, with local adaptation.

The vision for the planned urbanization of habitats relies on the premise that “Cities are the engines of growth� and, therefore, cities would inherently be viable entities.

Accordingly, cities are expected to design their policies and managerial practices suitably, to attain viability in all its dimensions, namely, financial, technological, environmental, managerial and social.

Accounting reforms to support financial viability

While the fiscal policies adopted by the municipalities are regulated largely by the state governments as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, there remains a suggested list of 18 sectors relating to different aspects of local governance, covering the dimensions of planning, development and regulation, to be assigned to the municipalities as per the Twelfth Schedule. The MSC expects the municipalities to gear up to perform those functions, including by mobilising adequate financial resources.

The scope and approach to fiscal viability and sustainability of a city would require attention to the various sources, including the taxes, user charges, and market borrowings. This, in turn, would require improvement in fiscal management, by way of adoption of better accounting practices including the accrual based double entry accounting system (ABDEAS) and

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improved related managerial practices, such as updating the inventory of the assets and services owned by the municipality and also the inventory of assets and services of others that are liable to pay taxes and user charges to the municipality.

Recommendations of the Eleventh Finance Commission

The Eleventh Central Finance Commission (EFC, 2000) was the first Central Finance Commission constituted after promulgation of the 73rd & 74th Constitutional Amendments, which required the CFC to make recommendations in relation to the local bodies as well.

The 11th FC made recommendation not only for making available certain grants to the local bodies, but, and more significantly, specifically for improving the accounting practices including audit of the accounts, of which details are given in Box

1 below.

The 11th FC also mandated that the grants recommended by it for the Local Bodies should be released only after the Local Bodies had made arrangements for the above-mentioned reforms (Para 8.22). The 12th & 13th FCs also emphasised the need for enhanced attention to proper accounts and audit. The maintenance of accounts of local bodies and entrusting technical guidance and supervision over audit to the C&AG were among the conditions that States had to fulfil in order to draw the performance grants recommended by the 13th FC.

Enhancing Accounting

It is by now well accepted that urbanization creates wealth. There is, therefore, little surprise to find the great degree of excitement not only among the cities, but also among the people at large, about the Mission on Smart Cities (MSC), announced by the Government of India (GOI) in 2014

Sudhir Krishna Chairman, Delhi Finance Commission

Accounting reforms for Local Bodies recommended by the 11th FC ♦♦ States should review the existing accounting heads under which funds are being transferred to the local bodies. ♦♦ For each such major head/sub-major head, six minor heads should be created - three for the PRls and another three for the ULBs - so that a clear picture of transfers to each category of local bodies is readily available. ♦♦ In addition, specific demand heads should be created in the State Budgets for the rural and the urban local bodies, respectively, wherein transfers to these bodies under various detailed heads of account are enlisted.

♦♦ This may be done in consultation with the CAG and the Controller General of Accounts, to ensure uniformity among the States. ♦♦ The CAG should be entrusted with the responsibility of exercising control and supervision over the proper maintenance of accounts and their audit for panchayats and urban local bodies. ♦♦ The Director, Local Fund Audit or any other agency made responsible for the audit of accounts of the local bodies, should work under the technical and administrative supervision of the CAG in the same manner as the Chief Electoral Officers of the States operate under the control and supervision of the Central Election Commission. ♦♦ The CAG should prescribe the format for the preparation of budgets and for keeping of accounts for the local bodies.

Such formats should be amenable to computerisation in a networked environment. ♦♦ Local bodies particularly the village level panchayats and in some cases the intermediate level panchayats that do not have trained accounts staff, may contract out the upkeep of accounts to outside agencies/persons. ♦♦ The CAG may lay down the qualifications and experience for the agency/person who could be contracted out the work of maintenance of accounts. The Director, Local Fund Audit or his equivalent authority may do the registration of such agency/ person. ♦♦ A group of local bodies may be entrusted to an agency/person for upkeep of accounts on payment of remuneration as may be fixed by the CAG in consultation with the State Government. ♦♦ The Director, Local Fund Audit or his equivalent authority, under the direction of the CAG, may do the supervision over the quality of work of such agency/person. ♦♦ Audit of accounts of the local bodies be entrusted to the CAG who may get it done through his own staff or by engaging outside agencies on payment of remuneration fixed by him. An amount of half-a-per cent of the total expenditure incurred by the local bodies should be placed with the CAG for this purpose. ♦♦ The report of the CAG relating to the audit of the accounts of the panchayats and the municipalities should be placed before a Committee of the State Legislature constituted on the same lines as the Public Accounts Committee.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

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ARTICLE

National Municipal Accounting Manual and JnNURM

Keeping in view the recommendations of the Eleventh Central Finance Commission, the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) had, in collaboration with the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) of India, introduced the National Municipal Accounting Manual in December 2004.

This Manual has given the framework for accounting and budgeting reforms for the municipal bodies. The Eleventh CFC had also recommended financial aid to the municipalities for improving the capacities of their personnel for adopting the improved accounting practices including ABDEAS. Implementation of accounting reforms including adoption of ABDEAS by the Urban Local Bodies (LBs) was given a further push by the MoUD through the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) that was launched in 2006, by way of making it as one of the mandatory reforms to be achieved by the ULBs for accessing the Mission grants.

JnNURM prescribed a structure of the reforms to be undertaken by states/ cities in Municipal Accounting, with the objective of having a modern accounting system based on doubleentry accrual principles, leading to better financial management, transparency and self-reliance.

The current status

The implementation of accounting reforms has indeed made progress over the years. The progress has, however, not been uniform across the municipalities and a renewed thrust is called for. The 14th FC noted (Para 9.58-9.60) that while most States had self-certified the adoption of the accounting framework, the actual maintenance of accounts still needed improvement, even while the C&AG was providing technical guidance and support to primary auditors in twentysix states. The audit reports were being submitted to the State Government or State Legislature in twenty-one states, while the first audit report was under

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Small expenditure incurred frequently on road repairs needs to be compared with a larger amount spent on better quality of repairs. The cost accountants need to advise the ULBs about such comparison in rupee terms

preparation in another five.

The shyness of the municipalities in adopting accounting reforms has emanated primarily from their lack of capabilities for the purpose. As a result, municipalities have not been able to project their assets and liabilities correctly. While the liabilities are anyway reflected in some documents, the assets of a municipality are often not projected properly. The numerous buildings, including the roads, community centres, school buildings, recreation centres and baratghars, etc., are very valuable assets owned by the municipality, but are seldom recorded in the annual accounts of the municipality.

Yet another example of benefits from proper accounting practices can be seen in the costing of works such as repairs to roads. Small expenditure incurred frequently on road repairs needs to be compared with a larger amount spent on better quality of repairs that would be more durable. The cost accountants need to advise the municipalities about such comparison in rupee terms. Similarly, any asset procured would entail operation & maintenance liability on the municipality for several years to come and the municipality’s accounts need to reflect these facts in the ABDEAS mode.

While training and retraining of the municipal staff in migration to ABDEAS would be very useful, the experience thus far has been that such training efforts have yielded very limited benefits. There could be several

reasons for this situation including the critically inadequate staffing and also the frequent transfers of the senior officials of the municipalities, who are usually from State Government cadres and serve the municipalities on deputation.

The way forward

The AMRUT guidelines also prescribe complete migration to double entry accounting system and obtaining an audit certificate to the effect from FY 2012-13 onwards, appointment of internal auditor and publication of annual financial statement on website as mandatory reforms. This needs to be given full attention by all Class-I cities.

It may, however, be appreciated that transforming the mindset of the existing municipal staff to migrate to ABDEAS remains a big challenge. Changes in administrative framework coupled with retraining of the personnel needs closer attention. The recently released Report titled “Smarter cities, simpler cities: Accounting for the city of the future,” prepared jointly by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) of the UK ACCAICAIprovides many useful suggestions in this direction.

One way out for meeting the objective of migration to ABDEAS would be developing a software application that would enable migration to accrualbased double entry accounting in a smooth and seamless fashion, with nominal requirement of retraining the staff. Happily, the extraordinary growth and developments seen in the ICT sector give a hope of accelerating the adoption of accounting reforms in real terms. With the aid of the reformed accounting manuals coupled with a user-friendly software application and with the support of accounting professionals, municipalities are sure to improve their financial health, as also the presentation of their financial status, leading to improved finances.

This, in turn, would enable the cities move ahead with realisation of their vision for becoming smart, in a faster and sustainable manner.

Water Smart Cities

Nivedita Khandekar Freelance Journalist

Why it is smart to save lakes and urban water bodies?

Citizens and the government must realise that cities cannot and will not survive without its lakes, ponds and water bodies

I

t is January and it is cold, alright.

And to a layperson, two lakes resemble – well, at least from some distance – a snow-covered lake somewhere in the north.

Except that it is not snow but toxic foam and it is not somewhere in the north but a prominent southern capital city - Bengaluru.

Third week of December saw Bengaluru’s Bellandur and Varthur Lakes spill toxic foam, yet again.

Residents complained of foul smell and of course pollution, yet again.

This was not the first time it happened. It has been a repeated occurrence since the summer of 2015.

While the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) continued to dole out inanities about “action would be taken to sort out the matter at the earliest”, the root of the problem lay in the fact that it was a trouble wrought by unplanned development.

While the areas surrounding these lakes, including the plush Whitefield residential area, came into existence much earlier, it lacks the much-needed civic infrastructure as it was only in 2007 that these outer zone areas were added to the purview of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP).

A January 2016 report ‘Wetlands:

Treasure of Bangalore (Abused, Polluted, Encroached & Vanishing)’ by Indian Institute of Science (IISc)after almost two years survey of 105 lakes clearly established how 98% of the lakes were encroached and how 90% of them were sewage fed.

Unfortunately, the problem of encroachment of urban water bodies and lakes being infested with sewer and other pollutants is not restricted to Bengaluru. Without any exception, every single A and B category of city has been on the warpath to destroy its lakes, ponds, baolis, johads, and wetlands – all forms of urban water bodies. National Capital Territory of Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Srinagar, Bhopal, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Raipur, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, Indore, Chennai, Kolkata, Guwahati and even in the state of Manipur – the list goes on and on.

Lakes as important part of urban ecosystem

Small or big in size, lakes are a significant ecological entity for a city.

Lakes, ponds, johads, taal, talaabs, pukur – the names and sizes vary from place to place, but each of it performs a valuable ecological task, brings about a social and economic functions. Cities

in earlier times would be found either along the banks of rivers, big and small, or it would have lakes and ponds.

Bengaluru, Bhopal, Hyderabad and Pune are just a few of the examples.

Be it the 2014 floods after cloudburst in Srinagar, flooding in Ratlam and other cities of Madhya Pradesh in the same year or be it Chennai floods in December 2015, not to mention the waterlogging and flooding of low-lying areas of NCT Delhi even after small quantity of rain, it seems neither the people nor the government has learnt any lessons over the years.

The lakes and ponds not just act as sponges to control / regulate flooding in case of excess rains, these are sources of drinking water if kept pollution free; can recharge groundwater table, can provide livelihood (e.g. fishing) and in some cases, also support agriculture.

Across India, all water bodies and wetlands (including Ramsar Sites) are facing extremely pathetic conditions – not just environmental degradation, but encroachment, pollution, dumping of solid waste. In case of bigger cities such as Delhi, the planners have allowed destruction of (and at times, leading to end of) water bodies right under their nose as ‘development’ takes priority over environment.

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Delhi, for instance, had more than 1,000 water bodies, big and small, till 100-odd years back. Starting with the Britishers declaring Delhi as the capital of undivided India in 1911, the water bodies, lakes, wetlands, ponds, johad, etc. faced a slow and steady death.

Especially in the last two decades when the NCT Delhi has seen an urban explosion, the number of such water bodies has gone down drastically. Circa 2016, barely about 600 water bodies are acknowledged by the government on record and those in good condition with water and other biodiversity parametres are less than 100.

No wonder, slightest rainfall in Delhi causes waterlogging (leading to hours of traffic jams) and floods the lowlying areas too. In case of Bhalaswa resettlement colony, the government willfully re-settled people on a wetland, a surefire recipe for floods each year.

One can imagine, if the national capital faces such a situation, what can be expected of other cities. Naya Raipur and Amaravati, the new capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation are perfect examples of how to destroy existing water bodies.

Community ownership

In all these laws and policies, the government and the policy makers have forgotten a golden rule. Earlier, all these were termed as ‘commons’, owned by the community. This sense of ownership of the community is missing as almost all the water bodies today are under government control, one or

the other agency. The commons were taken care of by the community and hence faced no threat of extinction.

In case of water bodies, majority of the communities across India had a foolproof practice. Ahead of the monsoons, the people dependent on the water body would join hands for desilting of the lake or pond. Any given settlement, especially those away from river banks, had more than one water body and each of them was earmarked clearly for a purpose – drinking water, bathing, for livestock, etc.

But first with the Britishers and then with the government of India, community rights were snatched away and the government started treating water bodies as just another piece of land. Within decades, the ill-effects of destruction were evident.

Increasing urbanization

It was in the 11th five year plan that government made a prominent shift from ‘rural’ to ‘urban’ (subsequently leading to schemes such as JNNURM).

Urbanisation was termed as indicator of economic development without realizing how this leads to increased migration (it is actually a vicious cycle). Across cities – be it Srinagar, Ahmedabad, Indore, river floodplains and/or open/unoccupied catchments of the lakes and ponds become the first vulnerable places that see settlements coming up.

Unlike the planned colonies, these areas do not have any infrastructure to tackle fast

rise of water levels in case of floods.

Increased urbanization has also led to increasing concretization of city areas giving misleading nomenclature such as ‘beautification’, ‘paving blocks’ or even ‘channelisation’. Every single step, intended well but misconstrued while implementation to bring in disaster.

Any number of Lake Development Authorities will bring in no respite.

So, what is missing?

Of course, the community ownership is missing. But since the lakes and ponds and all such water bodies now fall under various government departments and no longer belong to the community in urban areas, the onus now lies on the various arms of the government.

Understanding of ‘water’ among cities’ people and policy makers leads from one problem to another and at times, the solution turns out to be more disastrous than the problem. Lack of will for conservation of water bodies, lack of initiatives on part of both the government and the people to save its own lakes (it is after much damage like frothing lakes in Bengaluru that citizens wake up), lack of monitoring vis-à-vis encroachments and pollution, lack of implementation of existing laws and last but never the least, basic flaw in the approach towards treating it as wasteland or open land that can be ‘developed’ into something that will yield commercial value.

A case in point is the

Water Smart Cities

Factors responsible for degradation of lakes in urban areas Lakes underwent an unprecedented environmental degradation due to: ♦♦ Population explosion ♦♦ Large scale industrialisation ♦♦ Chemical intensive agriculture ♦♦ Water intensive lifestyles The factors that lead to degradation of lakes include: ♦♦ Urbanisation, pollution of water due to sewage ♦♦ Nutrient rich agriculture run-off and industrial toxic waste ♦♦ Reclamation leading to siltation and loss of morphometry

Impact of urbanisation on lakes ♦♦ Eutrophication ♦♦ Siltation ♦♦ Flooding

Social impact of lake conservation ♦♦ Climate: Lakes are cooling agents and are essential to the urban microclimate ♦♦ Recreational Facilities: If promoted in well-planned manner, can serve as a new revenue generating measure ♦♦ Rainwater harvesting and biodiversity: Lakes assist in rainwater harvesting, protection of biological resources, enhancement of water quality (Source: Advisory on Conservation and Restoration of Water Bodies in Urban Areas MoUD, August 2013)

‘Advisory on Conservation and Restoration of Water Bodies in Urban Areas’ of the Ministry of Urban Development released in August 2013.

It lists out the benefits of urban water bodies, it lists out the problems that the lakes and ponds face and it also lists out the remedial measures that need to be taken to save all the urban water bodies. But in reality, it is

the same Urban Development Ministry that goes ahead with planning heavy infrastructure under various schemes such as AMRUT or HRIDAY (earlier JnNURM was no different) which emphasize more on development at any cost.

Environmentalist Anupam Mishra, who has authored a wonderful compendium on traditional water harvesting practices across India as ‘Aaj Bhi Khare Hai Talaab’ has always maintained basically how simple it can be. “You have buckets in your house kept under taps. Imagine, few of them go missing. Will your house not be flooded with tap water, quantum for which has not changed? Same for lakes and ponds. These are sponges for the city.”

“The rainfall in many cases has not changed. So, if you close the areas that absorb rain water, your cities are bound to suffer with immediate problems such as water logging and flooding. There would be long term problems such as groundwater levels going further down as the lakes have not absorbed water and hence there has been no recharge,” Mishra has been telling it for decades to anybody and everybody who cares to listen. Uma Bharti, Union Minister for Water Resources (MoWR), and Anil Madhav Dave, Minister of State (I/C) Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) have had the privilege of listening to Mishra a number of times. Mishra died on December 19, 2016.

Now is the time to see if the leaders walk the talk.

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Anticipate public aspirations to create liveable cities

O

ur cities have been growing apace, their growth having been self-propelled largely owing to the absence of a navigation system that could have anticipated and guided the momentum in an orderly manner. For a long time, after our independence, the accent has been on making the rural segment sustainable and even profitable. Indeed, historically too, the political refrain was to frame and reach economic policy to the 75% of the population that was dependent on agriculture as its sole means of livelihood. Right or wrong, is not the question, but the consequence has been good and not so good. Sure, we are reaping the benefits of abundant wheat, paddy, sugarcane and pulses harvests over the years, but the neglect of our urban development over the years is having adverse consequences.

The cities expanded as they had to because of a growing population. With little or scant investments in the civic infrastructure and poorly enforced development protocols, people met their shelter needs almost at will. The municipal bodies functioning without financial and administrative support could only be willing spectators, as city after city lost its mojo to accommodate the constant influx.

A flagship research project of the Global Commission on the Economy and Climate observes that “the

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Indian cities are expanding outward at a rate that outpaces their population, and they are doing so haphazardly, without heed to principles of urban planning, without adequate water, electrical, waste management or transportation infrastructure and services and without regard for the environment”.

According to this working paper, “the country stands to pay for this pattern of urbanisation, if it continues, an enormous $330 billion to $1.8 trillion every year by 2050. For our GDP, this translates into a loss of 1.2 to 6.3% shaved off annually”.

Urban liveability

Let us forget about the GDP and economics of urban centres and focus on human beings who are the inhabitants.

What is happening to them in our cities? The cost of life is huge in terms of environmental impacts. The quality of water, lack of waste disposal, lack of drainage, contamination of ground water, proximity of animals and human dwellings, all combine to not only shorten life spans but also seriously damage their quality. An epidemic a season, dengue, viral of all kinds, asthma prone lives and ‘name it and you have got it’ ailments and afflictions are common in our cities. In 2012-13, our

public health expenditure was a mere 1.08% of our GDP and the figure had not changed for the previous two years.

The per capita public expenditure had gone up to Rs 890 in 2012-13. The bulk of the expense had to be borne by the individual and this is mounting, given the polluted conditions they live in. To remind, cities really are about human beings and real lives. It is somewhat of a mystery why our city administrators have not realised this simple reality.

Once this home truth hits them, it will perhaps be the beginning of a clean and healthy environment.

Yes, for urbanisation to succeed, we have to start with making clean environment our first priority. Yes, clean environment is an expensive enterprise, but there is no choice but to do it. Neighboring Sri Lanka is a model for clean vehicle policies. Our own need to hasten compliance with Bharat VI norms is paramount and the target date for implementation by 2020 needs to be advanced to 2017. Auto manufacturers in India are meeting these norms but only for export markets. It’s shameful that older technology that is poorly engineered enters the Indian Market.

India’s Urbanisation

Wi-Fi in public areas is good, but only after utilities such as clean water, power supply and waste management are addressed. This will happen through diligence and doable smart and sustained strategic plans Simultaneously, we need effective waste management systems in all our cities and villages. This business of dumping waste in landfill sites outside the city limits has to stop. Pushing the problem outside municipal limits simply would worsen the scenario. Investments into disposal systems through recycling combined with extensive education of our urban residents is needed. Coupled with these steps, the recycling of waste water through intensive purifications will give a huge impetus to a healthy environment for the citizen in the urban areas and a smart start to enduring urbanisation initiatives. The Solid Waste Management Rules, notified in 2016 have given the framework and now institutions have to manage their compliance. It is noteworthy that these rules cover urban agglomerations, census towns and all areas beyond municipal limits. If this aspect of urban life is effectively handled, our urban story will become truly vibrant.

City governance

We have inad equate town and country planning capacities across the states in the country. As a consequence, urban planning has been a major casualty and rural planning non-existent. The vacuum has been filled by the builder-politico-bureaucrat nexus which drives urban expan-

sion. We have housing of indifferent designs and shortage of infrastructure.

Even where private-public partnership was the way to go, the private player gained hugely. The sufferer was always the citizen. The EDCs (external development charges) where collected were never spent on the infrastructure, colony roads, drains and waste management systems, local transport etc.

Invariably feeding on builder interests, residential and commercial real estate got created, being remunerative, even as the social and cultural infrastructure lagged behind, reducing the quality of life to a humdrum. The town and country planning is the principal navigator of planned urban development. Talent and merit need to be deciding factors while hiring people in any institution.

This coupled with public consensus can lead to a more inclusive approach to urban planning Cities are about people and not about fancy architecture. Aesthetics are important but not at the cost of comfort, safety and well- being of the people.

People who live in the cities must be able to feel the joy of their family, friends and happenings and only then will they share the ambitions of their city. It is also important to remember that cities are not only for the rich.

They are also about who are not so rich, indeed, who are poor and have left the warmth of their rural dwellings to make a living for their next generation. They constitute an essential segment in every which way and thier

Raj Liberhan Former Director, India Habitat Centre

sustenance cannot be ignored.

A smart urban development paradigm, therefore, has to begin with a simple, compact set of bye-laws and rules. Planners must be clear on the basics like optimum floor area ratios, vertical development, compulsory underground parking facilities in public spaces and a well-run public transport facilitymust be an absolute imperative. Building houses by ignoring fundamentals of water and electricity is foolish and should be a punishable act, strictly enforced.

Access and affordability are two vital considerations in building the momentum for urban growth. Either we have a constant supply of serviceable land or we should be able to make the best use of available land. We do neither and keep making facile noises to make shelter and access to services affordable. Our inadequacy of the fire services and outdated colonial era laws will not allow us to go for high-rise development. A capable fire service is a needed insurance. Ensuring that laws are followed by everyone irrespective of status is crucial here In the ultimate analysis, it is not a sin if people want to migrate to cities for their future; the cardinal sin is in not anticipating these aspirations and not being ready to manage this scale of migration. We have almost 350 million human beings in our cities, with another 300 plus million to come to the cities in the next decade. Growth and employment are powerful magnets to the cities and we cannot undermine individual aspirations.

The problem actually is bigger because we never count the hidden urban dwellers on the fringes of the cities, called periurban residents.

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Be ready for change

T

he Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the highest scientific body to assess the scientific knowledge of climate change has, inter alia, set the danger limit, i.e. 2.0C rise of global average

temperature from the pre-industrial level which, if crossed, the world will see catastrophic consequences.

As enshrined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) efforts are to limit and cut emissions forstabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

In fact, the theme of mitigation is at the centre of UNFCCC’s goals and efforts as it requires all the Parties by taking into account their responsibilities and capabilities to formulate and implement programmes to climate change.

What is mitigation?

The answer to this question can be replied best with a quotation from UNEP: Climate Change Mitigation refers to efforts to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse

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gases. Mitigation can mean using new technologies and renewable energies, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing management practices or consumer behavior. It can be as complex as a plan for a new city or as simple as improvements to a cook stove design. Efforts underway around the world range from hightech subway systems to bicycling paths and walkways. Protecting natural carbon sinks like forests and oceans, or creating new sinks through silviculture or green agriculture are also elements of mitigation.

The quotation speaks many things.

Fact is that emissions cannot be wished away. They are necessary by-product of the moving wheels of industry, of transport, of economy for the modern life, for economic development and the myriad needs of goods and services.

What mitigation efforts require is to find new technologies to reduce them, to find alternate sources of energy that emits less or does not emit at all, to increase natural sinks and other technological sinks.

IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (2014): The latest report of the IPCC, in the form of the Fifth Assessment Report is in four parts, and the third part is exclusively dedicated to Mitigation of Climate Change. A few findings of the report are as follows: Transport: According to the IPCC, the transport sector accounted for 27% of final energy use and 6.7 GtCo2 direct emissions in 2010, with baseline CO2 emissions projected to approximately double by 2050. The world has witnessed and is witnessing boom of vehicles- heavy trucks, lorries, cars, three-wheelers, two-wheelers, etc, which are responsible for a quarter of energy related greenhouse gas emissions. At current rate vehicle fleet is set to triple by 2050. The automobile industry is working hard to give more mileage and lower emission

Climate Change

Emissions cannot be wished away. They are necessary by-product of the moving wheels of industry, modern life and economic development. Mitigation efforts must find new technologies to reduce them, to find alternate sources of energy that emits less or does not emit at all with every new brand. According to the UNEP low carbon transport could reduce emissions from the sector by 70 per cent, with minimal additional investment.

Buildings: Buildings have a major impact on resource use and the environment during its life cycle and are guzzlers of energy and emitters of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the IPCC, in 2010, the building sector accounted for around 32% final energy use and 8.8 GtCo2 emissions, including direct and indirect emissions.

Conventional buildings are highly resource intensive both during their construction and during their lifetime.

This has given rise to the new concepts of eco-housing, green architecture, green buildings, etc. These buildings are designed, built and operated in an ecological and resource efficient manner.

Forests, the natural sinks of carbon dioxide: Deforestation is responsible for 17% of emissions. “Forests play a critical role in regulating the earth’s climate through carbon cycle; removing carbon from the atmosphere as they grow and storing carbon in leaves, woody tissue, roots and organic matter in soil.

The world’s forest absorbs 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, about one-third of the carbon dioxide released through the burning of fossilfuels”. So the mitigation efforts should be and are on arresting deforestation and degradation and positively for afforestation, giving forests their pristine position on the land. Equally important is social forestry, trees on roadsides, vacant community lands, campuses, compounds, etc. Going paperless is now a major theme, which makes for convenience, the biggest benefit is that trees are saved.

Technologies for Mitigation

Carbon Capture and Storage Some good technologies have come up that can go a long way in mitigation of climate change. According to the Carbon Capture and Storage Association, “Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technology that can capture up to 90% of the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions pro¬duced from the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation and industrial processes, preventing the carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

Shift to renewal energies Renewable energy is generated from natural processes that are continuously replenished. This includes sunlight, geothermal heat, wind, tides, water, and various forms of biomass. This energy cannot be exhausted and is constantly renewed.

Bioenergy, direct solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower energy, wind energy and ocean energyhave immense potential and now the focus is on these energies.

India’s initiatives for mitigation India has been an active player as a member of the UNFCCC, in the efforts to combat climate change and has been constructively participating in the Conference of Parties held annually.

The first inventory of greenhouse gas emission was made in 2004 and periodically updated thereafter.

Since the 12th Five Year Plan, there is increasing focus on the threat, including seven National Missions as part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change. In his address to the UN Summit on Climate Change in 2014, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said: “…. technology has made many things possible. We need

Fazalahmed B Khan Advisor, AIILSG, Mumbai

imagination and commitment. India is prepared to share its technology and capabilities, just as we have announced a free satellite for the SAARC countries.

We need to change our lifestyles.

Energy not consumed is the cleanest energy.”

Affordable energy for all In the 21st Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris from 30 November to 12 December, 2015, India showed its ingenuity and made a substantial contribution to the world’s efforts in mitigation of climate change by proposing and taking the initiative in setting up of an International Solar Alliance. The World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002) inter alia, passed a resolution to “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) were working in this field with the result that many technologies were developed over the years and the use of renewable energies has been steadily increasing. Now, with the establishment of the International Solar Alliance, a much desired push will be given to development of technology for employment of solar energy and its increasing applications and use.

There are 121 countries that fall between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, which are geographically located for optimal absorption of sun’s rays for almost 300 days in a year. With concentrated efforts finding technology and solutions designed to be locally appropriate and cost-effective the immense potential can be harnessed.

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India needs climate resilient urban development

C

ities in India are not only significant centres of productive activity but also play a vital role in economic and social development and hence are recognized as the important contributor towards the overall development of the nation.

Metropolitan cities attract wider cross-section of population through internal migration due to the diverse employment opportunities in addition to the availability of urban services such as potable water, sanitation, education, health and housing and infrastructure.

Intensive human activities in urban areas not only put pressure on resources but also affect local landuse in terms of generation of waste and emissions which generally exceeds the assimilative capacity of the area and thereby having varying degrees of impacts on environment, ecology and climate change. Hence, cities are increasingly becoming vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

Vulnerabilities of Cities

Not only do cities and urbanization exert impact on climate change, but also, climate change has profound impacts on cities. Cities are generally not self-supportive in terms of the demand of raw materials and natural resources such as energy, food, water and other inputs for the sustenance of inhabitants. Resources are generally imported from other areas and sometimes distant places. Natural phenomena like earthquakes, floods, droughts and cyclones have wide implications on city’s dynamism and configuration of human settlements.

Assimilative capacities of urban areas vary widely to absorb impacts, hence the socio-economic conditions and

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institutional arrangements to prevent or mitigate the effects of climate change impacts and other extreme events vary from place to place.

Cities generally have a high concentration of population density and economic activity, and consequently are vulnerable to climate change. Above factors are responsible for transformation of urban zones and cities into extremely vulnerable zones, both physically and socially.

Mapping of Cities

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Vulnerability of a region depends upon three major components: ♦♦ Exposure (the nature and degree to which a system is exposed to significant climatic variations), ♦♦ Sensitivity (the degree to which a system is affected, either adversely or beneficially, by climate-related stimuli), and ♦♦ Adaptive capacity for response, or Exposure (Multiple Hazard Risk) ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦

Flood Risk Drought Risk Cyclone Risk Earthquake Risk Other Risk/s

resilience that is the ability of a system to adjust to climate change, to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences.

DPSIR Matrix for Vulnerability Assessments

The D-P-S-I-R methodology (UNEP) is an analytical tool that can be used to analyze the interactions between urban trends and the environment. It helps to establish a logical link between its components to evaluate the state of the environment based on the factors that exert pressure on natural resources thereby indicating the causes of the current state of the environment based whereupon, responses can be devised to deal with specific environmental problems. The elements for D-P-S-I-R matrix involvethe following: Driving forces: These are related to fundamental societal processes, which not only give catalytic effects to promote the activities that have a

Sensitivity (Human & Ecological) ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦

H uman Development Index Food/Water Security Employment Opportunities Resources (Energy etc.)

Ecology Physical Environment

Vulnerability ♦♦ Mild ♦♦ Moderate ♦♦ High Framework for Climate Change Vulnerability Mapping

Adaptive Capacity ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦ ♦♦

Industrial Development Infrastructure IT Sector Development Capacity Building Regulatory Mechanism

Climate Resiliece

India is witnessing the era of wide-spread urbanisation thereby resulting into increased pressure not only on urban services delivery but assimilative capacity of the urban area is considerably getting affected. In order to mitigate climate change vulnerability, urban planning needs to focus on effective strategies to enhance resilience direct impact on the environment, but also influence human development index of an area.

Pressure: Pressures affect state of the environment variably depending upon trend of development, magnitude of resources extraction and level of replenishment and rehabilitation.

Major components which exert pressures on environment includes ♦♦ Emissions of pollutants like gaseous, particulates, liquid effluents and solids (MSW & Hazardous). ♦♦ GHG emissions and climate change ♦♦ Unsustainable land development State: The State of Environment means the condition of the environment in quantitative terms as a result of pressures such as ♦♦ Level of atmospheric pollution in terms of Air Quality Index, Water Quality Index and Pollution Load. ♦♦ Socio-economic Index indicating demography & human development ♦♦ Quantification of GHG emissions, Carbon and Water Footprints ♦♦ Soil erosion due to water & wind ♦♦ Change in forest cover Impacts: Impacts are the negative (detrimental) or positive (beneficial) effects due to the state of the environment in terms of ♦♦ Quality of life and human health ♦♦ Agricultural production ♦♦ Socio-economic & human development ♦♦ Ecology and bio-diversity ♦♦ Natural resources ♦♦ Other relevant impacts Responses: Responses means collective or individual efforts or actions such as ♦♦ Mitigate or prevent the negative

environmental impacts ♦♦ Protect or replenish/rehabilitate natural resources. ♦♦ Participation in regulatory proceedings and capacity building

Status of megacities

Delhi and Mumbai are not only the mega-cities of India (10 million plus population) but having considerable diversity of population from socioeconomic and cultural point of view. Delhi represents the riverine ecosystem, while Mumbai is a coastal one. Both the cities are exposed to wide-spread inter-state migration due to high level of economic growth.

The EU Project of Technical Cooperation for Environment in India with Sewage Treatment as one of the thematic areas is being implemented in these two cities. The project themes not only have synergies with the Swachh Bharat Mission and National Action Plan for Climate Change but also are related to the urban services delivery.

Both the megacities have grown with rapid pace as the “Driving Forces” in terms of following indicators are high: population growth & density, trend of urbanisation, traffic volume and industrial and commercial growth.

Both the megacities have following kind of “Pressure” on urban services delivery such as tremendous increase in the Housing Demand, Energy and Water Demand. And, enormous increase in sewage and solid waste.

In the context of State of Environment, there is a considerable increase in Air Quality Index, Water Pollution Index, Socio-economic Index

VK Verma Jagdish Kumar DS Chatterjee and P Karamanos

and Infrastructural Development.

“Impacts” are visible on following: ♦♦ Physical Environment due to Air, Water & Solid Waste Pollution. ♦♦ High Human Development Index. ♦♦ Poor Drainage, Flooding and Risk of Natural Disaster In order to withstand the impact of Climate Change Vulnerability, “Response” has to be enhanced through effective regulatory mechanism, stakeholders participation, capacity building programmes, institution strengthening and effective disaster management plan.

Path Forward

Cities need an integrated approach that considers mitigation, adaptation and urban development to address the issues of climate change and to enhance resilience. There is a need to develop integrated approach for cities that should include: ♦♦ Increasing energy efficiency of buildings and transportation by promoting eco-friendly building material and green building concepts. ♦♦ Encouraging capacity building programmes to enhance the adaptations. ♦♦ Protecting buffering capacities of local ecosystems and minimizing degradation. ♦♦ Ensuring the efficiencies of utilities in terms of water supply, sewage treatment and solid waste disposal. ♦♦ Participation in afforestation programmes to enhance assimilative capacities of ecosystem.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

25

ARTICLE

Urban transport needs urgent innovation

M

obility is among the biggest challenges posed by urbanization today. Policy makers at the national, state and local levels are grappling with the problems spawned by mobility including congestion, snail-like commute speeds and GHG emissions leading to severe public health issues.

There is a crying need for sprucing up the urban public transport landscape in every city-large and small. Increasingly, city managers are turning to the metro as a breakthrough solution to the logjam.

Many experts are however critical of the increasing reliance on this mode in view of many factors. Sticky land acquisition issues involving protracted litigation, long construction lead-times and severe traffic jams causing public inconvenience during the construction phase are some. They point out that the biggest problem with metro is that of affordability. The high project costs mean high ticket prices which could be a deterrent to many. In addition to

26 January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

large doses of Viability Gap Funding, the projects require significant funding support and subsidies during the entire operating life of the project if this mode is to be made affordable for large masses of city dwellers. Inadequate planning for last-mile connectivity and lack of parking space at metro stations means that there may be little relief from congestion on roads.

Some seem to prefer bus transport as a more effective solution given the much lower costs, little or no gestation period, very little need for new infrastructure, and so on. However in many cities, bus occupancy is declining.

Technological improvements leading to much higher fuel efficiency of two-wheelers, benign fuel prices and reform in fuel pricing which has lead to closing the gap between petrol and diesel retail prices have all made bus travel economically unattractive visĂ -vis personal two-wheelers. Add to it the door-to-door convenience, zero wait times and other benefits of using personal two-wheelers and there seems

little reason for the citizen to use city public bus transport.

Low hanging solutions

Therefore there is need for urgent innovation in order to bring relief with respect to mobility. We need innovation not just in terms of technological breakthrough solutions but also in the way the city landscape and city life in organized. For example, we may need to introduce staggered office timings to even out the peak traffic load. In Delhi, for example, can some offices in Connaught Place work 8 am to 4 pm, others between 9 am and 5 pm and yet others between 11 am and 7 pm? These timings could be rotated every six months.

This may address some problems like congestion but not others like vehicular pollution. Strictly regulated and far more expensive parking for private vehicles can discourage use of personal cars and two-wheelers. In Tokyo, for example, steep parking charges dissuade citizens from using private cars. The city is among the five most expensive in

Urban Transport

Increasingly, city managers are turning to the metro as a breakthrough solution to the logjam. Many experts are however critical of the increasing reliance on this mode in view of many factors

The Future of High Speed Travel It could be as good as space travel. A pod-like vehicle with speeds of upto 1200 kmph can transform the travel landscape.

Yes, that’s well over the speed of modern commercial aircraft.

Touted as a hi-tech solution for efficient inter and intra city travel, it is a tube based system which works on the concept of reduced friction and drag leading to higher speeds, greater comfort and more safety for passengers. Called Hyperloop, its creator Hyperloop Transportation Technologies is a California, USA based company which is partnering with leading technology institutions, corporates and funding entities in the world.

The passengers in Hyperloop are seated in a capsule which travels within a tube-like pathway with low pressure experiencing very little or no air resistance. Then with a small amount of energy the capsule can be propelled at high speeds within the tube. Even this small amount of energy requirement is met by renewable sources or green energy, making the whole effort highly sustainable. The engineering effort calls for building large tubes between the destinations creating the pathway for the capsule to travel in. This tube system is sought to be built on pylons, thereby lowering the land requirement and thus the cost of land. This also mitigates risks emanating from natural causes such as floods and earthquakes. The whole system is self-sustaining, considering its use of passive magnetic levitation, regenerative braking, solar power, and renewable energy resources.

The Chairman of Hyper Loop Transportation Technologies has reportedly met officials in the Indian government and submitted a proposal for setting up a pilot project in India. Things are certainly happening in the transportation technology space in India, with bullet trains, pods and now the Hyperloop.

Certainly some of these will be taken to fruition and we could see dramatic changes in times to come. As Hyperloop says “The future of transportation is closer than you think�.

V Vijaykumar Sr Advisor, AIILSG

the world to park. Segregation of traffic may also help. The same roads are used by two-wheelers, cars, buses, trucks, bicycles and even cattle. This is as absurd as it is inefficient. Segregation is necessary to enable smoother and faster city commute. Some of these measures may encounter less resistance than some other more effective measures like limiting the number of vehicles on road by issuing annual auctioned permits for private vehicles.

Regulated and technology assisted car-pooling can relieve all aspects of urban mobility including congestion, commute speeds, parking and emission related problems. Looking at the number of single occupant car usage in cities, such pooling can help take a number of vehicles off the roads especially in peak hours. Car-pooling is being offered by a few facilitators for inter-city travel between some cities in India. As it grows and intra-city services become available, we could see improvement in all aspects of urban mobility. Sharing of taxis and autorickshaws is practiced in some cities especially for last-mile connectivity, mainly to and from suburban railway stations and bus terminals. These are simple solutions which can be implemented and regulated with a little effort. Of course we also need new cutting edge technology solutions like the Hyperloop. See box. But while these happen and are adapted to local conditions, the search for other small solutions needs to be continued. These will give us incremental relief till the breakthroughs happen.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

27

ARTICLE

No country for women

A

ny civilized society will hang its head in shame after what happened in Bengaluru and Delhi on New Year’s Eve. Hundreds of drunken men on the streets of Bengaluru went after hapless women returning from New Year celebrations indulging in mass molestation while state machinery remained a mute spectator. No different was the case in Delhi where a similar crowd went after a woman pillion rider, pulled her out and molested her. Things went so much out of hand that even women police officers had to take shelter in police post to save themselves from a rowdy crowd.

So the two big and important cities of the country became an example of lawlessness where the writ of unruly revelers ran large targeting women who

28 January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

were equally entitled to party and then safely return home. Anarchy prevailed on the streets after 11 pm in Bengaluru and Delhi both as revelers gathered in the heart of the city to welcome the New Year.

Police claim of “elaborate� security arrangements turned out to be a fizz as women were molested and sexually harassed.

All hell broke loose close to midnight as hooligans in the garb of revelers started pawing, molesting and passing lewd remarks on women on the streets, forcing some of them to literally take off their stilettoes and run for help.

Later some more CCTV footage came to light showing how women were brutally assaulted near their homes just few hundred meters away from the police station as bystanders watched silently.

Night of horrors

The men were too many, and too unruly, for even the cops to do anything.

Bengaluru city police had claimed that entire city police force has been deployed on the streets to maintain law and order but it turned out to be of no help. They were badly outnumbered by the drunken hooligans and resorted to intervene only depending on the gravity of the situation. But a brazen administration later claimed that no such incident happened despite photographic evidence and eye-witness account and no FIR has been registered till date(when we go to print).

What is perturbing is that even the city administration and political class failed these women who were harassed, groped and sexually assaulted. Home minister of Karnataka brushed aside these incidents with his insensitive

Women Safety

Many molestation incidents on the last day of 2016 makes us rethink about the state of women safety in Indian cities. Women were assaulted on roads and people and system failed to protect them. Are we able to provide girls and women a safe urban environment?

remarks that ‘these things happen’. The city police commissioner Praveen Sood said that the alleged mass molestation of women ‘did not happen’. Later, he clarified that while such a thing “could have happened” in a city of 10 million, there was “no evidence” of it.

While the police is still searching for the evidence, civil society is up in arms demanding justice for those women and also expressing concern over the incident. Prominent Bengalureans have expressed horror over the recent turn of events. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, CMD, Biocon says that such events happening in the city is scary and the authorities should nip such crimes in the bud. We are a different kind of city and most citizens residing here are peace-loving; so it is vital that authorities deal with such incidents with a heavy hand. On New Year’s Eve, people are in a different frame of mind and alcohol adds to the mischief of a few uncouth people and the police should deal with it strictly before it turns into a menace. Some also attribute it to cultural deprivation among people in a city which has grown at a rapid pace.

Mohandas Pai, ex-CFO of Infosys says that over the past few years, the city has grown at a rapid pace and this has also given rise to a kind of cultural deprivation among the people who are not exposed to a certain kind of lifestyle. During New Year’s Eve, miscr¬eants throng the city plazas to get sadistic pleasure by indulging in molestation and eve teasing. It is high time the police take strict action against such people and instill fear so that they refrain from indulging in such activities.

According to the police statistics,

Bengaluru had 690 cases of sexual harassment and molestation booked under Section 354 in 2014 out of which the accused in 22 are yet to be arrested. In 2015, the city had 714 cases of molestation and 171 of them are still under investigation. In 2016, the police registered 756 cases of sexual harassment and 559 of them are still under investigation.

Drunkards or mindset

So we get alarmed only on 31st of December or when a Nirbhaya happens.

We all must feel enraged over violence against women. But can we allow it to rest there? Are we outraged just becauseit happened to be a case of mass molestation? Why do we not equally feel outraged over the daily violence that women face in day to day life?

The fact is we have so many ways of rationalising violence against women.

Factor in some remarks from our politician and policy makers post the 31st December incident and before that when violence against women hit the headlines. Abu Azmi of Samajwadi party said “You have to keep petrol away from fire. And if there is sugar, ants will come automatically to it”. Former Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta is on the record saying that “Women cannot drive alone at 2 am on Delhi’s roads and then claim that the Capital is unsafe”.

“You should take your brother or driver with you. These reasonable precautions are expected to be taken by all citizens of the city.”

Every time we tell women to respect “Lakshman Rekhas” and remain “within boundaries” we are telling men they need not respect even the boundaries of a woman’s

Kumar Dhananjay Consulting Editor, Urban Update

body. If anything, Lakshman Rekha is a woman’s own body that must not be violated under any circumstances without her consent. The men must learn and if need be taught to respect that boundary. Men must learn that women have a right over their own body. Is that wishful thinking? Yes if we hear our leaders comparing women with petrol and sugar. In other words they say that women are objects of consumption to be owned or snatched by force.

The political discourse and debate on gender has hit an all-time low. It is chilling to observe the way in which politicians invoke women’s safety as a pretext to control their movements and their desires. And that percolates through the social ladder where men feel entitled to control the bodies and lives of women in their homes and abuse them at will. And that gets extended to all the women,without making a difference whether it is 31st December or any other day of the year.

The rules for women are endless. They must have a ‘valid reason’ to venture out at night alone.

The anti-rape movement that followed Nirbhaya incident had a clear motive that women must have a “fearless freedom” and they must not be asked to trade freedom for “safety”. The ‘why loiter’ movement is asserting that the best way to fight street violence is to assert the unqualified right of women to loiter aimlessly and for pleasure on the streets. The ‘Pinjra Tod’ movement is challenging all discriminatory hostel rules that lock women up in the name of safety. All this is challenging the stereotypes and must be supported for a violence free society against women.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

29

AR TICLE

River basin management needs sensitive, responsible cities

R

ivers enter into cities as rivers but come out of them as dirty dead drains.

This has to change. We can’t take pride in an urban growth that pollutes, decays and destroys our rivers. Rivers gave us the civilizations; the onus lies on us humans to make these civilizations progressive and ones that respect the existence and quality of our rivers.

India’s rivers are turning into battle fields and the old law of ‘Inter-State River Water Disputes Act 1956’, as toothless as it is, has not been of much help. The battles, which may turn into wars very soon, have happened around distribution of the increasingly scarce river waters. While some inter-state river water battles are century old, some are as fresh as a few months. Over the decades, the conflicts have grown so have the stakeholders involved in the same. The cities have emerged as the major stakeholder in such conflicts in recent decades.

30 January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

Cities pollute rivers the most

In five years, the number of polluted rivers in India has more than doubled.

According to the latest assessment by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the number of polluted rivers has gone up from 121 in 2009 to 275.

The number of stretches of these rivers has also doubled from 150 in 2009 to 302. With India’s urban population growth rate outstripping the rural growth rate, the bulk of the pollution load that our rivers encounter is from urban centres.

The CPCB report says that the sewage generated from 650 cities and towns situated along the 302 polluted river stretches has also increased from 38,000 million litres per day (MLD) in 2009 to 62,000 MLD today. India’s ex-environment minister had said that effective treatment of sewerage in our cities is about 15 to 17% only.

The author’s own studies of the Mahanadi basin, one of the major

river systems of India, shows that waste water, including sewerage load discharge of Odisha’s major cities, alone has increased by about 300% over the last two decades.

Ganga and Yamuna, two of the most sacred rivers of the country, face the worst pollution due to urbanization.

A CPCB report of 2013 finds that more than 6087 MLD of wastewater flows into the Ganga from 138 drains, most of it coming from the cities.

Yamuna in Delhi turns into a sewer lane. Look into the Delhi stretch of 22 kilometers, from Wazirabad Barrage to Okhla Barrage.Twenty-two drains, carrying waste water including sewage, fall into the river in this stretch. In Delhi, Yamuna has been reduced to a drain.

Industrial and urban wastewater cause maximum pollution of our rivers. In fact, many reports, including those of CPCB that have been referred in this article, suggest that urban wastewater is the largest culprit in polluting our rivers. However, there is a common perception that urban wastes generally compose of organic contaminants alone.

The fact is otherwise.

Wastewater from our urban areas is composed of substances such as grit, debris, suspended solids, pathogens, organic wastes, nutrients, and a mixture of approximately 200 known chemicals.

The polluted rivers have varied dangerous impacts, starting from negative impact on health of humans to that of other species; from health of aquatic and terrestrial organisms to health of economy. As a society that is increasingly considering economy’s supremacy over ecology, we need to understand the economic costs of river pollution as well. Effluent discharges

River Basins

River Basin Management in the wake of Smart Cities Mission assumes significance. Unchecked development without keeping the ecological cost in mind will wreak more havoc on already polluted polluted river basins

into our rivers affect the fishery market, tourism revenue and many a related sector of the economy dependent on rivers. Our urban bodies simply can’t afford to ignore these costs anymore.

Moving towards smart cities and strategic urban planning would entail integrating ecological and eco-services sustainability planning in urban development. Rivers are a major stakeholder in this and must be protected and made healthy for urban civilizations to be sustainable and responsible towards other riparian communities dependent on the rivers.

Cities in inter-state water battles

India’s water planning has entered into a very complicated phase at the moment. In fact, cities have emerged as huge water guzzlers and competitors to irrigation and other demands. The drinking/domestic water supply system too is biased towards the cities as city dwellers get three to five times more supply than their rural counterparts.

There are hundreds of conflicts going on across the length and breadth of the nation wherein rural areas are complaining against water supply to cities from rivers and dams falling under rural jurisdictions.

Our rivers are decaying and the number of inter-state river water disputes too are increasing. The latest example of such a conflict can be seen over the Mahanadi River. Dams and barrages in upstream Chhattisgarh for supply of industrial and urban water has irked the downstream state Odisha which is complaining about reduced availability of water in the river due to the obstructions. The matter has reached the Supreme Court as the government of Odisha has appealed for

formulation of a tribunal to settle the dispute.

Going by experiences of inter-state river water disputes in the country, the Mahanadi battle will be a long one for sure. However, if the governments can work together to assess some of the key factors that are killing our rivers and devise management of the river water in a strategic coordinated manner, they may still work out some solutions to the scarcity and conflict. One major aspect of this assessment would be to understand the use and abuse of rivers by our cities and urban bodies.

Take the Cauvery conflict for example. Even as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are engaged in a more than century old conflict over it, Karnataka’s capital city wastes half of the water it receives. Bangalore is almost entirely dependent on river water. The city, that is India’s third most populous city, already faces short supply of water and can supply only about 65 liters per person per day (lppd) as against the mandate of 150 lppd.

An analysis by IndiaSpend says that Bengaluru consumes 50% of Cauvery water reserved for domestic use in Karnataka. As much as 49% of this water supplied is what is called “nonrevenue water” or “unaccounted for water”, i.e. water lost in distribution, according to the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) data. It is projected that over the next nine years, the city’s water demand is predicted to be three times more than supply. Bengaluru is already using a major chunk of the disputed waters but its water management system has been disastrous. The city has also been killing its surface water bodies to build infrastructure. Proper planning could reverse the process.

Ranjan K Panda Convener, Combat Climate Change Network

Proactive plans: let’s begin with Mahanadi

In basins like Mahanadi, the same situation occurs but the conflict is at a primary stage. A joint effort between both the state governments and central government can actually make a holistic water management system for the basin where the urban areas are made responsible geographies. Urban bodies, with more financial and technical resources, can and must help in river basin management by leading with examples.

Droughts and floods both have increased in the Mahanadi type basins.

Cities cause more floods with faulty planning and cause increased water scarcity during droughts by drawing more water, wasting more water and discharging pollutants to our rivers.

The current Inter State River Water Disputes Act 1956 has limited scope to resolve water disputes. However, water being a basic human right that is fast becoming a scarce one, disputes will grow and our planners need more than just legal instruments to solve the problems. They need to be proactive in promoting coordinated mechanisms between riparian states that are transparent and participatory. Urban bodies should play an instrumental role so that equity in water management and rejuvenation of our decaying rivers can go hand in hand with participation of both urban and rural population.

For this to happen cities must respect the fact that rivers are ecological entities and civilizations have socioeconomic and cultural relations with them. Rivers must be maintained from a humanistic perspective free from excess greed and power If river maintenance needs drastic changes in urban policies, so be it as it is worth it.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

31

Book Review

A must for Delhiwalahs, others!

C

ities don’t just comprise public infrastructures like schools, buildings, roads, airports and hospitals or privately-owned tall and small houses of brick and mortar.

Cities, in their true definition, consist of much more than what we can see with our own eyes. That is their typical environment and seasons which are easily felt by us than are seen. Any city sans its own seasonal specialities is, to me, unthinkable. Why Lucknow is different from Pune or Mysore from Vadodara? It is mainly because of its historical background and its seasonal variety, rather than its built infrastructure!

Essentially, Khushwant Singh’s keen observations as a seasoned Delhiite have impressed me as a reader. So when he writes about this city, while breaking away from the typical approach of other authors writing about a city’s historygeography-politics, it’s time we stop and take notice of these 112 pages--it’s worth it any which way you look at it!

So what are the new things he unfolds before us through the colourful pages and informative content of the book?

Well, Singh starts off from January and goes up to December and beautifully presents each month’s seasonal specialities before us, with a dash of bird life, vegetation and environment’s USPs. The monthly chronology reveals a treasure of Delhi’s highs and lows in terms of different seasons.It takes you onto a different plain. Sardar Khushwant watches trees and shrubs, inhales the bountiful fragrance of flowers of the months, gets completely lost out in watching birds and butterflies flying around his garden (of Sujan Singh Park) in a given month just like a child and records his intelligent observations about surroundings through the twelve months of the yearfor us to savour ! Poems of Rabindranath Tagore, Kalidasa and Kabir too adorn

32 January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

his insightful narrative.

My experience, upon reading this riveting ‘ nature lover’s diary’ has been that most of us have actually forgotten to notice the beautiful things scattered around us. Pollution, traffic, unruly people notwithstanding, capital Delhi has a lot to cheer about, tells this book of wonder, noting the beauty of many fairs and festivals celebrated in the country; telling the story of clouds, of what their shapes and movements mean; investigating why hailstorms come in spring and early summer and not in winter; writing about how birds communicate with each other and why their calls vary with the seasons.

I am quite amazed-as you would perhaps be while reading it-to know about his in-depth knowledge about birds species, trees species, typicality of a given animal coupled with his outstanding sense of appreciating the nature in a city. No ‘urban’ inhabitant would be truly ‘update’ without getting closer to the nature and understanding it the way Khushwant Singh has done in case of Delhi.

In the beginning, he writes “for the last many years I have maintained a record of the natural phenomena I encounter every day. However, my nature-watching is done in a very restricted landscape, most of it in my private back garden. It is a small rectangular plot of green enclosed on two adjacent sides by a barbed wire fence covered over by Bougainvillaea creepers of different hues. The other two sides are formed by my neighbours’ and my own apartments. He had fenced himself off by a wall of hibiscus; I have four ten-year old avocado trees, perhaps the only ones in Delhi, which between them yield no more than a dozen pears every monsoon season; and a tall eucalyptus smothered by a purple bougainvillaea....”

It’s after this brief introduction he goes one by one observing peculiarities

of each month, with some aweinspiring paintings in the subsequent pages by SuddhasattwaBasu, easily among the best present-day natural phenomena painters in the country.

Just have a look at January, the month you would be reading this piece.

He writes: For some people the year begins at the hour of midnight. They bid farewell to the old and usher in the new with revelry and song, bursting balloons and swilling champagne. For others it begins when the rim of the sun appears on the eastern horizon.

For me (Khushwant) it starts sometime between the two, when I get up to place a platter of milk for a dozen stray cats waiting impatiently outside my door beside the morning paper which is delivered to me at 4.30 a.m....( then) I pull back the curtains of my window, switch off table lamp and watch black of the night turn to the grey of dawn.

I hear spotted owlets screech in the mulberry tree, I catch glimpses of small bats flitting by with raucous cawing of crows followed by the chittering of sparrows and the shrill cry of kites.

As the author leaves his home on the cold January at the break of dawn, he says: “My early morning drive to the

Good Reads

Hearing about Delhi from one of its oldest residents, Khushwant Singh, is a treat for any true blue Delhiwallah.

Gymkhana Club and an hour and a half I spend there provide a feast for the eyes and ears. The club grounds are full of tall trees. Since the side dividing the Gymkhana from the residence of the Prime Minister has for security reasons been closed to traffic, there has been a noticeable increase of birds in the area.

My morning game of tennis is played to the accompaniment provided by magpie-robins(dhaiyal), golden orioles, barbets, koels, peafowl and papeehas.

Then he goes on to add, by contrast, Delhi’s parks and gardens are largely flowerless till the later part of the month except for marigolds, poinsettias, chrysanthemums and bougainvillea.

Delhi’s Christmas tree is the poinsettia which persists through January. He writes more about January but I would like to take you now to February about which he says: A not-to-be-forgotten February memory is the flowering of bauhinias, kachnars, which line many of New Delhi’s roads.

“The harbinger of spring is the semul or the silk cotton tree known in Latin by the bombastic sounding title Bombax ceiba. “Visitors to the capital driving from the airport to the Ashoka

Book Delhi, through the seasons Author Khushwant Singh Publisher Harper Collins Pages 112 Price 999

Good

Reads

Hotel can see them on either side of the avenue that runs between Nehru Park and Diplomatic Enclave. They are in full flower in the first week of February.

The 14th of February is St. Valentine’s Day, sacred to lovers and traditionally regarded in the West as the beginning of the season of courtship. It seldom rains this time of the year By the middle of February Delhi puts on its very best clothes....gardens, parks and roundabouts are a blaze of colour-calendulas, peonies, nasturtiums, phlox, salvias and dozens of others whose names I do not know, the author says, adding lapwings are my favourite Delhi birds. In February and in March they can be seen striding along the parapet of the Gymkhana Club roof, then suddenly taking wing to cavort about overhead and scream frantically.

He also talks about sparrows before moving to March and calling it an unpredictable month because it can be as cold as any in winter, the next as warm as any in spring. Also, it can be dry as a desert morning or wet as in monsoon. New Delhi is at its loveliest is February and in March and it can be almost enchanting. Khushwant advices readers by advocating a good time in Delhi for visiting parks is the afternoon of Holi after the coloured water sports are over and most revellers are tired or engaged in post-Holi feasting.

Likewise, month after month, the author keeps making very intelligent observations about the changing climate, green environment, movements and calls of birds and takes the reader through the surroundings rarely noticed and understood before. While reading these literary descriptions of city’s landscape through the season, you tend to wonder why did not you see this or felt it before. And to me that is the beauty of this book.

Delhi, as they say has only two seasons-summer (very hot, sultry) and

Abhilash Khandekar National Political Editor, Dainik Bhaskar

winter (very cold). The author gently introduces these seasons to you and underlines the importance of these extreme seasons. May is the month of searing heat (you get dust storms and cloudbursts as well) with glass seldom falling below 40 degrees centigrade, often touching 42-45 degrees. May, according to author’s observation, is the month of Indian laburnum. Although gulmohars continue to blaze their fierce Scarlett’s, oranges and yellows, you can see they are losing some if their fire and passing Nature’s baton, as it were, to the laburnums (Cassia fistula) or what we commonly call Amaltas. June’s chief importance for him is due to arrival of the monsoon bird... I record its advent in my diary as soon as I hear its distinct wailing cry which has varied from 1st June to 15th June, almost a month after they are sighted on the Malabar Coast. The monsoon bird (pied cuckoo or Clamatorjacobinus) comes from the shores of Africa in one continuous flight over the Indian Ocean, helped by strong monsoon winds.

Urban planners invariably gave much more importance to the environment while planning a city than those who followed them in India; those of Lutyens’ and Geddes’ vintage knew of the correct tree species and their flowers to bloom in the given months of the year and they tried to design the cities to look green and colourful with a variety of flowers.

You get a rare glimpse of Delhi’s green and beautiful side in this book.

So please don’t make the mistake of expecting references to politics, geography, garbage dumps or polluted air, traffic and contaminated Yamuna in the pages of this superb book. You would be hugely disappointed. The book came into the market a little after Khushwant Singh was gone from amongst us and therefore, it’s his last invaluable gift to Delhi. Treasure it!

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

33

NEWSNEWSCAN FEATURE

Hansa Patel elected Co-Chair for Women Empowerment Committee of UCLG-ASPAC Team UrbanUpdate

Jeollabuk-do: Hansa Patel, present ICLEI Chairperson, was elected as Co-Chair of Committee for Women Empowerment at UCLG ASPAC Conference 2016 at Jeollabuk-do. Patel has been doing far-reaching work in India on the issues of women, children and youth empowerment for many years now. Efforts that have borne fruit over the years and have resulted in the formation of many self-help groups and made women stand on their own feet after necessary training.

On the sidelines of the conference, the Standing Committee of Women in Local Governments conducted a meeting on the first day of the Congress.

The scope of the meeting was not limited to just women local leaders and it received great support from members and partner organisations in general.

After session opening by Mayor of Catbalogan City, Stephany Uy-Tan, Secretary General of UCLG ASPAC, Bernadia I. Tjandradewi spoke about the activities and initiatives of the standing committee towards women empowerment, including sharing best practices and organizing the Women Mayors’ Forum during the PrepCom3 held in Surabaya, Indonesia.

Members actively took part in sharing their own efforts to promote women’s participation in politics and local development in general.

Dormani Poudel, Chairperson of MuAN (Municipal Association of Nepal), recounted that in his city (Hetauda), there is a cluster consisting of 15-16 women who are trained so that they are able to contribute to their municipalities. The same practice as it turns out, also prevails in Cochin, India.

34 January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

Hansa Patel (in center), Co-Chair of Committee for Women Empowerment (UCLG-ASPAC) at the opening ceremony of UCLG-ASPAC Congress along with Mpho Parks Tau, UCLG President, Bernadia I Tjandradewi, Secretary General (UCLGASPAC), Soumini Jain, Mayor of Cochin and Song Ha Jin, Governor of Jeollabuk-do

The Mayor of the city, Soumini Jain explained that it is called “Prosperity Family” Group and that it has been successful in empowering women so that they do not depend solely on their husbands to earn money. It was felt that one of the key factors to empower woman is their financial liberation which can be achieved through their inclusion in local bodies. It will also lead to their social empowerment and free them from many social ills that still prevail in our respective societies.

Councilor Ali Jones of New Zealand raised the issue of how to support women. Hansa Patel, Executive Advisor of All India Institute of Local Self-Government, while addressing the meeting provided examples of how life of women and children has been transformed by supporting them with various measures including free day care, free transportation for children as well as free education for women and children. The meeting turned out to be extremely productive and made many recommendations to take the

task forward. The recommendation of the committee included: 1) ensure minimum thirty percent of women representation at UCLG Executive Bureau and Council is reached, 2) further dissemination of information on the role of women in local governments, 3) activate or establish a women’s chapter or unit in the local government in the country, and urge this to be done in every local government association, and 4) conduct a training for women local leaders.

All participants agreed that though good work is being done at the local level for women empowerment, much more is needed to be done including political, social and economic empowerment. Hansa Patel reinforced the idea of greater inclusion of women in policy making so that much desired, equitable and sustainable results could be achieved. The Committee will stand in unison to keep raising its voice in support of women in general and the marginalized in particular.

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UCLG-ASPAC, AIILSG launch One Belt, One Road magazine Guangzhou: All India Institute of Local Self-Government will assist editorially in bringing out the international publication that focuses on economic prosperity, innovation and collaborative partnership between multiple players to expedite the implementation of sustainable development projects along the Silk Route. The magazine was launched at an event organised during Guangzhou Urban Innovation Awards held recently at Guangzhou province of China. Dr Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, Managing Editor of the magazine, said that the aim of the magazine to provide a platform to different stakeholders to share their experiences and forge a mutually beneficial relationship to work towards sustainable development in countries along the modern silk route and elsewhere.

Varanasi to have India-Japan Friendship Convention Centre NEW DELHI: A high level delegation of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) led by its President Shinichi Kitaoka held wide ranging and productive talks with the Minister of Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu recently. Kitaoka assured that JICA would consider positively the suggestions including sourcing of equipment and rolling stock for metro projects from India in respect of projects financed by it, in consonance with the spirit of Make In India, reducing the time taken for appraisal of projects posed for financing, supporting new

metro projects and speeding up the Varanasi Convention Centre Project.

Naidu said that JICA has been a reliable and longstanding partner in infrastructure development in India and would like further up scaling of this cooperation. Seeking speedy execution of the Convention Centre Project in Varanasi for which JICA has agreed to give a grant of Rs 150 cr, Naidu said the Centre could be named as ‘IndiaJapan Friendship Convention Centre’ in recognition of the time tested and growing cooperation between the two countries.

JICA President Kitaoka said: “In the context of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emphasizing on infrastructure development in India further to his meeting with Prime Minister Modi, JICA would be happy to do the needful. We are proud of the impact of New Delhi on pollution mitigation and would be happy to be associated with new such projects as well. Japanese companies would be encouraged to set up their India bases to further Make in India efforts and also to increase procurement from Indian companies.”

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

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NEWSNEWSCAN FEATURE

Paris makes public transport free to combat air pollution, other countries follow suit It is by now well accepted that urbanization creates wealth. There is, therefore, little surprise to find the great degree of excitement not only among the cities, but also among the people at large, about the Mission on Smart Cities (MSC), announced by the Government of India (GOI) in 2014 Pinaki Das | Editorial Assistant | pd.urbanupdate@gmail.com

Paris: With Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 and PM10 touching 106.5 µm and 200 µm as per the Air Quality Index (AQI) from December 7th onwards, air pollution in Paris had become a health crisis. Wood, fuel and industrial fumes generated effluents that due to the winter season mixed with the cold air in the atmosphere. This led to generation of smog like conditions and with the PM enmeshed with atmospheric cloud about 800m-1 km above ground level, it was a cause for concern.

Airparif, the air quality monitoring network in France commented that, “Optimal wind conditions would not have allowed air pollution levels to

36 January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

go up but due to very weak winds, the pollutants are not being dispersed adequately from the atmosphere. The cold weather has created a low-pressure area that has made it hard for the fog to dissipate.”Airparif remarked that 2016 was arguably the worst pollution that Paris had seen in the last 10 years.

Hidalgo added that air pollution was an element that would invite intervention from the highest levels of government. Vellib bike-share, Paris Metro and bus services and Autolib electric cars have been roped in to provide commuter services to foreigners and citizens. Odd and evennumbered plated car owners have

been instructed to drive on alternate days of the week for now, violation of which would carry a fine of USD 2337. Moreover, all vehicles, Hidalgo commented would need to have antipollution stickers that would show the vehicle’s age, engine type and cleanliness rating and without which it would be barred from entering highemission zones at weekends. Foreign vehicles, food delivery vans and emergency vehicles would be exempted from these regulations.

However, the free public transport drive is costing the city exchequer almost USD 5.7 million a day due to no ticket sales on transport services.

NEWSCAN NEWS FEATURE

Delhi, India’s capital, with PM2.5 and PM10 hovering in the range of 150-230 on an average has also taken a new approach.

Transport minister Satyendra Jain said, “Delhi government on witnessing the increased pollution levels has cut bus fares.

Commuters will now have to pay a maximum of Rs 10 to travel in air conditioned buses down from Rs 25. The maximum fare in nonair conditioned buses has been slashed from Rs 15 to Rs 5. This would be a one month trial run.”

While speaking to The Age, Hidalgo also commented, “About 2500 people die in Paris because of Air pollution and the current situation demands that we act fast. I also reaffirm my pledge to ban diesel vehicles in Paris by 2025.

The burden of lost revenue would be borne by the autonomous transport organisation authority ‘Syndicat des transports d’Île-de-France’ (STIF)” In a conversation with The Telegraph, Sergolene Royal, French Minister for Environment, Energy and Marine Affairs announced, “The French government will give financial incentives to people buying electric vehicles whereby owners would get € 10000 in return for replacing an older polluting vehicle with an electric one.”

London, upon witnessing high concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in the range of 80-91 in and around

Westminster, Chelsea and Kensington, has taken steps to ensure that air pollution doesn’t become a crisis. Mayor Sadiq Khan has proposed to unveil the ‘Ultra Emission Zone’ (ULEZ) by 2019,wherein only vehicles adhering to Euro-6 pollution norms will be allowed to commute to and fro. Violation would invite a penalty of 13 £ apart from the congestion charge. As in the case with Paris, foreign vehicles, food delivery vans and emergency vehicles would be exempted.

Delhi, India’s capital, with PM2.5 and PM10 hovering in the range of 150-230 on an average has also taken a new approach. Transport minister Satyendra Jain said, “Delhi government on witnessing the increased pollution levels has cut bus fares. Commuters will now have to pay a maximum of Rs 10 to travel in air conditioned buses down from Rs 25. The maximum fare in non-air conditioned buses has been slashed from Rs 15 to Rs 5. This would be a one month trial run.”

The intention behind this move rests on the idea that less fares would mean that more Delhites would use public transport. Jain is also planning to reduce the rate of monthly bus pass from Rs 800 to Rs 250 for non-AC buses and from Rs 1000 to Rs 250 for AC buses. Studentsupto the age of 21 years would be allowed to travel for free.

Nevertheless, this move is potentially a double edged sword since if reduced bus fares don’t lead to increased ridership, then Delhi Transport Corporations’ (DTC) operational revenue which currently hovers around INR 2.25-2.50 Crore dailywould go for a toss.DTC runs

Innovative Monitoring of Air Quality Plume Labs, DigitasLBI and Twitter have come onboard to tackle air pollution in a unique manner- Pigeon Air Patrol. Pigeons situated in London would carry air quality monitors within small lightweight backpacks that will measure levels of NO2, O3 and other volatile compounds. As they fly across the city, they would transmit real time data about pollution levels onto a central database.

This data can also be accessed on the Plume Labs mobile app that would give Londoners information on which roads to avoid during peak pollution. Vets would be employed as well to monitor the condition of the pigeons. The idea has created more than 650 million impressions on social networking sites and has been felicitated at many awards functions as well.

4355 green and red buses while Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd (DIMTS) runs around 1600 cluster orange buses whereas in the wake of Delhi’s population touching 2 Crore, at least 10000 buses are required.The Delhi Common Mobility Card (CMC) that would allow the passenger to travel on both metro and buses by charging one smart card is expected to be launched in January 2017. This, Delhi government thinks would improve the credibility and revenue of DTC and DIMTS considerably.

Moreover, the Delhi government is also planning to use parking plots as charging points for e-rickshaws. Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) is working on fixing special tariffs so as to enable the 19,548 registered e-rickshaws to charge their vehicles during non-peak hours mostly between 3 am- 9 am when electricity charges are 20% less than normal tariffs.

Through this, the Delhi government aims to address electricity woes of the recognised Battery Rickshaw Sangh (BRS) by providing them safe and regulated points for charging their vehicles free from the influence of ‘battery gangs’ who have been illegally stealing power to charge e-rickshaws as well as curbing pollution in the city by giving daily commuters an effective means of transport.

Recently, the Delhi government has installed air purifier shelters at critical intersections such as the ITO bus stop and the Safdarjung Hospital bus stop to address air pollution. The air purifier shelter has an indicator-system which has two grids displaying the level of pollution inside the shelter and outside.

A blue plastic sheet cover separates the polluted air from the yet-to-bepolluted. Though in the initial stages, the experiment has paid off with people queuing up to get a breath of fresh air.

In the next phase, increased public participation can be strongly expected.

Ultimately, air pollution, if tackled properly as we see in the above instances, will become a thing of the past.Political will and technological innovation would be deciding factors in this campaign.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

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International Conference on Housing and Urban Development

MoUD highlights importance of smart and resilient cities at APMCHUD Three day conference by Asia Pacific Ministerial on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) was held from December 14 to 16, 2016. Seeking to evolve an Implementation Plan for the next 20 years for realising the goal of equitable urban development through building of inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities, 68 countries of Asia Pacific Region began their three day deliberations in New Delhi. Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated the ‘Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development’.

New-Delhi: In the inaugural address, Naidu stressed that “Governance holds the key in ensuring that no one is left behind in benefitting from the gains of urban development and in making cities inclusive, safe, resilient (ability to cope up with natural disasters and other risks) and sustainable”. Voicing concern over weak governance structures in most of the member countries of the region, he said that over the last two years, the Government has taken several initiatives to improve technical, planning and managerial capabilities of city governments in India. This is being done through promoting e-governance, capacity building, enhancement of resource base of cities etc., under different new urban missions.

Asia Pacific Region accounts for 55% of global urban population with over one billion living in slums and accounting for 75% of global fatalities due to natural disasters. Naidu urged the member countries to mount collective efforts to face challenges in the context of rapid urbanisation in the region. In the Implementation Plan that was also adopted, the member countries have also strongly recommended formulation of National Human Settlement Policies to promote inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable city and human settlements.

Minister of State for Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Urban

38 January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

Asia Pacific Region accounts for 55% of global urban population with over one billion living in slums and accounting for 75% of global fatalities due to natural disasters. Naidu urged the member countries to mount collective efforts to face challenges in the context of rapid urbanisation in the region

Development Rao Inderjit Singh stated that the New Delhi Declaration has strongly advocated planning for urban and adjoining rural areas in an integrated manner instead of looking at them as independent entities. Noting governance as the key to sustainable development, the Declaration stressed on the need for effective governance structures in urban areas.

The Implementation Plan further recommended land regulation policy mechanisms such as land pooling to ensure inclusive and participatory planning, integration of land use and transportation planning across defined boundaries of cities and mixed land use, enforcement and incentivisation of timely execution of infrastructure projects, formulation of comprehensive urban parking policies and community participation in urban planning and service delivery.

Rao Inderjit Singh said that the Asia Pacific countries committed themselves to take forward the New Urban Agenda through necessary policy initiatives and by strengthening respective and joint actions besides ensuring housing for all in the framework of sustainable urban development. He said that India has assumed the leadership of APMCHUD for the next two years by when the Asia Pacific Region would transform into predominantly urban from being rural now and accordingly has a major responsibility in fostering collaboration to meet the emerging challenges.

The member countries adopted the New Delhi Declaration and the Implementation Plan by thumping of desks after they were read out by the Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation and Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu and commended them for adoption. Naidu announced that the next biennial APMCHUD will be hosted by Iran.

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NEWSCAN

‘Focus on implementation of Urban missions’ NEW DELHI: Swachh Bharat and other urban missions will continue to be the focus area of the new year, said Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, M Venkaiah Naidu, who has set a target of achieving enhanced outcomes within stipulated time frames. “On the whole, 2016, the first year of execution of new missions has been encouraging. We would like this momentum to be further enhanced so that intended outcomes are realised within stipulated time frames,” he said.

He said new urban missions, except Swachh Bharat Mission, were launched in 2015 after year-long “extensive consultations” with states, urban Local Bodies and other stakeholders. “City governments were required to adopt new approaches in place of the earlier business. They rose to the occasion to a large extent and that is evident in the pace of implementation,” he said.

Naidu also said there was a “newfound spirit of competition” among states and cities in giving “positive results” adding that the ease of doing business in urban areas is “improving rapidly”. The year saw the selection of 60 cities in three rounds for financial assistance from the Centre to develop them as smart cities. As against the target of building over 66 lakh individual household toilets, about 27.82 lakh have already been built and construction of another 21.43 lakh toilets is nearing completion as the mission gained momentum in 2016.

While 5.08 lakh community and public toilet seats are required to be built by 2019, already 1.07 lakh toilet seats have been built so far and construction of another 1.28 lakh toilet seats is nearing completion. As many as 87 smart cities have undertaken credit rating exercise with 16 of them completing the process.

40 January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

Asia-Pacific is global hot-spot for Manila: An extensive report on “water development in AsiaPacific region” released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) shows the present scenario, according to which “The Asia-Pacific region is the global hot-spot for water insecurity”.

The report estimates up to 3.4 billion people could be living in water- stressed areas of Asia by 2050. Agriculture continues to consume 80% of water resources across the region. Several countries in the region- Afghanistan, China, India, Pakistan and Singapore

are projected to have the lowest per capita water availability by 2050.

The report also concluded that, total population in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow by 5.2 billion by 2050 and be the host of 22 “megacities” by 2030, placing finite water resources under huge pressure. A total of 3.4 billion people could be living in waterstressed parts by 2050, the report said.

President of Asian Development Bank (ADB), Takehiko Nakao said, “I believe the most daunting challenge is to double food production by 2050 for

Akshay kumar addresses SwachhtaSamm MATHURA: Actor Akshay Kumar addressed Swachh Bharat Champion Collectors and Sarpanches at a 2-day ‘SwachhtaSammelan’ organised in Mathura. Speaking at the sammelan, he said that when he received an invitation to address Swachh Bharat Champions, he agreed to do it without a moment’s hesitation.

The Sammelan was led by the Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, ParameswaranIyer, who said that he was encouraged by the response shown by the Champions to the sessions conducted over the

two days, and that the Ministry will continue to organise such conventions across the nation to motivate Swachh Bharat Champions.

Akshay saluted the efforts being made by all government officials and grassroot workers engaged in rural sanitation to Swachh Bharat Mission.

He is currently shooting a commercial movie in Mathura around the theme of rural sanitation and toilets for the health of the family and safety and dignity of women. He spoke about the need to deliver social messages through mass entertainers to make a deeper

NEWSCAN

water insecurity Israeli Robotic technology to clean an increasingly prosperous and growing population, while also providing water for more domestic users and meeting industrial and energy demands”.

The report also reveals that, 1.7 billion people lack access to basic sanitation and almost 80 per cent of wastewater being discharged in water bodies gets little or no primary treatment. In Indonesia, only 14 per cent of wastewater is treated; in the Philippines, 10 per cent; India, 9 per cent; and Vietnam, 4 per cent.

The ADB report says increasing demand cannot be met by simply developing new water resources.

Rather, it will be met by a combination of improving water productivity (through water use efficiency in agriculture and reduced urban nonrevenue water), improved water management (such as rainwater harvesting), reuse, and desalination.

“The math tells us that business as usual, even if fully and uniformly implemented across Asia and the Pacific, will simply not suffice due to limited water resources. Strengthening governance is undeniably the major requirement for effective resource management and sustainable development,” the ADB report says.

melan in Mathura impact. He said that it is a shame that, in the age when India has successfully completed a mission to Mars, we still have open defecation prevalent in our country. He said that, like the Prime Minister has envisioned, this needs to be made a janaandolan, and that communities must themselves lead the way and influence people in their village who own mobile phones but not toilets to make their family’s health and safety a greater priority. Swachh Bharat Mission has now moved to a new level which enables easy access to public toilets in urban areas.

the photovoltaic panels in India

Kolhapur: In Israel:Israeli Robotic technology will clean the photovoltaic panels at a Bhadla Solar Park, located in Rajasthan. The agreement has been signed between Israel-based Ecoppia, the world leader in water- free, automated solar panel cleaning and Solairedirect India, a subsidiary of the French multinational ENGIE group.

Due to the desert location of the solar park which is still under construction, the solar panels are prone to frequent dust storms that can reduce energy generation by as much as 40% in a matter of minutes, according to Eccopia. The company explained that traditional labor-intensive, waterbased cleaning solutions are neither cost-effective nor efficient enough to immediately recover from sandstorms.

Instead of using water to clean panels, Ecoppia’s robot cleaners are equipped with microfibers, with each robot assigned to a row of PV panels. Using controlled air flow, the robots push the accumulated dirt off panels, as they glide along the surface of panels on their polyurethane-coated aluminum frame using wheels.

Each robot can cover about 100 square feet of panel a minute, saving not only water, but time. The robots are controlled by a central cloud-based control panel, and can operate in tandem (starting and finishing at the same time) or autonomously, based on

the instructions given by controllers.

Managing director of Solairedirect, Gaurav Sood said, “We expect to harness Ecoppia’s revolutionary cleaning system to dramatically raise output and lower costs.”

Ecoppia’s agreement with Solairedirect India and ENGIE follows the company’s recent decision to shift its assembly facilities to India, and open a new Asia headquarters in Gurgaon, a city just southwest of New Delhi.In India, the technology is also operating at the SunEdison and TerraFormCharanka Park and Adani Power’s Kamuthi Solar, and is under deployment at NTPC’s Dadri Solar.

“We’ve seen demand grow across the board in 2015, but India remains our top market and the natural choice for us to build a state-of-the-art production facility,” said EranMeller, CEO of Ecoppia. “To do that we needed a strong partner, one that could help scale up production quickly. With Sanmina as our OEM, there’s no doubt we’re moving into a very strong market position.”

“The momentum we’re seeing in the market suggests that Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi’s goal of 100 GW of solar by 2022 will be achievable and we are excited that we can play a role in providing cost-effective solar energy, bring new industry to India and create local jobs.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

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NEWSCAN

Pune Municipal Corporation to geo-tag 2.5 lakh trees to track tree health PUNE: Pune municipal Corporation (PMC) has taken a novel approach to curb felling of trees in public and private zones by adopting Geo-Tagging.

A survey conducted between 20072011 revealed there were 38 lakh trees in the city. Deepak BalkrishnaVahikar, a city based petitioner was among the first group of people who appealed to the Bombay High Court to address rampant tree felling post which the court ordered that geo-tagging be completed within a reasonable time frame and that the PMC take active steps in upgrading their database to incorporate geo-tagging. PMC garden department has asked SAAR agency, a company involved in geographical information system (GIS) analysis to conduct extensive geo-tagging. Ashok Ghorpade, Chief Superintendent, PMC garden department comments, “Geographical Tagging would involve surveying the tree in its entirety.

Factors such as jurisdiction of the tree, local and botanical name, age, girth, canopy, condition (dead, healthy, poor),

India ranks third in green building The country secured third position this year in the US Green Building Council (USGBC) annual ranking of the top 10 countries for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a green building rating system.India leads in the rankings because it has 15.90 million gross square metres (GSM) of LEED-certified space and an additional 89.28 million cumulative GSM of LEEDcertified and-registered space. About 2,386 projects are participating in LEED across the country. India is among top countries in sustainable building design, construction and operations. According to Dodge Data and Analytics, which provides data, analytics in the North American commercial construction industry, global green buildings are expected to double every three years and India is a part of that trend.

42 January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

ownership (private or public) along with geographical co-ordinates will be researched and uploaded on a central database. This database will be available to the general populace wherein they can alert the PMC about unauthorised felling. Subsequent surveys would be conducted every 5 years.” Yogesh Kute, Geo Manager, SAAR agency adds, “We have employed a dedicated team of people with a B.Sc/M.Sc in botany to help us in the survey. This would aid in uploading the information gathered from ground zero to the central database in a short time period.

Moreover, since the process cannot be complete without the assistance of the local populace, we have asked the PMC to initiate awareness drives about geotagging on various public information dissemination (PID) systems such as radio, TV, social media sites and PMC website. An aware citizenry are the first informers in case of tree-felling.”

Through this, PMC and SAAR agency hope to address growing air pollution and increase green cover.

Uttarpara-Kotrung Municipality gets C40 green award Surat Municipal Uttarpara Kotrung Municipality (UKM) in Kolkata won the global award in the ‘Solid Waste Management Category’ in the C40 Mayor’s summit on December 1.

Strict Segregation of waste at source, during pickup and at the processing plant into bio-degradable and non-biodegradable categories and converting bio-degradable waste into manure was the winning strategy. 12-14 tonne of waste is collected everyday and post segregation the bio waste is delivered to the adjacent compost plant which generates 5 tonnes of manure daily.

About 25 rag-pickers have been roped in and have been provided masks, gloves, gumboots and uniform by UKM that they are expected to wear while sifting through the garbage.

Civic chief Dilip Yadav comments, “Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) contributed almost INR 170 Crore towards this project which apart from UKM involved 5 more civic bodies. We plan to cover all drains town wide in the next phase.” Open dumping is fast becoming a rarity across UKM and can become a reality if other corporations show similar efforts.

MCC invests to construct roads from plastic waste MYSURU: In a departure from conventional road construction, Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is utilising plastic waste to strengthen roads in Mysuru city. MCC superintendent Engineer Suresh Babu comments, “The road will be built from mixture between bitumen and plastic granules, the latter produced from plastic waste. The project has been improved by the Indian Road Congress which has stressed that road laying technologies should become an eco-friendly process.” RajagopalanVasudevan, Professor of Chemistry at Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, known as the pioneer of plastic roads in India for having undertaken a similar project in 2002, comments, “For every kilo of stone, 50 gms of bitumen is used and 1/10th of this is plastic waste; this reduces the amount of bitumen being used. Plastic waste helps increase the strength of the road, reducing road fatigue. These roads have better resistance towards rain water and cold weather. Since a large amount of plastic waste is required for a small stretch of road, the amount of waste plastic strewn around will definitely reduce.” Babu also adds that, “Owing to the fact that Mysuru generates around 100 tonnes of plastic waste and that a ton of plastic granules costs around Rs 35000, two plant units would handle this initiative. One unit to segregate plastic from solid wastes, wash and send it for treatment and another unit for producing the granules.”

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CITY IMAGES

CP to become no vehicle zone

Cannaught place, Delhi’s one of the largest financial, commercial and business centre is all set to become the city’s first vehicle-free zone from next month. M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Urban Development Minister, said that it is a pilot project and will be replicated in other cities too after reviewing the results.

People driving to CP will park at designated slots and take ferry from parking lots to the central business district of Delhi. CP pedestrianisation plan is a step towards clean, green and more sustainable city. There will also be sound and light shows, sidewalk cafes, public plazas and street festivals. The intention is to make CP a happening place.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

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NEWSCAN

Soon Delhi to get its first zero waste colony

New Delhi: East Delhi Municipal Corporation has decided to implement a zero waste management plan to make Delhi’s Vasundhara Enclave, a model colony. To ensure that the residential locality is free from dumping and littering, East Delhi Municipal Corporation has tied up with an NGO Chintan. The NGO has submitted an action plan and it has been approved.

Vasundhara Enclave is a residential area located in East Delhi covering an area of 6 kilometers, with a population of 50,000. As per the civic body’s data, the colony with 46 housing societies and 5,522 households generates nearly six metric tons of waste, which comprises 40 percent dry waste and 60 percent wet waste.

The campaign aims at creating awareness among residents to segregate their everyday waste in separate bags.

The same segregated waste will be collected and taken to the nearby material recovery facility, from where wet waste will be sent to compost pits while e-waste will be sent to a recycling center.

“We plan to launch the pilot project in Vasundhara Enclave and PreetVihar, if the experiment goes successful then we will plan to incorporate zero waste colonies everywhere”, said Chitra

44 January 2017 | www.urbanupdate.in

Mukherjee, Head of Programmes, operation at Chintan.

“What we plan to do here is help create awareness about waste segregation and why it is important on a day-to-day basis. We have also identified a few rag pickers in the colony who will help in segregation of waste and take it to a material recovery facility, a specialized plant that receives, separates & prepares recyclable materials (MRF). We have identified that place here at the colony itself”, added Chitra Mukherjee.

Further she added, “To make sure e-waste is not mixed up with solid waste and recycled as per new e-waste management rules, 2016, we as an organization will also initiate an e-waste collection drive with the help of RWA’s”.

To make the idea of zero waste colony possible, rule is to collect garbage from individual’s home, then segregate the waste into wet waste and e-waste. So to fight this and reduce the load of garbage at the landfill, NGO Chintan and East Delhi Municipal Corporation decided to come up with a plan of zero waste colony. Delhi generates some 9,600 metric tonnes of Municipal solid waste, talking about separate zones – South Municipal Corporation of Delhi generates 3,000 metric tonnes of solid waste, North 2,800 metric tonnes and

East 2,200 metric tonnes of waste. Most of these make their way to the landfills.

The three landfills here namely — South Delhi’s Okhla, East Delhi’s Ghazipur and North Delhi’s Bhalaswa are all simply overflowing with garbage and these have long crossed their threshold limit. The permissible upper limit for dumping garbage at a landfill is approximately 15 to 20 metres, the sites at Okhla, Ghazipur and Bhalswa have crossed 40 metres for now. Not only that, these landfills have been around for over 20 to 30 years, and are currently overstretched with over 330 lakh tonnes of garbage.

East Corporation Commissioner Mohanjeet Singh said, “if our experiment in Vasundhara Enclave is successful, the plan will be replicated in PreetVihar as well. It will create awareness among residents about how to segregate waste and take it to a material recovery facility.”

He further added at present waste is not usually segregated at source, which is why the rules for solid waste management were not being implemented. It is not possible to suddenly enforce a new rule on a large scale. That is why we have chosen two colonies to start with. Based on the reviews, we will take it forward.

NEWSCAN

New Directions to combat HMC cleans 13, 75,000 sq-ft Air Pollution: NGT NEW DELHI: National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently passed a list of directions to prepare action plans for combating air pollution, including the setting up of centralised and state level monitoring committees. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar asked Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan to consider banning 10-year-old diesel vehicles from plying on the roads. The chairperson also termed the levels of pollution as ‘severe’ when PM 10 and PM 2.5 are above 431 and 251 in the air. “When air pollution enters alarming or ‘severe’ levels, immediate steps are required to be taken as environmental emergency. According to experts when PM 10 and PM 2.5 are above 431 and 251 micrograms per cubic metre respectively, then it is the situation of severe emergency in the ambient air,” the bench said. In such situation helicopters should be used to sprinkle water in those areas where pollution level exceeds the standard limits. The NGT directed that every State committee should, in their first meeting, notify one district where land use of agriculture is high and make it a model district for implementing orders to stop stubble burning. “In such emergency, States shall immediately

provide happy seeders or other such machines in agriculture fields for removal of agriculture residue and incentives should be provided to farmers to sell their paddy straw to biomass plants, industries and board making unit. All construction and demolition activities and transportation of construction material should be halted temporarily and stone crushers should be directed to shut down,” it said. Panel directs the states to enforce their orders on vehicular pollution, dust pollution, solid waste and crop burning. “If thermal power plants, hot mix plants and brick kilns are found to be emitting pollution more than the prescribed standards during an emergency situation, they should be shut down temporarily till they reduce level of emissions,” the bench said. “All five State governments shall start vacuum cleaning of roads to prevent dust pollution and vehicular pollution,” the bench said while asking Delhi to strictly enforce their existing order on deregistering diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years. The NGT describes that it is a constitutional obligation to the states on provision of clean air to breathe to the citizens and directed them to install air purifiers.

Santragachhi Jheel

Howrah: In a massive environmental cleanup, Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) has invested time and labor to clean up the SantragachhiJheel, a river body measuring 13.75 lac sq. ft in area. After environmental activist Subhas Dutta filed a case with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) over the dismal state of the river that was covered with water hyacinth and sewage owing to untreated dirty water flowing directly into it, the apex environmental body directed the HMC and the state forest department to ensure that the river body was cleaned up thoroughly and restored to its original clean state. Owing to the pollution earlier, many migratory birds avoided coming to the Jheel but now post the cleanup, birds such as lesser whistling duck (south east Asia), common teal (Eurasia), Baikal teal (Russia) and cotton pygmy goose (south east Asia), the relatively rare species of northern pintail (Europe and North America) among many others can be seen resting on the artificial islands created for them. The artificial islands have been created out of dried water hyacinth (WH). WH is a fast growing plant that chokes out native habitats and species in the water body by gobbling up their space at the expense of creating its own. The Chottodal Club (CC), a group of environment conservationists in Howrah has been actively campaigning alongside Dutta to ensure that Santragachhi be made pollution free and their struggle seems to have borne fruit.

www.urbanupdate.in | January 2017

45

Cities to remain at centre of policy discourse in 2017

C

ities remained at the forefront of policy discourse in India in the year 2016. The trend is expected to continue with more vigour. Whether the government at the centre talked about attracting Foreign Direct Investments or creating pool of skilled workforce or embedding technology in operational management of governance, national and international leaders agreed on bringing in technology and policy level interventions to address climate change and sustainable development related issues.

The policy discourse on urbanisation post-independence was limited as merely seven per cent people lived in cities.

The government focused on improving facilities in villages to provide better lifestyle to major portion of the population.

The organic growth of urban population and migration of rural population towards cities changed the urban landscape. Over a period of time, cities became the places where people wanted to live. Cities became the centres where jobs were created, cities became the places where people prospered economically, cities became the places that offered luxurious and lavish lifestyle and better living conditions. Earlier, India was a country where villages contributed largely to national GDP but at present, cities contribute 65-70 per cent to national GDP. Now, the government has realised that improving facilities and services in cities is necessary to expedite the national reform agenda.

India may have just 31 per cent population living in cities but if we look at it from a different perspective, the total Indian urban population is more than the combined total population of Eastern Africa, Western Asia and Western Europe, or the total population of countries like Brazil and the USA. In 2005, the process of urban reforms began formally when the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

46 January 2016 | www.urbanupdate.in

launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The mission was basically a reform linked incentive scheme for providing assistance to state governments and urban local bodies (ULBs) in selected 63 cities, comprising all cities with over one million population, state capitals and a few other cities of religious and tourist importance for the purpose of reforming urban governance, facilitating urban infrastructure and providing basic services to the urban poor. The total budget of the Mission was approximately Rs 126,000 crores, out of which the central government would provide Rs 50,000 crores. It was thus, by far the single largest initiative of the central government in the urban sector.

After the present government came to power, it kicked off many more initiatives in the urban sector. India is on the way to build millions of houses to provide shelter to each and every poor person under Housing for All scheme. For the first time in history, cities are competing with each other to get central government’s financial assistance under Smart Cities Mission. Cities are competing with each other to become the cleanest. Such an atmosphere of healthy competition among local bodies has enabled citizens to get better services and well-built urban environment. The cleanliness report card of cities has been released in the last couple of years; adjudging sanitation and hygiene conditions in Indian cities on a range of factors. This has provided cities to work on the areas where they could not perform well.

Similarly, other programs such as HRIDAY, AMRUT and Sister City arrangements with global cities for knowledge sharing have hogged the dialogue space on urbanisation.

This discourse is expected to continue in the New Year too and would enlarge its coverage by focusing on sustainability, renewable energy and self-sufficient urban local bodies. The game is on.

Ashok Wankhade Managing Editor bhau1008@gmail.com

It arguably makes sense to prioritize the problems of urban India and focus the resources and expertise of the country on dealing with developmental issues therein. Despite all the efforts by urbanists, the immense challenge is to find a sustainable and equitable paradigm of urban development

All India Institute of Local Self-Government AIILSG conducts Online Assessment Testing and Training Programmes. * Online centres are equipped with state-of-the-art AC Labs with requisite support infrastructure facilities to conduct Online Programmes. * Centres are CAT certified Testing Centres and presently conducting many prestigious Online Programmes with reputed clients like Prometric, MeritTrac, TCS, SIFY, IIBF, JNU, Satvat Infosol Pvt Ltd, Manipal University, Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and others. * Regional Centres - Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi and Trivandrum are presently having facility for Online Testing Programme.

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

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

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