Stop the crumble & groan of our cities

The Supreme Court‘s observation that ‘city after city is getting into bad shape’ is spot on. From the sinking of Joshimath to the inundation of parts of New Delhi to flooding in cities and towns, it has been a story of urban unravelling. Fixing this situation will require planning that balances growth, ecological integrity and access to services and opportunities as the cornerstone of India’s urban expansion. Without it, India is staring at a crisis that will unfold at huge cost to lives, assets and economy.

Of the nearly 8,000 recognised towns and cities, half are governed as rural entities. Less than a third have a masterplan, or are developing one. Urban centres are characterised by autonomous expansion, encroachments, filling of water bodies as well as illegal constructions. Even where masterplans do exist, the approach to urban planning is higgledy-piggledy. Rules and regulations such as building codes are observed mostly in their breach. The ad-hoc approach to urban planning, when it does exist, means that despite increased investments, towns and cities continue to face efficiency- and sustainability-related challenges, as was evident in the flooding of the Hindon river in the NCR owing largely to illegal constructions along with land grabs. Infrastructural shortcomings are not the only challenge. A far more serious problem is lack of governance frameworks and effective implementation of existing rules and regulations and compliance mechanisms.

Remedying the situation will require empowering and making local governments responsible for urban planning. Bringing in experts, particularly urban planners, into the exercise of designing and retrofitting a town/city as a system must build into it plans for growth that can be scaled up.