Why in the News?
World Cities Day is celebrated annually on October 31, highlighting the growing urban population, now at 4.7 billion (57.5% of the total). This year’s theme focuses on empowering youth to drive local sustainability initiatives in urban areas.
What is the theme for this year’s World Cities Day?
- The theme for this year’s World Cities Day is “Youth Climate Changemakers: Catalysing Local Action for Urban Sustainability.”
- It emphasizes the vital role of young people in driving grassroots initiatives to address climate change and promote sustainable urban development.
What led to India’s rapid urbanization?
- Economic Distress: Urbanization in India is largely driven by economic hardships in rural areas, leading to both rural-to-urban and urban-to-urban migration.
- COVID-19 Impact: The pandemic exposed the strain on urban infrastructure and highlighted the reverse migration trends, showcasing gaps in urban planning.
- Lack of Census Data: The absence of precise data from the 2021 Census limits understanding and planning for urban population growth, though estimates suggest around 40% of the population resides in urban areas.
- Job Losses from Deindustrialisation: Many cities have experienced deindustrialization since the 1980s, resulting in job losses that push displaced workers to peri-urban areas.
- Overcrowding in Slums: Approximately 40% of India’s urban population lives in slums, exacerbating the challenges associated with rapid urban growth.
How big of a threat do climate change and rising inequality pose to urban growth?
- Climate Change: Indian cities face severe pollution, urban flooding, and heat island effects, which jeopardize urban sustainability and living conditions.
- Rising Inequality: Urban development often caters to wealthier populations, resulting in stark contrasts between exclusive developments and the significant number of urban residents lacking basic housing.
- Social Segregation: Increasing segregation along social and religious lines within urban settings worsens inequality and marginalizes vulnerable groups.
- Governance Limitations: Many urban areas are controlled by undemocratic bodies, limiting the effectiveness of governance and local engagement in urban planning.
- Inadequate Urban Planning: Outdated spatial and temporal planning does not address the needs of a growing urban population, further complicating the impact of climate change and social disparities.
Steps taken by the government:
- Smart Cities Mission: Launched in 2015, this initiative aims to promote sustainable and inclusive urban development by investing in infrastructure, smart technologies, and urban planning to improve the quality of life in cities and enhance urban resilience.
- Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): This mission focuses on providing basic services like water supply, sewage management, and urban transport in cities, promoting sustainable urban development and improving the quality of life for residents.
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY): This scheme aims to provide affordable housing for all by 2022, addressing the housing shortage and improving living conditions for low-income urban residents, thereby tackling issues related to slums and inadequate housing.
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Way forward:
- Enhance Data-Driven Urban Planning: Need to conduct comprehensive and regular urban censuses to gather accurate demographic data, enabling evidence-based decision-making for urban policies and effective resource allocation.
- Strengthen Community Engagement: The government should foster participatory governance by involving local communities in urban planning and development processes.
Mains PYQ:
Q What are ‘Smart Cities’? examine their relevance for urban development in India. Will it increase rural-urban differences? Give arguments for ‘Smart Villages’ in the light of PURA and RURBAN Mission. (2016)
