India is developing at a fast rate and is presently the fifth largest economy in the world. The urban population at present is 35.9 per cent as per UN estimates while it contributes nearly 60 per cent of the GDP (NITI Aayog report). While urbanisation has been an instrument of economic, social and political progress, it has also led to some serious socio-economic problems.
The rapid growth of urban population both natural and through migration, has put heavy pressure on urban spaces and the major problems being faced are urban sprawl, overcrowding, housing, unemployment, slums and squatter settlements, transport, water, sewerage, waste disposal, electricity, pollution, health, education, etc.
The United Nations-Habitat’s World Cities Report 2022 states that India’s urban population is projected to be 67 cr in 2035, growing from 48 cr in 2020 to 54 cr in 2025 and 61 cr in 2030. By 2035, the percentage of population in India at mid-year residing in urban areas will be 43.2 per cent.
Some of the major problems faced by Indian cities
Urban sprawl
Large cities act as magnets and attract large number of migrants for employment and educational opportunities, health services and modern way of life provided by cities. The expansion of the cities, both in population and geographical area is the root cause of urban problems. In most cities the economic base is incapable of dealing with the problems created by their excessive size.
Overcrowding
Overcrowding is a logical consequence of over-population in urban areas. Large cities have a large size of population which has no option but to squeeze in a small space leading to many urban problems.
Housing
Overcrowding leads to a chronic problem of shortage of houses in urban areas. This problem is specifically more acute in those urban areas where there is large influx of unemployed or underemployed migrants who have no place to live in when they enter cities/towns from the surrounding areas.
Unemployment
One of the major causes of urban unemployment is the large scale migration of people from rural to urban areas. The general poverty among the rural people pushes them out to urban areas to migrate in search of better livelihood and improved life. The growth of economic opportunities fails to keep pace with the quantum of migration.
Slums and squatter settlements
Rapid urbanisation in conjunction with industrialisation and unchecked, unplanned and haphazard growth of urban areas results in the growth and spread of slums and squatter settlements which present a striking feature in the ecological structure of Indian cities, especially of metropolitan centres.
Transport
Urban mobility is a major challenge due to the limited road spaces and rising number of vehicles, mostly private. This results in congestion on roads and the related road safety issues. These grow in size and complexity as the city grows.
Water
Major cities in India do not have adequate water resources to meet the needs of city dwellers. In dry summer months, taps often run dry for several days and people are denied water supply at a time when they need it the most. Many smaller towns have no main water supply infrastructure at all and depend on sources such as individual tubewells and household open wells.
Sewerage Problems
Urban areas in India are almost invariably plagued with insufficient and inefficient sewerage facilities. According to latest estimates, only 35-40 per cent of the urban population has the privilege of sewerage system. In smaller cities the sewerage system is nearly non-existent and there is an urgent need for faecal sludge and septage management.
Waste Management
As Indian cities grow in number and size the problem of waste management is assuming alarming proportions. Most cities do not have proper waste management systems and the existing landfills are running beyond capacity. Proper waste management with segregation, collection, processing, transportation, and disposal is needed.
Urban Pollution
With rapid urbanisation, industries and transport systems grow even faster. These are primarily responsible for pollution of the environment, particularly the urban environment.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
A city and its status rest on four pillars — economic, political, educational and cultural. In our country we need to help the cities to achieve the above in a phased and planned manner.
Development around highways and expressways
Many new highways and expressways are being developed in India. As the road length increases there is potential for developing economic corridors and activities such as logistics along these routes and thereby develop trade and industry. These could be supplemented with appropriate commercial and housing facilities to enable integrated development.
New airports
All the new airports being developed in the country are distant from the cities. The new area that lies between the city boundary and the airport has potential for development though this needs proper planning with appropriate building regulations. Various activities such as hospitality and cargo logistics may find these locations much suited.
New port and coastal area development
India has a big coast line and as per the estimates nearly 17 crore people live near the coastlines in many cities and in rural areas which lie along the cost. All these coastal areas face climate change related risks like flooding, and cyclones. At the same time, such areas along the coast offer significant potential for development as tourism centres as well as activities such as fisheries development. In addition there are various initiatives to develop coastal shipping as a transport alternative to relieve congestion on highways. This too offers great potential for development of related infrastructure.
Emergence of new educational cities
Large private universities are emerging and every state needs new universities or extension of the well-established educational institutions to cater to the increasing population and the educational needs to support the country in its growth. If supplemented with housing and other developments, these locations too can provide alternatives to the city centre.
Cultural and Religious Cities
In recent years many old religious and cultural centres are being developed and these have therefore seen increased footfalls which helps in the city growth and livelihood potential. The examples of the city which have seen increased footfalls are Tirupati, Varanasi, Ujjain and Kedarnath. There could be several other such centres which offer good potential thereby enabling better livelihood options for the local population and increased economic activity.
Rural Urban continuum to be given importance
The rural-urban continuum should be given importance and special focus may be given to these areas. The more urbanised states may select some areas where this model may be tried.