Urban Update February 2023

Quality is just one of our strengths

AIILSG has begun skill development programmes in Rajasthan and Jharkhand. The institute with its 90+ years of experience in the field of capacity building would impart training to youth living in rural areas of these two states to make them employable in various emerging sectorsApparel, Beauty & Wellness, Electronics, Healthcare, IT-ITEs, and Renewable Energy. As per Mou singed, AIILSG will train 16,000 youngsters.

UrbanUpdate

A monthly magazine published by the AIILSG.

Ranjit Chavan

President-AIILSG

Dr Jairaj Phatak

Editor-In-Chief Director General-AIILSG

Ashok Wankhade

Managing Editor

Abhishek Pandey Editor

Ravi Ranjan Guru

Executive Editor

Ayesha Saeed Reporter

Pushpender Singh

Indrani Priyadarshini

Shashank Garg

Trainee Reporters

Arjun Singh Digital Marketing Associate

Meenakshi Rajput

Art Director

Volume VIII - Issue X

Printed and published by Ranjit Chavan on behalf of All India Institute of Local Self-Government.

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Dr Jairaj Phatak Editor-In-Chief | dg@aiilsg.org

U20 to steer sustainable urbanisation

The inception meeting of the sixth U20 engagement group, U20 City Sherpa Meeting, under the G20 was among the significant steps in carrying forward the agenda of sustainable urbanisation in the world. This meeting in Ahmedabad, the Chair city for U20, was very well attended by representatives of governments, national and international organisations, and a wide cross section of all stakeholders.

The U20 engagement group is uniquely placed to shape the narrative and guide the deliberations on key urban challenges facing cities of the world. Given the inevitability of rapid urbanisation, there is need to embrace the phenomenon while shaping its trajectory towards a just, fair, equitable, and sustainable path. Urbanisation will remain a key plank for economic development and for meeting the aspirations of the people. This could be all the more relevant for countries which are currently experiencing greater traction in urbanisation; these countries could reap the greatest rewards.

Several dignitaries have stressed upon the U20 engagement group for addressing the overarching issues of global governance while leveraging its opportunity for global peer learning and creating a visionary roadmap that can steer the G20 agenda. A landmark event during the sixth U20 engagement group was the presentation of six priority areas by the Chair city. The priority areas are well articulated and comprehensively cover the major issues facing cities and are therefore crucial. These are: encouraging environmentally responsible behaviors; ensuring water security; accelerating climate finance; championing local identity; reinventing frameworks for urban governance and planning; catalyzing digital urban futures. These priorities rightly reflect the major issues facing the urban landscape, namely the environment including climate, the need for governance reforms and for promoting digitization which can help bring about transparency, accountability, and help in ease of living of citizens. Therefore these priorities received overwhelming support from the participating city sherpas after due deliberation. These priorities will likely figure in the final communique to be presented to the G20 leaders during the Mayoral Summit in July 2023.

Several U20 events lined up during the coming months will address pressing urban challenges such as water security, circular economy, and climate finance, among others. It is crucial that these and other issues are deliberated upon, and clear, actionable roadmap prepared for cities to move towards a sustainable future. An overarching theme is likely to be a citizen centric, transparent and accountable governance architecture that can meet the aspirations of all sections of society. The G20 Presidency gives India the opportunity of leading the international discourse on all these issues and jointly with the G20 countries addressing the pressing challenges of the planet.

PIN POINT BUZZ

Urbanisation is increasing rapidly in our country and when the pace of urbanisation is like this, then we should think about water very seriously

Carlos Moreno Professor IAE-Paris Sorbonne @CarlosMorenoFr

15-minute cities: how to separate the reality from the conspiracy theory: the reality is that the 15-minute city does not seek to exclude people or to prevent them from leaving. The idea is about providing high-quality neighbourhoods

Sadiq Khan Mayor of London @MayorofLondon

The health of the planet earth depends on wealth of the nature. Ecological balance should be maintained while developing the cities, for sustainable future

Abusive words online don’t exist in a vacuum; they can have real-world consequences. Social media companies have a duty to crack down on the anonymous accounts that direct abusive content at schoolchildren, politicians & celebrities

António Guterres Secretary General, United Nations @antonioguterres

Steered by India and ‘Chair city’ Ahmedabad, I am convinced that this year’s Urban 20 Engagement Group will demonstrate that policies and practices adopted by cities indeed have powerful implications on global agendas of development

Urban TRIVIA

Global oil companies are reporting 2022 as their most profitable year in history. Meanwhile, the planet continues to burn as household budgets shrink. We must change course. The only credible direction to take is away from fossil fuels & towards renewable energy

The city burnt for science

A lost village Aultsville in Canada was deliberately put on fire in 1958 to study aspects of fire in buildings like ventilation mechanisms, the speed of its spread, etc. The results of the study were groundbreaking and went into improving fire safety mechanisms around the world, thereby saving countless lives

Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India

Golagani Hari Venkata Kumari Mayor, Visakhapatnam

Hardeep Singh Puri Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs, GOI

Why

Disasters

Training Women Entrepreneurs to earn supplementary income from Lac Production

Lac is a resinous material secreted from the small insect ‘Kerria lacca Kerr’ which grows on certain host plants. It is the only natural animal resin. Lac cultivation is mostly done in the states of Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and West Bengal. Jharkhand is the highest producer of lac in India. As a Non Timber Forest Produce, it is a good source of allied income for tribal population and farmers. Because of its wonderful properties, shellac, the commercial product of lac, has a wide range of applications in surface coating, electrical insulation, filling materials, adhesives, controlled release fertilizer, and other agricultural formulations. Its most recent applications include the synthesis of bioactive and perfumery compounds. It not only provides a living for nearly three million poor people, but also generates foreign exchange through export.

The lac insects thrive on the sap of certain plants called lac hosts.

Some of the host trees are Palas, Ber, Kusum, Peepal, Akaasmani, Galwang, Flemingia and Gular. Two strains of the lac insects are recognized in India, the Rangeeni and Kusumi. Each strain completes its life cycle twice a year enabling the cultivation twice in a year. Lac cultivation is now popular all over the world and has, thus, become a source of high income for tribals in Jharkhand. Lac cultivation methods that are scientific provide a higher income while minimising risk. Farmers who received training from various institutes on lac culture earned a higher income from it.

Based on the methods of collection and processing, various forms of lac are known in commerce:

Stick Lac: It is raw lac, obtained by scraping the lac encrustation from dry twigs cut down before the new insect emerges. It contains dead lac insect bodies, bark from the host plant, dried leaves, dust, and other impurities. It is sold in the local market for around

Team

Training on Lac production for women beneficiaries

`875 per kg, and most people in the region sell the scrapping without further processing.

Seed Lac: Seed lac is the semi-refined product obtained after crushing, sieving, and winnowing stick lac, followed by washing and drying. It has impurities such as sand and insect debris. It is sold in the market for around `800-1000 per kg.

Shellac: It is a refined form of lac that is available in thin flakes. It is made by stretching heat softened seed lac that has been freed of infusible materials. It is the commercial lac and is graded according to its colour and wax content. This refined product sells for a high price in the market, with the seller earning up to `1050-1350 per kg.

Button Lac: It is another form of heat-purified lac, where the molten resin is cast into button-shaped cakes instead of being drawn into sheets, as in the manufacture of shellac. They are largely used for bonding mica splittings. These are sold at a rate of `1200-1600 per kg in the market.

Bleached Lac: A major portion of lac consumed in the world today is in the form of bleached lac or ‘White Lac’ which is obtained through treatment of alcoholic solution of seed lac with activated charcoal or by bleaching a sodium carbonate solution of seed lac with sodium hypochlorite solution.

Dewaxed Lac: Lac from which wax has been removed is known as dewaxed lac. It forms clear solution with spirit and is extensively used in furniture polishing, coating tablets in pharmaceutical industry, etc. and is sold at around `600-700 per kg.

USES OF LAc AND LAc BASED PRODUcTS

Because of its unique combination of properties, lac finds a wide variety of uses in paint, electrical appliances, automobiles, cosmetic products, adhesives, leather, wood finishing and other industries. Lac has long been in use both for decorative purposes and lacquers of various kinds and insulating varnishes. It is mostly used as a first coating on wood to fill the pores and also applied to seal knots likely to exude resin and disfigure or spoil finished paint work. Lac is used in manufacture of glazed paper, printing and water proofing inks, lac bangles, dry mounting tissue paper, dental plates and optical frames. It is also used as a coat for metal ware to prevent tarnishing and for finishing various products such as playing cards, oil cloth and linoleum and for preserving archeological and zoological specimen. In electrical industry, lac is used as coating of insulator, coating of spark plugs, cement of sockets of electrical lamp, anti-tracking insulating, etc. In pharmaceutical industry, lac is used in coating of tablets, micro-encapsulation of vitamins and coating of medicines. Lac dye is used in dying of wool and silk, soft drink formulation, confectionary and chocolate coating. Lac wax has wide variety of uses in manufacturing shoe polishes, tailor’s chalk, lipstick, crayons (for writing on glass). Nowadays, it is also used in fruit coating.

OBJEcTIvES

Lac cultivation is a good source of income for poor farmers. It is a reliable source of income during drought years when farming is not possible and agriculture is not profitable. It thrives best in marginal and degraded land. The cultivation has no negative effects on the health of the host tree or

any other flora or fauna. It also helps to reduce rural-urban migration and increases opportunities for women for better employment and returns. An estimated 4 to 5 kg of lac is produced from one tree.

The project is imparting training to women beneficiaries in specified subjects with the help of civil Society Organisations (cSO) to create entrepreneurship among the women. After imparting training, skill building, network formation, policy dialogue and entrepreneurial support, several women beneficiaries are establishing enterprises for their livelihood. Marketing support is also provided for showcasing and selling of their products at different platforms. Keeping in view the importance of lac production and value addition activities in selected districts of Jharkhand under the project, training on Lac cultivation by Girl Power Project was conducted for a batch of 50 women beneficiaries in Ranchi to introduce them to the scientific methods of cultivation to improve productivity and increase the yield. The project plans to have upgraded skills training in which the women will learn to process lac and make products for additional income. Girl Power Project is in the process of executing more trainings for processing and value addition of lac through NABARD and National Institute for Secondary Agriculture (NISA), a unit of Indian council of Agricultural Research (IcAR) in the near future so that rural women entrepreneurs can enhance their skills and earn additional income.

OUTcOME

The project aims that through these trainings, thousands of rural women will earn a good income by adopting scientific lac cultivation practices. Scientific practices will help in ensuring increased quantity and quality of production. Through processing and value addition, the women will generate five to ten times more than what they are used to. Hopefully, this will also reduce rural-urban migration which is rampant in Jharkhand.

Production of Lac in host plant

All India Institute of Local SelfGovernment felicitated a large senior delegation from International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC), European Union at G.Incube (Gwalior Incubation Centre) for the Leuven, Belgium exchange Programme. The delegation had detailed interaction with the team for finalising various aspects of partnership that are to be followed by both countries and incubation centres

AIILSG conducted training of elected representatives at Betul District of Madhya Pradesh. A total of 71 Councillors from six ULBs atended the training session

AIILSG organised fourth three-day residential training programme (Community level L3) in Sheopur District of Madhya Pradesh, under Jal Jeevan Mission KRC Capacity Building Programme

South

Summit 2023

Inclusive & Resilient Cities

to be held in New Delhi, India

The All India Institute of Local SelfGovernment (AIILSG) is organising the 6th Asian Cities Summit and Mayors’ Forum in New Delhi during April 57, 2023. The theme of the conference is ‘Urban Resilience and Inclusive Growth’.

Studies suggest that by 2050, 70 per cent of the global population will be living in urban centres, some in cities of more than 10 million people. The increasing urban population will need better services and infrastructure. Intending to build a better urban future, we have built a Forum where city mayors and senior officials from municipal corporations worldwide share their knowledge and learn from each other’s experiences. Cities also provide details of their contribution to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and join hands to build a better urban future for coming generations. The COVID-19 has already underlined the importance of knowledge sharing and collaborations to deal with the evolving urban challenges. The Summit is a step in the right direction to forge long-term city to city collaborations of Indian and world cities. The event is one-of-its-kind in the region and focuses on bringing to

the forefront the achievements of cities in policy and infra space. The event will be spread over a total of three days. It will consist of Keynote Addresses, Panel Discussions, and an exhibition of some of the most innovative ideas from the selected cities.

Earlier, AIILSG organised the 5th South Asian Cities Summit (SAC) supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of Goa, and Goa Tourism Development Corporation. One hundred cities from South Asia participated as City Partners in the three-day Summit organised in Goa in March 2020. In the earlier editions of the Summit, Sumitra Mahajan, Former Speaker of Lok Sabha; Suresh Prabhu, Former Union Minister for Railways; Prakash Javadekar, Former Union Environment Minister; Manish Sisodia, Deputy Chief Minister, Delhi, and many national and international dignitaries have graced the Summit with their presence. In addition to this, a host of eminent urban experts from India and various countries worldwide have shared their insights on improving urban infrastructure and services during the earlier editions of the Summit. A

series of sessions was organised during the 5th SAC summit on topics such as sustainable cities, mobility, water and cities, digital transformation of city management, urban sanitation, inclusive cities and South Asian Mayors’ Forum. In addition, parallel sessions were also organised paving the enabling environment towards Urban Sanitation Solutions, the Journey of Local Self Governments Associations from South Asia; Circular Economy; Electric Mobility, etc.

The last edition of SAC saw participation from dignitaries like Dr Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister, Goa; Uday Madkaikar, Mayor, Panaji; Hitesh Vaidya, Director, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA); Dr Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, Secretary General, UCLG- ASPAC, Indonesia; Ranjit S Chavan, President, All India Institute of Local Self-Government (AIILSG); Rajiv Agarwal, Director General, AIILSG; Jerome Pons, Head of Cooperation, European Union; and Ravi Ranjan Guru, Deputy Director General, AIILSG. Hansa Patel, Executive Advisor, AIILSG and Debarshi Pandya, CFO, AIILSG welcomed the dignitaries and felicitated the guests with a set of books of Mahatma Gandhi. In the welcome address, Ranjit S Chavan said, “I am sure that the participating cities of South Asia must have come with new ideas and strategies to achieve SDGs as per their local needs and conditions. The discussion on different topics including the exchange of information and technology, updated systems and procedures, follow-up and removal of bottlenecks to achieve the target with the speedy process would definitely help each other to attain the final goals by 2030”.

United Cities and Local Governments—Asia Pacific (UCLGASPAC), World Bank, European Union, UN-Habitat, United Nations University (UNU), NALAS, CITYNET, J CLAIR, FSLGA-Sri Lanka, Municipal Association of Bangladesh (MAB), MUAN-Nepal, and several other distinguished national and international organisations have been our key partners all along.

Regional GCoM Covenants come together to accelerate local climate actions collectively

Abhishek Pandey Editor

BRUSSELS (BELGIUM): Global Secretariat of Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy organised a five-day Open House at International Press Centre and Hotel NH Berlaymont in Brussels from Jan 23-27, 2023. Representatives of regional covenants, country representatives, and delegations from partner organisations, including the European Commission, Bloomberg Philanthropies, GIZ, ICLEI, DAI, and UCLG Global, among others, were present in-person to participate in a series of meetings, knowledge-sharing sessions, technical working group presentations, and interactive city-tocity exchange sessions. During the fiveday event, one day was dedicated to the Common Reporting Framework (CRF) Academy, which enabled participants to understand the latest reporting platform’s updates, common mistakes, energy access and poverty pillars, data challenges and progress tracking. The event was organised in person for the first time after the Covid-19 Pandemic. A delegation from GCoM South Asia was also present.

The main objective of the Open House was to exchange updates on the activities and work that the GCoM is implementing at the global level and to collect feedback, experiences, and input from the partners engaging in and promoting the GCoM across regions. The planned sessions provided the opportunity to engage across multiple initiatives. They served as a platform for Regional and National Covenants to exchange and share results, solutions developed, and insights on the activities carried out.

On day one, Eero Ailio, Adviser: Energy transition and local governance, European Commission, spoke on the importance of collective actions of cities, covenants and the urgency of the

issue. He began his speech with inputs from an AI tool and underlined the importance of modern technology and climate actions at the local level. Piero Remitti and Andy Deacon explained the works of the GCoM.

Giorgia Rambelli and Gisela Garrido Veron, in the Back to Basic-GCom Governance Structure, provided the details of governance structure in the regions and told the attendees about how policy decisions are taken. Benjamin Jance and Vanni Puccioni presented the details of Technical Working Group Research and Innovation working towards a simplified reporting platform and data collection methods in collaboration with CDP, ICLEI, and JRC. There are three energy pillars: climate change mitigation, adaptation, and access to energy. Other TWG presentations during the event included Finance, Communication, and Regional Strategy. During the first Interactive Regional Session, participants got the opportunity to learn about the progress and challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa.

On day two, the next Interactive Regional Session focused on the activities undertaken by Eastern Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, and Latin America. Giving details about the activities of the South Asia region, Ravi Ranjan Guru, Deputy Director General of AIILSG, Networking and Governance Coordinator, GCoM South Asia, said that the cities in the region are showing interest in joining the covenant and taking local climate actions. In the last seven months, five Indian cities and three cities from the region have joined the covenant. He said that the GCoM SA is focusing on increasing activities at the city level and engaging partners through the India coordination group led by the European Union Delegation to India. More than ten organisations are part of the group, collectively working on enhancing the impact.

Asih Budiati, Team Leader, GCoM Asia, spoke on the series of training program workshops executed in the previous year and the upcoming events, as well as the deepening understanding of climate change issues among city representatives.

Justine Audraine provided the details of avenues available to cities for accessing finances for their local projects. GCoM Global secretariat also provided details of technical assistance they have been providing to regional covenants.

These included assistance to cities through Urban Transition Mission, City Climate Gap Fund, Bankable Climate Project Initiative, Business Matchmaking, and Expert Exchange Programme. In a bilateral meeting, GCoM Asia Project team members had the opportunity to meet with GCoM Global, JRC, with Global-Regional Coherence TWG and Gap Fund to discuss potential collaboration for GCoM signatories in the region. The third day of the GCoM Open House was focused on the importance of a simplified Common Reporting Framework (CRF) linked to the CDP-ICLEI Track and My Covenant. It was informed that CDPICLEI Track had been simplified to 60 per cent fewer questions from the previous version. And, My Covenant will introduce a simplified version by reducing and replacing indicators. It will

also develop a dashboard to make data comparisons between cities visible. The fourth day focused on providing details on badging for signatory cities and the aggregation report launched last year and available on the GCOM website. The participants visited Leuven city and learnt about the sustainable practices implemented at the local level in the city. Participants also learnt about the ‘Leuven 2030’, a citizen co-creation platform. It has been sponsoring it since long. The local NGO promotes the implementation of sustainable projects involving citizen participation. Leuven 2030 is a non-profit organisation founded in 2013 by 60 members, including the city and committed citizens. The NGO has grown into a solid organisation with more than 600 members. Inhabitants, companies, civil society organisations, knowledge institutions and public authorities are equally represented in the organisation. In 2018, Leuven 2030 developed a Roadmap for 2025 – 2035 – 2050 with the help of the urban-planning agency and over 70 local experts. Currently, 180 climate initiatives from 13 programs are ongoing. They concern housing, mobility, energy (mainly), agriculture and nutrition, nature and consumption etc. As the Networking and Governance Coordinator for GCoM South Asia, the AIILSG’s Urban Update team also conducted two interviews with the senior officials from the European Commission — Eero Ailio and Thomasz Gawlik during the Open House. These interviews will be published in the upcoming editions of the magazine and as podcasts on Spotify. The five-day event ended on a positive note with a focus on accelerating collective climate actions at the local level.

The main objective of the Open House was to exchange updates on the activities and work that the GCoM is implementing at the Global level and to collect feedback, experiences, and input from the partners engaging in and promoting the GCoM across regions

IURC – a platform for cities for sustainable urban development

Funded by the European Union, the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme aims to promote multi-city cooperation on sustainable urban development and to build partnerships between EU and non-EU cities. Participating local governments will be enabled to implement pilot projects engaging research, civil society and business partners.

Deputy Director General, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG REGIO), EU Commission met with representatives from cities in the EU and India under the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) including Secretary, Kochi Municipal Corporation, Director Nitrite Ltd, Dean – Planning & Monitoring, School of Architecture, Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science, Assistant Professor – Department of Automobile Engineering, Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science, Head, Territorial Development Department, Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy and Managing Director,

European Centre for Business & Innovation (CEEI) Foundation, Spain at the 3rd India – EU Urban Forum held on February 13, 2023.

The IURC contributes to the objectives of the UN New Urban Agenda, the Agenda 2030 (SDGs), the Urban Agenda for the EU and the European Commission’s priorities for a “Stronger Europe in the World” with the European Green Deal and the Next GenerationEU (post COVID-19 recovery plan) at the centre. The programme is implemented in the geographical area of Asia and Australasia in nine countries, namely India, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand and Vietnam.

The following cities are part of IURC in India: Kochi, Panaji, Surat, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority, Chennai, Leh, Gwalior, Jamshedpur, Patna, Gangtok, Jaipur, Ranchi, Porbandar and Kanpur. The cities in Europe are Leuven (Belgium), Karlsruhe and Trier (Germany), the Group of Municipalities: Trikala/ Farkadona/Meteora (Greece), Messina

and Reggio Emilia (Italy), Alto Minho Functional Area (Portugal), Albacete (Spain), Rotterdam (The Netherlands).

The EU-funded International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme in India was officially launched on February 24, 2022 in a virtual event with the presence of Additional Secretary (International Cooperation), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, Senior Advisor, DG REGIO, EU Commission, and Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to India. And the EU funded International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia programme in India was announced at the 2nd India – EU Urban Forum in May 2021.

As part of this city-to-city cooperation, 23 city authorities from Europe and India work together until the end of 2023 in the areas of ecological transition, urban and regional renewal and innovative, sustainable and carbon neutral ecosystems.

Union Budget 2023-24 lists 7 priority areas

NEW DELHI: Presenting the Union Budget 2023-2024 in the Parliament Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Government of India listed seven priorities of the budget and mentioned that they complement each other and act as the ‘Saptarishi’ to guide India through the Amrit Kaal. The Modi administration came up with the word “Amrit Kaal” to mark the 25year period until 2047, when India would commemorate 100 years of its independence. It serves as the government’s 25-year roadmap.

The seven priorities are Inclusive Development, Reaching the Last Mile, Infrastructure and Investment, Unleashing the Potential, Green Growth, Youth Power and Financial Sector.

She emphasized that the Indian economy is on the right track and despite a time of challenges, heading for a bright future. Highlighting the importance of inclusive development, Sitharaman said that the government’s policy of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ has helped many sections including women, SCs, STs, OBCs, and other underprivileged sections.

In the health sector, 157 new nursing colleges will be established, a new programme to promote research in

pharmaceuticals will be launched and joint public and private medical research will be encouraged via selected Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) labs.

According to Sitharaman, the government would also launch a programme to end sickle cell anemia (SCA) by 2047. A National Digital Library for children and teenagers will be established in the education sector, and states will be urged to establish physical libraries at the panchayat and ward levels.

With the next Lok Sabha election due next year, this is the last full budget of the Modi government.

The Finance Minister mentioned that this budget hopes to build on the blueprint drawn for India @100 which envisions a prosperous and inclusive India and that the development reaches all regions and citizens, especially our youth, women, farmers, OBCs, Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Sitharaman said that India’s rising global profile is due to several accomplishments, including world class digital public infrastructure namely Aadhar, Co-Win, and UPI; COVID-19 vaccination drive in unparalleled scale and speed, achieving climate-related goals, mission LiFE

and National Hydrogen Mission. She added that during the pandemic, the government provided free food grains to over 80 crore people for 28 months. She also mentioned that under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), the government is implementing the scheme to supply free food grain to all Antyodaya and priority households for the next one year, starting from January 1, 2023. The entire cost of about `2 lakh cr will be borne by the Central Government.

Sitharaman said that the government’s efforts since 2014 have been aimed at ensuring that all citizens get a better quality of life and a life of dignity; the per capita income has more than doubled to `1.97 lakh. Since 2014, the country’s economy has improved from being 10th to the fifth largest in the world.

The Finance Minister pointed out that the efficient implementation of many schemes, with universalization of targeted benefits, has resulted in inclusive development and listed some of the initiatives such as building 11.7 crore household toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission, distributing 9.6 crore LPG connections under Ujjwala Yojana, administering 220 crore Covid vaccinations of 102 crore persons, opening 47.8 crore PM Jan Dhan Bank Accounts, providing insurance cover to 44.6 crore persons under PM Suraksha Bima and PM Jeevan Jyoti Yojana, and Cash transfer of `2.2 lakh cr to over 11.4 cr farmers under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi.

The budget also presents vision for Amrit Kaal- a blue print for an empowered and inclusive economy. It includes a technology-driven and knowledge-based economy with strong public finances and a robust financial sector. To achieve this, Jan Bhagidari through Sabka Saath Sabka Prayas is essential. She also highlighted three key points to achieve this vision including facilitating ample opportunities for citizens, and the youth to fulfill their aspirations, providing a strong impetus to growth and job creation and lastly, strengthening macro-economic stability.

CREA

report: air quality

has only improved in 49 cities in FY21-22

NEW DELHI: Since the introduction of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), air quality has improved compared to the previous year in only 49 out of 131 cities in the financial year 2021-2022, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Under agreements made between State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and the Centre, just 38 of the 131 cities that were set yearly pollution reduction targets, managed to reach the targets for FY21-22, the research stated.

The NCAP covers 132 of the country’s most polluted or “non-attainment cities”. These are the cities whose air quality did not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) from 2011 to 2015. Using 2017 as the pollution levels baseline, the NCAP seeks to bring 20-30 per cent reduction in pollution levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particles by 2024.

The Central Pollution Control Board, which oversees the programme, only considers levels of PM10 that are relatively larger and coarser particles while allocating funds. However, the smaller and more harmful PM2.5 particles aren’t monitored robustly in all cities, primarily because of the lack of equipment. An accompanying press release stated that “Almost all of these reports still lack public availability and no city action plan has been updated with new findings of the report as it was envisaged in the NCAP when it was launched in January 2019.”

PM Modi inaugurates Varanasi Tent City and flags off Ganga Vilas

LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Tent City in Varanasi and MV Ganga Vilas, the longest river cruise in the world. PM Modi inaugurated these projects via video conferencing. Apart from these, Modi also laid the foundation of inland waterways projects worth over `1,000 crore.

While speaking at the launch event, PM Modi said that launch of the world’s longest river cruise service will herald a new age of tourism in India. He added, “I want to tell passengers onboard river cruise liner MV Ganga Vilas that India

has everything you can imagine. It also has a lot beyond your imagination. India can’t be defined in words. India can only be experienced from the heart. Because India has opened her heart for everyone, irrespective of region or religion, creed or country.”

MV Ganga Vilas will cover 3,200 km while passing through five states in India and parts of the neighbouring country, Bangladesh, over 51 days. The journey will begin from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, culminating in Dibrugarh, Assam. MV Ganga has 18 suites and can house 36 tourists.

WB: PM Modi flags off Vande

Bharat Express virtually

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat Express from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri virtually. The Vande Bharat Express has 16 coaches covering 564 km in 7 hours and 45 minutes. It will stop at three stations, namely, Barsoi, Malda, and Bolpur.

Transport minister inaugurates phase one of Zuari Bridge

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Goverment of India, inaugurated phase 1 of the new Zuari Bridge in Goa. The project costs `2,530 crore and has a total length of 13.20 km. Under this phase, fourlane right-hand side corridors and eight-lane stayed cable bridge has been inaugurated on the river Zuari.

Assam re-merges four newly formed districts

After the Election Commission’s decision to begin the delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies on the basis of the 2001 Census, the Assam Cabinet decided to re-merge four newly formed districts with the existing ones. The Election Commission instructed the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam to issue a blanket prohibition on the creation of new administrative units.

No Parking Area Management Plan for East Delhi people

MoSPI reported 343 infra projects hit with cost overruns

The erstwhile East Delhi Municipal Corporation region is yet to get its own Parking Area Management Plan (PAMP). Last year, senior officials informed that they were in the process to hire a private agency that will assist the civic body in the survey for PAMP.

Haryana to merge and re-organise Administrative Departments

NEW DELHI: A recent report from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India stated that close to 343 infrastructure projects have been hit with cost overruns of `4.5 lakh crore. 343 projects out of 1,438, with investments of `150 crore and more, have been reported for cost overruns and 835 projects have been delayed.

According to the Ministry’s report, “Total original cost of implementation of the 1,438 projects was `20,35,794.75 crore and their anticipated completion cost is likely to be `24,86,069.52 crore, which reflects overall cost overruns of

`4,50,274.77crore (22.12 per cent of original cost).”

The report showed that for 342 projects, neither the year of commissioning nor the tentative gestation period has been reported. And if the delay is calculated on the basis of the latest schedule of completion, the number of delayed projects decreases to 673 projects.

Reasons for time overruns include delay in land acquisition, delay in obtaining forest and environmental clearances, and lack of infrastructure support and linkages as reported by various project implementing agencies.

Delay in tie-up for project financing, finalisation of detailed engineering, change in scope, tendering, ordering and equipment supply, and law and order problems were among the other reasons.

The Haryana Government has decided to merge and re-organise Administrative Departments having similar work to improve efficiency and synergise functioning. Under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar, the state cabinet has approved the proposal regarding the same.

MCD aiming at open-defecation free tag

Senior officials from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) informed that the unified civic body is planning to reapply for open defecation-free (ODF) certification. Local body official from the Department of Environment Management Services (sanitation wing) informed that MCD will reapply for certification under the ODF++ category.

India’s first Green Climate Fund set up in Tamil Nadu worth `1,000 cr

CHENNAI, Tamil Nadu: The Government of Tamil Nadu issued an order to set up the Tamil Nadu Green Climate Fund (TNGCF) worth `1,000 cr to support climate change-related initiatives, greening projects, and mitigation efforts. It is the first-of-itskind fund in the country which will mobilise resources from the government, development finance institutions, and international climate funds. The Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund Management Corporation (TNIFMC) Limited will manage the fund with a greenshoe option of another `1,000 cr.

The state government will provide the initial `100 cr which will be generated through equity, equity-linked instruments, convertible instruments, and debentures among others with a 10year tenure extendable for two years.

According to the press release, the indicative list of the investment under the fund includes climatefriendly products/alternatives, carbon/ greenhouse gas reduction technologies, renewable green energy, pollution control technologies/products, forest development and conservation including ecotourism, EV/hybrids, and associated infrastructure, waste management, sustainable agriculture, water resource management, etc. To steer climate action plans effectively, the state government has set up three key missions namely, Tamil Nadu Green Mission, Tamil Nadu Climate Change Missions, and the Tamil Nadu Wetlands Mission. It has also set up Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company (TNGCC) which is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to help implement the state climate action plan.

GOI approves National Green Hydrogen Mission

NEW DELHI: The Government of India has approved the National Green Hydrogen project with an initial capital outlay of `19,744 cr. The mission aims to produce five million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030. Anurag Thakur, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, informed that out of the total allocated amount, `17,490 cr is to be used for Strategic Interventions and `1,466 cr to conduct pilot projects. He also informed that the Research and Development component will also receive `400 cr and `388 cr towards

other mission components. The government’s goals under this mission are to increase annual green hydrogen production to five million tonnes, add approximately 125 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, attract over `8 lakh cr in investments, create lakhs of jobs, and most importantly, reduce cumulative fossil fuel import bill by over `1 lakh cr. The mission is expected to help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 50 million tonnes. Due to its advantageous geographic location and the presence of natural resources, India has a significant advantage in the generation of green hydrogen. Green hydrogen, as opposed to grey hydrogen, which is produced using natural gas, is created by electrolyzing water with renewable energy, which results in no carbon dioxide being released.

ADB lends $350 million loan to India

NEW DELHI: The Government of India signed a $350 million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to improve and expand the connectivity of the metro rail system in Chennai and upgrade the existing public transport system.

Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, signed the tranche 1 loan agreement for the Chennai Metro Rail Investment Project whereas Nilaya Mitash, Officer-inCharge of ADB’s India Resident Mission signed from ADB’s side. The loan is a part of the $780 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) approved by the ADB to develop three new metro lines in Chennai.

The project will support the development of three metro linesthree, four, and five, including the construction of tracks around 10.1 kilometres (km), 10 km, and 31 km respectively. The stations will be built

with disaster and climate-resilient features and will be responsive to the needs of women, children, the elderly, differently-abled, and transgender people.

An additional $1 million ADB Technical Assistance (TA) grant will help the Chennai Metro Rail Limited to plan and manage multimodal interchanges and facilities along with the rail corridors including better dropoff and pick-up areas for the commuters, bicycle facilities, and sheltered waiting areas.

Indian Oil signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Central TB Division (CTD) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH & FW), and the states of Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh to undertake intensified TB Elimination Project, marking a historic milestone that demonstrates India’s commitment to combat the menace of tuberculosis (TB).

Odisha provides `100 cr to community partners

The Odisha government has given 26,691 Mission Shakti groups `100 crore as supervision fees (incentives) to strengthen community partnerships under various urban verticals, such as MUKTA, AAHAR, JALSATHIs, solid waste management, shelter for urban homeless, pickle making units, etcs that are ongoing throughout the state.

NGT forms panel to tackle Yamuna pollution

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed a high-level committee to tackle the problem of rising pollution levels in the Yamuna River. Chaired by Justice A K Goel, NGT noted that lots of work regarding Yamuna rejuvenation, is yet to be executed. Also, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee has not taken any strict action against defaulters.

Indian Oil on a TB elimination drive

The road ThaT glows

Cycling is an eco- friendly mode of transportation and a way to keep carbon footprint low. Inspired by the Netherlands’ Starry night bike lane that uses solar powered LEDs to glow in the dark, a local company in Poland created a very similar bicycle strip, using a synthetic material that can give out light up to ten hours at a time once charged by the sun throughout the day.

KTR requests Centre for increase in funding for urban projects

TELANGANA: KT Rama Rao, Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Government of Telangana has requested the Centre to include requisite funding for the state’s many urban sector initiatives in the next Union Budget 2023–24.

According to Rao, 46.8 per cent of the population of Telangana lives in cities, making it an urban state for which the requisite infrastructure must be built. By providing priority funding for the initiatives being undertaken or planned, the Centre must help the State.

He requested funding for a number of urban infrastructure projects, including the Strategic Road Development Project (SRDP), Strategic Nala Development Project (SNDP), Comprehensive Road Maintenance Project (CRMP),

Hyderabad Road Development Corporation (HRDC), Musi River Development Corporation (MRDC), and Telangana Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (TUFIDC).

He urged the Centre to provide `750 crore, which is 20 per cent of the project’s overall cost (`3,777 crore), listing significant transformative projects like the Solid Waste Management project, bio-mining, Fecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTP), and wastewater treatment projects. In addition, he asked for a third of the `8,684 crore to build 41 sewage treatment facilities with a combined capacity of 1,591 MLD over a 2,232 km sewer network. Additionally, he asked about `240 crores for the SNDP, which was started to prevent flooding after a lot of rain.

COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber addresses 13th session of IRENA assembly

NEW DELHI: Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, President-Designate of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28), while addressing the 13th session of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) assembly, said that renewable energy capacity would need a major boost in the upcoming years.

Al Jaber, who is also the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), assured that the UAE will continue to provide its support in helping advance IRENA’s mission and continue to be the closest partner and the strongest advocate for the organisation.

He stated that last year’s renewables accounted for 81 per cent of the new energy capacity, and the sector will witness tremendous growth in the next five years, which will be greater than the cumulative growth achieved in the last 20 years. To meet this fast pace of growth, IRENA needs to adopt innovative methods. The Minister hailed the Energy Transition Accelerator Financing Platform (ETAF), launched on the sidelines of COP26 and highlighted that the gulf country has committed around $400 million as initial funding support to allow the platform to target funding of emerging economies. IRENA, an intergovernmental organisation that helps countries transition towards sustainable energy, bring together various stakeholders, including governments, ministers, multilateral organisation, energy decision-makers and private players.

Anup Gupta of the Bharatiya Janta Party was elected as the new Mayor of Chandigarh. Mayoral Elections for the city of Chandigarh were held on January 17, 2023, wherein Gupta won by one vote against Jasbir Singh, Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate. Congress party decided to abstain from election.

Industrial zone master plans withdrawn

Due to heavy protests against the development of an industrial zone, draft master plans introduced for Kamaredyy and Jatial municipalities in Telangana, have been withdrawn by the respective district councils. Resolutions to this effect were passed in the council meeting of Kamareddy and Jagtial urban local bodies (ULBs).

Pune organises seminar on urban infrastructure ahead of G20

A seminar on urban infrastructure was organised in the city ahead of the G20 summit, attended by the central and state-level officials and the representatives of financial institutes and industry. They expressed the need to implement a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model in all the urban local bodies and demanded that national-level guidelines be framed for its execution.

Chandigarh gets a new Mayor

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G20 working group meeting discusses financial inclusion

KOLKATA, West Bengal: Arjun Munda, Minister for Tribal Affairs, Government of India, addressed the first meeting of the G20 working group on Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI). The plenary meeting was held at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Munda was addressing a gathering of 1,800 students from the state where he highlighted India’s vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.’ He said, “We strive for a human-centric globalisation, where no one is left behind.”

The minister added that the process

of financial inclusion leads to currency management, thus enhancing the saving potential and consequently leading to social security and quality of life. Munda asked the students to learn the whims of financial literacy early and properly so they can’t be fooled in the future. While talking about India hosting the G20 Summit, he said it is a historic opportunity for the country to host a forum for international economic cooperation. The G20 forum collectively represents around 85 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The meeting was attended by member nations of the G20 and senior officials from the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India and Reserve Bank of India.

TGBL teams up with PMC to produce hydrogen from waste

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and The GreenBillions Limited (TGBL) collaborated to build the first plant in India for the production of green hydrogen from municipal solid waste and biomass. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the technological feasibility and economic viability of producing hydrogen from waste.

The GreenBillions has expertise in developing, overseeing, and carrying out sustainable programmes. Environment friendly goods and services are the focus of TGBL. The business is now making investments in the construction of facilities that can produce clean, green hydrogen from biomass, water, and municipal solid waste.The company’s wholly owned subsidiary Variate Pune Waste to Energy Pvt Ltd (VPWTEPL) will oversee the management of the future plant in Pune. According to a statement from TGBL, the company will also use Pune’s 350 TPD of municipal garbage to produce hydrogen for 30 years. With the use of plasma gasification technology, refuse-derived fuel (RDF) produced from the garbage would later be used to produce hydrogen. At The Greene Billion facility in Pune, the waste will be separated into biodegradable, non-biodegradable, and home hazardous waste using optical sensor technology. In order to develop and establish similar plants in the future, the business is also in talks with state municipalities around India.

HC slams Govt for no action against unlicensed meat shops

Gujarat High Court slammed the Government of Gujarat for not taking action against meat shops and slaughterhouses running without licenses in the state. The court summoned the Principal Secretary, Food Safety Commissioner and commented that the state administration is not taking any punitive action against these unlicensed shops.

Kerala: HC issues notice to Govt on setting up BMC

The Kerala High Court issued a notice to the state government on a writ petition seeking a directive to all local bodies to constitute Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs). The petitioner stated that the government must protect the ecology and the bioresources and stop people from violating the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.

Caste census begins in Bihar

Chief Minister Nitish Kumarled Government of Bihar began the caste census in the state. The door-to-door survey will cover around 12.70 cr people residing in 2.58 cr households spread across 38 districts, further branching into 534 blocks and 261 urban local bodies. The estimated cost of the survey stands at around `500 cr, and the survey will be conducted in two phases.

Punjab directs ULBs to implement Challan Management System

In response to a civil writ petition Uma Shankar Gupta, Director of the Department of Local Government, Punjab has directed municipal commissioners in the state to not allow construction without the approval of the building plan, and penalise the violators of the norms. The department has also directed commissioners to implement the Challan Management System in all the cities.

BBMP to conduct 6,000 Covid tests in a day

WB to enhance lending capacity to tackle climate challenge

NEW DELHI: The World Bank is planning to enhance its lending capacity to address climate change and other global issues. Ahead of its April meeting, the bank will discuss the plan that includes a capital increase and new lending tools, according to an “evolution roadmap” viewed by Reuters.

The document containing the proposals has been sent to the shareholders, with which began the negotiation process aimed at changing the mission and financial resources to shift away from the project and country-oriented model that the bank has been using since World War II. A spokesman said that the document aims to provide details on the scope, approach and timetable for the evolution along with regular updates from the shareholders and later the decision as well.

The World Bank is looking for options like new capital increase, changing capital structure of the bank to enhance the lending capacity and new financing tools, including guarantees for the private sector loans as well as other ways to bring in more capital from the private sector.

However, the World Bank Group is not ready to accept the demands raised by some non-profit organisations asking the bank to move away from its longstanding top-tier credit rating system, which goes by the name of AAA Rating, to improve lending.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to increase the number of tests per day from 1,500 to 6,000 as precautionary measures due to rise in covid cases around the globe. Dr K V Thrilok Chandra, Special Commissioner for Health, said that people are being tested at the primary health centres with a history of comorbidity, symptomatic cases and people with symptoms of influenza-likeillness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection.

24,000 schools in Karnataka don’t have playgrounds

Eco clubs to come up in Vizag city

VISAKHAPATNAM, Andhra Pradesh: Department of Forest, Andhra Pradesh, in collaboration with NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs), civil society groups, volunteers and nature enthusiasts, is planning to develop a framework for setting up nature and eco clubs.

Anant Shankar, Visakhapatnam District Forest Officer (DFO) and Curator of Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, said that eco clubs will be set up across the district to document and conserve biodiversity with the help of active participation of the public.

DFO said that the state forest

department will provide the necessary infrastructure facilities for these eco clubs. The move aims to develop People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs) along with the urban local bodies. He added that the local population could also participate as per their interests via eco clubs, including photography, study of different types of birds, conservation of butterflies, conservation of plants and trees, wetlands, etc and each programme organised by these eco clubs will be documented.

Karnataka became the first state in the country

to

implement

National Education Policy 2020.

The New Education Policy aims to give impetus to sports and physical education by adding them to the school curriculum. However, it has been observed that over 24,000 primary and high schools in Karnataka do not even have playgrounds.

He said, “A public movement will be initiated. Through such clubs, the forest department will also organise nature walks, marine exploration trips, and trekking in pristine forest areas. Further, this initiative will also help converge, channelise, and bring together the initiatives of various individuals, NGOs and groups and make them more effective to make Visakhapatnam a paradise for nature conservation.”

Smart City projects ease traffic management in Ranchi

Corridor & junctions’ improvement

AFTER JHARKHAND’S FORMATION, Ranchi became the state capital. The population doubled in the last two decades, and vehicles increased many manyfolds. As a result, the city’s traffic system has become congested, and traffic jams have become common.

In 2015, PM Narendra Modi launched the Smart City Mission Scheme, and Ranchi was selected as one of the cities under the Fast Track City Competition in 2016. The City Development Plan under the Mission focused on revitalizing the city’s traffic system. Under the C4 project, the Adaptive Traffic Control System (ATCS) has been installed at 40 intersections to manage traffic. The city’s Command Control and Communication Centre provided real-time data on vehicles passing through various intersections. It has reduced the waiting time at the traffic signals and eased the traffic. Also, through the Smart City’s Command Control and Communication Centre, many devices have been installed in the city, through which the traffic police gets real-time data on vehicles passing through various city intersections. Based on this, the police prepare a traffic plan. Based on this data, the left lane has been made free at many city

With aid from Integrated Command and Control Centre and ATCS, the Smart City Corporation also built and introduced a Green Corridor to ensure that critical patients who need health treatment could be transported from hospitals to the airport quickly in any emergency situation. They can be sent to health facilities in Delhi, Hyderabad or Chennai by air ambulance. Junctions have been renovated to streamline transportation infrastructure, and designated bus and auto stops have been created to reduce congestion. These initiatives have ensured that citizens can avail of emergency services without any hassle.

Promotion of NMT

Additionally, the Smart City Mission has promoted non-motorized transport, with over 600 bicycles and 60 stations provided for public use in 1st phase and another 60 stations and 600 bicycles are in trial for 2nd phase. Under the public bicycle sharing system, common people use these bicycles for short distances instead of motorcycles and cars, due to which the pollution level in the city is decreasing, and the number of vehicles at a time is relatively less. With the help of these cycles, traffic jams and congestion on city roads have

been reduced to a great extent. Under the impactful project of Ranchi Smart City, a smart four-lane road connecting the airport to Hinoo Chowk, with utility services located underground, has been built. Along the road, there is a footpath and a cycling lane.

Cleared footpath, created a dedicated market for street vendors

Under the impactful project of Ranchi Smart City, Ranchi Municipal Corporation freed Mahatma Gandhi Marg from vendors operating from the footpath. After surveying, it constructed Atal Vendors Market equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. Vendors were relocated to Atal Vendors Market, and similarly, a vegetable and fruit market was created near Nagababa Khatal. Pedestrians benefited from the empty footpaths, and the roads appeared wider, reducing the problem of traffic jams. Due to this, the pressure of traffic jams on Raj Bhavan, Ratu Road intersection and Upper Bazar has been reduced. Many vendors have also been shifted from around the Morhabadi ground.

Disciplined Traffic

As a result of the Smart City Corporation’s monitoring, people in Ranchi are adhering to traffic regulations more frequently. Fewer accidents have occurred, and the pressure on the police to manage traffic has been reduced. Earlier, over 750 traffic personnel were required to handle the traffic efficiently, but now the requirement has come down to 300. Adaptive Traffic Control System has been adopted in Ranchi by Ranchi Smart City Corporation Limited and has brought revolutionary changes in the Traffic Management of the city which is in tune with the modern cities of the country.

Amit Kumar (IAS)

CEO, Ranchi Smart City Corporation Ltd intersections. Green

9 Indian states among 50 most climate vulnerable regions

NEW DELHI: A report released by the Cross Dependency Initiative (XDI) titled ‘Gross Domestic Climate Risk’ mentioned the top 50 regions in the world including nine Indian states to be facing a high risk of climate change. The report named Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. The Cross Dependency Inititaive is a global organisation specializing in climate risk analysis for regions, banks and companies. The index calculated the ‘physical climate risk’ to built environments such as buildings and properties across 2600 states and provinces globally in 2050.

The physical climate risk referred to the vulnerability from eight climate change events: coastal flooding and sea level rise, heat waves, extreme wind, forest fire, soil movement or other drought-related hazards, free thaw, surface flooding and riverine. Using the global climate models, local weather and environmental data, the report compared the risk across territories and regions. According to the report, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Assam had the highest Aggregated Damage Ratio (ADR), which is the total projected amount of damage to the built environment in a particular region in 2050. The report also stated that the higher the ADR, the higher the ranking in this report. The report

pointed out that Bihar would be the most vulnerable state of India, with 22nd rank globally, followed by Uttar Pradesh (25th), Assam (28th), Rajasthan (32nd), Tamil Nadu (36th), Maharashtra (38th), Gujarat (48th), Punjab (50 th), and Kerala (52nd). Assam would witness the maximum increase of climate risk which might rise up to 330 per cent by 2050 as compared to 1990.

In the list, China had the highest number of regions, followed by India and the United States. Overall, Asia dominated with 114 among the top 200 regions including Pakistan, Indonesia and most South East Asian countries. The report mentioned, “Devastating flooding between June and August 2022, affected 30 per cent of the area of Pakistan and has partially or fully damaged more than 9,00,000 houses in Sindh province.”

Asia is also most vulnerable to climate change in terms of overall damage risk. On the other hand, it stands to gain the most from preventing climate change to worsen and boosting investment in climate-resilient projects. Other countries with multiple provinces and states in the top 50 are Brazil, Pakistan, and Indonesia.

China is home to nine of the top 10 most vulnerable cities and 14 of the top 15. The three cities with the highest risk are Jiangsu, Shandong, and Hebei. In addition to this, Guangzhou

has been estimated to be “the most economically vulnerable city in the world” by 2050 due to sea level rise. The only non-Chinese state in the top 10 was Florida, United States.

The report also pointed that the most damage posed to built infrastructure globally is caused by “riverine and surface flooding or flooding combined with coastal inundation.” Since 2011, Assam has experienced exponential increase in flood events and it had 15 of India’s 25 districts most vulnerable to climate change. Furthermore, 11 of the 36 districts of Maharashtra were found to be ‘highly vulnerable’ to extreme weather events, droughts and dwindling water security.

According to XDI, this is the first physical climate risk analysis focused exclusively on the built environment that has compared every state, province, and territory in the world. The modeling of the report is conducted under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s RCP 8.5 scenario- a scenario that projects high emissions, consistent with average global warming over three degree Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures by the end of the century.

XDI also stated that the report is especially important for investors as extensive built infrastructure generally overlaps with high levels of economic activity and capital value.

Sitharaman: India to produce 5 MMT green hydrogen annually by 2030

NEW DELHI: Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance, Government of India, in her speech in the Parliament of India said, “India is moving forward firmly for the ‘panchamrit’ and netzero carbon emission by 2070 to usher in green industrial and economic transition.”

Finance Minister announced that the government is aiming at the target of producing 5 Million Metric Tonnes (MMT) of green hydrogen annually by the end of 2030. While talking about the National Green Hydrogen Mission, Sitharaman said that it will facilitate a smooth transition towards a lowcarbon economy and reduce country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. She proposed an allocation of `35,000 cr to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India, as priority capital investment for a transition towards clean energy and net zero objectives and improving energy security. Highlighting Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) aimed at promoting an environmentally conscious lifestyle, Sitharaman said that the proposed budget focuses on ‘Green Growth’ to help us guide through this Amrit Kaal. She also mentioned that Battery Energy Storage Systems, with a capacity of 4,000 MWH, will be supported with the help of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and “A detailed framework for Pumped Storage Projects will also be formulated.”

A Green Credit Programme, to be notified under the Environment Protection Act 1986, has also been proposed in the budget to bring about a behavioural change by giving incentives for the environmentally sustainable and responsible actions taken by the company, individual and local bodies.

Apart from that, an inter-state transmission system has been proposed for the union territory (UT) of Ladakh at an investment of `20,700 cr, including central funding of `8,300 cr.

While speaking about the GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) scheme, the minister announced that the establishment of 500 ‘waste to wealth’ plants has also been proposed to give impetus to circular economy. These plants will include 200 compressed biogas (CBG) plants, 75 plants in urban areas and 300 other community or cluster-based plants, which will cost `10,000 cr. In addition to this, the minister also proposed introducing a mandate for five per cent CBG in due course for all organisations engaged in the natural gas and biogas market. While speaking on the proposal to establish 10,000 Bio-Input Resource Centres, she said “over the next three years, we will facilitate oe cr farmers to adopt natural farming.” With the help of this, a national-level distribution of micro-fertilisers and pesticide manufacturing network will be created.

Sitharaman also announced a ‘Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI)’ under which mangrove plantation exercises will be taken up along the

coastline and salt pan land of the country with the help of convergence of resources such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA), Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Fund etc.

Furthermore, Amrit Dharohar scheme was also announced by the finance minister, which is aimed at the conservation of wetlands and surrounding ecosystems by promoting the unique conservation values of local communities. The scheme will be implemented for a period of three years which seeks to encourage optimal use of wetlands, enhance biodiversity and carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for the local communities.

Finance Minister also announced that the ‘PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth’ will be launched to give incentives to states and UTs for the promotion of alternative fertilizers and balanced use of chemical fertilizers.

Punjab Cabinet approves new Industrial and new EV Policy

CHANDIGARH, Punjab: Punjab Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann approved the Industrial and Business Development Policy (IBDP)-2022 and Punjab Electric Vehicle Policy (PEVP)- 2022, February 3, three weeks ahead of the investor’s summit scheduled by the state government for February 23-24 in Mohali. New Industrial and Business Development Policy (IBDP)-2022 aims to create an industry and businessfriendly environment for economic growth, employment generation and overall development of the state of Punjab. This would be achieved with the help of providing incentives to the various sectors, including infrastructure, power and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Starting on October 17, 2022, the new policy would be in effect for five years.

As per the official statement, the new policy focuses on some of the key strategic areas including infrastructure, power, large enterprises, MSMEs, startups, innovation and entrepreneurship, skill development, ease of doing business, fiscal and nonfiscal incentives, export promotion logistics, and grievances redressal.

As per the mandate of the policy, 15 industrial parks will be developed and cover general and sector-specific requirements of various industrial sectors and 20 rural clusters across Punjab. The Punjab government has

also announced that the anchor units, having an investment of `250 cr and having 1,000 employees would be given incentives under the new policy. These units will be given an employment generation subsidy of upto `36,000 per employee per year and `48,000 for women, Schedule Caste (SC), Backward Class and Other Backward Class (OBC) employees for a period of five years. The policy also allows the formation of dedicated countryspecific integrated industrial townships in order to attract investments.

To Boost the MSME sector, a dedicated wing of the Department of Industries and Commerce, titled MSME Punjab, will be established with an enhanced focus on setting up common facility and technology centre. The state will also implement the Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) with assistance from the World Bank.

The state will also boost the promotion and innovation culture in Punjab with the help of Punjab Innovation Mission, with special focus on promoting entrepreneurship among women and the SC community.

The policy also includes the provision to freeze variable power tariffs for the next five years at the rate of `5.50 per kilovolt-ampere-hour (KVAH), and it will apply to manufacturing units, IT, ITeS units in the approved industrial parks, adventure parks with a minimum

area of 50 acres and amusement parks. Apart from that, the Punjab Cabinet has also approved the Punjab Electric Vehicle Policy (PEVP)-2022, intending to cut vehicular emissions in the state. The policy is aimed at infrastructure development, manufacturing, research and development while ensuring sustainability to make the state a favourable destination for the manufacturing of electric vehicles, including its components and batteries.

Units engaged in auto components manufacturing, including electric vehicles, sports goods and fitness equipment, hand tools, machine tools and power tools, agricultural machinery and other equipment, will receive higher fiscal incentives as they are in the list of thrust sectors in the new policy. In addition to this, paper-based packaging units, circular economy activities and One District One Product (ODOP) have also been included in thrust category sectors.

Fiscal incentives for units engaged in the thrust sector include a 100 per cent exemption from stamp duty, 100 per cent exemption from change of land use charges or external development charges. Anchor units will be given 100 per cent exemptions from electricity duty from seven to 15 years.

The policy also includes sectorspecific policy incentives such as a 100 per cent exemption from market fee; capital subsidy to IT/ITeS at the rate of 50 per cent of the FCI upto `2.5 cr per unit; RDF upto 100 per cent of FCI over a period of 10 years to the food processing industry; and five per cent interest subsidy at the rate of `10 lakh per year for a period of five years would be given to the apparels and made up, technical textiles in the form of additional support to units covered by the A-TUB scheme of the Government of India.

Ahmedabad paves way for more sustainable, prosperous urban future

Urban20, began in 2018 in Buenos Aires, is gradually becoming a stronger force in bringing local perspective or say urban perspective to the G20 agenda. The recent U20 event held in Ahmedabad was an example in which G20 Sherpa of this cycle Amitabh Kant underlined the importance of U20 and assured to take note of suggestions from U20 engagement group and inform G20 negotiations. A good start for cities

Team UrbanUpdate

UUrban20 and its significance

Urban 20 (U20) is a diplomatic initiative that brings together mayors and city leaders from g20 member

Urban 20 has to be seen as a great opportunity for global peer learning…Urban 20 group can be the forum where innovative financial instruments are conceptualised even as concrete steps are taken to accelerate climate finance

Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs at the inaugural City Sherpa Meeting of the 2023 Urban 20 Engagement Group of the G20

Hardeep S Puri

countries to collaborate on urban issues and develop policy recommendations to be presented to g20 leaders. it is a city-led initiative, for and by cities, to enable constructive exchanges between cities from g20 countries and the g20 as they meet annually to drive progress on the world’s biggest issues and opportunities.

U20 was launched in 2017 during the One Planet summit in Paris as a response to the growing urbanization trend and the need for cities to have a stronger voice in global decisionmaking. The first U20 meet began in 2018. U20 chair rotates like g20. and, generally a participating city from the country which holds the g20 presidency becomes chair of U20. all the cycles of U20 are co-convened by the United cities and Local governments (UcLg) and c40.

the U20 aims to facilitate cooperation and exchange of knowledge and experience among its member cities, promote innovative and sustainable urban development practices, and advocate for increased recognition of the role of cities in global governance.

each year, the U20 holds a summit where mayors and city leaders from member cities come together to discuss and develop policy recommendations on key urban issues. the communique after getting inputs and approval of all participating cities is finalized and released during the mayoral summit that happens a month or two before the g20 summit. the policy recommendations

in the form of communique are then presented to g20 leaders during the g20 summit for their consideration.

The official handover of the U20 communiqué from the U20 chair, on behalf of all signatories, to the g20 Presidency Head of state is the most important output.

the U20 currently has 38 member cities from around the world, including major cities such as new York, Paris, tokyo, and beijing, as well as several indian cities, including delhi, Mumbai, and bengaluru. besides g20 countries, the Mayors and representatives of c40, UcLg member cities, and Observer cities will participate in these events and enrich the discussions. during this year-long presidency, ahmedabad will showcase its unique urban development and climate change initiatives and rich culture and heritage to the participants. resonating with india’s g20 theme of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’

- One earth, One family, One future’, U20 ahmedabad will emphasize that actions at the city level can drive lasting positive global outcomes underscoring the interconnectedness of the world and our shared future. the effort of this cycle will be to move from ‘intention to action’ and draft a roadmap for closing the gaps between policy and practice to address critical urban issues. the communiqué, outcome document reflecting the aspirations of the participating cities, will be presented by the Mayor of ahmedabad to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of india or

Key Priority Areas of U20 this year are

• Encouraging environmentally responsive behaviour

• Ensuring water security

• Accelerating Climate Finance

• Leveraging ‘local’ potential and identity

• Reinventing urban governance and planning frameworks

• Catalysing digital urban futures

his representative.

this year, ahmedabad is the host city of U20 events. The first city sherpa meeting was held during feb 9-10 and the U20 Mayoral summit is scheduled for July 7-8, 2023. the national institute of Urban affairs is providing technical support to the Host city in organizing the events and other activities during the 2023 cycle of U20. Urban Update along with c40 and niUa is the editorial partner for bringing out the U20 newsletters. the first newsletter was published by Urban Update for the city sherpa Meet.

citY sHerPa Meet

Outlining the relevance of this year’s U20 summit, Hardeep s Puri, Union Minister for Housing & Urban affairs and Petroleum & natural gas, in his audio-visual message at the inaugural city sherpa Meeting of the 2023 Urban20 engagement group of the g20 said that resonating with the theme of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam –One earth, One family, One future’, this year’s summit will be the crucible from which a framework for mutually beneficial and sustainable international economic cooperation will emerge.

in his audio-message at the event, the Minister elaborated on how india has increasingly led discourse and action on important issues of global governance in last few years. the transformational story of india’s urban rejuvenation since 2014 is one such example that has become a blueprint for other countries to learn from, particularly in the global south, he added further.

Highlighting the importance of harnessing of economic potential of cities in a sustainable manner, Puri said that the recently concluded cOP27 on climate change and cOP-15 on biodiversity have reiterated the urgent need to enhance urban resilience so that cities are equipped to deal with global stresses and shocks.

another important concern for cities, the Minister said is to rethink traditional planning models in order to deliver desired socioeconomic outcomes. comprehensive infrastructure development will

necessitate a robust discussion on investments and financing, he said further.

the Minister expressed hope that this Urban 20 group can be the forum where innovative financial instruments are conceptualized even as concrete steps are taken to accelerate climate finance. Puri said that collective experiences of various participants and the lessons learnt during the deliberations in this inaugural meeting will help build a bold, visionary roadmap that can be shared with the g20 leaders.

the event was organised in ahmedabad during february 9-10, 2023. about 70 delegates from close to 40 cities and more than 200 participants from observer cities, U20 conveners, representatives from various working groups and engagement groups of the g20, senior officials from government, national and international organizations and other invited guests attended the event.

chief Minister of gujarat, bhupendrabhai Patel, Mayor of ahmedabad, Kiritkumar J Parmar, india’s g20 sherpa, amitabh Kant, were among other dignitaries to attend the opening ceremony. in his keynote address, Patel highlighted the rich urban legacy of ahmedabad, a UnescO World Heritage city, and recounted various urban development initiatives being undertaken by the government of gujarat under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister of india narendra Modi.

india’s g20 sherpa, amitabh Kant shared his thoughts on the importance of the U20 engagement group, given the importance of cities in taking forward the global sustainable development agenda. He gave a clarion call to all delegates to act as brand ambassadors of india’s g20 presidency and carry the message of de-globalising, decarbonising and digitising cities. the U20 conveners from c40 and UcLg facilitated a round of introductions by all the city sherpas present at the meeting.

the second session explored areas of convergence between urban priorities and aspects being discussed as part of

key g20 working groups. the session included presentations by solomon arokiraj, chair, infrastructure Working group, Kamal Kishor, coordinator, disaster risk reduction Working group and dr sandip chatterjee, Member, digital economy Working group. they stressed on the importance of collaboration and convergence of the g20 streams with U20. Manoj Joshi, secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs also made a special presentation on ‘india’s Urban imperative’ highlighting the need for reforms in urban planning frameworks, infrastructure financing and moving towards sustainable services.

a special session was held to showcase the pioneering work being undertaken by ahmedabad and other cities in gujarat. the speakers Mukesh Kumar, Principal secretary, Urban development department, government of gujarat, Keshav Varma, chairperson, HLc of urban planners, urban economists and institutions, and Prof H M shivanand swamyProfessor emeritus, coe-Ut spoke about successful examples of affordable housing, riverfront development and sustainable urban transport among others.

in the last session, city sherpas from around the world discussed the urban issues and opportunities that they wished to discuss on priority with their g20 national government counterparts. Praveen chaudhary, sherpa for the city of ahmedabad (U20 2023 chair), presented the main issues that the city wishes to address during their leadership. sri Hayati, sherpa for the city of Jakarta (U20 2022 chair) shared evidence of the impact that U20 can have by demonstrating that during Jakarta’s cycle, the U20 recommendations focused on infrastructure financing were reflected and endorsed by the g20 Leaders bali declaration. Over 20 international cities took part in the open floor discussion and responded to invitations issued by g20 dignitaries that morning, to continue dialogue between the g20 work streams and U20.

the inaugural day concluded with

a city excursion for the delegates to sabarmati ashram and atal bridge. this was followed by a special programme hosted by the government of gujarat at the sabarmati riverfront including a musical and dance performance and a gala dinner, which was also graced by the chief Minister.

the formal sessions on the second day commenced with the deliberations that are central to any U20 cycle, namely the meeting of the city sherpas. in this session, moderated by the U20 Conveners, over the course of the first half of the day, the ahmedabad sherpa presented the proposed six priority areas for the sixth U20 cycle followed by rounds of deliberations on each priority. a number of participating and observer cities shared their views and expressed resonance with a number of the proposed priority areas. these were noted by the chair city and Praveen chaudhary, the ahmedabad sherpa invoked the support of the U20 cities in taking forward this collaboration and collectively draft the final Communique.

in the second session, under the guidance of sanjeev sanyal, Member economic advisory council to the Prime Minister, the areas of convergence between other engagement groups of the g20 and the priorities of U20 were explored. the session included presentations by chintan Vaishnav, Jhanvi tripathi and akash Jha from the start-up 20 engagement group, think 20 engagement group and Youth 20 engagement group, respectively. the session also included a presentation by Mona Khandhar the Principal secretary, economic affairs, government of gujarat on gujarat’s g20 engagement. in the concluding session, Mayor of ahmedabad, Kiritkumar J Parmar invited all delegates for the farewell dinner hosted at Kankaria Lake. M thennarasan, Municipal commissioner of ahmedabad spoke about the urban initiatives being taken in ahmedabad, following which he opened the floor to have an interactive session with the city delegates. city representatives highly appreciated the wonderful hospitality extended by ahmedabad.

Ranjit S Chavan President, AIILSG

Why are some opposing 15-minute cities?

India was termed as a reluctant urbaniser. This notion is changing and it is changing really fast. The country is trying and testing every popular concept in urbanisation and sees if it fits the local context and needs. The concept of 15-minute city has gained traction in urban planning discourse globally as well as in India. More recently, the concept seems to have divided people into factions fighting for and against the idea

What is a 15-minute city?

First things first, what is a 15-minute city? A short and crisp reply could be: a city where people get access to everything, almost every essential service and facility like workspace, grocery stores, business centres, and hospitals in a 15-minute trip. Your next question could be “is it by driving, walking or using public transport?” Fair enough. It depends how have its planners conceptualised.

It sounds exciting, convenient and comforting. You ask anyone travelling

Wfrom Noida to Gurgaon or for that matter from Thane to Mumbai for work and spending hours in wee hours traffic or in trains. We spend hours commuting to work, school, or hospitals, navigating congested roads and inadequate public transport systems. They will say a 15-minute city could be the best solution to urban woes. Less time in traffic and more time for. And, if you look at smaller cities, it becomes more difficult to access certain services including specialised medical care facility or a university. We have seen people’s struggle during the pandemic. Such a concept will make life easier for urban residents. It offers a way to alleviate these problems by enabling more livable, sustainable, and resilient urban environment. Urban Local Bodies will be able to work more efficiently as they have to serve, improvise services and infrastructure in a focussed coverage area. By focusing on the needs of local residents and designing neighborhoods that prioritize walking, cycling, and public transport, cities can

reduce reliance on cars and create more vibrant and connected communities. In addition to reducing the consumption of fossil fuels and improving the quality of life for inhabitants, the model encourages a decentralised city and a modal shift away from private vehicles.

Carlos Moreno, a Professor at Panthéon Sorbonne University in Paris came up with the idea of 15-minute cities as an alternate urban planning model in 2015. Moreno even won the Obel Award in 2021, an international architecture prize with the mission of influencing architecture as a whole to further the common good, where it was described as “a real step towards the future – a bold and needed perspective.” The idea has received appreciation

We have witnessed that communities with strong local networks and wellequipped hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies are better able to respond to health crises and protect their residents. The concept of 15-minute cities has the potential to improve the health, well-being, and economic prosperity of their constituents. It is also true that there are immense environmental benefits. But we have to ensure that will serve the purpose of building cities-opportunities for one and all. Or, it will end up creating silos

from many quarters of the urban sector. Some cities have even implemented the model. For instance, in Paris, Mayor Anne Hidalgo made this a part of her reelection campaign in 2020. Moreno told The New York Times, “First, the rhythm of the city should follow humans, not cars. Second, each square metre should serve many different purposes. Finally, neighbourhoods should be designed so that we can live, work and thrive in them without having to constantly commute elsewhere.”

What a fantastic idea. Hail to such a brilliant idea! Right! But, wait! Don’t be in hurry. There is a twist.

What is the problem? There is a flip side to the story.

THe FLIP SIDe

Some socialists and economists, including British MPs, are citing concern over its social feasibility and economic impact. They have fears that such cities will not be inclusive. There is also the risk of creating ghettos. The land prices, already skyrocketing in cities, will go further north. The affordability will be a concern.

Another concern is that it might limit people’s choices. People will have to stick to only available choices on a day-to-day basis. The underlying statement is to consume what is available. Job opportunities or choice of doing business will be limited. Only a couple of people can get engaged in one business or service industry. It can also result in making the city less vibrant as neighbourhoods could become more homogenous resulting in less cultural exchange between diverse social groups. These cities will also be not welcoming because to accommodate more people, the city would have to make provisions of infrastructure and services.

While the idea of 15-minute cities has valid pros and cons, the sudden rise of conspiracy theories surrounding it is puzzling. Some of the more extreme views of people bordering on paranoia are coming from Oxford in United Kingdom where the idea is being compared to “climate lockdowns”, “digital open prison”, “cute authoritarianism” and

“socialist/stalinist attempt to control the population.” People are even taking to the streets and protests are being held against the implementation of 15-minute cities. The hysteria could have its roots in a deep-seated fear among people of lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Restricted movement had given many authoritarian governments an excuse to put oppressive measures on people. An innocuous planning model has become the centre of a war between the left and the right, which is a digression from the main issue. Is this a viable solution for all cities?

THe ROAD AHeAD

There are always two sides of every story. Cities need to weigh the available options.

We have witnessed that communities with strong local networks and wellequipped hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies are better able to respond to health crises and protect their residents. The concept of 15-minute cities has the potential to improve the health, well-being, and economic prosperity of their constituents. It is also true that there are immense environmental benefits. But we have to ensure that will serve the purpose of building citiesopportunities for one and all. Or, it will end up creating silos.

It is true that transitioning to a 15-minute city will require significant investment in infrastructure, planning, and design. But the benefits of such a transition are manifold. By reducing car dependency, we can lower air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, improve public health, and create jobs in the green economy. By creating more vibrant and connected communities, we can boost local economies and promote social cohesion.

Furthermore, the 15-minute city concept is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It can be adapted to suit the unique needs and contexts of different cities and neighborhoods. The key is to engage with local communities, listen to their needs and concerns, and design solutions that work for them.

Quenching the thirst of cities

The per capita availability of water in India is on the decline with each passing year, and with the rise in population, this situation will worsen, particularly in cities. As per NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index 2019, no Indian city is able to provide 24×7 water supply to its citizens. Right now, 5 Indian cities are among the 20 largest cities undergoing water stress, with Delhi being second on the list. By 2030 the gap between the domestic water demand and its supply is going to expand to 50 BCM (Billion Cubic Metres) as the urban population is expected to touch 600 million mark. Therefore, cities in India have to enhance their wastewater treatment capacity to be able to meet the rise in demand.

Available Water Resources as of 2017 (in Billion Cubic Metre)

Compiled by pushpender Singh

Per Capita Availability of Water in India (Cubic Metre)

Source: India Water Resources Information

Urban Wastewater Scenario in India and Water

More than half the world’s population lives in cities and this number is only expected to rise in the coming years. Our cities are already crumbling under the weight of population in cities. In order to make cities livable and accommodate the burgeoning population, the governments need to do some large-scale changes in infrastructure development of cities. Needless to say, this would also need largescale investment on the part of the government. Let us see what this year’s budget has in store for cities

Union Budget - What’s in it for the cities?

Ayesha Saeed Reporter

The Union Budget for the Financial Year 2023-2024 was announced on February 1, 2023. It is being touted as the first ‘Amrit Kaal’ budget since it marks the start of the 25-year period leading to ‘India@100. The budget was divided into seven priority areas namely Inclusive Development, Reaching the Last Mile, Infrastructure and Investment, Unleashing the Potential, Green Growth, Youth Power and Financial Sector. Urban development has received good thrust this year.

T“States and cities will be encouraged to undertake urban planning reforms and actions to transform our cities into ‘sustainable cities of tomorrow’. This means efficient use of land resources, adequate resources for urban infrastructure, transit-oriented development, enhanced availability and affordability of urban land, and opportunities for all,” said Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Finance, Government of India. The budget expenditure for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is estimated to be `76,432 crore which is a 2.5 per cent increase from last year’s revised estimates.

URbAN INFRASTRUcTURe DeveloPMeNT FUND

In last year’s budget, Sitharaman had

expressed the intention to invest in the development of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, for the purpose of which a high-level committee including urban planners, urban economists and institutions would be established to make recommendations on urban sector policies, capacity building, planning, implementation and governance. The highlight for the urban sector in this year’s budget was the Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (UIDF).

established on the lines of Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) `10,000 will be allocated to this fund annually for developing infrastructure through priority sector lending shortfall. Public agencies will use this to build urban infrastructure in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and the National Housing bank will oversee it. States will be urged to use funding from the 15th Finance commission’s grants and other programmes to implement reasonable user fees while accessing the UIDF.

PM AwAS YojANA

The outlay for PM Awas Yojana is being enhanced by 66 per cent to over `79,000 crore. Last year it was `48,000. The scheme identifies poor beneficiaries in rural and urban areas and provides them with houses.

MAKING cITIeS ReADY

FoR

MUNIcIPAl boNDS

cities can improve credit worthiness

through property tax governance reforms and user charges. Improving financial status of municipalities has been an ongoing conversation in India, especially since the recent report by RbI mentioned that the total revenue of municipalities in India is close to one per cent. A municipal bond is a type of debt instrument that corporations can issue with state government approval. The money raised can be utilised in infrastructural activities like building bridges, schools, and hospitals.

URbAN SANITATIoN

According to the budget, all cities and municipalities will be allowed to switch from manhole to machine-hole mode for the complete mechanical desludging of septic tanks and sewers. A stronger emphasis will be placed on scientific waste management of both dry and wet waste.

URbAN MobIlITY

Transportation is one of the most crucial aspects of a city and an indicator for a thriving, inclusive and sustainable urban agglomeration. Inclusive and easy mobility is the backbone of good public transportation. In 2023-24, metro projects have received `23,175 crore from `20,401 cr last year. In keeping with the commitment to netzero carbon emissions, allocation to the scheme for Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of evs (FAMe) has increased to `5,172 cr from `2,908 cr last year.

GReeN GRowTH

A major challenge to urban development or development activities in general is achieving sustainability. climate change is the most intractable problem we face today and undoubtedly the most urgent one to deal with. Recently, there has been a push in government policies towards more eco-friendly choices. This year too the budget includes many aspects to promote green transition. In fact, one entire priority area has been dedicated to ‘green growth’ objectives.

The Green Hydrogen Mission, which was launched recently, with an outlay of `19,700 cr has a target of achieving an annual production of 5 MMT by 2030. The budget has allotted `35,000 crore for priority capital investments towards energy transition and net zero objectives, and energy security.

In order to promote a circular economy, 500 new ‘waste to wealth’ plants will be established under GobARdhan Galvanizing organic bioAgro Resources Dhan) scheme. This includes 200 compressed biogas (cbG) plants, including 75 plants in urban areas, and 300 community or clusterbased plants at a total investment of Rs 10,000 crore.

A Green credit Program will be announced in accordance with the environment (Protection) Act in order to promote behavioral change. This will encourage environmentally responsible behavior on the part of businesses, people, and local organizations while also assisting in the mobilisation of additional resources for such actions. The initiative of replacing old vehicles was also furthered this year.

overall, the budget has focussed on urban planning and is increasingly focussing on greening the economy too. According to a recent world bank assessment, India will need to invest $840 billion on urban infrastructure over the next 15 years, or $55 billion a year, in order to successfully satisfy the needs of its rapidly expanding urban population. Although such a massive shift cannot happen in a short span of time, the cities have to become a focus area.

2022-23 (RE)

(BE)

Major Budget Allocations to the Ministry (in crores)

India has a vision of becoming a $5 trillion economy, and realisation of this vision depends on the smooth and sustainable development of Indian cities. Because cities, which occupy only 3 per cent of India’s land and host 34 per cent of country’s population, generate as much as 60 per cent of the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product), making them epicentres of the Indian economy

What are the challenges on the road to Digital India?

CIndia, shows that there were around 1170.10 million telephone connections in India (651.82 million in urban India) by the end of November 2022, out of which 1143.01 million were wireless telephones.

Pushpender Singh Trainee Reporter

Cities, the epicentres of the Indian economy are administered by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), alongside national and state governments. Thus making them a major partner in the realisation of the $5 trillion economy vision, for which sustainable and equitable growth of cities is paramount, the absence of which leads to urban poverty, unemployment and growth of slums.

Against this backdrop, digitalisation has emerged as a key component in improving local-level governance and inclusivity using the power of mobile internet as there were around 566 million internet users in the country in 2018. Similarly, a monthly report published by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of

Apart from the benefits, digitisation has also brought along some of the new age challenges which, if not properly addressed, could not only hamper the progress of our country but could also cause great harm to us.

ChALLeNGeS Digital literacy

A major hurdle in the path of digitalisation is access to internet facilities and the level of digital literacy among the Indian population. As mentioned, the internet has penetrated almost every nook and corner of the country, with over 1.14 billion wireless telephone users. however, the progress of digital literacy is not in tandem with the progress of telephone users.

The National Statistics Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Planning Implementation, defines a digitally literate person as someone

A lot of work is being done at the front end by bringing governance to the digital platform, but there hasn’t been much success at the back end in improving digital literacy, which was the third pillar of India’s flagship Digital India Mission. Digital literacy demands a major boost, in the absence of which digitalisation will only be restricted to a few pockets in the country, which goes against the objective of inclusivity, a fundamental principle of digitalisation

who is above the age of 5 years and could use the internet to “find, evaluate and communicate information” via email or social media tools. Going by this definition, only 20.1 per cent of people in India and 33.8 per cent in urban areas could use the internet, says the 75th survey on household social consumption on education in India, conducted from July 2017 to June 2018.

Similarly, the National Family health Survey – 5 (NFhS) also shows that only 33.3 per cent of women and 57.1 per cent of men between the age of 15 and 49 years have used the internet at least once in their life. While in urban areas, 51.8 per cent of women and 72.5 per cent of men had used the internet at least once in their lifetime.

Data Privacy/ Protection

In a survey conducted by LocalCircles in 2022, six out of 10 citizens reported personal data breaches by their loan service provider. Four out of 10 people said their personal details have been compromised by insurance service providers or banks alone. As per the survey, in the last five years, 59 per cent of people with existing loan services received detailed alternative offers from another firm via call, SMS, WhatsApp and email etc.

Such instances are a cause of concern

as they instil fear in people towards digital communication technology and could hamper digitalisation-propelled economic growth. Therefore, personal data security is an urgent need, a need which could not be fulfilled by a two-decade-old Information and Technology (IT) Act, 2000. For instance, Section 43A of the act talks about the accountability of only ‘body corporate’ in case of violation of privacy. here ‘body corporate’ means a firm, sole proprietorship or other association of individuals engaged in commercial or professional activities. however, it is silent on instances of the breach happening on the part of government agencies or other nongovernmental organisations (NGOs).

Cybersecurity Threats

The scope of digitalisation is not only restricted to e-governance but also includes innovative solutions to improve service delivery, including electricity and healthcare systems, which are controlled through the internet. Though it improves the timeliness and efficiency of the service, it also makes them vulnerable to cyberattacks.

As per a report released by CloudSeK, a cyber security agency, India suffered the highest number of cyber-attacks on the healthcare industry in the AsiaPacific region, with a massive 29.7 per cent share of all attacks. India came in second place, following USA, with a 7.7 per cent share in all the worldwide attacks on health infrastructure.

The report also highlighted that on May 27 2021, a database, containing vaccination records of over 150 million Indian citizens, was advertised on a private Telegram channel and later sold for $1,000.

Similarly, an annual report of the Indian Computer emergency Response Team (CeRT-In), for the year 2021, revealed that the apex agency for computer security reported a total of 14,02,809 cybersecurity incidents, including phishing, virus/ malicious code, ransomware attacks and website intrusion & malware propagation.

All this happened when India

was ranked in 10th place, with an overall score of 97.5, in the Global Cybersecurity Index, 2020, published by the International Telecommunication Unit (ITU). In the Asia-pacific region, the country was ranked 4th with a score of 97.49.

WAy FORWARD

A lot of work is being done at the front end by bringing governance to the digital platform, but there hasn’t been much success at the back end in improving digital literacy, which was the third pillar of India’s flagship Digital India Mission. Digital literacy demands a major boost, in the absence of which digitalisation will only be restricted to a few pockets in the country, which goes against the objective of inclusivity, a fundamental principle of digitalisation.

Similarly, a new and improved personal data protection policy is the need of the hour for improved data security and to ensure the accountability of agencies which collect and store consumer data. The move will generate confidence in people towards digitalisation and make them believe that their personal data is safe and secure, and they could take legal action if anyone violates their data privacy. In addition, there should be a proper mechanism to penalise the firms that share or sell the personal data of their consumer without their consent.

When it comes to cyberattacks, India needs to strengthen its existing cybersecurity measures. There are several national-level agencies like CeRT-In, National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) and Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), but there needs to be a similar and equally efficient network of organisations at the state and local levels. Apart from that, there needs to be a global-level framework along with international agencies like United Nations and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) because often these cyberattacks are performed by hackers outside the country, and a country’s national law could not be enforced outside of its territory.

Earthquakes occur when tectonic plates beneath the Earth’s surface shift and release energy, causing the ground to shake. India is one of the most earthquakeprone regions in the world with 58.6 per cent of the landmass prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity. The big question: Is India prepared for a massive earthquake of 7.8 magnitude or more?

Indrani Priyadarshini Trainee Reporter

Disasters can be averted if we prepare for them

The catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria has been in the headlines for the last few weeks. Nearly 10,000 aftershocks have been reported by Turkey’s disaster management agency with a death count of more than 50,000 combined with Syria. What is more depressing is the fact that in the age of technological advancement and social media playing a crucial role, which was seen during the global pandemic, the Government of Turkey has blocked and restricted access to popular media platforms after the public criticized the slow official response, leaving the people unable to ask for help for local and nationwide aid campaigns.

A report published by the Turkish

TEnterprise and Business Confederation has put the cost of the earthquake in eastern Turkey at $84 billion, which is about 10 per cent of Turkey’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP); $10.4 billion from the loss of national income, $70.8 billion is from the damage of residential buildings, and $2.9 billion from the loss of working days.

The high death toll could have been avoided with swift action, only if the emergency response had been faster and better organised. According to Reuters, dozens of residents expressed bewilderment at the lack of food, water, medicines, and cranes to clear the rubble to continue search operationsleft to fend for themselves in the depths of winter.

HoW SAfE iS iNDiA?

india is divided into four seismic zones, depending on the level of earthquake intensity. Approximately, 11 per cent of the country falls in zone V, 18 per cent in zone iV, 30 per cent in Zone iii and the rest in zone ii

When compared to Japan’s earthquake in the densely populated Kobe city back in 1995, the death toll was 6,400 whereas about 20,000 lives were lost in Bhuj tragedy. The most plausible reason for the variance in the number of casualties is the faulty design of building structures in India and the underlying weaknesses in the laws governing them

including structural design, building materials, and construction techniques. it outlines the minimum standards for earthquake-resistant design and construction in india.

When compared to Japan’s earthquake in the densely populated Kobe city back in 1995, where the death toll was 6,400, about 20,000 lives were lost in Bhuj tragedy. The most plausible reason for the variance in the number of casualties is the faulty design of building structures in india and the underlying weaknesses in the laws governing them.

through the international institute of information Technology (iiiT) Hyderabad and developed Earthquake Disaster Risk index (EDRi) for 50 cities selected on the basis of their population density, housing threat factor, and cities identified by the Government of India as Smart Cities with the focus on the seismic zones iV and V active regions.

The National Building Code 2016 (NBC) might have stringent rules and regulations on constructing safer buildings, but there is no mechanism or legal provision for its implementation.

Seismically, zone V is the most active region that includes parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Bihar and the whole Andaman and Nicobar islands along with the Northeast.

According to the World Risk index 2022, india ranked seventh with a score of 42.31 out of 100 in terms of vulnerability ratings of earthquakeprone countries. The vulnerability score has been divided into three categories- social inequality and lack of development, insufficient political stability, health care and infrastructure, and lack of progress (in the field of education, research and disaster prevention).

Strange as it may sound, earthquakes do not kill; it is the buildings and infrastructures that do. Earthquakes are only a hazard that need not get converted into a disaster if buildings are safe and secure. The National Building Code (NBC) is a comprehensive set of guidelines that covers various aspects of building design and construction,

After every major earthquake, there are talks about making NBC more stringent. Steps were also taken after the Latur and Jabalpur earthquakes where the use of earthquake-resistant features in buildings was made mandatory. But so far, these rules have remained only on paper. Although there are policies in place now, the implementation and enforcement of these policies can be a challenge. Therefore, it is crucial for builders, architects, and engineers to be trained in earthquake-resistant building design and construction techniques to ensure the safety of occupants during earthquakes.

iNDiA’S PREPAREDNESS

india’s preparedness for a massive earthquake is a matter of concern. The country lacks adequate infrastructure, resources, and planning to tackle such a catastrophe.

Every year india has to deal with one or more natural disasters, be it floods or cyclones affecting thousands of people. This year’s budget allocation for disaster management nearly doubled from `198 cr in the last fiscal year to `394 cr.

Although the scene of india’s preparedness is worrying, the Government of india has undertaken a few important measures to prevent and mitigate earthquake loss. in 2005, The Disaster Management Act of 2005 called for the establishment of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to lay down guidelines, and policies and draft national mitigation programmes; conducted a pilot study in 2019,

Another reason for the country’s dismal preparedness is the lack of any authorized agency to assess and advise the building owners and stakeholders whether their buildings in high-risk Seismic zones are earthquake-resistant or not.

TECHNoLoGy AS THE SAVioR

When it comes to advanced technologies, Japan tends to grab attention with its innovative solutions to every problem. Situated in the Ring of fire, Japan has been developing rescue robots to help relief efforts by navigating through the wreckage that may be too dangerous for rescuers to take part in it. These robots go deep into piles of rubble without any interference. These tube-like robots with miniature cameras attached to their front slither through any small gaps or openings like a snake. Japan also has RoboCue, a rescue robot that uses infrared cameras and ultrasonic technology to locate people trapped under debris. The Early Warning Systems can detect seismic waves and issue warnings before the arrival of the earthquake waves. The system, developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), uses a network of seismometers and communication technologies to provide alerts to the public.

india needs to invest and develop advanced technologies as disasters like earthquakes cannot be predicted yet. Staying prepared with innovative solutions, better seismic devices and proper urban planning can help mitigate such disasters.

one on one

In this edition of one-on-one, Abhishek Pandey, Editor of Urban Update, has a candid conversation with Normunds Popens, Deputy Director General, Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, European Commission who is currently in charge of overseeing the implementation of strategic investment programmes to promote competitiveness, job creation and sustainability in EU member states and candidate countries as well as relations with third countries.

integrated strategic approach for sustainable urban development

Normunds

Popens stresses

Normunds Popens, Deputy Director General, DG-REGIO, European Commission

Normunds Popens

The firsT eU-india Urban forUm was organised in sepTember 2019, and The second Urban forUm in may 2021. given ThaT The world has wiTnessed a global pandemic, how has The forUm conTinUed iTs work, and whaT impacT has iT been Trying To make in sUsTainable UrbanisaTion?

First, let me say that I’m very happy to be in Delhi. Today is my first time participating in this Urban Forum between India and the EU in New Delhi. Let me start by saying that in the European Union, we pay particular attention to the development of all our territories, particularly the urban areas. In that context, the European Green Deal is our growth strategy and accelerating the twin green and digital transition is currently our most important goal. And in that context, we ensure that our urban authorities and cities are full participants in this transition process. We try to make it a win-win situation with all territories so that they can benefit from the funding we provide with regional policy programs all over Europe and knowledge. India is a very important and good partner for the European Union, and we started our cooperation on urban matters many years ago. We are happy to see a lot of interest both on the EU side and the Indian side, not just between governments and authorities but also between cities. We have promoted this cooperation at different levels. So, at our level, we discuss what needs to be done to support our cities better, as I said, with investment and knowledge so cities can participate in global processes. Within India, we have also been funding city twinnings

wherein Indian and European cities come together and learn from each other, and then see the best way forward. This is needed globally (not just in India or Europe) to achieve the Green Deal objectives together. We must ensure that our cities participate and are equipped with the knowledge and funding tools. We try to do this in our cooperation between India and the EU.

in 2017, The eUropean Union and india parTnered on smarT and sUsTainable UrbanisaTion. whaT is The exTenT of The eU’s inTervenTion and how are The roles and dUTies disTribUTed among The parTners? and since yoU have been a career diplomaT, whaT has been yoUr experience in dealing wiTh naTional governmenTs?

Well, first of all, let me say that we are very, very impressed and happy about the cooperation with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs [in India]. The EU delegation to India has been working daily with the ministry on our partnership. I think it contains very important actions on promoting city-tocity cooperation and discussing global Issues. One of those issues is to see how at the G20 level, we can also discuss and better promote urban cooperation between different countries worldwide.

In the EU, as you know, the European Commission is working very closely with its member states on urban policy. For example, we see this under the ‘Urban Agenda for the EU’, established by the Pact of Amsterdam in 2016. And this shows that the EU works with the national governments and city

authorities in partnerships. This is, we believe, the best way to work together at all levels of governance. And this is something we also promote in our work with India in this partnership where the ministry, together with the local authorities and cities, come together and agree on necessary actions. We have very good cooperation between the EU, member states and European cities. As a region, we are leading the work on coordination of this integrated sustainable urban development. But there are many thematic initiatives, for instance, smart and sustainable cities, that you mentioned; these are some of the few concepts that we are promoting within the European Union. We also have important missions now, smart city mission, and climate adaptation missions where EU cities will work with us to define concrete actions needed to achieve climate-neutral cities to adapt to climate change. There are many other initiatives on social inclusion like urban mobility. And this is what we try to promote and help cities build their capacity. Today (during the 3rd India EU Urban Forum), in discussion with Indian cities and representatives, I understand that the key issue is how to build the capacity of the urban authorities to involve all the citizens, design the right strategies and then design the right projects that can be implemented because there’s a lot of funding there.

Talking aboUT fUnding mechanisms in smarT ciTies, one of The key poinTs Under The parTnership on smarT and sUsTainable UrbanisaTion is ThaT The eU and india will Try

Normunds Popens, Deputy Director General, DG-REGIO, European Commission

To involve eUropean bUsinesses in smarT and sUsTainable UrbanisaTion. how are yoU going To make iT possible?

If we want to achieve results, the key to success is dialogue and partnership between different actors. We believe that the national, regional, and local governments must work with businesses, universities, and stakeholders that represent citizens. Because only then you can define the urban strategy, which includes all necessary problems and solutions to these problems. This is why I believe that businesses should also be involved in this development. When it comes to innovation, large enterprises have to play their role, so we have developed this concept of ‘Smart Specialisation Strategy’ to support innovation and research in enterprises. We are also promoting this concept together with your ministry (Indian) to make sure that innovative solutions are found together with the involvement of different stakeholders. Today I was informed that in India, you have a lot of programmes and missions, and we have a lot of programmes on the EU side as well. Hence, our job is to link these different possibilities on both sides, and a lot is about knowledge sharing. Let’s not forget that finding solutions to different problems is not always easy. Sometimes they are found on the EU side, and sometimes on the Indian side, so we have to learn from each other.

how can we promoTe invesTmenT in sUsTainable UrbanisaTion? and whaT fUnding opporTUniTies are available for mUnicipaliTies To implemenT projecTs ThaT can cUT emissions and promoTe sUsTainabiliTy and inclUsiviTy?

I think the funding is there, but what is important is to target this funding. Sometimes, the urban authority must have the necessary capacity, particularly in small and medium-sized cities. On the other hand, metropolitan areas are quite developed. They have big authorities that can develop projects with their own funding. In the EU, we want to focus more on these intermediary towns, or what we call small and medium-sized cities, because they need the knowledge and capacity to access funding and to design the right strategy to do the right projects. As I said, in the future, we want to pay more and more attention to urban functional areas. Today I also learnt that in some Indian cities, you move forward by linking urban to rural areas to find common solutions because we shouldn’t isolate different territories. We have a lot of concepts there, and we want to share them and learn from both sides, and then the funding will follow.

by 2050, aroUnd 68 per cenT of The world’s popUlaTion will be living in ciTies, and when more people come To ciTies, They will reqUire more resoUrces and hoUsing.

how can ciTies of Tomorrow accommodaTe sUch a large popUlaTion, and whaT sTeps can be Taken To ensUre comforTable and eqUiTable living?

Well, urbanisation and the problems linked to sprawl are global. It is also true that cities are responsible for CO2 emissions, and climate change will only grow. We are working on the global agenda of the United Nations, for example, to share the knowledge to see what can be done. For me, the answer, of course, is an integrated approach to urban planning. So when you design urban regeneration projects or build new habitations for citizens, you have to think about the urban strategies so that you don’t miss any angle from the beginning. It’s indeed a lot about the greening of cities, making them climate adaptable and environment friendly. But let’s not forget that they have to be inclusive as well. They need to have dialogue with citizens to see which way to go. I don’t think we have one recipe that fits every city’s answers because cities are different, have different problems, and have different advantages. So, we want to build on those advantages through this sustainable urban integrated strategy approach. And we have to succeed in this because it is not just about one country; it is about the world. It is about fundamentally shifting the way we think, not just in urban areas but globally.

if ciTies wanT To redUce Their emissions, Then They have To focUs on Urban mobiliTy. in This regard, many sTaTes in india are adopTing elecTric vehicles (evs) and ev policies To redUce dependence on fossil fUels. whaT is The beTTer way for The TransporT secTor To shifT To clean energy while mainTaining accessibiliTy and affordabiliTy? in This regard, please shed some lighT on eU green deal and how iT can inspire oTher naTions To charT Their paTh of developmenT. The transport sector is the one sector

Normunds Popens with Abhishek Pandey, Editor, Urban Update

that makes most of the CO2 emissions not just in Europe but in the world, particularly in dense urban areas. Since we have many problems with urban mobility, we have made it one of the priorities for the EU, which is supported through our European programmes. We aim to find the right solutions and share them globally. It’s true that we have to shift away from fossil fuels and cars which run on diesel to electric cars. We also have to develop more and more multimodal transport connections within urban areas, and we are supporting a lot of projects like that in the EU and also in India, through European Investment Bank (EIB), for example. But no one recipe fits all. One needs to look at it in the context of possibilities; if you want to develop electric cars, you have to develop the proper infrastructure to make them accessible. In the EU, we are prioritising this work not just in the cohesion policy but also in the recovery plan, the resilience plan and also in different industrial policies. Recently, we also published the communication on the clean tech industries on ‘Net Zero’ industries, where particular attention will be paid to promoting alternative sources of energy. You mentioned electric cars, I would mention hydrogen, green hydrogen and also many other solutions which exist in the world.

how can The eU green deal inspire oTher naTions?

It is an inspiring deal because we have very concrete objectives set at the EU level, and the national governments have made their contributions. Some countries even have more ambitious goals than the EU. We want to be climate neutral by 2050, and in some cases even earlier, but we also know that the right support tools need to be designed to achieve that. Here, I would like to mention our Just Transition Fund, which we will be implementing for the first time. That’s again a good way to find out which territories will not be able to do this transition themselves, and then we can help them

to go through this transition as it is not easy either in Europe or India. But we have to do it because, as I said today in my speech in the Forum, If we don’t do this, then I’m afraid in 50 years, some of the European population will be living underwater. We just discussed this under the G7 urban summit with ministers, that in 50 years, some of the European cities might have big problems because there will be not enough land and flooding will be a big problem. So it’s inevitable, and I do hope that European Green Deal objectives inspire everyone.

so This forUm is being held in The backdrop of The eU global gaTeway via Team eUrope approach. iT aims To bring TransformaTional changes in five key secTors: digiTal, climaTe and clean energy, TransporT, healTh, edUcaTion and research. is There any acTion plan ready for This? Well, it’s part of our action, at least with India, which will cover 2023 and 2024. It is built on the principle of continuity since we had action plans before, so we’re trying to see what we can do to progress further. And this team Europe approach is very good. We are working with member states, and we also see that in India, member states are joining our efforts. So, it’s not just a commission and our representatives that we’re working with. For example, we are also working with a French agency. So, this is the way forward. It’s about cooperation and doing something concrete. Similarly, digitalisation is also important, but it needs to be placed in the context of territorial development and urban development in particular. It needs to be a priority for everyone. This Global Gateway is something which we hope will visibly show how the EU contributes to finding solutions to global problems.

so, whaT does The fUTUre of This collaboraTion looks like To yoU? With India, I’m delighted and optimistic. Also, today’s 3rd India – EU Urban Forum shows great interest at

all levels. It’s not just governments or the European Commission but cities which are interested, which is the key to success for me. If they are interested, we will find the way forward and deliver good results.

whaT has been yoUr experience, and whaT is The key Takeaway from Today’s Urban forUm?

My key takeaway is that people are engaged and committed to finding solutions. There was a lot about sharing, what they do, and how they do it. I also talked to cities involved in our International Urban and Regional Cooperation program; they’re very excited about it and happy to continue it. Now we apply it also at the regional level because we want to place urban authorities in the broader regional territorial development. There are also outstanding projects in India which do the same. I was impressed. I am very optimistic about the EU-India Partnership on urban matters.

my lasT qUesTion is, whaT is yoUr message for Urban local and sUbregional governmenTs ThaT are making efforTs and shifTing Their way of going aboUT This Urban developmenT paradigm?

Our message is, let’s do it together. There are important concepts, solutions and tools available, so let’s work together. We are here to cooperate; for me, cooperation is the key to success. We need to involve local governments. We need to listen to them and then provide them with the necessary tools to design their strategies, work with people and have projects which make a difference. In Commission, we are committed to this partnership principle. It’s embedded in our regulatory framework, and we want to develop more of these networks between partners. So, we need to relate our concepts to concrete happenings on the ground, and this is where I believe our urban local authorities have an important word to say.

Transcribed by Pushpender Singh

Making disaster preparedness an urban priority

The recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have brought back the spotlight on conversations around disaster management. A devastating earthquake of a 7.8 Richter magnitude hit the countries of Turkey and Syria on February 6. The pictures and videos which started doing the rounds on social media were pretty scary. Entire buildings crumbled within seconds. Reports have noted that more than 5,700 buildings have collapsed. Till now, the death toll has crossed 50,000 mark. As per a report by CNN, the government of Turkey has arrested 200 people for alleged poor building construction. The tragedy is that, it is too little, too late. As sad as the situation is, it is an opportunity for us, in India, to remedy the status quo and prepare for any disaster well in advance.

India is amongst the most vulnerable disaster-prone countries in the world, says UNICEF. According to government data, 58.6 per cent of Indian land is prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity; over 40 million hectares (12 per cent of land) is prone to floods and river erosion; of the 7,516 km long coastline, close to 5,700 km is prone to cyclones and tsunamis. The National Capital itself lies in seismic zone IV (severe). The urban areas are at a particular risk in the case of earthquakes because of high population density and high rise buildings with lack of earthquake-resistant materials.

Praveen Singh Pardeshi, a former bureaucrat wrote in an Outlook article ‘There are no Natural Disasters’ that “An earthquake—a natural hazard—becomes a disaster when people build homes, infrastructure and assets for their livelihoods without conforming to seismic safe building codes.” Indeed, at a time when we have the wherewithal to create safe infrastructure for everyone, choosing convenience over commitment is inexcusable.

Following the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the Delhi High Court directed that the Delhi Government submit an updated assessment on the structural stability of the buildings in the city, taking into account the safety of its citizens. The Delhi administration was given four weeks to submit a status report, and the High Court set May 10 for a new hearing on the appeal. The directive came about while hearing a petition on the lack of seismic stability of buildings in Delhi. It was revealed that only 4,500 buildings out of 32 lakh have been made structurally compliant in the last eight years, and that was only after frequent judicial intervention.

Hopefully, this nudge from the Court will get the governments to work towards developing safe infrastructure. It is high time we make disaster preparedness a priority. Countless lives can be saved by prioritising preparedness over management.

Ashok Wankhade Managing Editor

Making disaster preparedness an urban priority

The recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have brought back the spotlight on conversations around disaster management. A devastating earthquake of a 7.8 Richter magnitude hit the countries of Turkey and Syria on February 6. The pictures and videos which started doing the rounds on social media were pretty scary. Entire buildings crumbled within seconds. Reports have noted that more than 5,700 buildings have collapsed. Till now, the death toll has crossed 50,000 mark. As per a report by CNN, the government of Turkey has arrested 200 people for alleged poor building construction. The tragedy is that, it is too little, too late. As sad as the situation is, it is an opportunity for us, in India, to remedy the status quo and prepare for any disaster well in advance.

India is amongst the most vulnerable disaster-prone countries in the world, says UNICEF. According to government data, 58.6 per cent of Indian land is prone to earthquakes of moderate to very high intensity; over 40 million hectares (12 per cent of land) is prone to floods and river erosion; of the 7,516 km long coastline, close to 5,700 km is prone to cyclones and tsunamis. The National Capital itself lies in seismic zone IV (severe). The urban areas are at a particular risk in the case of earthquakes because of high population density and high rise buildings with lack of earthquake-resistant materials.

Praveen Singh Pardeshi, a former bureaucrat wrote in an Outlook article ‘There are no Natural Disasters’ that “An earthquake—a natural hazard—becomes a disaster when people build homes, infrastructure and assets for their livelihoods without conforming to seismic safe building codes.” Indeed, at a time when we have the wherewithal to create safe infrastructure for everyone, choosing convenience over commitment is inexcusable.

Following the massive earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the Delhi High Court directed that the Delhi Government submit an updated assessment on the structural stability of the buildings in the city, taking into account the safety of its citizens. The Delhi administration was given four weeks to submit a status report, and the High Court set May 10 for a new hearing on the appeal. The directive came about while hearing a petition on the lack of seismic stability of buildings in Delhi. It was revealed that only 4,500 buildings out of 32 lakh have been made structurally compliant in the last eight years, and that was only after frequent judicial intervention.

Hopefully, this nudge from the Court will get the governments to work towards developing safe infrastructure. It is high time we make disaster preparedness a priority. Countless lives can be saved by prioritising preparedness over management.

Ashok Wankhade Managing Editor