UrbanUpdate November 2015

All India Institute of Local Self-Government

RNI No DELENG/2014/57384

Rs 100

ISSN 2349-6266

UrbanUpdate Setting The Agenda For Tomorrow’s Cities

Painting

the cities

Volume II - Issue VII

November 2015

‘green’

Indian cities urgently need to devise an urban development strategy that is in harmony with ‘natural infrastructure’ and takes into account the urban burden caveat

Sunny days ahead Fast paced urbanisation coupled with industrial development in Indian cities is resulting in increasing energy demand. Local bodies should spread awareness about the benefits of using solar energy among citizens

Urbanisation: A Goal for the Global Community The United Nations has adopted 17 Sustainable Goals. The 11th goal focuses on making cities ‘inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’

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

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

Community Based Interventions

Professional Empowerment Project Management

Advisory Services Customised Training

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

Policy Research

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

Inside | Volume II, Issue VII

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Inside Cover story

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Painting the city green

Indian cities urgently need to devise an urban development strategy that is in harmony with ‘natural infrastructure’ and takes into account the urban burden caveat

is resulting in increasing energy demand. Local bodies should spread awareness about the benefits of using solar energy among citizens

26 Sunny days ahead

Fast paced urbanisation coupled with industrial development in Indian cities

Column

33 Urbanisation: A Goal for the Global Community

The United Nations has adopted 17 Sustainable Goals. The 11th goal focuses on making cities ‘inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’

Article

38 Challenges in Indian Urban Transport System

Indian cities are facing an unprecedented crisis despite investments in road

infrastructure and plans for transport development

Smart cities Mission

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AIILSG, USGBC organise workshop on Smart Cities, Green Buildings

To augment the pace of smart city development and spread the concept of green buildings, AIILSG with USGBC organised two workshops on Smart City and Green Buildings in Raipur and Karnal

Events

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Microsoft brings together start-ups to offer solutions for Smart Cities in Telangana

A host of startups, Telangana government officials and Microsoft experts took part in a Smart City Startups Conclave to map smart solutions for cities

challenges in Smart City development

Bloomberg Foundation organised a two-day Ideas Camp to empower the State Governments, Mayors and Municipal Commissioners

45 Empowering Mayors, ULBs with knowledge of processes and

RegularS

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November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

Newscan City Images

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Pin Point Feature

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City Brand Urban Agenda

EDITORIAL

Ranjit Chavan President-AIILSG Ramanath Jha Editor-In-Chief Director General-AIILSG, dg@aiilsg.org Ashok Wankhade Managing Editor, bhau@urbanupdate.in Abhishek Pandey Editor, abhishek@urbanupdate.in Ravi Ranjan Guru Executive Editor, bhau@urbanupdate.in Lojy Thomas Associate Editor, lojy@urbanupdate.in Meenakshi Rajput Graphic Designer, meenakshi@urbanupdate.in Nitin Rajput Circulation Executive, info@urbanupdate.in Volume II - Issue VII For Feedback & Information Write at info@urbanupdate.in Printed and published by Ranjit Chavan on behalf of All India Institute of Local Self Government. Printed at Cirrus Graphics Pvt Ltd B-61, Sector-67, Noida – 201301 Uttar Pradesh. Published at Sardar Patel Bhavan, 22-23, Institutional Area, D Block Pankha Road, Janakpuri, Delhi-58 Phone No. 011-2852 1783 / 5473 Despite careful selection of sources, no responsibility can be taken for accuracy of the contents. The magazine assumes no liability or responsibility of any kind in connection with the information thereof. The views expressed in the articles are the personal opinions of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the All India Institute of Local SelfGovernment. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

Eco-Cities: The Urban Paradox!

C

ities are the economic powerhouses of nations. Cities house the bulk of the economic activity and increasingly, large proportions of the population. This migration of populations into cities is evident across geographies and does not seem to be slowing. City managers have therefore to devise appropriate strategies lest the increasing load becomes a burden. Our Smart Cities Mission is recognition of the inevitability of rapid urbanization and a programme to focus efforts to meet the challenge effectively.

Needless to say, the challenge has to be met in a sustainable manner, and thus the need for strategies to build these urban settlements into eco-cities.

Among the primary features of an eco-city is well planned city layouts. City planners will have to increasingly consider high density patterns which enable citizens to access more and more facilities and needs closer to their homes or workspaces. This in turn will encourage sustainable modes of transport-walking, cycling and public transport in that order. High density cities can also afford greater space for parks, gardens and amenities in close proximity. Such planning for high density settlements will need careful detailing to mitigate risks of overcrowding and natural disasters.

The term Carbon-neutrality finds regular mention in the context of eco-cities.

While the full achievement of this objective, i.e., to have a net zero carbon footprint may be sometime away, cities, corporates and individuals need to become aware of and work towards it. To become net carbon-neutral, cities need to reduce emissions by use of renewables, adopt energy efficient technologies and equipment and then to offset what is left behind anyway. Offset can happen by purchase of carbon credits and by supporting projects that neutralize an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases elsewhere.

A related issue is that of mobility in our cities. Almost every city is plagued by the lack of efficient public transport systems and the resulting chaos on the streets due to overcrowding and traffic snarls. There is unchecked growth of motorized personal transport, all driven by fossil fuels. Cities have realized the perils and are increasingly building awareness through ‘car-free’ days and ‘busdays’. These are however driven largely by citizen groups and activists without any institutional effort at curtailing private modes of mobility.

Since Waste Management is a major challenge haunting our urban spaces, eco-cities will have to make special efforts on this front. While administrators are grappling with the ‘Management’ or ‘Disposal’ side of the problem, as they indeed should, to seek out environment friendly ways of disposal, the ‘Supply’ side also needs tackling. Through awareness creation and some regulation, the generation of waste must be curtailed. And whatever gets generated anyway must be recycled rather being transported to landfills. Malls, supermarkets and other large establishments in an eco-city must be mandated to provide separate, labelled bins and silos where citizens can dispose of glass, plastic, cardboard boxes and e-waste. Recyclers can then collect these in bulk for processing to extract value from this waste.

Conservation of resources, especially of water will also be a hallmark of an eco-city and calls for active citizen involvement. Cities are challenged by the increasing populations, unpredictable availability of water and lack of investments in the past.

Obviously, there is a very strong Citizen-engagement and participation dimension to moving our urban spaces towards eco-cities. Encouraging simplicity in lifestyle choices, adoption of efficient technologies, reduced material consumption and care for the environment will help promote sustainability and enable build more eco-cities.

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Heritage development projects approved for 8 cities Comprehensive HRIDAY plans of Varanasi, Mathura, Ajmer, Dwaraka, Badami, Velankanni, Warangal and Amaravati cleared NEW DELHI: Action Plans under Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) for eight mission cities have been approved at a total cost of Rs 431 cr HRIDAY National Empowered Committee chaired by Madhusudhana Prasad, Secretary (Urban Development) approved the action plans for Varanasi, Mathura, Ajmer, Dwaraka (Gujarat), Badami (Karnataka), Warangal (Telangana), Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) and Velankanni (Tamil Nadu) after detailed presentations by officials of respective cities and state governments.

The action plans approved broadly seek to conserve and develop core heritage assets of the respective cities besides improving sanitation through solid waste management, easy access through signages and better mobility, interpretation centres, landscaping, provision of green spaces, etc.

Various cities have been divided into different zones for taking up different infrastructure development projects for enhancing the appeal of mission cities which are centres of rich cultural heritage.

Heritage development in Varanasi will be taken up at a cost of Rs 130 cr by undertaking different projects in four zones of the city. These include: development of pedestrian pathways from Maidagin to Gondolia Chowk to Dasashwamedh Ghat, faรงade improvement, multilevel parking and solid waste management at a cost of Rs 20 cr Thirty roads will be developed in different heritage zones at a cost of Rs 22 cr Proposed investments

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will include Rs.89.31 cr allocated for Varanasi under HRIDAY besides under other schemes.

The seat of Buddhism of Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh will be improved at a cost of Rs 20.33 cr under HRIDAY. Access to Dharanikota Fort, Amaravati Pond, Mahachaitya Stupa, Amaralingeswara Swamy Temple, Kalachakra Museum, Dhyanabuddha

Statue and Zamindar Bungalow will be improved through better roads and access. An interpretation centre and a walkway of 2.50 kms will also be developed.

The HRIDAY National Empowered Committee urged the Ministry of Tourism to expedite approvals for various projects worth Rs 32 cr under consideration for Amaravati.

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PIN POINT The challenges of rapid urbanization figure prominently in the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. And as part of an integrated agenda, cities and human settlements have an important role to play across the 17-goal spectrum.

Ban Ki-moon UN Secretary-General

The government has taken decisive action to promote the hybrid model of PPP for encouraging investments by the private sector.

Nitin Gadkari Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping

German companies see the biggest business prospects in India coming from sectors like infrastructure, railways and mobility services.

Behavioural change is essential for the success of Swachh Bharat mission and that unlike other campaigns which are demand driven, this mission aims to create demand for sanitary services and infrastructure.

M Venkaiah Naidu Minister for Urban Development, GoI

Angela Merkel German Chancellor

BUZZ

Every single State of India must replicate what Singapore has done 2 consistently remain No1 in WB’s EODB study. This way India will change.

Amitabh Kant Secretary, DIPP @amitabhk87

The procurement cost of LED bulb has been reduced to Rs. 74 from Rs. 310 in one year PiyushGoyal Minister of Power, GoI @PiyushGoyal

Now more than ever, what happens in our cities shapes our world.

Mike Bloomberg Founder, Bloomberg Philanthropy @MikeBloomberg

Comfortable, reliable, accessible public transport system n better designed roads is the key. I’ll personally work on this Arvind Kejriwal Chief Minister, Delhi @ArvindKejriwal

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Local body elections in Gujarat announced State Election Commissioner of Gujarat announced the schedule of local self governance body polls in the presence of media persons in Gandhinagar. According to the announcement, polling for six municipal corporations will be held on 22 November, while polling for municipalities, district and taluka panchayats will take place on 29 November.

Entry of vehicles in CP’s Inner Circle to be barred In order to reduce traffic congestion in Connaught Place, the heart of the national capital, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is considering barring the entry of vehicles in the inner circle.

Factory licence abolished by municipal corporations Factory licence given by the municipal corporations of Delhi is on the way to extinction, with corporations initiating the process of abolishing the system. The corporations have decided to do away with their licensing formalities altogether in order to improve the ease of doing business.

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Gap widening between rural and urban India NEW DELHI: While inflation has been slowing both in rural and urban areas of the country, there is a widening difference between the two as rural inflation is decelerating at a much slower pace. The resultant gap between rural and urban inflation has more than doubled over the last one year, data analysed by HSBC Global Research show.

“Inflation has fallen strikingly over the last several months, but the gains are not equally distributed. Rural inflation is running higher than urban inflation

Centre clears first batch of flagship urban projects DELHI: For the first time in India’s urban governance, the Urban Development Ministry is sending money to States in massive chunks so that the development projects are run without financial delays.

The Ministry cleared the first batch of projects under the flagship Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for 89 cities worth Rs 2,786 crore. The States that are getting benefited from this push are Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

UN highlights urban sustainability for older persons

South Delhi gets first municipal hospital About a decade since it was first proposed, a municipality-run hospital in South Delhi’s Kalkaji opened its doors with the out-patient department (OPD) being inaugurated

by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

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and its underlying trend is higher than the RBI’s target,” analysts at HSBC Global Research wrote in a note.

United Nations: The United Nations called on member states to improve

older persons’ accessibility to urban infrastructure, facilities and services as two phenomena - rapid urbanization and ageing populations - are combining to dramatically change the face of the world’s cities in the coming decades.

“Older persons are an enormous asset to society and make a significant contribution to global development,” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message marking the 25th anniversary of the International Day of Older Persons.

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France initiates smart city projects with 2bn Euro loan Two billion Euro assistance from the French government in Puducherry with Nagpur and Chandigarh being next in line NEW DELHI: Smart City project for sustainable development, with two billion Euro assistance from the French government, has begun in Puducherry with Nagpur and Chandigarh being next in line, French envoy to India Francois Richier said.

Richier said the French development agency, AFD, has already joined hands with these state administrations even though the official list of cities to be developed under the Smart City project would only be announced early next year. AFD will provide technological support in the areas of

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Our goal is to put a lot of impetus into this so that result can be delivered in shortest possible time Even if the cities fail to find space in the official list, they will continue the work Other areas of support will include energy efficiency, solar energy, heritage preservation, communication and technology, and security and city lighting

water, sanitation, transport and waste management in these cities, he said.

“Even before Puddcherry is officially on the list, which will be announced in January, we have already started our work in the city on water and transport development so as to not lose time,” Richier said, adding that some crucial MoUs will soon be signed in this regard. While Puducherry will be the first focus, Chandigarh and Nagpur will be taken up in the second phase, he said.

“We will be going to Chandigarh with AFD and French technology owners and Nagpur a bit later. But we have already tied up with Chief Ministers of Puducherry, Maharashtra (Nagpur) and Chandigarh Administration,” he said. The support provided is on the basis of the requirement of the city, the envoy said.

“Our goal is to put a lot of impetus into this so that result can be delivered in shortest possible time. We respond to the request of the cities. They chose what their priorities are on the basis of their requirements. Like in Nagpur we are working on Metro project,” he said.

Richier said that even if the cities fail to find space in the official list, they will continue the work. “We do not know whether they will be in the official list which will be announced in January next year. But we are hopeful and even if they don’t we will still work,” he said. The other areas of support will include energy efficiency, solar energy, heritage preservation, communication and technology, and security and city lighting.

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4 garbage dump yard zones in Ghaziabad Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam (GNN) will construct four garbage dumping grounds in the city to tackle the garbage problem. The dump yards will be built at Kavi Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Mohan Nagar and Vasundhara zones.

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Rs 15K-crore plan to create urban infra in Gujarat

NDMC ends family welfare programme The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has decided to end the family welfare (family planning) programme for want of funds. According to the corporation data, Delhi government has not paid the corporation Rs 76.77 crore from 2006 upto March this year.

Lucknow prepares roadmap to Smart City Lucknow Municipal Corporation has gone a step ahead in mapping the Smart City proposal for Lucknow by including smart features like emphasis on use of recycled water for cleaning, installing LED lights to reduce electricity expenses and planning to integrate government’s ambitious project- IT City on Sultanpur Road with the ‘Smart City’ plan.

‘Don’t allow stalls in parking areas’ The Chandigarh Traffic Police have written to the Municipal Corporation (MC) asking it not to allow stalls to be set up around parking areas in the city during the festive seasons keeping in view the traffic congestion it causes.

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Ahmedabad: Gujarat has proposed a Rs 15,375 crore action plan to ensure basic infrastructure in 31 cities of the state under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) in the next five years.

Under the comprehensive plan, the state government intends to set up 19 Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) at a total cost of Rs 4,721.57 crore to create

China’s urban unemployment rate up

Beijing: The registered unemployment rate in China’s cities stood at 4.05 percent at the end of September, slightly up from 4.04 percent in June, official data showed.

China created 10.66 million new jobs for urban residents in the first nine months, Xinhua quoted Li Zhong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, as saying.

The government wants to create at least 10 million new jobs and hold the unemployment rate below 4.5 percent this year.

a total treatment capacity of 869 million litres per day.

In the AMRUT action plan sent to the Urban Development Ministry, the state government projected that by 2030, Gujarat will emerge as the second most urbanised state in the country with urban population increasing to 66 per cent of the total population from the present 43 per cent.

Poor urban women in developing world lack skills: Survey New Delhi: Poor women in cities in developing countries are 50 per cent less likely than poor men to use the Internet, and blame the high cost and their lack of skills for the gap, researchers said.

While 59 per cent of such men surveyed by the Web Foundation, established by British World Wide Web inventor Tim BernersLee, use the Internet, just 37 per cent of women do so.

“Most poor urban women are confined to (a technology) ghetto that does little to help them break out of the real ghetto of poverty and gender discrimination,” said Anne Jellema, Web Foundation’s Chief Executive.

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City Brand

A late night view of Marine Drive, Mumbai

Revelling in urban night life Many cities around the globe claim to be cities that never sleep but the hustle-bustle in most of Indian cities ends when the clock strikes 12. Revival of night life in metro cities is on the agenda of many state governments Abhishek Pandey, Editor, abhishek@urbanupdate.in

N

ight-time presents challenges and opportunities to cities globally, be it for reasons of safety and fear, lack of destinations or for some attraction.

While India houses some of the most populous cities in the world, none of them can really claim to be a ‘24 hour city’.

In February 2015, Aditya Thackeray proposed to make Mumbai a 24 hour city to generate more revenues for the city and create employment for the youth. He had suggested that all eateries, cafes, milk shops, chemists, theatres, gyms and spas be given the option to stay up all night, especially in non-residential areas. He also proposed to turn certain places like Kala Ghoda or BKC into pedestrian zones postsunset and thus enable an ambience where jugglers, flame- throwers, food vans, live music (without speakers) and

open- air restaurants can operate.

Such an initiative could be a major attraction for citizens and tourists alike in a prosperous metro city like Mumbai and can help generate more revenues from using public places at night. Despite the Mumbai Police Commissioner giving his nod to provide security if such a plan is implemented, the Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra government to do an impact assessment on women’s safety before implementing any such plan.

There is no update on this since then.

Similarly, in Delhi, Kapil Mishra, Tourism Minister of Delhi, said he was in support of restaurants remaining open beyond the current deadline of 1 am. He was responding to recommendations by the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) to improve tourism in the capital, which included a revival of the night bazaar in Chandni Chowk. The state

government has not taken any step in this regard yet. According to a report by an NGO, Delhi has more than 700 dark spots. That is true for other cities too.

Urban lighting at night is a major issue for our cities if they strive to become cities that never sleep.

In many global cities including New York, London, and Amsterdam, a growing percentage of social and economic life takes place in the hours after dark. This can be true for Indian cities too since greater proportions of the population as well as economic activity keeps moving into its cities.

Indian cities need to adopt a strategic planning approach with security component and appropriate design for night-time. A holistic approach to urban design, lighting and regeneration planning could helpcreate vibrant, prosperous, safe, and inclusive places for those who live, work and play in cities-at all hours.

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Rs 343-crore plan to clean Pavana River A month after state environment minister Ramdas Kadam told the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to prepare a riverfront development plan for Pavana, the civic officials have drawn up a Rs 343 crore plan to clean up the river.

Finance MNC to handle PMC accounts The civic administration is set to appoint a multinational financial consultancy firm to do its accounting work. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) pays different types of taxes, including service tax and professional tax, to the state as well as the union government. Changes in the tax laws make it difficult for the accounts department to carry out the taxation work and it leads to errors at times.

Thane Municipal Corporation files to be digitized Tracking the path of files and documents related to civic work would soon be possible at the click of a button for residents as the Thane Municipal Corporation is in the process of digitizing all its records. As per plans, all filed works of nearly 27 departments from the civic body will be digitized in phases. All communications, along with notifications would be scanned and stored in the digital servers of the civic body within the next one year. There would be provision for storing all the notings made by respective departments or officials also.

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Drones to autonomously repair cities of the future London: An army of drones could soon keep a watchful eye over streets in the UK, repairing things like potholes and busted street lamps, scientists say.

Researchers from the University of Leeds in UK are leading a pioneering 4.2 million pounds national infrastructure research project with the vision of creating self-repairing cities. The project could soon see an army of drones that detect problems with infrastructure as soon as they pop up, to prevent them developing into inconvenient road works or other larger repair projects, ‘Gizmag’ reported. “We want to make Leeds the first city in the world to have zero disruption from street works,” said Phil Purnell, professor at the university’s School of Civil Engineering. We can support infrastructure which can be entirely maintained by robots and make the disruption caused by the constant digging up the road in our cities a thing of the past,” Purnell said.

The researchers will initially develop new robot designs and technologies in three areas - “Perch and Repair”, “Perceive and Patch” and “Fire and forget”.

“Perch and Repair” aims to develop drones that can perch on structures like birds at height and perform repair tasks, such as repairing street lights.

The second, “Perceive and Patch” will

The researchers will initially develop new robot designs and technologies in three areas - “Perch and Repair”, “Perceive and Patch” and “Fire and forget” develop drones able to autonomously inspect, diagnose, repair and prevent potholes in roads. “Fire and forget” aims to develop robots which will operate indefinitely within live utility pipes performing inspection, repair, metering and reporting tasks. “Detecting faults and weaknesses early and then quickly performing smart repairs is the key,” said Rob Richardson, director of the National Facility for Innovative Robotic Systems at the university.

“Our robots will undertake precision repairs and avoid the need for large construction vehicles in the heart of our cities. We will use the unique capabilities of our robotic facility to make new, more capable robots,” Richardson said.

“The critical part of this project is being proactive rather than reactive,” said Raul Fuentes, from the School of Civil Engineering at the university.

“This is crucial to ensuring we have sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

We will target our interventions so that they are invisible to the human eye, before they become a real problem,” he said.

‘Cities cannot get smart unless people live smart lives’ Delhi: Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal said that cities cannot get smart unless people live smart lives. He was speaking at an event hosted by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) that has been selected to be developed as a “smart city” under the Centre’s ‘Smart Cities’ project.

“The NDMC is going to become a ‘Smart City.’ I think, no city will become smart only by building good roads. It will become smart when people’s lives also become smart. We have to make their lives smart first,” said Kejriwal.

He said that while VIP areas have 24-hour water supply, common citizens in Delhi continue to face water shortage every day. He added that governments need to focus on important issues such as education and health.

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Basque keen to strengthen

184 Municipal Commissioners economic ties with Maharashtra get notice The deal proposes to set up a Trade Mission in Maharashtra for Basque companies to understand the economic advantages and over Sewage strong points of the industry and economy of Maharashtra Management Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issues statutory notices to 184 towns to comply with water pollution control act and rules NEW DELHI: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued statutory notices to municipal commissioners of 184 towns to ensure proper management of domestic sewage and solid waste, an official said.

“The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued statutory notices to 184 towns to comply with water pollution control act and rules relating to municipal solid waste management,” the environment ministry said in a statement. The sewage is disposed of into rivers, lakes or allowed to seep into the ground polluting the groundwater, it said, adding that this has resulted in worsening of groundwater quality and caused many water-borne diseases.

Of the 62,000 million litres of sewage generated daily in the country, CPCB has observed that treatment capacity of 23,277 million litres per day was available, which amounts to less than 30 per cent.

The town authorities have been asked to submit within 90 days a time-bound action plan for proper collection, treatment and disposal of sewage, the statement said.

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Mumbai: Aimed at strengthening economic ties, the Basque government is looking to develop cooperation with Maharashtra in sectors such as energy, urban development, infrastructure, railways and auto. A proposal for collaboration has been received in the backdrop of Basque Economic Development and Competitiveness Minister Arantxa Tapia’s visit to India and her meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on March 23 this year, where she discussed the possibility of an MoU between both the governments.

A pact in this regard will serve as a channel for communication between both the governments, leading to sharing of technical knowledge on transformation and regeneration of cities, railway infrastructure, renewable energies, automobile and wine industry.

The deal proposes to set up a Trade Mission in Maharashtra for Basque companies to understand the economic advantages and strong points of the industry and economy of Maharashtra.

It also proposes to form a monitoring committee of four members, two from each government, to monitor the

progressive achievement of objectives mentioned in the pact and set a time frame for these goals.

The pact also proposes mutual cooperation in segments such as urban development, design and management of public services, specially water management, smart grids, buildings and cities - to meet future urban challenges and achieve sustainable cities. “There will be a collaboration in planning of development and modernisation of railway infrastructure, high speed network and suburban networks (subways), exchange of experiences in defining mass water policy, energy infrastructure and telecommunications,” it states.

The government is in the process of examining the clauses of the pact, and an agreement will be signed if it is in the interest of the Maharashtra, State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told agency. “We are in the process of examining the contents of the MoU. Our basic contention is that we are ready for anything that is in the interest of the state in the long run. If the conditions set are beneficial for us, we will go ahead with it,” Mungantiwar said.

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City Images

Car-free day

Delhi Sans Car Delhi’s first car-free day hitched a ride on Dusshera holiday that saw a large number of vehicles staying off the road and the city, which has the dirtiest air in the world, recording a

dramatic dip in pollution.

The Delhi government took the first step towards cleaning the city’s air when it closed a five-km stretch between the Red Fort and

Bhagwan Das Road in the heart of the Capital to cars from 7am to 12 noon, emulating neighbouring Gurgaon that recently started car-free Tuesdays.

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Urban officers adopt 21 municipal councils A total of 21 officers from the urban development department (UDD) adopted 21 municipal councils across Maharashtra to monitor the progress of the Swachh Maharashtra Abhiyan (SBA). The SBA is part of the national cleanliness mission. Vivek Kumbhar, UDD under secretary, has adopted Ichalkaranji Municipal Council in Kolhapur district.

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4,300 new homes for urban poor in Dimapur DELHI: Under the centrally sponsored scheme ‘Housing for all by 2020’, altogether 4,300 new houses would be provided to urban poor and slum dwellers in Dimapur with an affordable rate, Secretary Municipal Affairs, Maongwati Aier informed reporters.

The scheme/project would commence within a few months time, he said.

The houses would be provided to

people under three categories-- poor people who do not have land, people who have land but cannot build a house and people who have land with thatched house but cannot afford a modern house.

For this, Aier said that the Dimapur Municipal Council would be carrying out a survey to ascertain the urban poor and slum dwellers.

Agra municipal officials on WhatsApp In a bid to create a speedy redressal mechanism for problems regarding public amenities, the Agra Municipal Corporation has now introduced an official WhatsApp group through which the municipal commissioner will directly text orders to his men to resolve public matters within a fixed time period.

Nagpur Municipal Corporation aims projects worth Rs 3,500 crore Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will have to face a big challenge under Smart City Mission. Projects worth around Rs 3,500 crore have to be completed in only four years along with contribution of Rs 250 crore. Considering the past experience, the civic body faces an uphill task.

Under the central government’s JnNURM scheme, NMC is taking over nine years to complete 19 projects worth around Rs 1,600 crore.

16

November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

Importance of Public Spaces in Urban Areas stressed on World Habitat Day NEW DELHI: The importance of public spaces in urban areas has been stressed upon on the occasion of World Habitat Day. Speaking at a programme organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, the Secretary Dr. Nandita Chatterjee said that public spaces enhance community cohesion, social interaction and play decisive role in attracting investment and

economic opportunities.

The green public spaces also help in carbon emission reduction and thus help in environment protection. She said that the UN-Habitat has identified Sustainable Development Goals which stress on ensuring universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities in urban areas by 2030.

NEWSCAN

To speed up urban projects, govt to come out with notifications Delhi: Aiming to ensure time-bound, hassle-free clearances, the government decided to come out with the necessary notifications by the end of next month for streamlining approvals for urban construction projects.

The decision in this regard was taken at a high-level meeting convened by Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister, M Venkaiah Naidu, a senior UD Ministry official said. The meeting was attended

by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma and Cabinet Secretary PK Sinha, besides the secretaries and senior officials of eight related ministries.

Puducherry to act tough on unauthorised parking Either provide parking facility or close down the shops. That is the rather strong message given by the Puducherry Municipality to several commercial establishments who encroach on public roads by parking staff and visitor vehicles.

BMC gets 6 more months to revise Development Plan 2034

Sweden offers help in building smart cities Mumbai: The government of Sweden has decided to be India’s knowledge partner and also help Maharashtra develop smart cities with sustainable development. The state has short-listed 10 smart cities.

Swedish minister for housing, urban development and IT Mehmet Kaplan met Maharashtra chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya recently in a bid to expand the partnership and implement the smart city concept. Kaplan said their focus is on sustainable development, core issues of which are digitisation of land records, effective implementation of public transport, and scientific disposal and reuse of solid waste.

India, US cooperation on Mega-City Governance growing: Indian Envoy

Arun Kumar Singh Indian Ambassador

BRIEFS

WASHIngton: India-US cooperation in governance of mega-cities is part of a whole new paradigm of working together and forming habits of cooperation between the world’s two largest democracies, according to the Indian ambassador Arun K Singh.

“It takes diplomacy beyond the nationstate” he said at an event at Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank, on the Megacity Challenge ahead of a conference on Megacity Security in Mumbai next month.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the civic body of the country’s commercial capital, has received a second extension of the deadline for revision of the much-talked about Development Plan 2034 by another six months to February 2016.

Rs 405 Crore for Water Supply in AMRUT Cities The state government of Telengana has proposed to spend Rs 405.17 crore on enhancing water supply in 11 AMRUT cities in the state during this financial year.

The state government has submitted State Annual Action Plan (SAAP) in this regard to the Ministry of Urban Development for approval.

Gurgaon Traffic Police shortlisted for Urban Mobility Awards 2015 The Institute of Urban Transport (IUT) - a nodal agency under the Ministry of Urban Development - has shortlisted Gurgaon Traffic Police’s entry ‘Innovative Approaches to Improve Road Safety and Mobility in Gurgaon’ for the Urban Mobility Awards 2015.

www.urbanupdate.in | November 2015

17

NEWSCAN

BRIEFS

NEWSCAN

Singapore, World Bank establish infrastructure, urban development hub Singapore: The World Bank Group (WBG) is set to expand its Singapore office to create its first Infrastructure and Urban Development Hub, WBG and Singapore’s ministry of finance (MOF) said recently in a joint statement.

The expanded hub operation will provide services at the global level, employing more than 200 people from the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) over the next two years, Xinhua news agency reported.

Work from the WBG’s public sector side will involve sectoral teams dedicated to energy and extractives, water, transport, information and communications technology, public-private partnerships, trade and competitiveness, and urban development as well as the global infrastructure facility, the statement said.

“As the centre of global economic activity gravitates increasingly to East Asia, Singapore’s role will further grow.

This provides huge opportunities for emerging and developing economies,” said Axel van Trotsenburg, World Bank Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific region.

Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Finance and Law Indranee Rajah witnessed the signing of the agreement between WBG and the Singapore government.

“The next phase of the Singapore Hub will foster greater and more meaningful integration of the World Bank’s functions with Singapore’s strengths and developmental

18

November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

OVERVIEW ♦♦ United Nations officials highlighted the key role of urban design in building sustainable, socially integrated and prosperous cities and human settlements, ♦♦ The next phase of the Singapore Hub will foster greater and more meaningful integration of the World Bank’s functions with Singapore’s strengths and developmental experience experience. The World Bank Group can collaborate with Singapore’s business and research ecosystem to enhance its range of solutions for developing countries in the region and beyond,” the minister added. UN officials say good urban design is key to ensuring sustainable, inclusive cities On the occasion of World Cities Day, top United Nations officials are highlighting the key role of urban design in building sustainable, socially integrated and prosperous cities and human settlements.

“Good design can help tackle climate change. It reduces the impacts of disaster. It can help make our cities safer, cleaner, and more equal and integrative. It promotes equal access to services, jobs and opportunities, and fosters contentment,” SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon said in his message for the Day, observed annually on 31 October.

The theme of this year’s observance – the first following the adoption by Member States in September of the 17

Sustainable Development Goals – is “Designed to Live Together.”

The Secretary-General noted that the challenges of rapid urbanization figure prominently in the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Goal 11 embodies a commitment to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”

“And as part of an integrated agenda, cities and human settlements have an important role to play across the 17goal spectrum,” he said.

Mr. Ban added that the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), to be held in Quito, Ecuador in October 2016, will be an opportunity to discuss a New Urban Agenda that can harness the power and forces behind urbanization and mobilize them for the common good.

In his statement, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Joan Clos, said that urban form is the combination of streets, building typologies and networks of public spaces. “They form the underlying structure of the city, a skeleton around which people’s lives are built and activities carried out.”

Cities are one of “the most complex human creations,” he said, adding that good design contributes to social integration, equality and diversity; fosters sustainable use of shared resources; inspires lively neighbourhoods; and can make cities safer.

It can also foster proximity to jobs and services; help to create clean, healthy cities; and anticipate climate change and reduce the impacts of disasters.

NEWSCAN

BRIEFS

Sydney tops the list of world’s most reputable cities Sydney has been named the world’s most reputable city by the Reputation Institute’s annual City RepTrak report New York: Sydney is the city with the best reputation, followed

by Melbourne. Both cities standout by the perceptions of their effective administration, advanced economy and appealing environment and are among the most liveable cities in the world.

The 2015 City RepTrak study surveyed more than 19,000 residents of G8 countries -- France, Germany, Italy, UK, Japan, U.S., Canada and Russia. “We see linkages with other research when we compare our reputation rankings to data like tourism and investment. The measures end up being strongly correlated,” said Fernando Prado, managing partner at the Reputation Institute. For a city, a strong reputation is closely linked to a desire by individuals to visit, live, work or invest there, he said.

Tokyo (No. 12), the city with the biggest population and highest GDP among the cities surveyed, is the most highly regarded Asian city on the list, followed by another Japanese city, Osaka (No. 20). Asian cities in the study achieve the greatest reputation improvement, although most of them still have weak scores.

Popular tourist destinations like Bangkok and Beijing lag behind, coming in at no. 69 and 85 respectively.

Despite having a weaker performance generally, Mumbai and New Delhi, witnessed a leap of 11.2 and 9.3 per cent improvement in scores from 2014, and were ranked 84 and 86.Seoul (No. 59) has the highest reputation score growth (15.1 per cent increase from 2014), tailed by Karachi (No. 91) - Pakistan’s biggest city - which witnessed a 14 per cent leap from last year.

It is to be noted that the report is a

World’s Top 10

Most reputable cities

Least reputable cities

1. Sydney, Australia 2. Melbourne, Australia 3. Stockholm, Sweden 4. Vienna, Austria 5. Vancouver, Canada 6. Barcelona, Spain 7. Edinburgh, UK 8. Geneva, Switzerland 9. Copenhagen, Denmark 10. Venice, Italy

101.

100.

99.

98.

97.

96.

95.

94.

93.

92.

Despite having a weaker performance generally, Mumbai and New Delhi, witnessed a leap of 11.2 and 9.3 percent improvement in scores from 2014, and were ranked 84 and 86

Baghdad, Iraq Tehran, Iran Moscow, Russia Nairobi, Kenya Bogota, Colombia Mexico City, Mexico Cairo, Egypt Kiev, Ukraine Caracas, Venezuela Tel Aviv, Israel

global survey of G8 country consumers.

It ranks the world’s 101 most reputable cities on four levels: trust, esteem, admiration and respect. Perceptions on 13 attributes are then grouped into 3 overriding dimensions – advanced economy, effective government and appealing environment.

www.urbanupdate.in | November 2015

19

COVER STORY | Eco Cities

COVER STORY | Eco Cities

Painting

the cities

‘green’

20 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

Indian cities urgently need to devise an urban development strategy that is in harmony with ‘natural infrastructure’ and takes into account the urban burden caveat. Since the nation is building new urban spaces and rejuvenating the existing ones, it is an opportunity for cities to embed green component in various sectors for showing a new trajectory towards an eco-friendly and sustainable urban future Abhishek Pandey Editor, abhishek@urbanupdate.in

T

he rapid urbanisation in India throws up a major challenge for local bodies to expand the reach of basic civic services to cover the growing population of urban dwellers and improve the service delivery mechanism by mitigating their negative impacts on environment through sustainable and energyefficient means. There is a wide range of readymade solutions available to local bodies to make development in their respective domains environmentfriendly and maintain the balance between fast-paced development and urban ecology.

Municipal bodies need to play a proactive role in making their operation energy-efficient, encourage citizen engagement for sustainable practices in cities, and harness the potential of renewable energy generation.

Municipal services

Urban Local Bodies are in need of adequate supply of energy to provide basic civic services such as water supply, drainage, traffic management and street lighting to the growing population in existing and upcoming cities. In these times, when most Indian cities do not enjoy the privilege of 24x7 electricity and face significant electricity outage for upto 12 hours, there is a need for ULBs to opt for an infallible strategy to optimize their energy consumption and be self-reliant in energy generation through available renewable sources.

The global trend towards increased

urbanisation requires municipal bodies to provide services to a growing urban population that is expected to add 1.4 billion people by 2030. Urban service delivery systems require significant amount of electricity and in turn burns a deep hole in the pockets of the local bodies. The cost of energy is often the biggest component of the municipality’s budget.

According to a report by Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC), as much as 30-40 percent of total revenue expenditure of ULBs is on energy consumption. Of the energy costs, close to 50 per cent is for water pumping and another 10-20 per cent for street lighting, and the rest on public buildings. Recent projects demonstrate that energy efficiency to the extent of 25-40 per cent can be achieved in such functions. The report further suggests that if on average, 25 per cent energy savings can be obtained on 40 per cent of ULB expenditure, it would result in overall financial savings of 10 percent. Such savings can make a huge difference to a cash-strapped ULB. Moreover, with higher electricity prices in the offing, the financial savings are likely to be even greater.

Across India, there is a potential to save around 10 billion rupees annually by adopting energy efficiency measures.

Government of India, through the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, has initiated a programme Municipal Demand Side Management (DSM) to cover 175 municipalities in the country by conducting investment grade energy audits and preparation of

India has approximately 35 million street lights which generate a total demand of 3,400 MW. Replacing these lights with LED can bring down the demand to 1,400 MW. In the process, it would also save around 9000 million kWh of electricity annually, worth over $850 million

detailed project reports. Energy Service Companies (ESCO), the companies that provide energy-efficiency related and other value-added services, are being encouraged to take up the implementation of the programme.

There are majorly two types of contractual arrangements in ESCO projects in Indian municipalities-‘shared savings’ and ‘guaranteed savings’. Under a shared savings model, the ESCO assumes both the performance and financial risk of the project, with the ESCO financing the project as well as guaranteeing savings in the energy bill, a share of which is paid to the ESCO by the client. Thus, the revenue savings are shared between the ESCO and the client in an agreed proportion.

Under the guaranteed savings model, the client finances the project in return for assured energy savings and a guarantee from the ESCO that the project’s energy savings will cover project costs including debt service.

ESCOs charge a fee to be paid against

www.urbanupdate.in | November 2015

21

COVER STORY | Eco Cities

Eco-Municipality Sweden is the first county that implemented the concept of Eco Municipality at a large scale in the eighties. Around 80 cities and towns in Sweden, almost 30 per cent of all its municipalities, have adopted and implemented a common set of sustainability principles through out their municipal operations.

Eco-municipality has certain objectives such as reduce dependence upon fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals, reduce encroachment upon nature and better meet human needs fairly and efficiently. The purpose of these policies is to increase the overall sustainability of the community.

A Finnish local authority, Suomussalmi, introduced the concept of eco-municipality in 1980. It was later adopted by the Overtornea community in Sweden in 1983. The concept of eco-municipalities spread in many cities and towns across Sweden and a network of ecoHammarby SjĂśstad is Stockholms (Sweden) one of the first eco-friendly communities for which the planning started in the 1980s

22 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

municipalities, National Association of Swedish Ecomunicipalities (Sveriges Ekokommuner-Sekom), was formed in 1995 to assist cities and towns undertaking ecological town planning based on the eco-municipality framework. To become a member of the association, a municipal council must pass a resolution. The local authority must also adopt a strategic plan and program for achieving local sustainability that is in line with the four sustainability principles developed by the Natural Step Framework. According to the Framework, in a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust, concentrations of substances produced by society, degradation by physical means and people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs.

Sekom has 12 environmental indicators that were officially adopted by the Association in 2002. The main objective of these indicators is to monitor development in the eco-municipalities and to create a means for tracking trends and actions. Eight of the indicators relate to community-wide actions and impacts throughout the entire geographic area of the municipality. The remaining four indicators relate to the local authority’s specific internal operations and management, including municipal employee transportation and municipal purchasing.

At present, 88 eco-municipalities, almost one third of municipalities in Sweden, have adopted a common set of sustainability principles in their municipal operations. These cities are committed to a bottomup and participatory approach for sustainability. Many cities, towns and country governments in the United States of America (USA) followed and officially declared themselves to be eco-municipalities.

Many other towns and cities across the world, mainly located in Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Chile and Kenya, have adopted the concept in many local bodies. In 2000, The American Planning Association (APA) adopted the Planning for Sustainability Policy Guide that is based on the same sustainability principles that are official policy of ecomunicipalities in Sweden.

12 Environment Indicators by Sekom 1. Carbon dioxide emissions, tons/inhabitant, 2. Number of trips by public transport per inhabitant and year, 3. Proportion of renewable fuels in public transport, 4. Share of farmland with environmental aid for organic farming, 5. Percentage of environmentally certified forestry, 6. Percentage of protected land and water areas, 7. Collection of household waste for recycling (responsibility of manufacturer; kg per resident) 8. Heavy metals in sewage sludge such as lead, cadmium, mercury, etc. (mg per kg toxic substance), 9. Share of renewable and recycled energy in municipal buildings, 10. Transportation energy for business trips by car (tons per employee) and CO2 emissions from business trips by car, 11. The purchase of organic provisions within the municipal premises (percentage of the cost), 12. Percentage of environmentally approved schools/ kindergartens.

performance based milestones. Since the client finances the project, the savings are usually fully retained by the client. Both models are in practice in India.

Public lighting or street lighting is one of the sectors in which local bodies can cut down their energy cost significantly. According to data provided by the Ministry of Power, India has approximately 35 million street lights which generate a total demand of 3,400 MW. It is estimated that replacing these lights with more energy efficient lighting alternatives such as LED can bring down the demand to 1,400 MW. In the process, it would also save around 9000 million kWh of electricity annually, worth over $850 million.

Further savings may be possible when dimmable LED street light systems are paired with motion sensors, wireless communication, and light level sensors. Dimming and/ or tele-management functions could be utilized at dawn, dusk, during full moons, and when no cars, cyclists, or pedestrians are in the vicinity. Similar innovations can be implemented across different sectors such as traffic management, water supply, and sewage treatment to optimize the consumption of energy in providing civic services to citizens.

Green Cities

Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, says that there are numerous ways to make our cities greener. School students and other citizens can be engaged in planting trees in their neighbourhoods. The Environment Ministry has also proposed an urban forestry scheme namely ‘Nagar Van Udyan Yojna’ on pilot basis in 200 cities. The aim is to develop at least one city forest initially on forest land ranging from 20 ha to 100 ha in cities having municipal corporations. The scheme will also have a concept of ‘Smriti Van’ where people, after making a donation of Rs 2,000 can also plant a sapling in memory of their loved ones.

The making of Eco Cities or Green

Cities would not only require a push to increase forest and tree cover in cities but also demand for environmental sustainability in the long term. It would require conservation of bio-diversity and conventional energy resources, increased usage of renewable energy, and reduction in the energy-use and waste-production through innovative methods. As urban settlements are growing, they are demanding for more and more natural resources to meet the rising demand for food, water, energy, and goods and services. According to the Alternative Urban Futures Report by WWF-India, India’s average per capita ecological footprint is 0.8 global hectares. This figure is very low when compared to the global average, which is 2.2 global hectares, or to that of most developed countries which average an ecological footprint of 6.43 global hectares. India’s relatively small ecological footprint is mainly due to low standards of living in both urban and rural areas. However, there is no separate ecological footprint data available for individual cities of India.

Any increase in prosperity will lead to an increase in this footprint.

If we compare India’s ecological footprint with that of Spain, United Kingdom and the United States of America which have an ecological footprint of 5.40 global hectares, 5.60 global hectares and 9.60 hectares respectively, we can draw two interesting conclusions.

First, cities with roughly comparable standards of living can have very different ecological footprints – with Barcelona and Vancouver on one hand and Atlanta and Dubai on the other.

For instance, the per capita footprint for Barcelona is 3.26 global hectares, Vancouver 4.2 global hectares, Dubai 11.8 global hectares, and Atlanta 13 global hectares. Indeed, one could argue that Barcelona provides a higher standard of living than Atlanta but at a fourth of the environmental cost. It is to be noted that the link between standard of living and ecological footprint is not linear. It completely depends on how the city is being planned, designed and operated.

www.urbanupdate.in | November 2015

23

Numerographs

ECO cities

With such a diversity of urban agglomerations in India, no one set of action plans will fit all cities in organizing work to become a Green City or Eco City. Promotion of green buildings, usage of nonconventional energy, improving public transport system, massive plantation drives, efficient solid waste management and making public service delivery system energy-efficient are some of the solutions.

Municipal corporations and state governments need to incorporate and leverage the best suited solutions to make their respective cities green

Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change launched Urban Forestry Scheme under which urban forests will be created in

200

cities where forest land is lying unused.

3rd

Government of India targets to increase renewable capacity to

1,75,000 MW by 2022

24 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

Germany has offered an aid

1.15

of billion euros under Green Energy Corridors Partnership

India ranks in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building list released by the USGBC. Canada and China are in the top two spots.

Cities already account for 2/3 of the world’s overall energy consumption and

World Bank puts the annual cost of environmental degradation in India at about

70% of global

$80 billion

greenhouse gas emissions

In spatial context, urban India grew from 38,509 sqkm in

78,200

1961 to sqkm in 2001

Forest Cover in major Indian cities

Forest Cover in major Indian cities 200 180 Forest Cover (in square kms)

160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Bengaluru

Chandigarh

Chennai

Delhi

Hyderabad

Jaipur

Mumbai

Top five countries LEED GreenlistBuilding list Top five countries in in LEED Green Building (No. of projects)

Top five countries in LEED Green Building list (No. of projects)

6,000

(No. of projects)

6,000

5,000

5,000

4,000

4,000

3,000

3,000 Total number of LEED-certified and Total projects number of LEED-certified registered

2,000

2,000 1,000

and

registered projects

1,000 0 Canada

0 Canada

China

China

India

Brazil

Countries Brazil

India

Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea

Countries

Renewable energy installed capacity (mw) Bagasse Cogeneration, 2800

Waste to Power, 108

Biomass Power, 1365

Small Hydro Power, 3991

Solar Power (SPV), 3063

Wind Power, 22,465

Source: World Bank, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Census 2001 and 2011, http://data.gov.in

www.urbanupdate.in | November 2015

25

Leaderspeak | Solar Cities

Ranjit S Chavan President, AIILSG

Sunny days ahead Fast paced urbanisation coupled with industrial development in Indian cities is resulting in increasing energy demand. Government of India has found a solution by promoting solar power in cities. Local bodies should spread awareness about the benefits of using solar energy among citizens

I

ndian cities are largely dependent, directly or indirectly, on fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) for the smooth running of urban systems. Urbanization has propelled energy requirement in a variety of urban sectors such as civic amenities, powering homes, offices and industries, running transport systems, and developing infrastructure.

Fossil fuels, especially oil, put a large burden due to the dependence on imports. On the other hand, environmental and social impacts of using fossil fuels include air pollution, global warming, waste disposal problems, land degradation and the depletion of natural resources. It is high time urban centres shift from conventional energy sources to renewables. This will not only address the problem of resource depletion but also curb the negative externalities such as pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Solar power is the most obvious energy source for many cities in India; at least for those cities which experience many sunny days every year. Solar power is considered cleaner than fossil fuels, safer than nuclear power. Our cities can look forward to adapting to solar power for a clean energy future and to bring down their carbon footprint.

Solar City Programme

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has launched the Solar City Programme under

26 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

which a total of 60 cities and towns are proposed to be supported for development as Solar Cities. These cities would aim at minimum 10 per cent reduction in projected demand of conventional energy at the end of five years, through a combination of enhancing supply from renewable energy sources in the city and energy efficiency measures.

The Solar City programme aims to enable and empower urban local governments to address energy challenges at the city level. The programme will consolidate all the efforts of the Ministry in the urban sector and address the energy problems of the urban areas in a holistic manner.

A total of 55 cities have already been selected by the Ministry. Out of these, 46 cities have already submitted their master plans. Solar City Cells have been created in 26 cities. Among these cities, eight Cities will be developed as ‘Model Solar Cities’. Till now, four cities--Nagpur, Chandigarh, Gandhinagar and Mysore have been identified.

The Ministry has already initiated various programmes in the urban sector like promoting solar water heating systems in homes, hotels, hostels, hospitals and industry; deployment of SPV systems/ devices in urban areas for demonstration and awareness creation; establishment of ‘Akshay Urja Shops’; design of Solar Buildings and promoting urban and industrial waste / biomass to energy projects.

Indian Solar Cities 1. Agra 2. Agartala 3. Aizawl 4. Amritsar 5. Aurangabad 6. Bhopal 7. Bilaspur 8. Bhubaneswar 9. Chamoli-Gopeshwar 10. Chandigarh 11. Coimbatore 12. Dehradun 13. Dimapur 14. Faridabad 15. Gandhinagar 16. Gurgaon

17. Gwalior 18. Guwahati 19. Hamirpur 20. Haridwar & Rishikesh 21. Hubli 22. Imphal 23. Indore 24. Itanagar 25. Jodhpur 26. Jorhat 27. Kalyan-Dombivli 28. Kohima 29. Ludhiana 30. Madhyam Nagar 31. Moradabad 32. Mysore

33. Nagpur 34. Nanded 35. New Delhi 36. New Town Kolkata 37. Panaji City 38. Puducherry 39. Raipur 40. Rajkot 41. Rewa 42. Shimla 43. Surat 44. Thane 45. Vijayawada 46. Shirdi

Solar Cities (Master Plan under preparation) 1. Ajmer 2. Allahabad 3. Howrah

Role of ULBs

4. Jaipur 5. Kochi 6. Leh

A report released by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group in 2011 evaluates the policies, programs, and powers of mayors in a number of sectors, including transport, planning, food and urban agriculture, energy supply, finance, and adaptation to climate change. In the majority of the cities surveyed, the powers that mayors held over matters relating to energy supply were relatively weak. This is also true for most of the Indian cities.

In Indian cities, the electric power transmission and distribution infrastructure is usually administered by government agencies at the state level. Most electricity generation takes place outside city boundaries, which restricts the power of mayors over such activity.

7. Mahbubnagar 8. SAS Nagar Mohali 9. Thiruvananthapuram However, cities typically exercise significant control over waste management activities and it enables the city leaders to have a role in putting into place waste-to-energy and landfill gas-capture initiatives. Similarly, local bodies have control over solar power generation as cities generally regulate the placement of solar panels on the rooftops of buildings.

Solar power is also unique in the sense that it is very supportive of decentralised generation and consumption. Unlike other renewables like hydro and wind, it does not require cumbersome evacuation and transmission efforts. Solar power can be generated and consumed at more or less the same place, in the same building, for example. This offers huge opportunities for ULBs to put in place

Solar City Programme aims to consolidate all the efforts of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in the urban sector and address the energy problem of the urban areas in a holistic manner. The programme aims at minimum 10 per cent reduction in projected demand of conventional energy at the end of five years many innovations tailor-made for their cities.

Solar City Programme of GoI strives to motivate the local governments for adopting renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures for optimising energy consumption in their jurisdiction.

This is an opportunity for municipal corporations to take a lead and begin the process by making all municipal buildings solar buildings. However, only installation of solar rooftop panels would not be enough. The energy generation from these buildings needs to be monitored and evaluated at regular intervals to ensure the efficiency of such projects at the local level. Solar power can not only be utilised for fulfilling the requirements of municipal buildings but also for providing basic civic services to city dwellers.

Public lighting is one of the sectors that can effectively use solar lighting though there is a need to embed technological innovations in the system that can enable efficient management of street lighting through centrally controlled systems.

www.urbanupdate.in | November 2015 27

Article | Green Cities in India

A Dream or Distant Reality?

With many Indian cities acquiring the shape and size of mega cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune or Kolkata and presenting the typical Indian urban chaos, there is an urgent need felt for creating ‘green cities’ Abhilash Khandekar

M

ost Indian cities today look brown in colour.

Many urbanisation experts or researchers in the field call them ‘modern brown city’. What is a brown city? Or for that matter what is a green city?

Since the advent of modern urban planning and architecture, the effort has always been to create such habitable towns or cities that are liveable, safe for its citizens, full of clean environment with abundance of water and fresh air. Such cities were invariably green cities although no such terminology of ‘green cities’ was in vogue, say 50 years ago. It’s when urban planning began succumbing to political and demographic pressures in the late 90s that the cities turned ‘brown’ from what they were.

The definition of the city is a complex one yet it can safely be defined as: “a City is not just a land occupied by men, machines and buildings that promote essential activities for human survival but it is a place to work, relax and happily live...a city composes of various types of buildings for individual, industrial and social use, open spaces, wetlands, roads, vehicles, people, trees, animals, birds, air and all that.”

However, with the explosion of urbanisation in late 90, and with Indian cities being increasingly touted as “growth engines” both,

28 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

by Governments and international agencies with vested interests, the

rural-urban migration patterns underwent complete change, throwing

new challenges to policy makers and city managers. In the specific context of India, the last six decades saw the gradual but definite collapse of rural development agenda.

Hundreds and thousands of crores of rupees were spent under successive five years plans by the Planning Commission, State Governments and Union Rural Development Ministry to develop rural India. But to no avail!

A systematic killing of Indian villages happened and in turn posed serious problems for the urban planners, demographers and economists. What is unfortunate is that no one really wants to accept the reality that India’s rural development road map has proved to be a complete disaster. In the absence of proper roads, electricity, schools, hospitals and employment

opportunities, that small beautiful ‘Indian Village’ died an unnatural death. But no requiem was ever written for it, no one cried for the poor villages that died one after the other.

This phenomenon brought an unnecessary and unnatural burden on Indian cities which were green, peaceful and happy places of habitation.

Now with many Indian cities acquiring the shape and size of mega cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune or Kolkata and presenting the typical Indian urban chaos, there is an urgent need felt for creating ‘green cities’. In these days of climate change discussions, special focus is now being given in official discourses and policy planning on making cities liveable. Rapid speed of urbanisation is now a serious worry not only of urban planners and architects but also of environmentalists who are demanding that a city be sustainable and environment friendly.

At the time of writing this piece, India had just submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to the UNFCCC in the run-up to the Paris CoP-21. Many commitments in the Indian INDCs aim at bringing in green elements in India’s overall living pattern. India is swearing by its ‘traditional pattern’ of living while pitching itself against the carbon emitting rich western countries.

In other words, if India, under the global pressure, adopts environmentfriendly strategies in protecting forests, using sustainable transportation systems, promoting energy efficient building system designs, encouraging public transport, conserving water and protecting natural habitats or using renewable energy options, it would help curb the global warming challenge. Since an increasing number of Indians are going to make a city their permanent abode in the coming years, planners have seriously started talking about green cities. But creating a green city is not an easy task due to multiple challenges which are historical in nature as also reasons that are economic. A recent publication

by Pune-based NGO Mitra-Mission

for Transformation of Urban Area has underlined the need to decentralise urbanisation by creating 1000 green cities. The study emphasises on the need to go back to Indian traditional life style and to adopt green architecture while erecting new building structures.

In the mid-sixties and seventies, both Pune and Bangalore were considered garden cities with much smaller population and large tracts of greenery still intact there. But both have dramatically changed with the influx of IT professionals. The old planning choices were abandoned soon. The new population pressures changed the face of these two cities.

Chandigarh, in contrast, is called a green city. Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh is also dubbed as a green city due to its inherent natural gifts of hills and large water bodies, broad roads, much smaller population and planned green patches left open by the then planner, Late M N Buch.

Chandigarh, India’s first planned city was designed by the famous urban planner Le Corbusier as a green city. The basic units of planning were changed

by Le Corbusier, the Swiss born French architect, invited by Pandit Nehru. He introduced a different architecture design with more openness, and based the city on the neighbourhood concept of city within a city. Chandigarh boasts of a massive reserved forest situated on the south-west of the city which serves as an air purifier and Carbon Sink. The public buildings that he built were done with the principles of green architecture.

So, today why is the ‘Smart Cities’ project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi being implemented across India?

Because there is a need to make cities environmentally clean and green, adopting energy, construction and transport technologies which are sustainable. Only then would the smart cities be called green cities.

More than smart cities, India today really needs green cities with large water sources, tree cover and much less industrial and vehicular pollution.

Green cities should not remain a dream but should become a reality!

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Article | Waste Management

Ten Commandments of Urban Waste Management Municipal solid waste (MSW) or urban waste has been a severe nuisance for the past several years. People in many Indian cities have witnessed its ill effects on the ecology of their surroundings Dr Harshvardhan Modak Executive Committee Member National Solid Waste Association of India (NSWAI)

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espite the strict laws for solid waste management, in terms of the MSW Rules 2000 and monitoring by the Supreme Court, Environment Ministry, Central Pollution Control Board, and State Pollution Control Boards, the fate of urban solid waste management remains the same all over India. There is all round neglect when it comes to implementation. The main culprits are the limitations of the technologies so far adopted, lack of adequate land, and apathy of the decision makers in taking a focused approach towards a solution.

Limitations of present solution

If one dispassionately looks for the root cause of this problem, it boils down to the limitations of the methods adopted.

These are composting & land filling!

30 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

Composting: Complete composting requires at least 25 days. And in any case, only about 30 per cent of the total waste can really be composted.

The balance remains as it is. It keeps getting accumulated. Moreover, in winter, composting is slower. In the rainy season, it has to be stopped altogether. As a result, for daily incoming waste, more land has to be provided. Acquisition of land near any city or town in scores of acres is next to impossible. Secondly, selling compost (15 per cent of original compostable waste) is also difficult. If every city undertakes composting on a bigger scale and starts generating so much compost, its price will crash & the system will no longer be remunerative or even cost neutral. Hence, now Urban Development Departments put the onus of disposal (not sale) of compost on contractors.

Scientific Landfill: According to ‘Improving MSW Management in India: Source Book for Policy Makers & Practitioners’ published by the World Bank, there are prescribed specifications for scientific landfill. If a city generates 1500MT/day of urban waste, and if one has to provide for a 25 year solution, the waste quantity for Landfill solution will be (1500MT/day X 365 days X 25 years) = 13,687,500MT. Now, as per the norms, one sqr. meter land has to be earmarked for every tonne of waste for development of landfill. Thus the land area required will be 13687500 sqr. meter or 1369 hectare or 3382 acres. This is sans buffer zone area that is not considered here. Can that much land, near any city, ever be made available, acquired & that too easily? The answer is no. In view of the above limitations, it is essential to look for alternative solutions.

Ten Commandments: Attributes of Alternative Urban Waste Solution Looking into all factors previously discussed, the following attributes are necessary in any alternative solution.

1. It must be able to accept unsegregated, as received waste.

2. It must be able to tolerate not only presence, but also time-to-time variations in the quantity of nonreadily biodegradable waste (e.g. plastic, fabric, leather, paper,)

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

within the as received waste.

It should not necessarily demand for specific type of waste like hotel waste, vegetable waste, or kitchen waste.

It should be able to separate on its own the undesired inert material like glass, metal or sand.

It must be an all season model & must not face limitations during winter or in the rains.

It must operate 24 x 7 x 365 days to destroy urban waste.

It should not depend on huge

quantity of land near urban areas.

It should be self reliant in terms of sale of products or by-products & generate adequate revenue to financially sustain the BOOT operations for 30 years.

9. It should not depend on subsidies, concessions, soft loans, etc for its financial feasibility.

10. The technology should be such that it should not face limitations on account of import of spares or need for skilled personnel for operations & maintenance.

8.

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Article | Waste Management

or solid waste pollution.

Incineration World Over

Whichever technology qualifies based on these ten parameters shall pass the ultimate criteria for success & serve as the long-term hassle free solution for urban waste disposal.

Waste Disposal Model Using Incineration Technology

City waste disposal system, using modern, well designed Incineration technology, equipped with modern emission abatement equipment, fulfills all the Ten Commandments. Using Incineration, it is possible to destroy the waste received today within 24 hours, thus avoiding any accumulation of waste & its subsequent nuisance.

In one type of Incineration method, called Mass Burners, the incoming waste is directly fed into the system. The reduction in moisture happens by using the waste heat within the system, before the waste gets into the combustion

32 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

chamber. The removal of inert material in the waste (glass, metal, etc.) is done from the ash itself, after combustion happens. The emission control is done by a series of treatment to the flue gas to control NOx, SOx, HCl & SPM. The combustion parameters are so maintained as to control or altogether prevent formation of dioxins & furans.

On the other hand, in another type of Incineration, the incoming waste is dried in a primary dryer. The sand, soil, etc. in this dried waste is removed on a sieved conveyor & subjected to automatic segregation to remove ferrous & non-ferrous metals, glass, etc. to make it suitable for processing. Such final waste is again dried to desired moisture level in the secondary drier & crushed to smaller size suitable to be fed to the Incinerator. In this case too, the emission control is done by the series of equipment mentioned above.

Utmost care is taken to avoid air, water

Until development of modern emission control technology, Incineration was considered among the worst polluters of the environment & there were many agitations against it. However, in order to control the menace of accumulating solid waste, it became imperative to modernize the emission control system. As a result, today most of the countries well known for their beautiful unpolluted environment, boast of incineration technology for solid waste disposal, in preference to scientific landfill. Countries like Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Japan, the USA & England routinely use incineration technology for their solid waste disposal. The example of Sweden is indeed remarkable. It falls short of solid waste to feed its incinerators, so it imports solid waste from neighboring countries.

In the USA, going by 2010 figures, there were 86 incinerator sites, having 167 small & big incinerators working to produce energy.

In 2009, in Japan, there were 1243 small & big incinerators working. Many of these incinerators are situated in thickly populated areas within cities, without any pollution problem.

Europe, consisting of about 20 small & big countries has 449 incinerators working to produce energy.

Conclusion

The situation in cities, towns & villages in India is in stark contrast. Therefore, without getting unduly paranoid about imaginary pollution from incinerators, created by a misplaced faith in newspaper reports published by people who are ignorant of true situation in the world about incinerators, quicker steps need to be taken to adopt this technology for disposal of MSW in India. Sooner replication of this model will result into cleaner, greener & SMARTER cities in India. It will also add its own share of renewable energy by generating electricity from this so far neglected source of energymunicipal waste.

SDG And Cities | Column

Urbanisation: A Goal for the Global Community The United Nations has adopted 17 Sustainable Goals to bring equality and set development on the right trajectory. The 11th goal focuses on making cities ‘inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’

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Raj Liberhan Former Director, India Habitat Centre liberhan@gmail.com

he United Nations has formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with a set of global goals that the Secretary-General has hailed ‘as a universal, integrated and transformative vision for a better world’. Of the seventeen goals, the one listed at number eleven states, “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”. Truly, a stirring declaration. There are other goals as well in the SDG list for the nations to achieve, which have an incidental impact on the urban eco system. In fact the whole of the global community has voted in favour of sustainable development as the course of growth for all human endeavors.

There can be no argument on the sanctity of the stated goal. Indeed, the development community has argued for sustainable models of growth for a long time and in particular since the science of climate change warned the world at large, that rising carbon emissions and pollution caused by

energy consumption and use of chemicals and pesticides was damaging the ecology of the earth permanently and will result in significant rise in earth’s temperatures by 2050 or so. The global community has been conscious to devise measures to change development paradigms ever since. The larger and the tougher question is how are we going to achieve these goals and achieve them by 2030. The sceptics point out to the failures in reaching the Millennium Development Goals, set out fifteen years ago and the fact that agreements to cut carbon emissions are so hard to achieve, particularly amongst the developing nations. The optimists are hoping that, given the compulsions of survival, nations have to align their growth along sustainable models.

India’s story on urbanization so far does not make a great telling. Our cities are poorly planned, poorly resourced and poorly governed. None of the stated ideals- inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable-can be considered as present in the growth matrix of our cities. At the very least, we have the institutional framework waiting

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Column | SDG And Cities

Targets under Goal 11 ♦♦ By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums ♦♦ By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons ♦♦ By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries ♦♦ Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage ♦♦ By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations ♦♦ By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental

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♦♦

♦♦

♦♦

♦♦

impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, per-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels Support least developed countries, including through financial and technical assistance, in building sustainable and resilient buildings utilizing local materials

SDG And Cities | Column

for the leadership to take charge and guide the growth pattern in a manner that facilitates the achievement of the sustainable development goals. What is needed is a capacitated resource and the collective will to chart the path and stay with it truthfully. The size of the challenge is huge. As per a Times of India report, over 60 per cent of the houses in mid sized cities with less than one million population discharge waste water into open drains. Further, this report says ‘nearly one-fourth of the 416 such non-metropolitan cities have less than 20 per cent households that have waste water outlets connected to a closed drainage system’. This is the finding of the NIUA, a research organization under the Ministry of Urban Development.

So what do we tackle first, housing shortage, infrastructure deficit or the sanitation disorders?

India’s story on urbanization so far does not make a great telling. Our cities are poorly planned, poorly resourced and poorly governed.

None of the stated ideals- inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable-can be considered as present in the growth matrix of our cities. At the very least, we have the institutional framework waiting for the leadership to take charge and guide the growth pattern in a manner that facilitates the achievement of the sustainable development goals

Choices are hard and competitive.

Making one a priority does not provide the desired outcome unless the other needs are fulfilled. Taking steps to meet the housing demands would only accentuate the sanitation problems because of the lack of a drainage system.

Doing the drainage system will not be enough unless the effluent treatment systems are installed and function effectively. Really speaking, these have to be addressed in tandem. The next question then everybody would need to have an answer to is: where is the money coming from?

At one level, the state has neglected its responsibilities by not having planned adequately for the civic infrastructure. All the moneys that were earmarked or should have been earmarked on an annual basis should be estimated now and provided for. Our budgets are not at all scientific and need a careful appraisal to heartlessly cut out the expenditure on non-essentials.

Governments, national or state, do not bother to create assets with revenue streams. Projects are announced on political considerations, not on their viability.

We do not have to go far, just look at the waste of assets like the sports stadia for the Asian Games or the Commonwealth Games. We need to cut both, the administrative and financial waste and the waste from consumption.

Furthermore, we need to monetize the land resources innovatively. This is easier said than done. Even the public private model poses hurdles because of

the inability of the two partners to trust and administer the contract terms. But we need to learn to identify and work the available options. A theoretical prescription will not address all the questions.

In a famous episode, perhaps apocryphal or perhaps true, a consulting house made a presentation to the Prime Minister of India, listing out all the things that needed to be done for India’s development. At the end of the presentation, the Prime Minister is reported to have remarked, “We know all these things, the problem is how will these be done”. There we have it: the crux of our dilemma.

In a sense, the above episode is an expression of frustration with the available instruments of delivery and their inability to match up to the burgeoning needs that are being generated by a growing population. Is it the inadequacy of the bureaucracy or the lack of political purpose or is it that the country’s treasury is empty.

Perhaps, a little bit of all the three.

The global community has agreed to the sustainable goals and India too is a signatory. So we have to devise solutions from the human experiences all over the world to address our challenges. The developed world was not always what we see it today. They put in the laws, the compliances and the governance systems to achieve what they have today. We, have to travel the steep climb to get there, provided we really want to. Only sustained efforts will drive us to sustainable goals.

www.urbanupdate.in | November 2015

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smart cities Mission

AIILSG, USGBC organise workshop on Smart Cities, Green Buildings To augment the pace of smart city development and spread the concept of green buildings, All India Institute of Local Self-Government (AIILSG) in collaboration with United States Green Building Council (USGBC) organised two workshops on Smart City and Green Buildings in Raipur and Karnal Team Urban Update

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aipur/Karnal: All India Institute of Local SelfGovernment with United States Green Building Council are organising one-day workshops in selected cities to engage citizens in the discussion on the concept of smart city development and green buildings. Two workshops, one each in Raipur and Karnal, have already been organised. Such workshops will also be held in Faridabad, Bilaspur and Chandigarh in November.

AIILSG has also been conducting

an online survey through which viewpoints of the local citizens have been sought to know their expectations from a smart city. Around three lakh citizens from five cities (Chandigarh, Faridabad, Karnal, Raipur and Bilaspur) have participated in the survey. AIILSG is assisting these cities in preparation of their Smart City Plans for the next round of the Challenge.

In Raipur, the workshop on Smart City and Green Buildings was conducted on October 28. Brij Mohan Agarwal, Minister of Public Works Department,

Government of Chhattisgarh, was the Chief Guest. Many urban planners, municipal officers, representatives of citizens groups and politicians participated and put forward their concerns and suggested solutions to the urban problems of the city.

PWD Minister, Agarwal said that they need to develop smart city plan that takes into account the cultural heritage of the city. It should address the problems the city was facing in service delivery. He added that the development should be free from any political and

(L to R) Pramod Dubey, Mayor of Raipur Municipal Corporation, Shrichand Sundrani, MLA of Raipur (North), Ramesh Bais, Member of Praliament (Raipur) and Brij Mohan Agarwal, Minister of PWD, Water Resource, Agriculture, Government of Chhattisgarh lighting the ceremonial lamp at the Smart Cities and Green Buildings Workshop in Raipur.

36 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

The organisation is striving hard to attain healthy urban environment by adopting technology for strengthening infrastructure and facilitating inclusive development. Our objective is to build pollution free environment with breathing spaces. We are also promoting the concept of Reduce, Re-Cycle & Re-use and nonconventional energy Ravi Ranjan Guru Senior Executive Director, AIILSG

administrative hurdles and views of the citizens should be incorporated while formulating any scheme or project for the city.

Pramod Dubey, Mayor of Raipur, said that the corporation was ready to take up the projects to make the city smarter by providing better civic amenities to its citizens. He stressed on two aspects namely transportation and water supply for improvement.

Underlining the objectives and role of AIILSG, Ravi Ranjan Guru, Senior Executive Director, AIILSG, said that the organisation was striving hard to attain healthy urban environment by adopting technology for strengthening infrastructure and facilitating inclusive development. Our objective is to

build pollution free environment with breathing spaces. We are also promoting the concept of Reduce, Re-Cycle & Reuse and non-conventional energy.

Talking about the action plan for Raipur and Karnal, Pashim Tewari, Technical Director (AIILSG), said that Raipur had chosen certain focus areas which are representative of its historical and economic character. Our motto is to make Raipur a loveable and liveable city.

During the one-day consultation cum workshop in Karnal, a host of urban experts had gathered to discuss the urban development requirements.

Renu Bala Gupta, Mayor of Karnal was the Chief Guest. She underlined the importance of citizen consultation in preparing the development plan of the city. She said that improving the quality of civic amenities for all sections of society has to be part of smart city development. Dr. J Ganesan, Deputy Commissioner of Karnal Municipal Corporation, was also present.

B.B. Uppal, a renowned water expert, said that water supply in new and existing cities should be 24x7. For this, the corporations need to build adequate infrastructure that supports the water supply demand of their respective cities.

Ideally, a city should have resources to supply at least 300 litres per capita per day (lpcd). Uppal pointed out that most of the corporations were still using ageold water supply management systems and it needed overhauling if our cities are aiming to become smart.

Priyanka Kochchar, Advisor GRIHA Council, USGBC, said that green building concept is picking up world over and it was important for Indian cities to adopt the concept to reduce energy consumption. There is a need to understand the significance of reducing urban carbon foot print in which green buildings could play a major role. She added that there are a range of policy and regulatory approaches and national programs such as Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), mandates on green rating and National Mission on Sustainable Habitat.

She suggested setting minimum performance benchmarks for various resources such as optimisation of

We need to develop smart city plan that takes into account the cultural heritage of Raipur.

It should address the problems the city is facing in service delivery. The development should be free from any political and administrative hurdles and views of the citizens should be incorporated while formulating any scheme or project for the city Brij Mohan Agarwal Minister of Public Works Department Government of Chhattisgarh

energy and water consumption to have 40 to 80 per cent demand side savings.

She added that use of local material in construction will reduce embodied energy.

It is to be noted that both Raipur and Karnal have been selected by the Union Ministry of Urban Development among 100 cities in Phase-I of Smart City Mission. These 100 cities will participate in the next phase of the Challenge where in some 20 cities will be selected based on their Smart City Plans (SCPs) to receive funding from the Centre and handholding support.

AIILSG is working closely with Raipur and Karnal in consultation with various stakeholders and experts to assist in the preparation of their SCPs.

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article | Urban Transport

Challenges in Indian Urban Transport System Transport system is undoubtedly the lifeline of urban India since more than 60 per cent of the urban population needs to move every day for the purpose of work, education or healthcare Vishal Assistant Director (Capacity Building & Training) Association of Municipalities and Development Authorities

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he increase in population has increased the number of vehicles, resulting in congestion on roads; consequently, we experience higher travel times and severe air pollution in our cities. In this context, intra-urban mobility with good transport system plays a vital role as cities are the major contributors to economic growth. Movement in and between cities is crucial for improved quality of life, but it is found that even the larger cities of India are struggling to meet the mobility demands of their residents. The conflict between vehicular and pedestrian movement is fast-increasing.

Urban areas in India, which include a wide range of megacities, cities, and towns, are not very fortunate in terms of intra-city transportation. Indian

cities are facing an unprecedented crisis despite investments in road infrastructure and plans for transport development.

Transport demand in most of the Indian cities has increased substantially, due to increase in population as a result of both natural increase and migration from rural areas and smaller towns.

Longer commuting distances, increase in household income, and increase in commercial and industrial activities have further added to transport demand. In most cases, demand has outstripped road capacity.

The transport crisis also causes a number of accidental deaths. Statistics indicate that traffic accidents are a primary cause of accidental deaths in Indian cities. The reason behind these problems is the prevailing imbalance in modal split, inadequate transport

infrastructure, and its suboptimal use.

Public Transport

Public transport systems have not been able to keep pace with the rapid and substantial increase in demand over the past few decades. Bus services in particular have deteriorated, and their relative output has been further reduced as passengers have turned to personalized modes and intermediate public transport. Individual cities cannot afford to cater only to private cars and two-wheelers. There must be a general recognition that without public transport, cities would be even less viable. There is a need to encourage public transport instead of personal vehicles. This requires both, an increase in quantity as well as quality of public transport and effective use of demand and supply-side management measures. People should be encouraged to use non-motorized transport and investments may be made to make it safer.

Public transport service has to meet the needs of the commuters.

Metro Rail is the best initiative so far to resolve transportation problems in Indian cities. This includes accessible stations, minimum affordable time loss at interchanges and safer and reliable services. Since 500 m. is an ideal walking distance, population residing along the metro within walking distance has the highest accessibility to metro. The area within 500 m from the metro corridor is 31 per cent (198.5 sq.km. out of the 640 sq.km. of total urban area) of Delhi. Thus, after the implementation of the complete system, 69 per cent area of Delhi will remain beyond walking distance of metro. Expansion of metro influence zone beyond 31 per cent will have to rely on feeder system. This is not easy because of the inherent transfer costs and wait times at interchanges.

Urban travel in Indian cities predominantly happens through walking, cycling and public transport, including intermediate public transport (IPT). Despite high growth rates of motorised two wheelers and cars in the last two decades, car ownership remains

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article | Urban Transport

below 25 per cent of the households.

This also varies from city to city as there seems to be a relationship between city size and per capita income. Small and medium size cities have a lower income than the mega cities; therefore, the dependence on cycle rickshaws and bicycles is higher in smaller cities. In some medium-size cities (population of 1 million to 3 million), private buses have been introduced.

Public-sector-run state transport corporations have been responsible for running inter-city routes. Other than the four megacities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai), Bangalore and Pune are the exceptions in which municipal corporations have been running significant number of buses.

Other cities have skeletal bus services provided by the city municipality.

Intermediate public transport (IPT) modes like tempos, cars and cycle rickshaws assume importance as they are necessary to meet travel demands in medium size cities in India like Lucknow, Patna, and Kanpur.

Of India’s total urban residents, nearly 30 per cent live in urban slums. Travel patterns of people living in informal housing or slums are very different from residents in formal housing. Generally, cycling and walking account for 40 to 60 percent of the commuter trips for those in the informal sector. The formal sector is dependent on buses, cars and two wheelers. This implies that despite high risks and a hostile environment, low-cost modes exist because their users do not have any choice. They are the captive users of these modes. Public transport is the predominant mode of motorised travel in mega cities. Buses carry 20 to 45 per cent of the total number of passengers excluding those who walk. Introduction of Metro rail in different cities is helping us in resolving transportation problems to some extent. In Delhi, the reported ridership of Delhi Metro is increasing every year.

Despite investments in road infrastructure and plans for improved land use and transport development, all cities continue to face the problem of congestion, traffic accidents and

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air and noise pollution. All these problems are increasing sharply. Prior investments in road-widening schemes and grade-separated junctions which primarily benefit personal vehicle users (cars and two wheelers), have dominated government expenditure.

However, now funds have been earmarked for public transport, which primarily includes a metro system.

Cars are owned by less than 25 per cent of the households in Delhi. Therefore, an investment in car-friendly infrastructure is clearly not meant for a majority of the commuters.

Alternative transport model

In the name of promoting public transport, demand for rail-based systems (metro, LRT and monorail) has been pursued by several cities. This is despite the fact that the rail-based systems are capital intensive. The existing metro systems in cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi carry a very small percentage of city commuters. The Government in Delhi has decided to expand the metro system to make it the main transport system for Delhi/NCR citizens.

Similarly, the state governments of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have decided to invest more in metro projects. At present, metros cater to a small proportion of the total amount of journeys (less than 10 per cent) in most cities. There is a need to promote these projects with private sector participation. The Mumbai metro rail project is the first MRTS project being implemented as a public private partnership (PPP) project.

Different Indian cities are either implementing or looking at new public transport systems, be it a metro, high-capacity buses or a sky bus. The argument given for introducing new technologies is that they will serve the high-density demands expected on a few corridors in the city. In the last 10 years, comprehensive traffic and transport plans have been made for many cities in India.

Indian cities have high-density developments in the form of urban slums. Even a subsidised metro system

Good urban transport planning should be more than just engineering and should also encompass considerations such as land use planning, energy efficiency, emissions characteristics, traffic management, human behaviour, economics, finance, public policy, governance, health, safety, gender, disability, affordability, ITS, etc

is too expensive for slum dwellers.

Cities have grown as multi-nucleated centres with mixed land-use patterns.

Often formal and informal housing coexist, which in turn results in short journey lengths. This is one of the reasons why the demand for metro systems in Indian cities is low. Since car and personal two-wheelers provide a flexible door-to-door service, it is not easy to attract these users to a metro, even if they can afford the cost.

All rail-based systems depend on buses, three-wheelers and rickshaws as feeder modes to increase their catchment area. Only long-distance travellers (with journeys of at least 15 km) are likely to use a feeder mode.

Therefore, in order to realise the social benefits of metro systems, the city

Urban travel in Indian cities predominantly happens through walking, cycling and public transport, including intermediate public transport (IPT). Despite high growth rates of motorised two wheelers and cars in the last two decades, car ownership remains below 25 per cent of the households

structure has to change completely.

Under JNNURM, the government of India had identified 63 cities to provide assistance in upgrading its road infrastructure which also reflects on the very low investment in our cities after years. Implementation of BRTS is certainly not a success story in Delhi; however, plan to improve BRTS can make some difference for users, and take care of safety and convenience of the pedestrians and bicyclists.

With the concept of Smart City in India, smart transport also comes into existence to provide an efficient and safe transport to the majority.

Smart transport includes the use of interactive roadmaps, automatic vehicle location and tracking systems and road condition system, transit

node management, real-time travel response, parking management, etc.

This will allow for ridership analysis, accident reporting, vehicle emission monitoring, safety management and asset management.

Recent modelling techniques, including Geographical Information Systems, have revolutionized the way in which urban planning is carried out. Urban travel demand models must explicitly represent traveller behaviour, and be policy-sensitive and operationally reliable. Numerous examples demonstrate the calibration and use of the models in a variety of situations including uncongested and congested networks. Review problems are systematically provided, many a times, with solutions. The focus is on the major urban transport modes, such as private car and public transport, and other commonly used urban modes, including ‘paratransit’ (e.g., taxis).

Walking and biking are also included.

In view of the recent implementation measures and current investment priorities, we should expect an increase in the use of public transport. It is also necessary to take care of other transportation modes in the most efficient way. We should expect an increase in the use of private vehicles (both motorised two-wheelers and cars) by high and middle-income households in all Indian cities and use of bicycles and walking by low-income urban residents despite the hostile environment.

With the increase in the use of twowheelers and cars, congestion and environment pollution is increasing at an alarming rate. It is also necessary to take care of environment with development as a driving force in most of the cities. Concepts like Rahgiri need to be promoted in our cities as a step towards better city mobility.

The past has witnessed the failure of public-transport agenda in Indian cities. With the fascination for capital-intensive rail-based projects, investments in pedestrian, bicycle and road-based public transport infrastructure continue to be neglected.

Today, public transport users are

largely the people who are using these modes not out of choice, but because of financial constraints. With a rise in income, the ownership of private vehicles is increasing. People prefer to use private vehicles which can provide them door-to-door connectivity.

The failure of the public transport agenda also reflects the failure of our democratic process because the present mechanism of planning and decisionmaking does not allow inclusion of the demands of the majority of the city residents who are pedestrians, bicyclists and public transport users.

On the one hand, policy makers are concerned about the growing levels of congestion and pollution. While on the other, transport policies continue to encourage the use of private vehicles.

As India is urbanizing rapidly, urban mobility becomes a critical issue in cities. There is an urgent need of efficient and effective planning of urban transport to resolve the challenges of growing travel demands for having equitable, sustainable, and affordable transport systems.

City urban transport needs to be planned in a manner so we can have easy mobility solutions having multidimensional nature. It requires a comprehensive and holistic approach with combination of supply side and demand side measures. Good urban transport planning should be more than just engineering and should also encompass considerations such as land use planning, energy efficiency, emissions characteristics, traffic management, human behaviour, finance, public policy, governance, health, safety, gender, disability, affordability, ITS, etc. We have to fully understand the linkages among these different dimensions and introduce an Integrated Multimodal Transport System for smart mobility to fulfil the dream of smart cities in India.

A clean, green and efficient transport system is the only way to overcome traffic congestion and reduce the pollution. To have sustainability, innovation & IT in transport system with smart vehicle technology and alternative fuels is required.

www.urbanupdate.in | November 2015

41

Feature | Amaravati

New city in the offing Andhra Pradesh’s new capital Amaravati has been planned as a ‘smart, green, sustainable People’s Capital of Andhra Pradesh’ Team UrbanUpdate

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rime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Andhra Pradesh’s new capital Amaravati at Uddandarayunipalem village in Guntur district.

Speaking at the event, Modi said, “Amaravati is on the way to becoming a people’s capital, adding that both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will reach new heights if they work together.”

Congratulating the people and the Andhra Pradesh Government for their new capital, Prime Minister Modi said it was an important step for the state.

This is on the way to becoming a people’s capital, Modi added, “I congratulate the people and government of the state. The way N. Chandrababu Naidu took up work on this (new capital) and integrated whatever is best across the world, he must be congratulated.”

Pitched as a world-class riverfront capital city, Amaravati will be an energy-efficient and green city with

concentration on industrial hubs.

The core capital is divided into different zones: the gateway to the city; the downtown, which will be the core of commercial and business activities; the government core comprising the entire administrative establishment at one place; and the waterfront, a stretch of the core capital with the Krishna running through it.

It will be flanked by the government’s core on the one side and the waterfront and the entry point on the other.

The plan is developed on the principles of lifestyle, investments, public facilities, infrastructure/ connectivity, heritage/culture, jobs, nature and clean and green concept forming the basis of smart cities.

The mega city will be linked to seven regional centres encircling the towns and cities in Vijayawada and Guntur districts, where the government plans to develop specialised industrial hubs.

The capital region has been designed to cater for an 11.5-million population, with a provision for 3.3 million jobs

by 2035, while the core capital area, spread over 16.9 sq km, will meet the requirements of four million people, creating close to 1.8 million jobs by 2050. There are provisions to house the entire government machinery, including the secretariat, the legislature and the other facilities abutting the downtown.

The design suggests that the proposed green field capital will have an extensive internal road network, covering over 1,000 kms.

High priority has been given to walkways and pedestrian paths spanning 300 kms.

With Amaravati, a key constituent in the Buddhist circuit, abutting the area, a 250-km religious tourism circuit has been incorporated into the core capital region.

The planners appear to have considered the threat of flooding looming large over the capital region, bisected by the Krishna, going by a 30km stretch of public waterfront and the greenbelts alongside the river.

Timeline: A long road to Amaravati July 22, 2014

Oct 30, 2014

Dec 8, 2014

Dec 31, 2014

Jan 3, 2015

April 1, 2015

The State Government says new capital will be between Vijayawada and Guntur

Agriculture Minister P. Pulla Rao says the new capital will built upon 30,000 acres of land

Chief Minister unveils the land pooling policy and compensation package

The AP Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014 comes into force

Govt. releases gazette notification for the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS)

Cabinet approves Amaravati as the name of the new capital

42 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

Mobility and Accessibility

15 kms

30 kms

Bus rapid transit

Public Waterfront

250 kms

Religious tourist circuit

7 kms

Downtown road

300 kms

12 kms

Bicycle and walkways

Metro rail network

53 kms

1000 kms

Collector roads

Internal road network

feature The Core City. This phase of construction, for which the Centre has allocated Rs 1,500 crore, is expected to be completed by 2018-19. The key highlights of the Master Plan for the Seed Capital Area (SCA) are: ♦♦ Will be home to about 3 lakh residents. Being developed as a vibrant business hub, about 7 lakh jobs are expected to be created in various sectors, including in the government. ♦♦ There will be a thriving, state-of-the-art, Central Business District (CBD) for business and living. ♦♦ Provision of nodes and corridors as part of a transit-oriented development approach. To enhance citizens’ mobility and accessibility, there will be an integrated network of Metro railway (12 km), Bus Rapid Transit (15 km), downtown roads (7 km), arterial and sub-arterial roads (about 26 km) and collector roads (about 53 km). ♦♦ The various zones will be: the CBD, residential townships, institutions, parks and gardens, water bodies, recreational spaces, waterfront, etc. ♦♦ The city will be planned on sustainable development principles, with extensive open green spaces to add value to the urban ecosystem. The landscape would have a world-class aesthetic appeal. ♦♦ Special emphasis has been laid on pedestrianisation — with the development of 25 km of walkways linked to open green spaces to promote a walk-to-work environment and use of non-motorised transport. ♦♦ The SCA master plan provides for waste management systems using innovative methods of waste collection, transportation, treatment and resource recovery. ♦♦ The SCA will have more than 40% green areas and over 50% blue areas. ♦♦ The SCA development will be implemented on a Public Private Partnership model by selecting a Job Creation and Investment Partner.

May 26, 2015

June 7, 2015

July 21, 2015

Oct 11, 2015

Oct 22, 2015

Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry S. Iswaran hands over master plan

Chandrababu Naidu performs the Bhoomi Puja for Amaravati

The government of Singapore presents a master plan for the seed capital area (SCA)

NGT asks State Govt not to proceed with work until the project gets environmental clearance

Amaravati foundation stone laying ceremony at Uddandarayunipallem

www.urbanupdate.in | November 2015

43

Events

Bloomberg’s Ideas Camp

Empowering Mayors, ULBs for Smart City development

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he two day Ideas Camp on Smart Cities was organised in New Delhi to empower the State Governments, Mayors and Municipal Commissioners with enhanced understanding of the processes and challenges involved in preparation and subsequent implementation of citywise Smart City Plans. Organised by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the camp brought elected and executive heads of urban local bodies face to face with experts from India and abroad in areas of urban planning and execution besides helping them know of successful models of city development. During the camp, several issues were raised by the representatives of states and urban local bodies regarding implementation of Smart City Mission and the same were clarified by the concerned senior officials of the Ministry of Urban Development.

One of the issues raised by the States and Mayors was to give appropriate weightage for Pan-City Smart solutions while evaluating the Smart City Plans in the second stage of City Challenge Competition given the benefits that flow from them to larger sections of people in urban areas. After discussing this suggestion with Minister of Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu, the Ministry officials assured the participants that it will be given due consideration.

As per Mission Guidelines, a Smart City Plan shall have proposals either for Retrofitting, Redevelopment or Greenfield Projects or a combination of these besides at least one Pan-City Smart Solution to benefit citizens across a city. These solutions relate to e-governance, water and energy

44 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

management, Intelligent Transport Systems, Tele-medicine, etc.

Urban Development Ministry further clarified that under Pan-City Smart Solutions, investments will be only for using technology to enhance the efficient use of infrastructure and accordingly, fitting GPS and Intelligent Transport System equipment on buses is allowed while procurement of buses is not. Procurement of buses is permitted under AMRUT. Ministry officials also clarified that the central assistance of Rs.500 crore for each of the 100 Mission Cities is not project specific and the same can be used for any component of the Smart City Plan conforming to the Mission Guidelines.

Regarding a suggestion that the Ministry of Urban Development may come out with a Model Smart City Plan, the Ministry clarified that it does not intend to do so since Smart City Plans are city specific and past experience had shown that such model documents tend to be copied without any application of mind.

In his inaugural address, Madhusudhan Prasad, Secretary(Urban Development) made it clear that

selection of smart city aspirants in the second stage of City Challenge Competition will be based only on merit and the Ministry was not obliged to pick up 20 cities for financing during this current financial year. He said only those cities whose Smart City Plans come up to the expectations will be picked up and there will be no statewise caps for selection of cities in the second round of the competition.

Urban local bodies were urged to prepare smart city vision statements based on detailed analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). The participants were divided into different groups and such vision statements were prepared for about 25 cities to acquaint them with the exercise.

Experts from the country and abroad stressed on the need for building trust of people around the Smart City proposals through their involvement in prioritisation of projects besides acting on small projects before moving on to big ones. In a nutshell, the message to mayors and urban local bodies was to develop cities which are pro-people and pro-environment in a transparent and cost effective manner.

Smart City Startups Conclave

Microsoft Brings Together Start-Ups to Offer Solutions for Smart Cities in Telangana Team UrbanUpdate

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yderabad, India – 6th October 2015: A host of startups, Telangana government officials and Microsoft experts took part in a Smart City Startups Conclave to map smart solutions for cities in Telangana. In a first-ever effort of its kind, Microsoft facilitated the workshop in the presence of K. Taraka Rama Rao, Minister for Information Technology and Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Secretary for Information Technology, Government of Telangana. The discussion focused on solutions and apps in the areas of transport, healthcare, public safety, water and energy by startups from the Microsoft Ventures’ Portfolio which included Mybustickets.in, Celstream,

iBot and FlamencoTech.

On this occasion, K. Taraka Rama Rao, also launched “Accelerate India – Technology for Growth”, a concept note with solutions available for smart cities from a total of 21 startups. Addressing the conclave, the Minister said, “We are committed to the welfare of our citizens by expanding the opportunities for e-governance, citizen services and economic growth in Telangana.

Developing smart cities is important to drive the state’s growth. With this focus, we are pleased to partner with Microsoft India to leverage its technology offerings and expertise to help transform Telangana into a sustainable and competitive state that cares for its citizens.”

According to Jayesh Ranjan, “We believe it is becoming increasingly important to leverage technology as an enabler of constant modernization. We are excited to partner with Microsoft to look at ways of transforming Telangana into a smart and competitive state that cares for its citizens. Over the course of the next few months, we look forward to working with Microsoft and various startup partners, on solutions across areas that will help us keep the citizen at the center of our development and fulfil our smart city vision.”

Speaking on this occasion, Neeraj Gill, General Manager – Public Sector, Microsoft India, said, “This platform offers a fresh perspective from entrepreneurs to enable sustainable development and scaling of smart cities with simple, easy to implement and lowcost solutions within the framework of our CityNext program. Through Microsoft Ventures, CityNext now offers an opportunity to harness the enormous potential of entrepreneurs and develop citizen centric solutions using Microsoft technology.

Furthermore, with our local data centres which are now live, the Government and solution providers can use the massive computing power now available locally to accelerate e-governance, drive inclusive growth, innovation and digital transformation.

We eagerly look forward to supporting the Government in its digitization efforts as well as a budding startup culture in the state.”

www.urbanupdate.in | November 2015

45

URBAN AGENDA | Green Cities

Let’s be green Ashok Wankhade Managing Editor bhau@urbanupdate.in

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oday the entire world is grappling with the issue of climate change which has resulted in extreme heat and droughts or excessive rainfall. India is no exception to this. It is high time that we, as citizens address this problem at the micro level rather than waiting for governments to take action. This is our social responsibility to enable a healthy environment around us.

Already, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities and the trend is growing. When urban population grows, the effect of the climate change worsens. In India, though we are yet to reach such levels of urbanisation, our cities pollute more than our villages.

Thus we need to have greener cities to promise our coming generation a better and more livable climate. A green city means less pollution, more trees. The more green you are, higher will be the efficiency.

A green environment contributes to improving quality of life. The green places like parks and public gardens boost social interaction and exercise which helps in maintaining social harmony and good health. The trees

46 November 2015 | www.urbanupdate.in

will prevent atmospheric damage on global and local level. It can provide the cooling effect in case of heat wave and it also acts as the lungs for the cities.

The corporates which have embraced the green concept offer pleasant working environment in their factories and offices, which helps in increasing the efficiency of employees resulting into higher productivity. What we need to do are simple things. Conserve water to make sure we can have better green cover, maintain the green around us, plant more trees, use green energy and so on. Also, emit fewer gases which pollute the atmosphere and thereby become environment friendly.

Avoid using products which cannot be recycled or disposed of safely.

If every individual works hard on these concepts we will make our cities green. Green city is not something that the government has to announce, it should be every citizen’s goal to make our cities green. Green is the color most commonly associated with nature, youth, spring, hope and fertility. Green is a traditional color of safety and permission. Lets us adhere to this, let us be green.

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Urban

Dialogues Dialogues Next Smart cities Chandigarh

Partners

Organising Team

Ranjit S Chavan President AIILSG

Ramanath Jha Director General AIILSG

Raj Liberhan Former Director IHC

M Ramachandran Former Secretary-UD GoI

Sudhir Krishna Former Secretary-UD GoI

For speakers and sponsorship requirements, please contact: Lojy Thomas: + 91 98688 73850, lojy.thomas@yahoo.com Ravi Guru: + 91 98180 98411, raavi.guru@gmail.com

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