Lok Sabha Question No. 1647 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-29
Subject: Urban Planning Strategies
Ministry: HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
Asked by: Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS LOK SABHA

To

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1647 BE ANSWERED ON JULY 29, 2021

## URBAN PLANNING STRATEGIES

Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that though economic growth is intricately linked with urbanisation, this has not kept pace with the rate of economic growth in India, and the rise in urban population (40 per cent of India's total population is expected to live in urban areas by 2030) has vastly outpaced the capacity of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and if SO, the details thereof;
- b) whether the Ease of that the development of cities has been uneven and they also indicate that the concept of livability is yet to be integrated with urban
- Living Index, 2020 shows planning strategies; and
- if so, the details thereof and the steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS (SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE)

(a): A large body of research contains ample evidence of a positive correlation between economic growth and urbanization. Even though the causal relationship between them is complex, the ability of cities to foster higher productivity, jobs and upward social mobility is well documented: United Nations (UN) Report titled` State of the World Population 2007'estimated that over 40% of India's population will live in urban areas by 2030.

According to Term  Appraisal report for the Eleventh Year Plan 2007-2012" by the erstwhile Planning Commission, urban India contributes nearly of India's Gross Domestic ProductUrbanization, along with its opportunities, also brings many challenges such as irregular settlements, inadequate infrastructure and deficiencies in service deliveryIn 2011, a High-Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) for estimating the investment  requirements for Urban Infrastructure Services constituted by the Government had projected the investment requirement for all urban infrastructure sectors, renewal and redevelopment  including slums, and capacity building for the 20-year period from 2012-13 Iakh crore.

To supplement the efforts of State Governments in meeting urban challenges, the Central Government has implemented various scheme and non-scheme interventions through its Ministries   including the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs-

The National Infrastructure Pipeline announced by the Government has planned urban investments of approx: % 14.25 Iakh crore capital outlay for the urban sector for the period 2020-2025.

(b) & (c): The results of the Ease of Living-2020 (EoL) assessment indicate that cities that have scored higher ranks are primarily present in the western and southern parts of the country, with a few in the North, whereas the Eastern and Northern parts of the country have a majority of the   low-scoring cities. The western region shows the highest aggregate of Ease of Living scores at 56.75, followed by South (54.38), North (52.59), Central (52.72), East (50.75), and finally NorthEast (50.10) regions:

The cities with population of more than 10 Iakh have scored higher as compared to other cities in the indexCities in the Southern and Western states have taken the lead among metropolitans as well:

In an effort to integrate the concept of livability with urban planning strategies, the Ministry is actively engaging with the States and Cities

and is supplementing their efforts to help improve living conditions across cities, including the low-ranked onesThe three-level strategy followed by the Government of India is as highlighted below:

- At the first level, the challenges of poverty alleviation, affordable housing and cleanliness are being addressed by Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U) and Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) in all the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs):
- At the second level, basic infrastructure like water supply and seweragelseptage projects and green parks are in focus. These sectors require economies of scale and projects are being implemented in 500 cities, with 1,00,000 and above population through Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT):
- At being developed under Smart
- are Cities Mission (SCM) to address the issue of ease of living by evolving new paradigms of urban governance with communities at the core and an increased use of digital   technology to improve urban infrastructure, services and optimum utilisation of resources-

Based on Ease of Living Index 2020, the Ministry has released a portal at httpsilleol smartcities\_gov inl where each city can easily identify areas that they need to work upon: Further, the findings of the results have been communicated to the cities, city fact sheets made available to them, and dissemination workshops have been conducted to enable cities make best use of this report: In addition, a Guideline Document titled #Making a City Smart: learnings from the Smart Cities Mission" has been made available to all States & Cities to support their endeavours for smart development in their cities by replicating the learnings in identified Smart Cities:

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