Insta
NITI Aayog Recommends Ramping Up Of Urban Planning Capacity In India
India Infrahub
Sep 17, 2021, 10:51 AM | Updated 10:51 AM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
NITI Aayog on Thursday (16 September) launched a report on measures to ramp up urban planning capacity in India.
The report, titled 'Reforms in Urban Planning Capacity in India', was released by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, CEO Amitabh Kant and Special Secretary Dr K Rajeswara Rao.
NITI Aayog has developed the report in consultation with concerned ministries and eminent experts in urban and regional planning. It presents a condensed outcome of the extensive deliberations and consultations conducted for nine months.
"Issues like lack of availability of serviced land, traffic congestion, pressure on basic infrastructure, extreme air pollution, urban flooding, water scarcity and droughts are not merely a reflection of infrastructural shortcomings in the cities. These issues indicate a deep and substantial lack of adequate urban planning and governance frameworks," the report states.
"Urban planning is the foundation for integrated development of cities, citizens, and the environment. Unfortunately, it has not received due attention so far. The existing urban planning and governance framework is complex, which often leads to ambiguity and lack of accountability," it added.
The report makes several recommendations that can unblock bottlenecks in India's value chain of urban planning capacity.
The report recommends a Central Sector Scheme, ‘500 Healthy Cities Programme', for five years, wherein priority cities and towns would be selected jointly by the states and local bodies to strengthen development control regulations based on scientific evidence to maximize the efficiency of urban land.
Besides ramping up human resources to combat the shortage of urban planners in the public sector, the report recommends more citizens and the private sector involvement in the planning process.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.