Mathur Ritika Passi

Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata
and Mumbai. Its experience in Delhi
(operational since 2002) has been fairly
successful, and benefits are seen in terms
of enhanced mobility, safety and reduced
travel time and carbon emissions. Secondly,
in some cities such as Ahmedabad and
Pune, Bus-Rapid-Transit (BRT) systems
have been created, which involve reserving
lanes on major road corridors for easy
movement of public transport buses.
The initiative is considered necessary for
the common people who are completely
dependent on public transport services.
Target 11.3
The most significant and recent step in
the direction of this target is the launch
of the Smart Cities and Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
(AMRUT) Missions by the Urban
Development Ministry in 2015. The two
missions are in preparatory stage, and
their main objectives are to provide core
infrastructure and services, a clean, safe and
sustainable environment to city residents
by applying smart, sustainable solutions,
and technology. The Smart Cities Mission
aims to cover 100 cities over a five-year
period from 2015-16 to 2019-20, while
AMRUT will be implemented in 500 cities.
According to the guidelines, the entire
process from preparation of city proposals/
action plans to their implementation will
be inclusive, participatory and transparent,
and the government agencies will involve
various stakeholders (citizens, educational
and research institutions, private agencies,
consulting firms, bilateral and multilateral
institutions). Capacity building of
functionaries is an important scheme
component. Furthermore, it is proposed
that the two missions will converge with
other development schemes applicable in
cities.
Target 11.4
Indian cities are rich in heritage, but
globalisation as well as increasing
population densities pose serious threats.
For example, many local traditions and
social practices are vanishing, buildings
and monuments are being encroached
and damaged, and surface water bodies
(rivers, lakes), that have an immense
social and cultural significance, are getting
polluted. According to a Bangalore-based
organisation, the city has lost hundreds of
heritage structures (including a guest house,
fort gates and cenotaph) because spaces
were needed to establish malls, shopping
complexes and other buildings. 8 To preserve
architectural heritage, the National Heritage
City Development and Augmentation
Yojana/Scheme (HRIDAY) has been
launched by the Urban Development
Ministry in 2015 for revitalising 12 heritage
cities. As against previous isolated efforts,
a holistic and integrated approach will be
followed by bringing together aspects of
city planning, development and heritage
conservation. It is expected that by 2017,
not only will the city’s unique character and
soul would be revived, but there will be an
overall improvement in the quality of life.
Target 11.5
Indian cities are vulnerable to various
forms of disasters, including earthquakes,
flooding, cyclones, tsunamis, landslides and
avalanches. The most significant among
these forms is floods, which occur during
the rainy season (monsoon) and severely
disrupt human life and city economy. The
monsoon occurs from July to September
every year and intense rains are received
in most parts of the country. In the city
of Mumbai, for example, most activities
come to a standstill for several hours, and
indeed days, during the rainy season. A
combination of factors are responsible
for this state of affairs, including poor
drainage and waste management systems,
overflowing water bodies, and unauthorised
constructions that block the natural flow
of water. The worst impact is felt by
deprived communities living in low-lying
unplanned areas. Excessive rainfall over
the Kashmir region in September 2014,
which led to heavy flooding and landslides,
is another case in point. Its impact was
severely felt in rural and urban areas. In
the city of Srinagar, for instance, over 80
structures (homes, offices, school buildings)
were damaged and road connectivity was
badly affected. According to news reports, 9
more than 200 people were killed and at
least 50,000 persons were displaced. It is
expected that the urban development and
water management solutions proposed
under the government’s flagship missions
(Smart Cities and AMRUT), together with
the ongoing efforts of the National Disaster
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