Bengaluru should hug reforms like it does with technology
ET CONTRIBUTORS|
Updated: Oct 09, 2017, 10.38 AM IST
By A Ravindra
The unprecedented rains in the past few days in Bengaluru and the heavy damage caused to life and property have exposed the fragile infrastructure of the city -the poor quality of roads, inadequate drainage system and lack of a robust response mechanism. The root cause for many of the ills plaguing Indian cities is the outdated urban planning and governance systems we have adopted and the reluctance to change.
In the first place, there is confusion about who should plan for the city and what the planning model should be. The Constitution provides for a metropolitan planning committee vested with the responsibility of preparing a metropolitan development plan while the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act mandates the city planning authority to prepare a master plan. This apart, the municipal corporation has been tasked with preparation of separate plans under government schemes like a city development plan under the JNNURM and a smart city plan under the Smart cities Mission.Other city agencies such as water boards, power and transport utilities prepare their own sectoral plans. The result is the urban planning process is fragmented and lacks an integrated approach that can link the vari ous city functions.
What is required is a paradigm shift in the approach to city planning and management. We must recognise that cities are central to the economic future of the country. They contribute over 60% to our GDP and will account for 70% by 2030; the urban population will grow from the current 425 million to nearly 600 million and Bengaluru will have 15 million inhabitants.Providing the necessary infrastructure and services to meet the increasing needs of the people, industry and business is a huge challenge. We don't seem to hesitate in embracing disruptive technologies but we are extremely wary of any changes in the way we are managing our cities. It is time we disrupt the colonial systems of city planning and governance.
First, we need to radically alter the municipal laws to be in tune with the new vision we have for our cities. The ambitious goals of Swach Bharat, Smart Cities, Digital India and Make in India cannot be accomplished unless we create an environment where cities can function efficiently , generating wealth and jobs. As per a research report benchmarking the Future Competitiveness of Cities: Hotspots 2025(Economist Intelligence Unit), no Indian city figures in the first fifty . Mumbai ranks 51, Delhi 56 and Bengaluru 94.
Second, there is a need to impart clarity to the planning process. Planning is both a technical and political process. The plan must be prepared by professionals according to the vision set by the political leadership and must include the spatial, environmental and development dimensions. The master plan which sets out the land use and spatial features must become part of the metropolitan development plan and approved by the metropolitan planning committee comprising democratically elected representatives and experts.
Finally , the implementation of the plan must be left to the authorities concerned -be it the municipal corporation,ward committees or other specialised agencies with well-defined decentralisation of powers. A mechanism must be put in place to ensure accountability at different levels. Urban laws, policies and plans must be designed to facilitate infrastructure development and effective service delivery .
(The author is Chairman, Smart Cities India Foundation, and former Chief Secretary, Karnataka)
The unprecedented rains in the past few days in Bengaluru and the heavy damage caused to life and property have exposed the fragile infrastructure of the city -the poor quality of roads, inadequate drainage system and lack of a robust response mechanism. The root cause for many of the ills plaguing Indian cities is the outdated urban planning and governance systems we have adopted and the reluctance to change.
In the first place, there is confusion about who should plan for the city and what the planning model should be. The Constitution provides for a metropolitan planning committee vested with the responsibility of preparing a metropolitan development plan while the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act mandates the city planning authority to prepare a master plan. This apart, the municipal corporation has been tasked with preparation of separate plans under government schemes like a city development plan under the JNNURM and a smart city plan under the Smart cities Mission.Other city agencies such as water boards, power and transport utilities prepare their own sectoral plans. The result is the urban planning process is fragmented and lacks an integrated approach that can link the vari ous city functions.
What is required is a paradigm shift in the approach to city planning and management. We must recognise that cities are central to the economic future of the country. They contribute over 60% to our GDP and will account for 70% by 2030; the urban population will grow from the current 425 million to nearly 600 million and Bengaluru will have 15 million inhabitants.Providing the necessary infrastructure and services to meet the increasing needs of the people, industry and business is a huge challenge. We don't seem to hesitate in embracing disruptive technologies but we are extremely wary of any changes in the way we are managing our cities. It is time we disrupt the colonial systems of city planning and governance.
First, we need to radically alter the municipal laws to be in tune with the new vision we have for our cities. The ambitious goals of Swach Bharat, Smart Cities, Digital India and Make in India cannot be accomplished unless we create an environment where cities can function efficiently , generating wealth and jobs. As per a research report benchmarking the Future Competitiveness of Cities: Hotspots 2025(Economist Intelligence Unit), no Indian city figures in the first fifty . Mumbai ranks 51, Delhi 56 and Bengaluru 94.
Second, there is a need to impart clarity to the planning process. Planning is both a technical and political process. The plan must be prepared by professionals according to the vision set by the political leadership and must include the spatial, environmental and development dimensions. The master plan which sets out the land use and spatial features must become part of the metropolitan development plan and approved by the metropolitan planning committee comprising democratically elected representatives and experts.
Finally , the implementation of the plan must be left to the authorities concerned -be it the municipal corporation,ward committees or other specialised agencies with well-defined decentralisation of powers. A mechanism must be put in place to ensure accountability at different levels. Urban laws, policies and plans must be designed to facilitate infrastructure development and effective service delivery .
(The author is Chairman, Smart Cities India Foundation, and former Chief Secretary, Karnataka)
