Population explosion coupled with clogged cities are witnessing a lopsided development. Nimisha Lakhia paints a picture of an India witnessing continuous migration to cities where some have become giant economic hubs with attendant issues/pitfalls like rising construction activity, pollution and paucity of land among many others. Result: Every aspect of swelling urban habitation is causing untold burden.
The population in Indian cities is increasing with each passing day. As per some estimates, by 2030, more than 40 per cent of the country’s population will be living in urban areas. Migration from rural areas and from smaller towns and cities to big cities and metros is happening at a very fast pace. This makes the cities more crowded and puts a pressure on the available resources.
More people also mean more vehicles and more construction activity and that is a major cause of pollution in India’s urban centres. Cities are where most of the development takes place and over time urban centres have become major economic hubs. With more people coming into the cities, there is a lot of pressure on land resources and infrastructure. Space is limited and more people must be accommodated every day.
Urban India
Presently, the urbanisation level in India stands at 31 per cent and more than 75 per cent of the urban population is concentrated in ten states including Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Kerala.
The highest number of people living in urban area in any state is in Maharashtra with more than 50 million people that amounts to 13 per cent of India’s urban population. Among the north-eastern states, Mizoram has the highest level of urbanisation with more than 51 per cent of the population living in urban pockets.
After Maharashtra comes Uttar Pradesh with 44 million urban population, then Tamil Nadu with 35 million people in urban areas. Goa, with more than 62 per cent urban population, is the most urbanised state.
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Assam have lower level of urbanisation as compared to the national average. Among the Union Territories, NCT of Delhi and the UT of Chandigarh are most urbanised with 97 per cent urban population each.
There are many initiatives taken by the government and schemes released to increase urbanisation. These include SMART Cities, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana (Urban), Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, HRIDAY, etc.
The burden
While living in a city has several benefits such as availability of basic amenities, easy access to facilities, better avenues for education, jobs and business. On the other hand, the increasing number of people in India’s cities is a cause of concern as well.
Apart from the paucity of space that leads to overcrowding in slums and insufficient housing options, there’s a lot of pressure on public utilities that results in unplanned development. India has a huge population living in urban slums – more than 13 million households in slums are home to about 65 million people.
Increasing pressure on utilities and resources in cities are causing health problems, damaging the environment, causing pollution, disharmony and more.
Inadequate housing and lack of housing are big problems in cities. This also leads to improper sanitation and open defecation that pollutes the environment, water bodies, land, etc. To build more houses for the ever-increasing population in cities, trees that were growing for decades are cut down.
To create more land, floodplains of rivers are used for construction that not only obstructs natural flow of the river but endangers human lives. In coastal cities, there is a lot of reclamation done to create more land and that again changes natural dynamics of the ecosystem there.
The menace of pollution
Living in the city has its own set of problems, the biggest one being pollution – air, water and land. Air pollution in India is a cause for concern. The air quality in most cities in India is worrisome and a cause for myriad health problems especially among the children and the elderly.
As per some estimates, in India, 51 per cent of pollution is caused by industries, 27 per cent by vehicles, 17 per cent by crop burning and five per cent by other sources.
Vehicular pollution poses a serious health risk in cities. Emissions from vehicles contribute 20 – 30 per cent of the Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 at the breathing level of air quality. About eight per cent of the total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in India are from the transport sector.
Particulate Matter exposure causes respiratory and cardiovascular conditions such as COPD, asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer and heart attack. A study revealed that in India, outdoor air pollution was the fifth-largest killer.
Apart from air, water pollution is also a big problem in cities. Disposal of untreated water into freshwater bodies is a menace. The Central Pollution Control Board states that more than 50 per cent of 351 river stretches are polluted. Untreated water and improper sanitation pollute water bodies. This not only risks human health but damages aquatic life as well.
More than 72,300 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage is generated in urban areas in India and 39,604 MLD in rural India in the year 2020-21. Compare this with the population – 65 per cent of people live in rural India and 35 per cent in the cities. Only 28 per cent of the sewage generated in cities is treated while the rest goes directly in water bodies.
Waste management
The overburdening of cities with people and infrastructure pollutes the land as well. Waste management is a big challenge in urban India, specifically solid waste management.
Waste, when not treated and/or disposed properly can release harmful gases into the atmosphere, pollute groundwater and other water bodies, infect humans and animals, etc.
The annual report (2020-21) on Implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) states that India generates more than 1.6 lakh tonnes of solid waste in a day.
The waste collection mechanism is efficient in most cities but treatment and disposal are not. Owing to shortage of dumping grounds in cities, waste is not disposed of properly and becomes an environmental hazard, risking human lives as well.
Addressing problems
On 2 October 2014, to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put the focus on sanitation, PM Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission – under this all villages, Gram Panchayats, Districts, States and Union Territories in India declared themselves open-defecation free (ODF) by 2 October 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, by constructing over 100 million toilets in rural India. Under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0, emphasis was laid on transforming garbage dumps in urban centres and protect the environment.
To contain vehicular emissions and resulting air pollution is a very challenging task. Efforts are being made across cities at governmental, community and individual levels to promote clean sources of energy, encourage walking, public transportation and other modes that reduce pollution. In Mumbai, for example, cycling tracks are being laid out and more efficient public transportation by way of local trains, buses, etc., are being promoted. Urban planners are focusing on sustainable buildings and greener streets.
As for keeping the water bodies clean, there’s a need to reduce the burden on land, provide proper housing to people with sanitation facilities and make efforts to stop open defecation. Cities also need to upscale and upgrade treatment facilities to keep up with the demand.
Hyderabad in Telangana is aiming to become the first city in India to have 100 per cent sewerage facilities, for which the government is constructing 31 new STPs (sewage treatment plants). Climate change is putting and will continue to put pressure on infrastructure and resources in cities. So, building sustainable and climate-resilient cities is the need of the hour.
Nimisha Lakhia is a trainee with DraftCraft Media Network – an initiative of DraftCraft International – a platform for media students, experts, and professionals to quash populist trends and help create unbiased and independent news.