The Hindu Business Line : `Development framework must be in line with urban realities'

TO build a house in Singapore, Paris or Istanbul it takes two months only. But any guesses, how long it takes to construct your own sweet home in Indian cities?

The answer is a long 24 months. That's the average time it could take to get all the permits and approvals needed to build one's home in cities in India, according to Dr Arcot Ramachandran, former Under Secretary-General, UN Habitat.

Drawing this parallel, Dr Ramachandran, an expert in urban development issues, said urban growth now is taking place outside the regulatory system.

The planner's role has become one of documenting unplanned growth and trying to bring coordination and services to newly developed areas.

The "Master Plan' process for urban development has gone awry, as the accelerated growth has surpassed Government's abilities to provide services and guide expansion.

From just one city with over a million population in 1901, India has, according to the 2001 Census, 35 cities with the population.

What is required, therefore, is a thorough review of the planning, regulatory, review and approval framework to bring them in line with the current urban realities, Dr Ramachandran suggested in his keynote address at the regional seminar on urban environment protection of South and Central Asian cities, here.

One way is to establish "One stop shop or windows", where individuals and enterprises could receive information and submit all documents for a given project.

Secondly, the environmental and development issues are also addressed simultaneously, he added.

Given the fact, that cities especially in the South and Central Asia have the potential to become global hubs of manufacturing, trade, finance, culture and incubators of innovation and ideas, the urgency to address these issues is great, Dr Ramachandran said. This calls for a new kind of public-private partnership for urban development. With shrinking public finance and investment budgets, financial participation of the private sectors has become critical.

In addition, the delivery of services such as waste disposal, maintenance of parks, greening of the townscape and cleaning programmes needs such partnership.

Not, of least concern are the environmental protection policies, which need to be strengthened.

These include air and water pollution, depletion of natural resources and deterioration of the quality of urban life.

While urbanisation is irreversible, ecological deterioration and environmental degradation are not, Dr Ramachandran said.

Earlier, the Director, Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI), which is hosting the seminar, Dr S. Nagabhushana Rao, in his welcome address said the issue of urban development and environmental challenges needs high priority.