Urban planning will determine the fate of our cities in Amritkal, says PM Modi in post-Budget webinar

On March 1, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a Post Budget Webinar on ‘Urban Development with focus on planning’. It is the sixth of a series of 12 post-budget webinars organised by the Government to seek ideas and suggestions for effectively implementing the initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2023.

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi lamented that only one or two planned cities were developed in the country after independence. He remarked that India’s position in the world would have been completely different if 75 planned cities had been developed in the 75 years of its independence.

PM Modi reiterated that well-planned cities are going to be the need of the hour in the fast-paced environment of India in the 21st century. Underlining that the development of new cities and the modernisation of services in the existing cities are the two main aspects of urban development, he also highlighted the significance of urban development in every country’s budget.

PM Modi informed that an incentive of Rs 15,000 crores has been declared in this year’s budget for urban development standards and expressed confidence that it will provide impetus to planned urbanisation.

PM Modi reiterated the significant role of planning and governance in urban development. He pointed out that poor planning of cities or lack of proper implementation after planning can create huge challenges in the development journey of India. He stressed the need to work in a much focused way in areas of spatial planning, transport planning, and urban infrastructure.

He urged the participants of the webinar to focus on three main questions about how to strengthen the urban planning ecosystem in the states, how to properly use the expertise available in the private sector in urban planning and lastly, how to develop a centre of excellence that will take urban planning to a new level.

PM Modi mentioned that all State Governments and urban local bodies could make their contributions towards a developed nation only when they prepare planned urban areas. “Urban planning will determine the fate of our cities in Amritkal and it is only well-planned cities that will determine the fate of India”, he remarked. He further added that better planning would make our cities climate-resilient and water secure.

PM Modi also requested the experts to come up with innovative ideas and highlighted the role that they can play in areas such as GIS-based master planning, the development of different types of planning tools, efficient human resources, and capacity building. He mentioned that their expertise would be much needed by urban local bodies, thereby creating many opportunities.

He underlined that transport planning is an essential pillar of cities’ development, and our cities’ mobility should be uninterrupted.

Highlighting the metro connectivity in the country before 2014, PM Modi pointed out that the present Government has worked on metro rail in many cities and overtaken several countries in terms of metro network connectivity. He emphasised the need to strengthen the metro network and provide first and last-mile connectivity.

He also mentioned that the widening of roads in cities, green mobility, elevated roads, and junction improvement must be included in transport planning.

“India is making the circular economy a major basis of urban development”, PM Modi remarked as he noted that thousands of tonnes of municipal waste, such as battery, electrical, automobile, and tires and waste used for making compost, are generated in our country every day. He said 75 per cent of waste is being processed today compared to only 14-15 per cent in 2014. He noted that the edges of India’s cities would not have been filled with mountains of garbage if this step had been taken earlier.

PM Modi underlined that work is underway to free the cities from heaps of garbage by waste processing and noted that it would open a room full of opportunities for recycling and circularity for many industries. He also urged everyone to support the startups that are doing a great job in this field. He stressed that industries should maximise the potential of waste management and informed that AMRUT 2.0 was launched for clean drinking water in cities after the success of the AMRUT scheme.

He also emphasised planning ahead of the traditional model of water and sewage and informed that used water is being treated and sent for industrial use in some cities.

“Our new cities must be garbage-free, water secure, and climate-resilient”, the PM remarked as he highlighted the need to increase investment in urban infrastructure and planning in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

The PM underlined that our future cities should be defined on parameters such as architecture, zero discharge model, net positivity of energy, efficiency in land use, transit corridors and use of AI in public services. He also noted the need for playgrounds and paths for bicycle rides for children as part of urban planning.

“The plans and policies that the Government is making should not only make life easier for the people of the cities but also help in their own development”, PM Modi said.

He informed about the Government’s commitment to spend about Rs 80,000 crores for the PM-Awas Yojana in this year’s budget and said that industries like cement, steel, paint, and furniture get a boost whenever a house is built.

Throwing light on the increasing role of futuristic technology in urban development, he urged the start-ups and the industry to think in this direction and act quickly. “We have to take advantage of the possibilities that exist, and also give rise to new possibilities. From sustainable house technology to sustainable cities, we have to find new solutions”, PM Modi concluded.