Budget 2022 had special focus on Urban Development. It stated, “By the time of India @ 100, nearly half our population is likely to be living in urban areas. To prepare for this, orderly urban development is of critical importance…This would require us to reimagine our cities into centres of sustainable living with opportunities for all, including women and youth. For this to happen, urban planning cannot continue with a business-as-usual approach. We plan to steer a paradigm change.” The paradox of urbanization, however developed and equipped it turns the cities into, is that it advances at the cost of upsetting the balance of nature. Large scale migration results in an acute pressure on resources, land and vexes climate. Coastal area development becomes a very critical aspect to look into.
Globally, India has one of the longest coastlines of 7,500 kilometres. As per the 2011 census, this coastline length housed over 486 urban centres and was home to around 4.17 crore Indians, a number that equals to the population of Australia and New Zealand put together. According to NASA’s Sea Level Projection tool, these coastal areas are projected to face a sea level rise of 0.1 metre to 0.3 metre in the next two to three decades & cities such as Kandla, Bhavnagar, Kochi, Mormugao, Mangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, etc. will be impacted by sea level rise in varying degrees. One example to highlight the urgency is that the Island country Indonesia is prepping to relocate its government offices to the province of East Kalimantan, following its plan to move the national capital there from Jakarta. Apart from the intent of redistribution of wealth, the move aims to give relief to an overcrowded and brimmingly congested Jakarta, a city which suffers regular flooding. With its northern parts falling at an estimated 25cm a year, due to subsidence, Jakarta has become one of the fastest sinking cities in the world due to over extraction of groundwater.
Unlike Indonesia, the problem is even deeper and grievous for India, with the world’s second largest population and an entire peninsula to shield. For example, A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve, which lies soaked and half-sunk, is another example indicating the dangers of rapidly rising sea levels. From rising water level, to cyclones, the area, its people, its flora and fauna are constantly living in the fear of getting wiped out. The beautiful Mangrove forests of the sunken and cracked Sunderbans are fast depleting causing the Bengal tigers, over 250 bird species and the Indian python to lose their homes. The land situation has also pushed the Irawadi dolphins, estuarine crocodiles, Batagur baska, etc. on the verge of extinction.
Beginning from a proper study of present systems, the task is to chart out fresh plans to develop a modern strategic infrastructure for proper drainage across target cities with the help of state governments, scientific institutions and other concerned bodies. Continuous weather and wave alerts, however mild they may seem now, make such an undertaking a matter of utmost importance. Hence, it is a welcome move when GoI proposed that, “A high-level committee of reputed urban planners, urban economists and institutions will be formed to make recommendations on urban sector policies, capacity building, planning, implementation and governance.”
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