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• GS Paper 2 Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems, and their remedies.
• Tags: #Urbanization #Urbanlife #Pollution #GS2 #UPSC

Why in the news?

• Theme of World Cities Day 2023 (31st October): “Financing Sustainable Urban Future for All”.
• The primary objective is to address the need for channeling finances effectively to support sustainable urban development.
  • Focus on preventing the detrimental consequences of flawed urbanization.
  • Strive to create cities that are both livable and safe for all residents.
• Alarming Pollution Statistics
  • Findings by The Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (EPIC) reveal that 39 out of the top 50 most polluted cities globally are situated in India.
  • Pollution in India directly impacts public health and life expectancy.
  • On average, an Indian loses 5.3 years of life expectancy due to pollution, with residents of Delhi suffering a staggering loss of 11.9 years.

Health Consequences

• Pollution-related health issues include burning eyes, nasal and throat irritation, persistent coughing, breathing difficulties, and increased asthma cases.
• Moreover, it contributes to the onset of cardiovascular diseases, posing significant risks to the population’s overall health.
• Air Quality Crisis in Mumbai: Recent media reports have labeled the air quality in Mumbai as “Death by Breath” due to extremely unsatisfactory Air Quality Index (AQI) levels.
  • This term underscores the severity of the air quality problem in the city and its detrimental impact on public health.
• Expanding Pollution Beyond Indo-Gangetic Plains: Traditionally, poor air quality in India was primarily associated with the Indo-Gangetic plains, attributed to factors such as temperature inversion and reduced wind speeds.
  • However, the issue of air pollution is now extending to India’s coastal cities, indicating a broadening crisis.
• Key Factors Contributing to Pollution: Pollution in Indian cities is exacerbated by factors such as road dust, concrete batching, and polluting industrial units.

Expansion of ‘Gray’ Infrastructure

• Definition of Gray Infrastructure: It encompasses human-engineered structures and systems related to water resources management. It includes facilities like water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, pipelines, and dams.
• Gray infrastructure is a vital part of centralized approaches to water management.
  • Components of gray infrastructure involve man-made structures designed for water treatment, distribution, and control.
    • These components are crucial for ensuring the availability, quality, and regulation of water resources.
  • Grey infrastructure plays a significant role in supporting urban and industrial water supply, as well as wastewater treatment processes.
  • Rapid growth of ‘gray’ infrastructure is a critical issue in Indian cities.
    • This expansion includes a focus on real estate development, wider roads, and increased vehicular traffic.
    • They have encroached upon spaces meant for pedestrians and reduced green cover in urban areas.
    • The proliferation of motorized transport, responsible for 60% of urban pollution, is a significant contributor.
    • Neglect of green spaces like water bodies, urban forests, and urban agriculture has led to a loss of ecological balance. 

Seasonal Smog and Automobile Growth

• During North India’s winter, the burning of paddy straw (Parali) adds to the problem of smog and particulate matter.
• The growth of the Indian automobile market, projected to reach $160 billion by 2027, further exacerbates urban pollution.
• The increase in vehicle sales calls for a reevaluation of urban development strategies.

Inadequate Construction Regulation

• Construction activities, on the rise in Indian cities, contribute to around 10% of air pollution in regions like the National Capital Region.
• The absence of effective monitoring and control measures for construction activities is a concern.
• City residents lack meaningful participation in the urbanization process and often have limited influence on decision-making.

Urban Development

• Effective Resource Allocation: Emphasize the importance of directing financial resources to the right areas.
• Sustainable Urban Development: Highlight the need to invest in projects that promote sustainability and environmental consciousness.
• Infrastructure and Services: Ensure that funds support the development of essential urban infrastructure and services.
• Health Implications: Discuss the serious health consequences of air pollution on urban populations.
• Life Expectancy Reduction: Address the alarming fact that air pollution significantly reduces life expectancy.
• Safety Measures: Stress the importance of implementing measures to make cities safer for their inhabitants.

Promoting Public Transport

• Emphasize the need for a new city-building strategy that prioritizes public transportation, secure pedestrian pathways, and bicycle lanes.
• Suggest the creation of bicycle officers to oversee and promote cycling as an eco-friendly mode of transport.
• Advocate for regulating construction activities through standardized operating procedures.
• Investment in Public Transport: Highlight the necessity for substantial investment in public transport systems, including buses, to meet the growing demands of urban mobility.
  • Estimate a requirement of approximately 10 lakh additional buses for urban areas.
  • Stress the importance of making public transport accessible and affordable, especially for the 85% of people employed in the informal sector.
• Controlling Private Vehicle Usage: Propose the implementation of measures to control private motorized vehicle movement within cities.
  • Suggest the possibility of imposing a congestion tax on private car owners during peak hours.
  • Mention the odd-even number plate formula as another intervention option to reduce traffic congestion. 

Air Quality Response Plans

• Refer to Delhi’s Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as an example of a mechanism to address air pollution promptly based on air quality levels.
• Encourage other Indian cities to adopt similar air quality response plans tailored to their specific needs.

Real-time Monitoring and Community Involvement

• Advocate for a zero-tolerance policy towards industrial pollution and the implementation of real-time monitoring.
• Stress the importance of involving local residents in street supervision and proactively addressing pollution issues.

Preserving Urban Commons

• Highlight the significance of protecting urban commons, including ponds, water bodies, urban forests, parks, and playgrounds.
• Urge urban communities to take an active role in nurturing and expanding these green spaces.

Ecological Wisdom in Urban Development

• Contrast current urban development practices with Ian McHarg’s vision in his book “Designing with Nature,” which advocated ecological wisdom in landscape planning and design.
• Express concern over the ongoing massive land use changes and the conversion of open spaces for real estate development, resulting in pollution.
• Emphasize the importance of meaningful afforestation within cities to combat pollution, rather than planting trees far away from urban areas.

Empowering Governance

• Address the limitations of cosmetic solutions like smog towers and road watering by focusing on governance strengthening.
• Advocate for people’s empowerment through effective city governance structures.
• Promote the widespread availability and adoption of pollution guides and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for various government departments and agencies.

Public Participation

• Encourage public engagement in governance by supporting the implementation of measures like the odd-even number plate formula and a ‘no-car day’ each week.
• Cite the successful enforcement of SOPs during the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of what can be achieved through collective action.
• Stress the importance of a comprehensive and effective Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)-like SOP for pollution control.

Medical Community’s Role

• Emphasize the role of the medical community in supporting public health advisories related to air pollution.
• Highlight the urgency of addressing air pollution as it directly impacts public health and life expectancy.
• Recognize that the poor and marginalized segments of the population, despite being minimal contributors to pollution, are the most vulnerable and require concerted efforts for a better quality of life.

Source: The Hindu

Mains Question

Discuss the significance of grey infrastructure in modern water resource management and the challenges associated with its implementation.