Latest news with #ULBs
Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
World Bank Report: By 2030, Indian cities to create 70% of jobs but may lose $5 bn to floods; need greater autonomy to counter climate risks
Indian cities will need some autonomy to invest effectively in climate change adaptation and mitigation, according to Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Bank's Country Director for India. Cities with more decision-making power have performed better than average, he said on Tuesday at the launch of a report on building urban climate resilience. The report, prepared by the World Bank in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, estimates Indian cities will require $2.4 trillion by 2050 to build climate-resilient infrastructure and services. 'In order for cities to invest in resilience, adaptation, and mitigation, they need to have some kind of autonomy to make decisions and implement them. Some people think this can be achieved only by fully implementing the 74th Amendment, others disagree,' Kouame said at a media briefing. The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 gave constitutional status to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to strengthen local self-governance. However, official audits as recently as 2022 have found that several states have yet to fully implement its provisions. While the World Bank does not have an official view on this, Kouame said 'some version' of the 74th Amendment could be considered. 'It doesn't have to be implemented in the same fashion across all states. It depends on local conditions and several other factors,' he added. 'The truth is that when you look across India, cities that have been given autonomy by the states to make decisions and manage themselves have done well. They've done better than average. They've been able to mobilise resources, monetise assets, and increase sources of revenue,' Kouame said, adding that devolution of power also improves accountability. The report titled Towards Resilient and Prosperous Cities in India projects that the country's urban population will nearly double to 951 million by 2050, and that by 2030, cities will account for 70 per cent of all new employment generated. In addition to the rapid pace of urbanisation, Indian cities will face two major shocks in a business-as-usual scenario — flooding and extreme heat — according to Asmita Tiwari, who co-authored the report with Natsuko Kikutake. 'We found that the flood risk is growing rapidly. Not only are cities growing into areas that are exposed to flooding, they are also building more concrete structures and pavings that restrict the amount of rainwater the ground can absorb,' Tiwari said, referring to pluvial flooding. According to the report, annual pluvial flood-related losses can amount to $5 billion by 2030 and $30 billion by 2070 if cities don't invest in adaptation. A conservative estimate for supporting 60 per cent of high-risk cities with flood resilience measures over the next 15 years is $150 billion, it added. 'We also looked into 10 large cities in India, from the period 1983-1990 to 2010-2016, and found that exposure to dangerous extreme heat stress has increased by 71 per cent. Along with that, there is the urban heat island impact — which makes cities warmer at night because they have concrete structures and roads that absorb heat and release it at night,' Tiwari said. Heat-related deaths can double to over 3 lakh each year by 2050 due to global warming and the urban heat island phenomenon, the report said. Measures like shifting working hours to early morning and late afternoon, urban greening, early warning systems, and cool roofs can save over 1.3 lakh lives, it added. The report makes several recommendations for national- and state-level interventions, including boosting private sector engagement, creating a financing roadmap, and setting standards to build municipal capacities. For cities, it calls for risk evaluation and the mobilisation of capital — including private investment — to support mitigation and adaptation efforts. Aggam Walia is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, reporting on power, renewables, and mining. His work unpacks intricate ties between corporations, government, and policy, often relying on documents sourced via the RTI Act. Off the beat, he enjoys running through Delhi's parks and forests, walking to places, and cooking pasta. ... Read More
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Bhuvan app boosts revenue through geo-tagging
Hyderabad: Thanks to Bhuvan app, developed by the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC), which helped in reclassification of properties across municipalities; in just 50 days, the authorities could increase revenue by Rs 404.35 lakhs. The other 50 days of the 100-day Action Plan to reclassify properties after geo-tagging them as per the Bhuvan app will continue from Monday. As many as 5,258 properties were geo-tagged as per Bhuvan app developed by NRSC and 4,536 of them were reclassified from 'residential' to 'commercial', thereby increasing revenue by Rs 404.35 lakhs in the municipalities in the state. The 100-day Action Plan of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department began on June 2 with focus on streamlining urban governance, public health, environmental sustainability, and citizen engagement across Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The Action Plan will be reaching the halfway mark on Monday. Officials said that remarkable work was done in the municipalities with the participation of officials and citizens. Following reclassification, the property tax was revised for 4,536 residential properties that had been reclassified as commercial as per usage, resulting in an increase of Rs 404.35 lakh revenue from the ULBs. Similarly, commercial and mixed properties without trade licenses were identified and 4,799 trade licences issued, resulting in additional revenue of Rs 101.40 lakh. The official stated that there were several other initiatives like forming over 13,000 new self-help groups and organizing SHG melas in ULBs. About Rs 11.42 lakh revenue was generated through SHGs product melas across the ULBs, Rs 20.44 lakh revenue was generated through sales from street food festivals and over 25,000 beneficiaries (street vendors and their family members) were sanctioned social security schemes. The Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration TK Sridevi told 'The Hans India' that the key objectives of the Action Plan included enhancing solid waste management and sanitation systems, ensuring monsoon preparedness through critical civic infrastructure improvements, driving behavioural change and community participation through extensive IEC (information education and communication) campaigns on solid waste management, promoting urban greenery and beautification efforts for cleaner cities, conducting a comprehensive Bhuvan Survey for identification of unassessed and under-assessed properties in ULBs and bringing them under the tax net. The CDMA said that over 36,900 citizens participated in rally across 250 km in historic kickoff to 100-Day Action Plan, over 18.37 lakh households were sensitized on source segregation of wastes at home, Rs 706.32 crore loans were disbursed to 5,626 SHGs under bank linkage, 24,708 saplings planted under 'Amrut Mitra – Women for Trees' with active participation of over 10,700 SHG women, lakhs of citizens were part of the rallies and other programmes taken up by the ULBs. The 100-Day Action Plan will be ending on September 10 and the progress is likely to double in the next 50 days.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Derabassi surpasses Mohali in waste management, cleanliness
Mohali: In a notable shift in urban sanitation rankings, Derabassi—a satellite town of Mohali—has outperformed Mohali city in key cleanliness parameters, particularly in door-to-door garbage collection and source segregation. According to the latest results released by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Derabassi scored a perfect 100% in five categories, while Mohali managed full marks in only four. Derabassi emerged as the top performer in door-to-door garbage collection (100%) and source segregation (60%), the highest scores among all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the district. In stark contrast, Mohali Municipal Corporation recorded the lowest scores in these two crucial areas—32% in garbage collection and 24% in segregation. Derabassi MC president Asha Upneja attributed the success to a well-coordinated fleet of garbage collectors and sustained public awareness efforts. "Our teams actively encourage residents to segregate waste at the source. Door-to-door collection is carried out diligently, which helped us achieve 100% in Swachh Survekshan," she said. In addition to its waste management success, Derabassi also scored 100% in the cleanliness of residential areas, market zones, and water bodies, reinforcing its commitment to holistic urban hygiene. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Libas Purple Days Sale Libas Undo by Taboola by Taboola Meanwhile, Mohali city, despite achieving 100% in cleanliness of residential areas, market zones, public toilets, and water bodies, continues to lag in foundational waste management practices. This disparity is further highlighted by the performance of other ULBs in the district—Zirakpur, Banur, Kurali, and Kharar—which all scored higher than Mohali in garbage collection and District report card CITY - CATEGORY Door-to-door garbage collection Source Segregation Waste Generation Remediation of dumpsites Cleanliness of residential areas Cleanliness of market areas Cleanliness of water bodies Cleanliness of public toilets SAS NAGAR 32% 24% 57% 85% 100% 100% 100% 100% Kurali 73% 30% 90% 100% 100% 100% 0% 50% Zirakpur 30% 28% 99% 72% 100% 100% 0% 50% Banur 32% 39% 15% 100% 100% 100% 0% 75% Derabassi 100% 60% 66% 100% 100% 100% 100% 75% Kharar 72% 30% 19% 57% 88% 80% 0% 100% Nayagaon 40% 30% 0% 0% 100% 100% 0% 100%
NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Bihar Voter Roll Revision: 95.92% Electors Covered In Draft Electoral List
New Delhi: The Election Commission on Friday said that 95.92% of electors in Bihar have been covered under the draft electoral list as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, with six more days remaining. As per official data, out of 7.89 crore total electors (as on June 24, 2025), over 7.57 crore total electors have been covered. Around 4.08% i.e., 32.23 lakh remaining enumeration forms are yet to be received, the release said. It said during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Electoral Rolls in Bihar, the entire electoral machinery, that is, nearly 1 lakh BLOs, 4 lakh volunteers, 1.5 lakh BLAs appointed by the political parties and their district presidents are working together in a mission mode to ensure that the name of no eligible elector is left out from the draft Electoral Roll to be published on August 1, 2025. "With six more days still to go for filling up of the enumeration forms, the Election Commission is making all possible efforts to ensure that the remaining nearly 32 lakh electors are added to the draft electoral roll," the release said. BLOs have already completed over three rounds of the house-to-house visits and have established contact with the electors. A concerted effort by the entire electoral machinery along with yet another round of visits by the BLOs has also been started to establish contact with the remaining electors. To enroll the remaining electors, special camps have been setup in all the 5,683 wards of all 261 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in Bihar. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 1, 2025. Any rectification can be filed by August 30, 2025. The release said that 41.64 lakh electors have not been found at their given addresses. These include 14.29 lakh probably deceased, 19.74 lakh who have probably permanently shifted, 7.50 lakh electors identified as enrolled at multiple places, and 11,000 who were not traceable.
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
All poll promises will be met: Narayana
Anantapur: Ministerfor municipal administration and urban development P Narayana reaffirmed the coalition government's commitment to fulfilling election promises under the 'Super Six' initiative. Speaking at the Legacy Dumping Yard on Gooty road here on Friday, he announced that free bus travel for women will commence from August 15, alongside other welfare and development programmes. Following Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's directives, all legacy waste dumps across the state will be cleared by October 2. Narayana also noted the abolition of the garbage tax imposed by the previous YSRCP government. Accompanied by local MLA Daggubati Venkateswara Prasad and district collector Dr Vinod Kumar, Narayana inaugurated a Rs 12.217 crore waste processing unit for the Anantapur cluster, covering six urban local bodies (ULBs). The unit focuses on zero residual legacy waste management through bioremediation and biomining. Additionally, plaques were unveiled for road and drainage works worth Rs 1.7 crore, funded by municipal grants. The minister participated in a tree plantation drive at the site, emphasising environmental initiatives. Narayana criticised the previous government for leaving 85 lakh tonne untreated legacy waste and Rs 10 lakh crore in debt. He praised Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's Clean & Green initiatives from the united Andhra Pradesh era, lamenting the prior previous government's neglect of solid waste management despite modern equipment and central support. He announced that 55 lakh tonne legacy waste has been cleared, with the remaining 30 lakh tonne targeted for removal within three months. In Anantapur, JIGMA is processing 6,000 tonne waste daily, with 1.65 lakh tonne still at the 12.3-acre dump yard, which will soon become a public park. Talking about welfare measures, Narayana noted the expansion of the NTR Bharosa pension scheme and the 'Talli ki Vandhanam', which disbursed Rs 10,000 crore in a single day, providing Rs 15,000 per school-going child. Other promises include three free LPG cylinders annually for poor women, Rs 20,000 for farmers in collaboration with the Centre, and the expansion of Anna canteens to combat hunger. The government is also negotiating to release withheld Central funds and ensure tap water connections for every household under the AMRUT scheme, with Rs 8,500 crore allocated. Tap water connections are being extended to households in Anantapur, Tadipatri, Guntakal, Rayadurg, Gooty, and Kalyandurg. MLA Daggubati Venkateswara Prasad highlighted the adoption of foreign-model waste-to-energy plants and accused the previous YSRCP government of corruption and neglecting 3.3 lakh tonne waste. He noted that 1.68 lakh tonne is being cleared at a cost of Rs 12.27 crore, with the dump yard set to be cleared by October 2. He urged Narayana to release Rs 26 crore of previously sanctioned funds for Anantapur's development, emphasizing the district's backwardness. AP Labour Welfare Board chairman Venkata Shivudu Yadav, AHUDA chairman T C Varun, Anantapur municipal commissioner Balaswamy, and other officials and corporators.
