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India Gazette
9 hours ago
- Business
- India Gazette
"Ward-level accountability is key...": MoHUA Additional Secy D Thara
New Delhi [India], June 20 (ANI): As India braces for an influx of 70 million new urban residents over the next two decades, government officials and industry leaders are calling for a strategic pivot in the country's urban development narrative--from rebuilding to revitalisation. 'Infrastructure must be delivered--if the private sector can do it better, let them,' said D Thara, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, said. She was delivering the keynote address at a CII conference on Exploring Urban Dynamics: Outlook 2030' held in the capital on Friday. There is a disconnect between India's economic ambitions and the capacities of its urban local bodies, Thara said, urging the private sector to be proactively engaged in the urban development of the country. This becomes even more important as urban India is set to see an estimated 70 million new urban residents in the next two decades by 2045. This poses challenges and opportunities as the country will see the creation of many more cities, calling for a pragmatic, revitalisation-first approach to urban development. She underlined the need for targeted interventions to upgrade existing cities, backed by significant investment. The proposed Urban Challenge Fund, she explained, is intended to catalyse this transformation with a mix of 25 per cent public sector seed funding, 50 per cent market capital, and 25 per cent state contribution. 'It's not about building afresh,' she said, 'it's about fixing what already exists--legacy infrastructure, greenfield areas, and urban governance systems.' Prasad Gadkari, Executive Director & Chief Strategy Officer at NIIF, echoed the importance of enabling frameworks to unlock capital. 'A robust pipeline of projects, predictable revenue streams, and standardised bidding processes are essential,' he said, noting NIIF's readiness to back urban infrastructure initiatives through scalable public-private partnerships. Abedalrazq Khalil, Practice Manager for Urban and Land at the World Bank, placed India's urbanisation in global perspective. 'By 2050, 800 million people are expected to live in Indian cities. Cities must be enablers of growth--but many are not yet ready.' He emphasised the need for integrated planning and livability as critical to attracting private investment. Transport integration also featured prominently, with the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) cited as a model for enabling distributed urban employment. In-situ slum redevelopment and smaller-scale, private-led urban initiatives were also discussed as vital components of revitalisation. The conversation repeatedly returned to the need for local capacity. 'Ward-level accountability is key,' said Thara, pointing to the need for institutional support to empower smaller municipalities to tap funds such as those managed by NIIF. Regulatory enablers, including those supporting Transit-Oriented Development and flexible work models, were also cited as tools for urban regeneration. Sriram Khattar, Co-Chair, CII National Committee on Real Estate and Housing, noted that urban PPPs, once uncertain, have now gained credibility. Dr Debolina Kundu, Director of NIUA, added that effective urban governance, capacity building, and low-carbon infrastructure would be essential pillars of India's urban strategy to 2050. (ANI)
Hans India
11 hours ago
- Business
- Hans India
India's urban headcount likely to surge by 70 million in next 20 years
New Delhi: India Inc. must take up infrastructure building in cities in partnership with municipal corporations as the country is expected to add 70 million new urban residents in the next two decades by 2045, a senior official said on Friday. Addressing a CII conference here, D Thara, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, said that there is a disconnect between India's economic ambitions and the capacities of its urban local bodies, so the private sector needs to be proactively engaged in the urban development of the country. 'India is a rich nation with poor municipalities,' she remarked. She was delivering the keynote address at a CII conference on 'Exploring Urban Dynamics: Outlook 2030'. She said the growing urban population poses challenges and opportunities as the country will see the creation of many more cities, calling for a pragmatic, revitalisation-first approach to urban development. She underlined the need for targeted interventions to upgrade existing cities, backed by significant investment. The proposed Urban Challenge Fund, she explained, is intended to catalyse this transformation with a mix of 25 per cent public sector seed funding, 50 per cent market capital, and 25 per cent state contribution. 'It's not about building afresh,' she said, 'It's about fixing what already exists - legacy infrastructure, greenfield areas, and urban governance systems.' Prasad Gadkari, executive director & chief strategy officer at NIIF, echoed the importance of enabling frameworks to unlock capital. 'A robust pipeline of projects, predictable revenue streams, and standardised bidding processes are essential,' he said, noting NIIF's readiness to back urban infrastructure initiatives through scalable public-private partnerships. Abedalrazq Khalil, Practice Manager for Urban and Land at the World Bank, placed India's urbanisation in a global perspective. 'By 2050, 800 million people are expected to live in Indian cities. Cities must be enablers of growth, but many are not yet ready,' he said. He further emphasised the need for integrated planning and livability as critical to attracting private investment. Transport integration also featured prominently, with the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) cited as a model for enabling distributed urban employment. In-situ slum redevelopment and smaller-scale, private-led urban initiatives were also discussed as vital components of revitalisation.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Civic body thirsts for 1cr switch to alkaline water in glass bottles
1 2 3 4 Ahmedabad: Only alkaline water, please! Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials and councillors apparently want to ditch the plain old purified bottled water the corporation currently manufactures at its Kotarpur plant, and upgrade to alkaline water in glass bottles. This has been made evident from AMC water production department's May 29 tender for the upgrade and modification of the 3,000 LPH (litres per hour) packaged drinking water plant in Kotarpur, setting up a 1,200 BPH glass bottle water packaging plant and its operation and maintenance (production, storage, sale, distribution, logistics) for three years. The tender is for Rs 1 crore. There are also plans to market this alkaline water under AMC's existing drinking water brand, Jal. Sources in AMC said that a decade ago, officials, dignitaries and councillors at events such as inaugurations, seminars and meetings were served bottled water sourced externally, which cost the corporation Rs 40-50 lakh annually. To save this cost, AMC set up the plastic bottling plant in Kotarpur, and even launched the Jal brand. This plan to save citizens' money failed to work as intended. Other private brands still are roped in to supply drinking water, sometimes in glass bottles due to reasons including protocols on serving VVIPs. This costs the civic body Rs 20 to 25 lakh annually. Sources add that officials and councillors themselves are avoiding AMC's water brand, leading to 200 ml bottles being discontinued. On April 30 this year, a proposal to spend approximately Rs 1.50 crore annually on tea, snacks, meals and drinking water at govt events in the city was put up for approval. The proposal to award a rate contract for Rs 1 crore annually for tea, snacks, and meal packets at various AMC events was approved, while a proposal to spend Rs 50 lakh annually on bottled water was rejected, with instructions to retender. Now, AMC is processing the tender, rendering the current bottling plant ineffective. Caught in its own 'Jal jaal' Sources in AMC's health department said that a decade ago, as serving bottled water at events cost the civic body Rs 40 to 50 lakh a year, the then municipal commissioner, D Thara, approved a plan to set up a bottling plant for Rs 1.25 crore in Kotarpur. The plant, ready by 2014, remained non-operational for two years and in 2016, was activated under the brand name 'Jal', producing 200 ml, 500 ml, and 1,000 ml water bottles. These were sold at Amul parlours outside AMC gardens and served at corporation events. In 2019, when the central govt began implementing a phased ban on single-use plastics, the then civic chief, Vijay Nehra banned the 200 ml bottles of 'Jal'. After the responsibility for water arrangements at all AMC events was handed over to its health department, it went back to serving 200ml bottles, procured from private companies, defeating all environmental and cost-saving purposes, the sources said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Eid wishes , messages , and quotes !
