6 Urban Development Schemes You Should Know About

Despite India's growing economic stature, the country is home to as many as 78 million homeless people. To tackle the problem of homelessness, the government launched a few schemes in recent years and tried to bridge the gap between necessities and provision. As per the records by the Ministry or Urban Development, the urban population of India accounts for 377.1 million, which is 31.6 per cent of the population. PropGuide lists some of the schemes government has implemented to promote urban development.

Smart City Mission

Launched: 2015

Vision: To create 'Smart Cities' by empowering them socially, economically and technologically to act as support system in the neighbourhood.

Implemented Cities: 100 cities across India

Focus: Basic amenities, education, health services, IT accessibility, digitisation, e-governance, sustainable development, safety and security

According to the scheme, a city would be called a 'Smart City' if it has adequate access to basic amenities such as water, shelter, education, electricity, solid waste management, public transport, health services along with information technology connectivity and digitisation that would enable e-governance. Such a city would largely focus on sustainable development that can act as a support system for the neighbouring cities. The infrastructure of the city ensures safety and security of its natives.

Many countries such as Singapore, Japan, and the USA have come forward to join hands with India to initiate the Smart City Mission. The mission not only focusses on improving the quality of life but also ensures economic development by creating employment opportunities and enhancement in income.

Housing for All by 2022

Launched: 2015

Target: 2022

Vision: Making housing affordable for people from every section of society

Implemented Cities: 305 cities and towns across nine states

Focus: To make housing affordable for eligible weaker sections (EWS) and low-income group (LIG) and eradicate slums

Initiatives: Constructing houses for the slum dwellers under the slum-rehabilitation scheme and providing loans at subsidised rates for the economically weaker sections.

 According to the 2011 Census, many rural cities turned urban with an increasing population but still they were still underdeveloped. A large number of slum dwellers were also identified in metros. Encroachments and informal settlements were also a growing menace. 'Housing for All scheme,' as the name suggests, ambitiously targets to eradicate slums and make housing affordable for the economically weaker section by 2022. Previous schemes of similar nature (Rajiv Awas Yojana, Affordable Housing in Partnership, Rajiv Rinn Yojana) were discontinued to make one comprehensive scheme called the 'PradhanMantri Awas Yojana- Housing for All by 2022.' It has partnered with public and private developers to build houses for the ones residing in informal settlements, especially the slums. Housing loan of up to Rs 6 lakh under this 'credit linked subsidy' will be available at a rate of 6.5 per cent for 15 years on houses built under the scheme. The ICICI Bank has stepped forward to provide home loans at subsidised rates.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNRUM)

Launched: 2005

Target: Seven years

Vision: City Modernisation

Implemented cities: 67 cities across the country

Focus:  Enabling basic civic amenities along with building social and economic infrastructure

Initiatives: Water supply, solid waste management, sanitation, better transportation under Basic services to the Urban Poor (BSUP), redeveloping old cities under Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP).

JNNURM was a city mordernisation scheme started in 2005 on a mission mode for seven years. It targeted the underdeveloped cities with a view to pervasively disseminate urbanization and concentrated on building social and economic infrastructure and provision of basic civic amenities such as water supply, solid waste management, sanitation, better transportation connectivity, redeveloping old cities, etc. under its sub-mission schemes like- Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP), Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP). The sub-missions of JNNRUM were to promote widespread integrated development. According to the Census data collected in 2011, many rural cities had transformed into urban cities due to increase in population rather than migration. A total of 67 such cities became a part of JNNRUM. The scheme was extended till March 2015 to complete continuing projects. A similar city-mordernisation scheme AMRUT replaced JNNRUM.

AMRUT: Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation

 Started: 2015

Vision: Build gap between infrastructural necessity and their accessibility.

Implemented Cities: 500 cities have been selected on the basis of population, vicinity to main water bodies, tourism interest, hill states/terrain etc.

Focus: Building amenities to improve the quality of life in the selected cities

Initiatives: Promoting water supply, sewerage management, storm water drains to avoid flooding, environment friendly public transport services, green spaces, recreation centres for children.

AMRUT focuses on building infrastructure to improve the quality of life like constructing storm water drainage, green spaces, recreational centres, etc. It also ensures direct link to basic amenities such as water supply, sewerage management, and environmental friendly public transport services.

AMRUT was introduced after the closure of the JNNRUM.

AMRUT ambitiously looks forward to make infrastructure accessible for every household in the cities counted under it. Nearly 500 cities have been selected under the scheme, which include 13 cities settled near the main rivers with more than 75,000 population but less than 1 lakh, 10 cities from hill states, islands and tourist destinations, cities considered as heritage by HRIDAY apart from civilian areas such as municipalities, capital cities, towns of states and Union territories. 

Amrut aims to bridge the gap between the infrastructural necessities and their accessibility by directly linking their provision to the households.

National Urban Livelihood Mission

 Started: 2013

Vision: To alleviate urban poverty and homelessness

Implemented Cities: 790 cities across the country

Focus: Employment and Housing

Initiatives: skill development, self-employment opportunities, shelter with essential services for the urban poor.

Launched in 2013 by replacing the Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana, National Urban Livelihood Mission aims to provide skill development and employment opportunities along with housing solutions equipped with necessary services to the urban poor and the urban homeless. This scheme would largely benefit those employed in the unorganised sector in the urban cities.

HRIDAY: National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana

 Started: 2015

Vision: To preserve and holistically develop the heritage cities of India

Implemented Cities:  Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal

Focus: Physical infrastructure, institutional infrastructure, economic infrastructure & social infrastructure

Initiatives: Development of water supply, sanitation, drainage, waste management, approach roads, footpaths, street lights, tourist conveniences, electricity wiring, landscaping and such citizen services

HRIDAY identifies cities of cultural and/or religious importance and initiates development across the city in terms of its water management, transportation, sanitation, waste management, landscaping, et al. ensuring the city doesn't lose its cultural identity. Heritage cities, needless to mention, are a tourist attraction. Often overcrowded, these cities are unable to accommodate its natives and tourists owing to poor infrastructure. Unlike other schemes of similar nature, it (also) attends to the infrastructure failure at foundation level, like, street lights, electricity wiring, maintaining roads and footpaths, tourist conveniences, etc.  

During our visit to the city of salvation, Varanasi in April 2015, natives appreciated the initiatives promoted by this scheme. “Devotees at Assi Ghat are able to offer prayers and perform rituals more comfortably post its cleaning two months ago,” said a tea stall owner near Assi Ghat.

The very reason for this initiative is to conserve and improve the cultural identity of the city that is considered heritage in a culturally rich country like India.

HRIDAY is also documenting an inventory list of heritage assets of all nature (such as natural, cultural, living and built). Hriday initiative ensures to strengthen the infrastructure of an identified heritage city on four aspects physical, institutional, economic and social.

This scheme has been executed on a mission mode with a duration of 27 months, from January 2015 to March, 2017.