A recent report titled "Leveraging urbanisation in South Asia", released by the World Bank, states that well managed urbanisation can lead to sustainable growth, but cities in South Asian countries are a messy affair. It adds that in the year 2011, South Asia contributed 8 per cent of the global GDP, while it had 14 per cent of the global urban population. East Asia on the other hand contributed 29 per cent of the global GDP, while having 32 per cent of the urban population.
The study of the two fastest growing economies of the above mentioned regions, India and China respectively, makes interesting reading, especially as India is preparing to create more than 100 'smart cities' soon. It is clear that better integrated cities in fact do contribute to better handling of the forces of urbanisation and definitely contribute to bettering of living standards and income. Attempts at bettering the city experience in China now include the use of information technology to address urban problems. A small example of this is using of smart phone applications at bus stops to find out the arrival time of the next bus. India, on the other hand, struggles with its lack of basic infrastructure. However, the launching of the 'Smart City Mission' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June this year is worth mentioning.
The 'Smart City Mission' promotes integrated city planning, where the government's policies such as Swach Bharat Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation complement each other. The core infrastructure elements in this context have been identified as adequate water supply, assured electricity supply, sanitation, including soil waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport and affordable housing, especially for the poor.
If a quick look at cities in China were taken for drawing better lessons from its experience, it can be observed that Chinese cities perform extraordinarily well in urban mobility and public transport. In terms of water supply, demand for water is rapidly outstripping supply. In northern China, the average water per capita is only around 200 cubic meters. Water consumption levels in the capital city of Beijing are at least 70 per cent greater than the
total water supply in 2012. A stricter water policy on conservation at the central level is a dire need in the country. A report by the
Xinhua News Agency in 2014 had stated that 300 of China's 657 major cities face severe water shortages as per the standards set by the United Nations.
In terms of electricity supply, while the Chinese cities are doing well, the fact remains that the transmission system still remains under-developed, as there is no national grid. Northern regions of the country experience electricity shortages in winter due to increased demand for heating and the problems with coal deliveries. The eastern and the southern parts are prone to shortages in late spring and early summer when the demands rise due to air conditioning, and the hydro output falls until the arrival of rains in July and August.
As far as sanitation is concerned, improved sanitation and access to improved water sources have increased significantly in the last three decades. In 2008, access to improved water sources was 89 per cent and
access to improved sanitation was 55 per cent. However, access alone does not mean access to safe water. Poor water quality due to high levels of arsenic or salts or even fecal contamination continues to be an issue that requires immediate solution. Solid waste management is another problem that has not been fully addressed as large amounts of municipal solid wastes in many Chinese cities are transported and dumped into low lying land without any controlled disposal mechanism.
Ensuring access to housing for the poor has been a major problem in China. As per recent emerging narratives, many cannot become legal city residents because of the formidable Hukou regime. In Beijing alone, there are at least
100,000 of such people. In other parts of the country, they (also known as rat people and ant tribe) live in buses, shipping containers and precariously cramped bunks.
In terms of creation of public infrastructure, China has performed extraordinarily well. However, continuous redressal of problems emerging along with the increasing levels of urbanisation is something that can actually make cities 'smart'.
Given that India is attempting to start on its path of making its hundred odd cities 'smart', it could take a few cues from the experience of China, another developing country and India's immediate neighbour.
(The author is an Associate Fellow at Observer Research Foundation, Kolkata)
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