Context

As India aims to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047, its urban hubs must evolve into engines of innovation, productivity, and inclusion. This editorial argues that India's top 15 cities can lead this transformation - but only through bold reforms in infrastructure, governance, sustainability, and planning. 

Background

• 15 Indian cities contribute 30% of India's GDP and are pivotal for achieving the $30+ trillion economy target by 2047.
• Despite their importance, these cities lag behind global peers in infrastructure, sustainability, and liability. 
• Challenges such as air pollution, water scarcity, traffic congestion, and slums are rooted in poor planning and weak urban governance.

74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992: 

• Granted municipality's constitutional status, bringing them under the scope of justiciable provisions.
• Introduced Part IX-A in the Constitution, covering Articles 243P to 243ZG related to urban local governance.
• Added the 12th Schedule, listing 18 functional items under the jurisdiction of municipalities.

Challenges Highlighted

• Air Pollution: 42 out of the world's 50 most polluted cities are in India. The main reasons are vehicle emissions, construction dust, and burning of biomass. 
• Solid Waste Management: Indian cities generate about 1.5 lakh tonnes of waste daily, but only 25% is scientifically treated. At the national level, around 62 million tonnes of waste is generated every year, and only 30% is processed properly.
• Water Stress: About 40% of piped water is lost during supply due to leakage. As per NITI Aayog (2018), nearly 40% of India's population could face water scarcity by 2030.
• Affordable Housing Shortage: There is a current shortage of 10 million homes, which may rise to 31 million by 2030. Many people live in informal settlements without basic facilities like clean water and sanitation.
• Traffic Congestion: People in cities spend 1.5 to 2 hours daily stuck in traffic, reducing productivity and increasing pollution. 
• Urban Planning and Governance Gaps: India has only one urban planner for every 1,00,000 people, compared to 1 for every 5,000–10,000 in developed countries. Municipal finances are weak - property tax revenue is less than 0.2% of India's GDP.

Way Forward

• Improve Air Quality: Electrify public transport, strictly control construction dust, and implement the 1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund to incentivize cleaner and greener cities. 
• Transform Solid Waste Management: Develop integrated waste systems by investing in infrastructure, training sanitation staff, and adopting decentralised models like Indore's bio-CNG initiative.
• Strengthen Water Management: Address water scarcity through GIS-based leakage detection, rainwater harvesting, and replicating successful models like Indore's water-plus initiative.
• Address Housing Shortage: Promote high-density vertical housing by increasing FSI/FAR, upgrading informal settlements, and offering density-linked development incentives. 
• Reform Urban Governance and Finance: Empower urban local bodies through full implementation of the 74th Amendment, improved property tax systems, and access to municipal bond markets.