Lucknow, India has experienced rapid population growth, increasing from 2.7 million in the 1980s to over 7 million currently. This has overwhelmed the city's infrastructure as streets have become choked with traffic and sewage pipes overflow. While the national government has launched projects to invest $10 billion to upgrade urban infrastructure across 60 cities, this falls far short of the estimated $52 billion needed. For Lucknow specifically, the $150 million allocated will help with wastewater treatment but over $960 million is required to fully address the city's road, water and other infrastructure needs. Rapid urbanization in India is placing tremendous pressure on cities and their aging infrastructure.

1. Megacities A Threat to Choke India By: TaranehYazdani

2. Overview This capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh was once an orderly place known for its baroque monuments and lush gardens. Today, Lucknow has more than 780 slums, overflowing sewage pipes and streets choked by gridlock. population of 2.7 million, nearly triple the number in the 1980s, is adding as many as 150,000 new residents a year. India has at least 41 cities with more than one million people

3. Indian Politics 70% of the population still lives in the countryside. urban voters are seen by candidates as increasingly crucial. Both of the main political parties have tried to capitalize on rising urban discontent by promising to deliver more spending on power, roads and other infrastructure. India already has 25 of the world's 100-fastest growing urban areas according to city mayors Indian state governments led by various political parties as of March 2009.

4. Future Improvements Officials have taken some steps to improve things. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission was launched in 2005 by the national government to help more than 60 major cities by spending $10 billion to upgrade sewers, water supply, roads and other necessities. Although officials are working to improve the quality of life in India that falls far short of the $52 billion the government estimates it will take to fix India's urban infrastructure.

5. Costs of development The national Urban Renewal Mission project has helped by allocating roughly $150 million to Lucknow for sewage and city and state officials say the sewage projects, which could be finished later this year, should cover most if not all of Lucknow's wastewater treatment needs. the money is far short of the more than $960 million Lucknow needs to spend on roads, water and other projects

6. Works Cited Barta, Patrick. "Megacities Threaten to Choke India." The Wall Street Journal. N.p., 13 May 2009. Web. 10 Aug. 2010. <http://online.wsj.com/article/ NA_WSJ_PUB:SB124216531392512435.html#project%3DIURBAN0903%26articleTabs%3Darticle>.