The document discusses the challenges and environmental concerns related to rapid urban development in the mountainous regions of India, highlighting issues like pollution, waste management, and climate vulnerability. It outlines the need for effective urban planning and environmental policies, providing various initiatives and indicators for sustainable urban management. The study emphasizes the importance of capacity-building and inclusive city development processes to improve resilience for poor and vulnerable communities.

1. Environmental Indicators: Measuring
Urban Development in Mountains of India
Kashinath Vajpai
Climate Himalaya Initiative, India
info@climatehimalaya.net
www.climatehimalaya.net
http://chimalaya.org

2. Developing Urban Settlements
 Cities in Mountains of India are in the process of expansion
 Increase in population due to high migration from highland to lowland areas
 Rapid infrastructure development
 Two important characteristics: 1. Massive growth in absolute numbers 2.
Increasing concentration
 Rapid population growth, high densities, poverty and high differentials in
access to housing, public services and infrastructure led to an increase in
vulnerability over last few decades (Aromar R., 2008)
 India is one of the more vulnerable and risk-prone countries in the world
(IFRC 2005)

3. Urban Development Vs. Environmental
Issues
 High pollution, water scarcity, deteriorating soil, loss of biodiversity and poor
agriculture productivity
 Various disasters, health hazards, deteriorating environmental quality, economic
losses
 Climate change variability increased the frequency and intensity of hazards and
the probability of extreme events
 Degrade the resilience of poor and vulnerable communities
 Further degrading resilience of in one half of the poor, vulnerable communities
(Nicholls, et al 2006).
 Inadequate provisions of comprehensive and environmental sensitive planning.

4. The Extent of Problem-Example
 One of the studies done in India states that ‘the amount of
waste generated per capita is estimated to increase at a rate
1-1.33 percent annually and estimated quantity of waste
generated by year 2047 would be approx 260 million tons
per year, which if not disposed off systematically would
require more than 1400 sq.km of land’

5. Study Objectives
 To discuss the major environmental concerns in the urban
areas of Indian mountains
 To review and analyze relevant policies and guidelines in
urban development and environmental context
 To develop a set of indicators on various environmental
parameters in urban context
 To analyze city development plans in concurrence with
environmental considerations.

6. Information Areas in the Study
 Present urban developmental scenario
 Various environmental threats
 Increasing climatic variability
 Policies and programs on environment and urban development
 Categorization of various pro-environmental measures in areas
like water, waste, sanitation, pollution, etc.

7. Plan: Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem
Mission
 Management and safeguarding Himalayan glaciers and
ecosystem
 Exchange of information
 Develop monitoring network
 Community based management of ecosystem
 Maintain 2/3rd area under forest

8. Policies and Plans in Place
 Reform led urban development program National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM)
 About 60 cities across India and selected one in mountains
 Missions; the Urban infrastructure and governance, and Basic services to the urban poor
 The Environment (Protection) Act
 National Urban Transport Policy
 National Urban Housing & Habitat Policy
 Accelerated Urban Water Supply Program
 Coal Bed Methane Policy
 Solar Energy Mission
 Wind Energy
 Electronic Waste (e-waste)
 India’s Initiatives towards Energy Security
 Scheme for BEE Star Rating for office Buildings
 The National Environment Policy
 National River Conservation Policy
 National Lake Conservation Policy

9. What Policies and Plans Entail
 National River Conservation Plan (NRCP): Capacity building of ULBs
 The National Lake Conservation Plan: Restore and conserve the urban and semi urban
lakes
 The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling Rules): Role of ULBs in
decentralized waste collection and management
 The Plastics (manufacture, usage and waste management) rules : Emphasizes in to
specific thickness of plastics and procedural recycling.
 The National Urban Sanitation Policy: Specific sanitation strategy for the cities
 The National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC): Reduce climatic impacts and
emphasizes on inter connected issues towards adaptation and mitigation- focus on poor
and vulnerable.

10. Various Environmental Indicators
1. Water Resources
2. Waste Water
3. Solid Waste
4. Energy Measures
5. Sanitation
6. Air Pollution
Photo: Joydeep Mukherjee/Sanctuary Photolibrary

11. Water Resources
Water Use Regulatory mechanism Recycle and Re-use
 Judicious use of and Pricing • At house hold level
water and • Proper water pricing at • Community places
House hold and (schools, hospitals,
discouraging excess Commercial level hotels, malls/ markets,
water use for • Correct metering etc.)
multiple purposes system in place
 Correcting / • Illegal connection and
suction pumps. Rainwater Harvesting
Repairing the leakage • Regular monitoring • Roof top rainwater
system in existing harvesting
water supply system Pumping of Water • Mandatory provisions
 Operation and • Replace from central for RWH in buildings
Maintenance place to the flood plain • Construction of soak
areas having proven pits
 Construction of new capacity of water
water lines • Controlled extraction • Incentives and
disincentives for RWH

12. Water Resource
Dual Water System Water saving closets Protection/Preservati
• Taps on of water bodies
 Drinking
• Flush system • Lake conservations
 Other purposes
• Urinals • Lake protection
• EcoSan toilets • Beautification of
Drinking water ponds, lakes
availability • River bank protection
 Household level safe • Developing the data
water supply bases
• Monitoring of river
 Provisions of water in
schools and hospitals • Coordination with
agencies on water
 Discouraging bottled bodies monitoring
water in common
meetings and at
personal level

13. Waste Water
Agriculture and Industrial Municipal waste water Drainage system
effluents • Proper sewerage • Developing improved
 Organic pollutants drainage system with
disposal and storm water drains
 Waste water disposal decentralized
system • Kuccha to pucca drains
treatment • Maintenance of drains
 Following the norms for
discharge of waste water • Planned drainage • Managing the outlet of
system surface drains away from
Water quality surveillance water bodies
• Integrated sewerage
and mitigation
system Capacity Building and
 Surveillance system in place Awareness generation
 Cost effective solution for • Use of re-modeling
• Water use
Arsenic, Fluoride, Iron, and and re-construction
Biological contamination • Wise water management
technologies
 Dilution of pollutant • Decentralized treatment
concentration through ground
water recharge Provision of STP and CETP • Re-charge and re-use
• Different types of
 Determine type and migration
of pollution
• The provision in filtration systems
 Possible measures for control major sewerage
production areas.

14. Solid Waste Management
Comprehensive solid waste
management (SWM) plan
Policies and Legislations
 Municipal Solid waste
• Enforcement of policies
 Industrial solid waste
• Basel Convention on minimized use
 E-waste
 Toxic waste
 Waste segregation system
Awareness generation and
 Sanitary land fill Capacity building
 Organized solid waste management system
 Bio-medical waste • Household level
• Institutional level
Composting • Commercial sector
 Bio composting • Industrial sector
 Sorting of waste
 Landfills and methane production

15. Energy Measures
Alternate Energy Renewable energy Energy Efficient
measures measures Appliances s
 Bio Mass based • Solar panel • Light Emitting Diode
• Solar Lantern • Replacing incandescent
 Waste based or Bio- bulbs
• Solar cooker
methanation • Photo voltaic • LED outdoor lightning
 Use of coal bed • Wind energy
methane • CDM and Carbon
 Bio gas cooking Credits as incentives Standard & labeling
program
 Bio based power
generation Improved Supply • Certification of
• Conversion industries
 Traffic light and solar
power • Transmission • Certification of
• Distribution Buildings
 Solar roof top- • End use efficiency • Energy efficient building
photovoltaic • Research & code
applications Development

16. Urban Sanitation
Toilet /Latrine Awareness generation, Encourage ILCS and
construction Training and Capacity
building • Discourage
 Improved /adequate
• Awareness generation on • Open Defecation
household sanitation Sanitation and hygiene
system for all • ILCS
practices, low cost
 Community toilets / technical designs • Open defecation (OD)
sanitation system and Dry latrine
conversion
 Public toilets

17. Air Pollution
Clean Fuel Pollution Control Data base on Indoor
 CNG, LPG, Measures and Air pollution
Encouraging Public • In Slum/EWS area
battery/electricity
• Major pollution sources
operated vehicles, Bio Transport System
• Burning of solid waste
diesel • Private vehicles • Emissions of CO2, SO2,
• Public transport system NOx
Inventorying key • Consumption of Ozone
• Polluting Industries depleting substances
Polluting industries • Non motorized
 In and around the city Transport – cycles Awareness generation
• Facilities for pedestrians and Capacity building
 All those included in RED
category • Household level
• Commercial establishments
• Industries

18. Selected Examples
 Bio-mass based gasifires are being used in states like Bihar, Karnataka, etc.
 The Kolkata and Mumbai Municipality are under trial for LED and the Mumbai
Municipal Corporation has implemented SSP (Slum Sanitation Project)
 The Delhi Government has made it mandatory to construct Rain Water
Harvesting system
 Solar based common lights, traffic lights, water heaters, energy audits, energy
efficient building, CNG buses/Autos, etc. in Delhi
 In Mizoram –Aizawl, there are more than 10,000 rainwater harvesting (RWH)
tanks in individual houses, those were constructed by the residents at their own
expense and with the technical support of state government.

19. Way Forward
 Need to consider different environmental factors through an
inclusive city development planning process
 Develop the capacities and know how among the authorities,
planners and elected representatives on various environmental
measures
 A thorough analysis of environmental concerns in the urban areas
 Developing a set of practical localized environmental indicators
those could be included during city development planning.

20. Way Forward
 Comprehensive process of planning by the Urban Local
Bodies and Parastatal agencies
 Smooth delivery of civic amenities, universal access to
services, and adequate provisions of basic services to the
vulnerable and poor

21. Thank You