India World Habitat 2025Making an Inclusive, Sustainable & World-Class Urban Habitat from scratch.

Gautam Kirtane

Background:

India’s population is growing rapidly

There is a large movement of people from Rural to Urban areas

There is also an increasing movement of people from smaller to larger cities

Quality of Life (QoL) is perceived as sharply deteriorating in all cities and varies unjustifiably with income

Despite this, cities continue to attract more migrants both in the formal and informal sectors due to disproportionate concentration of wealth in very small geographies

As existing megacities get crowded their infrastructure gets overburdened

Hence, there is a need to Retrofit cities to meet this surge of population: Mass transport infrastructure

Bandra Worli Sea Link; Mumbai Metro; Eastern Freeway, Monorail, Housing

Dharavi Redevelopment, SRA, Rajiv Awas Yojana, etc.. Employment

SJSRY, Water supply & sanitation

MSDP, Middle Vaitarna, Landfill Crisis in Mumbai Food Security Power Supply Healthcare Education Pollution control Open spaces

Okay…..So?

Retrofitting is riddled with problems in existing megacities like Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, New Dehli, Bangalore and other oversaturated metropolises.

There is an increased cost and recurring delays in completion of all large infrastructure projects

Overall the QoL keeps going down despite augmented and new infrastructure. Its always a game of ‘catch-up’. Many projects by the time of completion itself are falling short of requirement.

And we are practically paying an equivalent cost for the construction of multiple new cities just to hold our business together in existing megacities

Then why not just build a new city instead?

It can be planned from scratch

It can be easily made Sustainable by design and planning

Cheaper and Faster to build

Can be made Profitable over short periods of time

Retrofitting our existing large cities will not address the needs of the country 50 and 100 years down the line and somebody better start doing that really soon.

What does it take….?

Location: Must be close to existing large cities in terms of time/ distance/ both

Location: Needs vacant or sparsely populated land for ease of acquisition and minimal cost of compensation (land acquisition bill 2013)

Location: Availability of a water source(s), food source and pleasant climate

Sweet spot at centre point of Mumbai Pune & Nashik checks all the boxes for ‘One habitat’ approach

Maharashtra is the most urbanized state (by population) Mumbai Metropolitan Region= 20,748,395 Pune Metropolitan Region= 5049968 Nashik Urban Agglomeration -population of 1,629,769 This Mumbai-Pune Nashik Belt is probably one of the most

populated areas in the world (needs verification) and will become the largest urban agglomeration if this city habitat becomes a reality

There has already been a keen interest in connecting these three cities via High Speed Rail and Expressways which is one of the pillars of establishing the new city(ies)

New Multiple Mode Transport CorridorArea of Proposed India HabitatCurrent Rail NetworkCurrent Road Network Delhi Freight Corridor

Exiting cities (ULBs) in 100 km catchment from habitat Centre:

Palghar, Vasai-Virar, Navghar Manikpur, Mira Bhayendar, Nalasopara, Thane,Bhiwandi Nizampur, Kalyan Dombivali, Ulhasnagar, Vashi, Khargar, Kalamboli, Kamothe, Dronagiri, Ulve, New Panvel, Panvel, Kulgaon Baldapur, Nhava-Sheva, Uran, Rasayani, Pen, Neral, Karjat, Khopoli, Lonavala, Talegaon Dabhale, Pimpri Chinchwad, Chakan, Junnar, Shahpur, Igatpuri, Deolali, Sangamner,

It will effectively connect all these cities with each other in a fraction of the existing time taken to reach there.

Many of them will become suburbs of the habitat

Tremendous improvement in quality of life for the middle class and large employment and networking opportunities for all

Completely new transport corridors – not involving existing corridors.

habitat Profile

Area: 1,000 – 2,000 km2

Population: 15,000,000- 50,000,000

Population density: 15,000- 25,000/ km2

Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata average = 62,000/ km2

20 Minutes from Mumbai, Pune & Nashik to habitat Centre (@ 250 km/h by High Speed Rail)

80 km from Mumbai Pune and Nashik to habitat Centre by road/ regular rail

55 – 62 km from habitat Limits (depending on radius) by road/ regular rail

In a sparsely populated area west of Junnar - ease of land acquisition

Pleasant climate for most of the year.

Good Water Availability

The Challenge (Economic Sustainability)

In order to be a ‘World City’ connectivity through High Speed Rail from Mumbai Pune & Nashik is a must. All the city infrastructure will also have to be world-class which would require very large capital expenditure

These costs can be recovered through various mechanisms if the city(ies) are successful and get populated as planned.

The city must be planned in a manner that attracts business and industry, regionally, nationally and internationally.

Quality infrastructure, MIS based, transparent governance and available manpower must be the best in the country and provide a distinct advantage to users in order to promote and encourage active migration for green business and industry

It must offer the highest quality of life – at par with international standards so as to actively encourage migration of a young workforce as well

Costs can be recovered from sale of finished land and from rentals

The Challenge (Social Sustainability)

Project Affected Persons (PAPs) will be a sensitive issue. They must all be absorbed into the new such that it gives them a markedly improved QoL and optional employment opportunities. PAP farmers must be encouraged to continue farming in alternate farmlands that can be directly linked to markets in the habitat. Such farmers must be provided with handholding to encourage organic farming, setting up green housesand to cushion them from ill effects of climate change etc.

It must be a city without slums from the outset. Its bylaws must provide for minimum wage to be such that everyone can afford to rent a house albeit at government subsidised rates.

Accordingly, rent must also be controlled/ regulated by the government. Large numbers of rental apartments must be owned by the government to effectively enforce such a bylaw. Shelter homes for the unemployed must also be carefully planned

By design, Housing must be to allow for sharing of resources like transportation, parking, parks, gardens and open areas etc to minimize costs of living and maximize QoL

A city for every Indian and welcoming to every global citizen

The Challenge (Environmental Sustainability)

Detailed base-lining of information related to all farms and vegetation that will be absorbed by the habitat

Mapping of areas and health of forests in and around the habitat to ensure their preservation and growth as well as maintenance of critical forest corridors in synergy with organized and sustainable farming

Landuse planning from the outset to: maintain and steadily increase the forest cover; to plan farming so as to source maximum amount of

food from as close as possible to the habitat and ensure livelihoods creation for farmers in this region

Connectivity for All

Need to create a new multiple-mode transport corridor

Under 20 Minutes from Mumbai Pune Nasik can only be achieved by High Speed Rail (HSR average speed of 300 km/h)

Regular Rail transport can reach in 1 hour on the same corridor. Freight transport must also be studied for feasibility in light of Dehli Freight Corridor.

Road transport can reach in 1 hour which is still a better option for many who travel over 4 hours to get to and from work each day.

Your new city by 2025…

New Commercial capital

Education Hub of global repute with large universities and student friendly facilities

Sports Village – with public infrastructure for fitness and sports at central and neighbourhood level

Quality and affordable healthcare

Affordable ownership and rental housing for private sector and govt. subsidised rental housing to ensure slum free city.

Arts, Culture and History centre

Governance & Administration benchmark

Lowest crime rates & Safety benchmark

• Sustainable food sourcing involving PAP farmers

• Robust pollution free public transport

• Green energy• Only green industries• Lowest per capita carbon foot print• Low per capita water footprint and

24X7 water supply• Maximum recycling of water• Maximum decentralized waste

management• Low waste disposal per capita• Low energy consumption per

capita• India’s largest airport• One of the best cities in the world?

Ballpark Costs

HSR @ Rs. 100 Crore per km = 25,000 Cr

6 lane expressway (@ of construction of Yamuna Expressway) = 20,000 Cr

Land acquitsion @ Rs. 5,00,000 per acre for 2000 km2 =Rs. 25,000 Cr

Internal Infrastructure Roads, Power, Water, Sewage, other Utilities, Government Buildings etc. = Rs. 80,000 Cr.

Total = 1,50,000 Cr. (US $ 25 Billion)

Alternate Approach:Multiple, Smaller New

citiesCan be placed in and around the Mumbai-Pune-

Nashik Triangle

Will offer quicker connectivity options for each metro city depending on location between each other as well Mumbai Pune Nashik

Will be easier to acquire land, plan, build and operate (govern) than one habitat approach

Population can be 50,000 to 1 million for each such city. Population densities can vary from 20,000 to 50,000 per km2

Thank You

Gautam KirtaneResearch Fellow

Observer Research Foundation Mumbaikirtaneg@gmail.com