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Hyderabad, Ahmedabad to be new mega cities

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The Times of India      Hyderabad      07.09.2016

Hyderabad, Ahmedabad to be new mega cities

NEW DELHI: At present, India is home to five mega cities, with over 10 million population, but by 2030 this number will go up to seven. Delhi will continue to be the second most populous city in the world till 2030, adding a staggering 9.6 million people to its population -- the most in any mega city.

The facts have been revealed in the 2016 World Cities Report issued by the UN's department of economic and social affairs.

The report has not relied on the administrative boundaries of cities but has, instead, preferred to use the concept of "urban agglomeration" which is the "the contiguous urban area, or built-up area". For example, in the case of Delhi urban agglomeration, the satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad and Gurgaon are included. Such inclusion makes sense as people in these contiguous areas are economically and socially integrated with the main city.

Around the world, about 500 million people live in 31 such mega cities. That's about 6.8% of the world's population or 12% of the world's urban population. The report calculates that by 2030, the number of mega cities will increase to 41 and their population to about 730 million or 8.7% of the world's population.

Other Indian cities figuring in 2016's mega cities list are Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai. By 2030, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad will join them, as their respective populations would cross 10 million.

The UN report shows that only a minority of urban dwellers actually live in mega cities. Nearly 21% of the world's population stays in cities of population between 500,000 to 10 million, while an even bigger share of 26.8% resides in smaller cities and towns with a population of less than 500,000.

By 2030, the world's population will decisively shift to urban living with 60% of the estimated population living in cities, big or small. Currently, about 54% of the world's population is urban.

Most of the urban growth is happening in developing countries in Asia and Africa. By 2030, as many as 33 of the 41 mega cities will be from the third world. Of the 47 cities that grew by over 6% every year between 2000 and 2016, six were in Africa, 40 in Asia (including 20 in China) and just one in North America.

Interestingly, not all cities are growing. Out of the 1,063 cities with a population over 500,000, as many as 55 have shown a decline since 2000. Most of these cities are located in Europe and some in Japan. Their decline is mostly due to falling fertility levels, although some have shown a dip in population due to natural calamities like New Orleans (due to hurricane Katrina) and Sendai in Japan (tsunami).
 

Comprehensive mobility plan for 11 municipal corporation of Bihar to be made soon

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The Times of India      Patna     02.09.2016  

Comprehensive mobility plan for 11 municipal corporation of Bihar to be made soon

PATNA: The State urban development and housing department (UDHD) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Institute of Urban Transport (IUT) for the preparation of comprehensive mobility plans (CMP) of 11 municipal corporations of Bihar. IUT director Kanika Kalra was present in Patna for the signing of MOU.

CMP is prepared after doing survey and studying the topography and landscape of a particular area. The idea is to understand the growing population of the city, and accordingly prepare the traffic and transport strategy for the next 20 years, which includes widening of roads, construction of flyovers, implementation of metro, mono-rail or other transport feasible for the particular city.

"CPM is mandatory in any project related to transport and traffic management, where central assistance is required", said a source in UDHD adding, "Since CPM of Patna was not made, the centre was not giving green signal to the metro project, so we had to make rapid assessment study (RAS) of Patna r instead of CPM, to get the nod from the centre".

As of now CMP of Patna, Danapur, Khagaul, Phulwarisharif, Bhagalpur, Munger, Katihar, Purnia, Begusarai, Ara, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Biharsharif and Gaya would be made.

The request for proposal (RFP) would be finalised in 21 days, followed by the selection of the consultant, which would be done in 60 days, from the signing of MOU.
 

DDA modifies its ‘adopt-a-park’ scheme

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The Hindu     11.07.2016  

DDA modifies its ‘adopt-a-park’ scheme

Will now provide ways for adopting agencies to earn revenue while maintaining parks

green parks:Adopting agencies can set-up kiosks and nurseries and put up ad space on park furniture.file photo
green parks:Adopting agencies can set-up kiosks and nurseries and put up ad space on park furniture.file photo

In a bid to provide better maintenance of its major parks in the Capital, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has modified its ‘Adopt a Park’ scheme, which will now allow voluntary organisations to maintain parks in lieu of putting up ads, kiosks and nurseries.

The DDA had first floated the scheme of adoption of parks by public trusts, corporates, PSUs and RWAs, but had put a caveat that the entire cost of maintaining these parks, which range in size from 1.5 acre to more than five acres, entirely on the organisations adopting them.

The scheme, however, has now been modified to encourage more organisations to come forward.

The DDA has now allowed the adopting agencies to adopt some practices that will enable them to earn revenue. These include putting up eco-friendly kiosks for selling packed healthy and nutritious food items, newspapers, books, florist shops, flowers and plants, setting up of plant nursery for sale of seedlings etc., apart from the right to put up advertisements on park furniture.

“The scheme is open to registered societies, public institutions, big business houses, autonomous bodies, public trusts and RWAs, who can adopt a park and take care of its maintenance. In lieu of the cost they will incur in maintaining the parks, the adopting agencies have been allowed to put up kiosks and other facilities, which will also serve as added attractions for park users,” said a senior DDA official, who didn’t wish to be named.

The rules

The DDA, however, has stipulated that the adopting agency has no rights over the park or to use the area for any other purpose.

The voluntary agency shall also prominently display that the park belongs to the DDA and it has been permitted to maintain it.

The display board has to be put up at a specified place in the main portion of the park. The agency will also have to ensure that no encroachments are made in the park.

The parks will have to be kept open to the general public and it can’t impose any kind of entry fee. The agency also can’t organise any concerts, shows or exhibitions at the park without the DDA’s approval.

Holding a wedding and other social functions will not be allowed at these parks.

The DDA has also strictly stipulated that the adopting agency can’t cut any trees or remove plants from the park, apart from any furniture already present in the parks.

Though the voluntary agency can erect or construct eco-friendly kiosks, plant nurseries for sale of plants and garden products and use park furniture for branding and publicity purposes, it can only be done with the prior permission of the DDA.

While its earlier initiative didn't find many takers, the DDA hopes that the modified rules will attract organisations to come forward and adopt a park.

Areas where parks are up for adoption include East of Kailash, Chittaranjan Park, Rohtak Road, Vasant Kunj, Janakpuri, Dwarka, Pitampura, Lawrence Road, Rohini, I.P. Extension, Mayur Vihar Phase-I, Shahdara, Todapur and Narela.

Earlier, scheme didn’t find many takers as cost of maintaining parks was put entirely on adopting agencies.

 


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