Who has the right to city?" asks Mayank Mathur, a faculty member at the School of Planning and Architecture.
Delhi is one of the 15 major urban agglomerates in the world. According to a report by National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB), titled "Study on counter magnet areas to Delhi and NCR", the unprecedented growth rate here is mainly due to high migration from other states.
During 1991-2001, the citys population grew by 47 per cent, reads the report.
"Migration in itself is not a problem. If you track history, countries and continents have witnessed migration as it is the symbol of life," says Mathur, associate professor and head of department.
However, poor living conditions for migrants lead to encroachments across the capital. "Wherever there is a construction site, there is squatting of migrant workers. This is because they have nowhere else to go.
They continue to squat even after construction is over," says Sonali, a founding partner of Morphogenesis, an architectural firm.
A possible solution is a network of housing schemes.
"Developers can lease out land for the period of construction to these workers who form a major chunk of migrants. This would also ensure they do not fall prey to financial and sexual exploitation from local bullies as their living conditions would improve," says Sonali.
Every year at least three lakh people migrate to Delhi as it is a big employment centre and has higher per capita income, says Neelima Risbud, a professor at SPA.
The main reasons of migration to the capital are employment opportunities, family movement, education, marriage and business, according to NCRPB.
Most migrants come from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The other states which contribute to the citys migrant population are Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, states NCRPB.
Many of them settle in unauthorised colonies or jhuggis. Over four million people live in 1,639 unauthorised colonies, says a Delhi Urban Art Commission source. But does this population live with dignity?
According to government estimates, 30 per cent of the population does not have municipal water-pipe connection. "According to National Sample Survey Organisation, 29.7 per cent of rural households do not get sufficient drinking water through the year," said Jitendra Choubey of Centre for Science and Environment.
The unauthorised colonies lack proper infrastructure such as roads, water supply and drainage, electric supply and solid-waste management provisions.
For example, Savda Ghevra, supposedly a "resettlement colony" located on Delhi-Haryana border, is nothing more than an unauthorised one.
According to a report by Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN), adequate infrastructure has not been provided by the government to people, mostly mirgants, who were made to settle eight years back under Delhi governments "sites and services programme".
Haphazard construction has allowed no common open space. Encroachment is rampant in such areas.
As per the norms listed in a DUAC report, there should be one primary school for a population of 5,000. Savda Ghevra, with over a lakh residents has just seven government schools, short of its requirement by 13.
There is only one primary health centre.
Those employed earn Rs 3,000 or less per month.
"The lack of balanced regional growth is one of the most important factors for Delhi's high population rate," says Neelima, a faculty member at SPA.
"Delhi being a huge urban agglomeration needs special budgetary allocations. Crony capitalism resulting in inefficiency of municipal corporations has not allowed Delhi to have a world-class infrastructure," adds the professor.
*Lack of vision*
What has been missing is an integrative approach in the city planning, says Mathur.
"Merely allocating land and housing facilities is not enough for poor people. We also need to see if we are creating enough employment opportunities near their housing settlements."
They are bound to sell their allotted plots and move to another location if they have no source of income.
Another reason for these people to be pushed to the fringes is unregulated real estate sector in India.
"A middle-class person can own as many flats he or she wants. This reduces the supply of houses for poor people in mainstream locations. Hence, they are forced to the fringes."
"The government should not allot plots to these people. Instead, group housing should be the model where access to common open space along with all basic requirements should be the key," says a DUAC official.
Lack of city planners at the grass-root level is another challenge Delhi faces. "As per the McKinsey report, we only have 4,000 planners in the country," says Ashok Kumar, a faculty member at SPA. Reported by Deccan Herald 8 hours ago.
Delhi is one of the 15 major urban agglomerates in the world. According to a report by National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB), titled "Study on counter magnet areas to Delhi and NCR", the unprecedented growth rate here is mainly due to high migration from other states.
During 1991-2001, the citys population grew by 47 per cent, reads the report.
"Migration in itself is not a problem. If you track history, countries and continents have witnessed migration as it is the symbol of life," says Mathur, associate professor and head of department.
However, poor living conditions for migrants lead to encroachments across the capital. "Wherever there is a construction site, there is squatting of migrant workers. This is because they have nowhere else to go.
They continue to squat even after construction is over," says Sonali, a founding partner of Morphogenesis, an architectural firm.
A possible solution is a network of housing schemes.
"Developers can lease out land for the period of construction to these workers who form a major chunk of migrants. This would also ensure they do not fall prey to financial and sexual exploitation from local bullies as their living conditions would improve," says Sonali.
Every year at least three lakh people migrate to Delhi as it is a big employment centre and has higher per capita income, says Neelima Risbud, a professor at SPA.
The main reasons of migration to the capital are employment opportunities, family movement, education, marriage and business, according to NCRPB.
Most migrants come from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The other states which contribute to the citys migrant population are Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, states NCRPB.
Many of them settle in unauthorised colonies or jhuggis. Over four million people live in 1,639 unauthorised colonies, says a Delhi Urban Art Commission source. But does this population live with dignity?
According to government estimates, 30 per cent of the population does not have municipal water-pipe connection. "According to National Sample Survey Organisation, 29.7 per cent of rural households do not get sufficient drinking water through the year," said Jitendra Choubey of Centre for Science and Environment.
The unauthorised colonies lack proper infrastructure such as roads, water supply and drainage, electric supply and solid-waste management provisions.
For example, Savda Ghevra, supposedly a "resettlement colony" located on Delhi-Haryana border, is nothing more than an unauthorised one.
According to a report by Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN), adequate infrastructure has not been provided by the government to people, mostly mirgants, who were made to settle eight years back under Delhi governments "sites and services programme".
Haphazard construction has allowed no common open space. Encroachment is rampant in such areas.
As per the norms listed in a DUAC report, there should be one primary school for a population of 5,000. Savda Ghevra, with over a lakh residents has just seven government schools, short of its requirement by 13.
There is only one primary health centre.
Those employed earn Rs 3,000 or less per month.
"The lack of balanced regional growth is one of the most important factors for Delhi's high population rate," says Neelima, a faculty member at SPA.
"Delhi being a huge urban agglomeration needs special budgetary allocations. Crony capitalism resulting in inefficiency of municipal corporations has not allowed Delhi to have a world-class infrastructure," adds the professor.
*Lack of vision*
What has been missing is an integrative approach in the city planning, says Mathur.
"Merely allocating land and housing facilities is not enough for poor people. We also need to see if we are creating enough employment opportunities near their housing settlements."
They are bound to sell their allotted plots and move to another location if they have no source of income.
Another reason for these people to be pushed to the fringes is unregulated real estate sector in India.
"A middle-class person can own as many flats he or she wants. This reduces the supply of houses for poor people in mainstream locations. Hence, they are forced to the fringes."
"The government should not allot plots to these people. Instead, group housing should be the model where access to common open space along with all basic requirements should be the key," says a DUAC official.
Lack of city planners at the grass-root level is another challenge Delhi faces. "As per the McKinsey report, we only have 4,000 planners in the country," says Ashok Kumar, a faculty member at SPA. Reported by Deccan Herald 8 hours ago.