New Delhi: Growing urbanisation in India has impacted the rising population within the major urban centres. Rapid changes in infrastructure, transportation, and energy consumption have greatly affected people’s ways of living, a new study has found.
In collaboration with Deloitte, Artha Global’s Centre for Rapid Insights – a research, consulting, and network-facilitation organisation based in Mumbai – conducted a series of surveys on issues relating to public transport, water supply and energy efficiency to assess the resilience of urban infrastructure to climate risks and how the urban population adapts to them.
A total of 8,000 urban residents across Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Bangalore were surveyed via a series of phone calls via Interactive Voice Response.
The study found that while infrastructural changes have brought advancements, they have also produced negative impacts, including urban flooding, extreme heat, urban vulnerabilities, and air pollution.
On transportation
Transportation is an emerging challenge in urban centres. Among the key factors affecting the usage of public transportation across cities, common infrastructural barriers included poor last-mile connectivity (28%), safety and cleanliness (24%) and unreliable service (22%).
Poor last-mile connectivity remains the most important barrier to using public transport. Source: Urban Resilience Across Cities in India | Artha Centre for Rapid Insight
Poor last-mile connectivity was a major issue in Bangalore (48%) and Kolkata (32%). Meanwhile, safety and cleanliness were big barriers for Chennai (31%), and unreliable service was a persistent problem in Mumbai (32%).
Additionally, the report also pointed out that with the growing uptake of public transport, a better solution would be required to address these issues directly.
On water supply
Supply of piped water and drinking water availability emerged as another concern, as per the report.
According to the 76th National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), as cited in the report, while 40.9% of households in these cities have piped water connections, only 25% have piped drinking water connections.
Meanwhile, the study found that of the total surveyed residents, while 62% had access to piped water supply daily, 21% had no such access.
The highest shortage was in Kolkata, where 44% of the respondents did not have piped water supply; 24% in Bangalore and 22% in Delhi lacked piped water connection.
Kolkata has the highest percentage of respondents that lack access to piped water supply. Source: Urban Resilience Across Cities in India | Artha Centre for Rapid Insight
Furthermore, 46% of the total surveyed residents relied on supplemental water sources, and 24% frequently or always needed to supplement their piped water supply. Environmental issues like erratic monsoons and declining groundwater levels are expected to worsen the situation.
On energy-efficient households
A third survey has found that energy consumption patterns are becoming increasingly unsustainable in major cities, highlighting the need for more efficient systems. Solar panels were found to be the most commonly adopted energy efficient system.
Solar energy represents a promising alternative for reducing monthly electricity expenses in Indian cities. However, the findings deduced that high initial costs and inadequate resources remain a challenge in installing these.
Solar panels are the most commonly adopted energy-efficient system for homes. Source: Urban Resilience Across Cities in India | Artha Centre for Rapid Insight
The survey observed that 58% of the residents had not adopted any energy-efficient technologies for electricity at home. Meanwhile, 25% of the residents said that they lacked the motivation to adopt energy-efficient technologies, and 20% identified high initial costs as a major barrier.
High initial costs were the biggest barrier for residents in Bangalore (36%) and Mumbai (26%), while rental properties emerged as a huge challenge in Chennai (42%).
For Delhi (32%) and Kolkata (31%), lack of government support was the main reason for not choosing sustainable energy alternatives. Notably, the Delhi government provides free electricity up to 200 units.
High initial costs is a major barrier for not opting for sustainable energy sources in Bangalore and Mumbai. Source: Urban Resilience Across Cities in India | Artha Centre for Rapid Insight
Energy conservation is aided by financial mechanisms. Electricity prices in India have risen significantly over the past decade, the survey observed, emphasising the urgent need for sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions.
Citing one such scheme, the survey mentioned how the Andhra Pradesh government’s 25% subsidy on total fixed capital investment for green projects has successfully incentivised sustainable practices and provided a model for scaling adoption across other states.
Alternative energy sources, disaster readiness, and less dependence on electricity-run resources must aid urban growth and expansion. The availability of these allows cities to be more resistant to the high population rise and prepare for a better tomorrow for future generations, it stated.
Zainab S Qazi is an editorial intern at The Wire.
