Andhra Pradesh

National policy on urban sanitation soon

HYDERABAD: The Union Ministry of Urban Development is in the process of finalising a national policy on urban sanitation.

This has become necessary in view of overstressed infrastructure and poor delivery of services becoming the bane of cities, said Secretary, MUD, M. Ramachandran, while delivering the inaugural address at the international workshop on ‘Sustainable Urban Habitats’ here on Thursday. It was organised jointly by the Union Ministry of Urban Development and German Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

Urban India has emerged as the engine of economic growth and expected to contribute over 65 per cent of GDP by 2011. Though it is estimated that over 40 per cent of Indians will be living in urban areas by 2021, majority of the urban population had no access to drinking water or sanitation, Mr. Ramachandran said.

The Ministry, thus under the JNNURM, is collaborating with German Technical Cooperation known for its expertise and experience in creating sustainable urban habitats by striking a balance between economic development and use of natural resources, he said.

Under JNNURM, 63 mission cities had been identified which prepared City Development Plans and MoUs were signed to take up 330 projects.

Juergen Bischoff, Principal Advisor, GTZ, said they would like to extend cooperation in sustainable management of infrastructure, strengthening of municipal institutions in capacity building and interaction among stakeholders.

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