HILL OR CITY, URBAN PLANNING CANNOT BE AN AFTERTHOUGHT

Context: 

From Joshimath to Panjim, India’s flawed urban journey points to the need for having a multi-generational process in place for better urban planning.

The Problem In Hilly Urban India:

• Common phenomenon: Land subsidence incidents in hilly urban India are becoming increasingly common —an estimated 12.6% of India’s land area is prone to landslides, especially in Sikkim, West Bengal and Uttarakhand.
• Poor planning: Land use planning in India’s Himalayan towns and the Western Ghats is often ill-conceived, adding to slope instability. As a result, landslide vulnerability has risen, made worse by tunnelling construction that is weakening rock formations.
• Need to reduce intervention: Areas with high landslide risk should not be allowed to expand large infrastructure; there must be a push to reduce human interventions and adhere to carrying capacity.