Incredible as it looks, the pace of urbanization has led to a parallel of sprouting of slums in cities which poses many a problem not only for the policy planners but also for those institutions looking after keeping cities and towns tidy, green and de- congested in the country.
The Central Government has come out with a plan to construct 15 lac houses for the urban poor as a small step towards fighting the gigantic problem of proper housing for those living in slums in abject conditions. The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while inaugurating a Rs.2400 crore housing project for slum dwellers on the outskirts of Chandigarh on Sept 13 hoped that with the completion of the project, Chandigarh shall become the first slum free city in the country and that such projects would give new dimensions to the country in its journey towards become a developed nation. The Prime Minister, on the occasion, further said that the urban population in the country was expected to increase by 22 crore in the next two decades and was bound to put immense pressure on urban infrastructure.
A sum of Rs. 41000 crore is expected to be invested for setting up 15.6 lac houses under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme which denotes that the attention of the government has been fast getting focused on the urban side also along with the rural one.
By the time, however, the said project gets ready for allotment to those living in slums, how much additional slums shall, during the intervening period, surface at different places, shall have to be taken into consideration and most probably, preventive measures shall neither be employed nor shall other contributing factors tackled as there is no proper policy in force. What about the basic problem of increasing population which is at the root cause of the country’s numerous problems, the Government has been found wanting in formulating a proper, tangible and result oriented population policy. Conventional considerations, post independence, that of the prospect of votes, primarily come in the way. We cannot, now any more adopt an ostrich like approach to avoid and ignore the pernicious effects of overpopulation on almost all of our economic policies and developmental projects.
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