More than 300 students and professionals from across the country turned up for day one of the Urban Habitat Summit, a multilayered initiative jointly hosted by the India Habitat Centre and the Urban Habitats Forum.

Termed as the largest urban development summit and a platform to initiate dialogue on best urban practices, the event saw balanced participation between civil society groups and the government — M Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Arun Maira, member of Planning Commission and Rakesh Mehta, Delhi Chief Secretary, addressed different discussion groups.

Ramachandran delivered the keynote address in an afternoon session themed “Alternative Urban Features for India,” where he called for greater co-ordination between national, state and local bodies as well as the civil society “to create sustainable and safer cities”.

With rapid infrastructural development taking place across the nation, Ramachandran outlined a broad framework for sustainable urbanisation. He highlighted the fact that the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) has funded 467 projects worth Rs 50,339 crore since its inception nearly four years ago.

According to Ramachandran, it is imperative to make “masterplans that are more dynamic and requirement-centric.” He also focussed on the need to improve sanitation facilities in cities and linking financial assistance to reforms.

Ramachandran also spoke briefly on the various policies initiated by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), such as the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat and the National Urban Sanitation Policy. The MoUD is expecting deliverables from 14 centres of excellence it has helped develop in various institutes across the country, including a few IITs. These centres of excellence will study capacity building for urban development, he added.

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