Popularly known as NCR, the National Capital Region is one of a kind in the world. It not only has the largest spatial extent but also brings together under one planning jurisdiction 13 districts of Haryana, seven districts of Uttar Pradesh and two districts of Rajasthan, which covers the entire National Capital Territory of Delhi.
After Partition, Delhi witnessed a decadal growth rate of about 50 per cent in its population of migrants. Delhi is considered a hub of jobs and opportunities that led to the inflow of people from adjacent areas. A recent survey has proved that Delhi is home to one-fourth of jobs created in eight big cities (Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune and Delhi).
Rapid migration led to a shortage of housing and basic infrastructure accompanied by deteriorating physical environment. As a result, the first step to the planned development of Delhi was taken in 1956 through Town Planning Organisation (TPO) which prepared an interim general plan for Greater Delhi.
The plan suggested that ‘serious consideration should be given for a planned decentralisation to outer areas and even outside the Delhi region’. This indicates that the National Capital Region is not a new entity. In the early 1970s, it was defined in geographic terms encompassing an area of over 30,000 sq km divided into inner core, middle tier and outer ring. This covered Faridabad, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Noida, Panipat, Alwar, Meerut and Rohtak.
In this process of planning a spatial development of both the rural hinterland and urban infrastructure, the government of India in concurrence with the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan passed an Act of Parliament in 1985.
This Act brought into being the NCR Planning Board (NCRPB).
In 1989, this board brought into force the Regional Plan of 2021 – a blueprint of various initiatives and policy imperatives needed to decrease the pressure of migration on Delhi. It identified regional centres or ‘priority towns’ in the NCR where the population will be deflected to.
The planning exercise has been continuously decentralised to sub-regional levels (Uttar Pradesh – 1992; Rajasthan – 1994) and functional levels (transport, power, telecommunication). In 2005, the board also notified Regional Plan (RP) – 2021 which is currently in force. RP-2021 attempts to outline future options in tackling the problems of this imbalance in the pattern of growth of Delhi and its surrounding region in the light of new economic realities post 1991.
The concept of the RP-2021 is to develop the entire NCR as a region of global excellence by promoting economic growth and balanced development. We have seen that various areas witness a spurt in the growth after getting included in the NCR.
Being a part of NCR, districts get qualified for financial assistance in the shape of soft loans and grants. It also props up the real sector. For example, Jind and Karnal districts of Haryana were included in the NCR in the year 2015. These districts will now be linked with the proposed Regional Rapid Transit System, a high-speed mass transportation rail network facilitating faster movement of traffic among the regional centres.
To boost the growth, the board provides loans to the state governments for water supply, sewerage, sanitation, drainage, solid waste management, roads and flyovers, transmission, distribution and generation of electricity at an interest rate of 7.5 per cent. However, the population in Delhi has continued to grow at a pace faster than anticipated.
It is estimated that by 2021 the population of the national capital city would be 204 lakh; and 163.5 lakh, 49.38 lakh and 203.5 lakh respectively for the sub-regions of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Fifty per cent of the total area of NCR has been urbanised and by 2021 no rural space will be left.
Here are three steps that may help solve the crisis.
First, jurisdictions in Delhi and other states have to figure out common priorities. Priorities of states are not in consonance with Delhi’s development policies which has hindered development. Once becoming a part of NCR, states are bound by the regional plan prepared by the NCRPB. This leaves very little room for the state government to use its discretion.
Second, we need enough housing initiatives to control unplanned settlements. Public sector is failing to deliver the requisite housing units in terms of number or cost, and, therefore, the housing problem is accentuating. Slums and squatter settlements are increasing. Private sector should make the best use of affordable housing scheme – Pradhan Mantri Awaaz Yojana – by the government. Also, as recommended by B K Sundar Ray, states can either purchase existing EWS plots and flats available for immediate occupancy or invest in fresh developments of such facilities.
Third, core regional infrastructure like road, rail, telecommunication and power network should be developed ab-initio, so that the private sector continues feeling enthusiastic about investing in industries, wholesale trade, commerce, social infrastructure etc. We are witnessing a remarkable increase in the entry of private real estate developers, but to sustain a planned growth, urban infrastructure and private real estate has to be in sync.
Today, NCR is the largest metropolitan region in India with 34,144 square kilometres. It is also the most populated area. NCR is a unique example of inter-state regional planning and development, bringing together four administratively independent units. It is crucial for the region to develop and keep in mind the objective with which it was established. National Capital Region is a hub of opportunities – for people as well as improvements. We must not let it fail.
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- Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance (LEAF) Coalition, a collective of the United States, United Kingdom and Norway governments, came up with a $1 billion fund.
- LEAF is supported by transnational corporations (TNCs) like Unilever plc, Amazon.com, Inc, Nestle, Airbnb, Inc as well as Emergent, a US-based non-profit.
- The world lost more than 10 million hectares of primary tropical forest cover last year, an area roughly the size of Switzerland.
- Ending tropical and subtropical forest loss by 2030 is a crucial part of meeting global climate, biodiversity and sustainable development goals. Protecting tropical forests offers one of the biggest opportunities for climate action in the coming decade.
- Tropical forests are massive carbon sinks and by investing in their protection, public and private players are likely to stock up on their carbon credits.
- The LEAF coalition initiative is a step towards concretising the aims and objectives of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) mechanism.
- REDD+ was created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It monetised the value of carbon locked up in the tropical forests of most developing countries, thereby propelling these countries to help mitigate climate change.
- It is a unique initiative as it seeks to help developing countries in battling the double-edged sword of development versus ecological commitment.
- The initiative comes at a crucial time. The tropics have lost close to 12.2 million hectares (mha) of tree cover last year according to global estimates released by Global Forest Watch.
- Of this, a loss of 4.2 mha occurred within humid tropical primary forests alone. It should come as no surprise that most of these lost forests were located in the developing countries of Latin America, Africa and South Asia.
- Brazil has fared dismally on the parameter of ‘annual primary forest loss’ among all countries. It has lost 1.7 mha of primary forests that are rich storehouse of carbon. India’s estimated loss in 2020 stands at 20.8 kilo hectares.
- Between 2002-2020, Brazil’s total area of humid primary forest reduced by 7.7 per cent while India’s reduced by 3.4 per cent.
- Although the loss in India is not as drastic as in Brazil, its position is nevertheless precarious. For India, this loss is equivalent to 951 metric tonnes worth carbon dioxide emissions released in the atmosphere.
- It is important to draw comparisons between Brazil and India as both countries have adopted a rather lackadaisical attitude towards deforestation-induced climate change. The Brazilian government hardly did anything to control the massive fires that gutted the Amazon rainforest in 2019.
- It is mostly around May that forest fires peak in India. However, this year India, witnessed massive forest fires in early March in states like Odisha, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram among others.
- The European Union’s Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service claimed that 0.2 metric tonnes of carbon was emitted in the Uttarakhand forest fires.
- Implementation of the LEAF Coalition plan will help pump in fresh rigour among developing countries like India, that are reluctant to recognise the contributions of their forest dwelling populations in mitigating climate change.
- With the deadline for proposal submission fast approaching, India needs to act swiftly on a revised strategy.
- Although India has pledged to carry out its REDD+ commitments, it is impossible to do so without seeking knowledge from its forest dwelling population.
Context:-
At the recently concluded Leaders’ Summit on Climate in April 2021, Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest Finance (LEAF) Coalition, a collective of the United States, United Kingdom and Norway governments, came up with a $1 billion fund plan that shall be offered to countries committed to arrest the decline of their tropical forests by 2030.
[wptelegram-join-channel link=”https://t.me/s/upsctree” text=”Join @upsctree on Telegram”]What is LEAF Coalition?
Why LEAF Coalition?
Brazil & India
According to the UN-REDD programme, after the energy sector, deforestation accounts for massive carbon emissions — close to 11 per cent — in the atmosphere. Rapid urbanisation and commercialisation of forest produce are the main causes behind rampant deforestation across tropical forests.
Tribes, Forests and Government
Disregarding climate change as a valid excuse for the fires, Indian government officials were quick to lay the blame for deforestation on activities of forest dwellers and even labelled them “mischievous elements” and “unwanted elements”.
Policy makers around the world have emphasised the role of indigenous tribes and local communities in checking deforestation. These communities depend on forests for their survival as well as livelihood. Hence, they understand the need to protect forests. However, by posing legitimate environmental concerns as obstacles to real development, governments of developing countries swiftly avoid protection of forests and rights of forest dwellers.
For instance, the Government of India has not been forthcoming in recognising the socio-economic, civil, political or even cultural rights of forest dwellers. According to data from the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs in December, 2020 over 55 per cent of this population has still not been granted either individual or community ownership of their lands.
To make matters worse, the government has undertaken systematic and sustained measures to render the landmark Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 ineffective in its implementation. The Act had sought to legitimise claims of forest dwellers on occupied forest land.
Various government decisions have seriously undermined the position of indigenous people within India. These include proposing amendments to the obsolete Indian Forest Act, 1927 that give forest officials the power to take away forest dwellers’ rights and to even use firearms with impunity.
There is also the Supreme Court’s order of February, 2019 directing state governments to evict illegal encroachers of forest land or millions of forest dwellers inhabiting forests since generations as a measure to conserve wildlife. Finally, there is the lack of data on novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) deaths among the forest dwelling population;
Tardy administration, insufficient supervision, apathetic attitude and a lack of political intent defeat the cause of forest dwelling populations in India, thereby directly affecting efforts at arresting deforestation.
Way Forward
Tuntiak Katan, a global indigenous leader from Ecuador and general coordinator of the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities, aptly indicated the next steps at the Climate Summit:
“The first step is recognition of land rights. The second step is the recognition of the contributions of local communities and indigenous communities, meaning the contributions of indigenous peoples.We also need recognition of traditional knowledge practices in order to fight climate change”
Perhaps India can begin by taking the first step.