Urban Infrastructure Challenges: Urban Transport, Waste Disposal, Water Supply, Drainage, Sanitation
Geography › Urbanization, Settlements and Migration · Topic 10.3
Urban infrastructure in India has not kept pace with growth. Public transport is limited, so roads are clogged with private vehicles, and metro rail covers only a few cities. Cities generate more than a hundred thousand tonnes of solid waste a day, much of it dumped untreated. Piped water supply is intermittent in many towns, and groundwater is over-pumped. Storm drains are often blocked by waste and built over, causing urban floods, and a large part of sewage is released without treatment. Sanitation has improved under the Swachh Bharat Mission, but gaps remain.
5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Geography · Urbanization, Settlements and Migration
At a Glance
- Transport Congestion, few metros, dominance of two-wheelers
- Waste Over 1 lakh tonnes a day, much unprocessed
- Water Intermittent supply, falling groundwater
- Drainage Urban floods
- Schemes AMRUT 2.0, SBM-Urban 2.0, Metro
- Exam link UPSC Prelims, Geography: Urbanization, Settlements and Migration
Where Does It Fit?
This topic follows the topic on migration and slums and deals with the services that cities have to provide to everyone. The same gaps explain much of urban poverty, and the remedies lead to the smart city efforts discussed later. Previous topic: Urbanization Challenges: Rural-Urban Migration, Emergence of Slums, Informal Settlements. Next topic: Urban Poverty.
What Are the Problems of Urban Transport?
- Congestion: the number of vehicles has grown much faster than road space, and two-wheelers and cars dominate. Average speeds in big cities in peak hours are very low.
- Weak public transport: buses are few and old, and metro rail, now operating in more than 20 cities, carries a small share of trips. Last-mile links and safe footpaths are lacking.
- Pollution and accidents: vehicles are a main source of air pollution and a cause of road deaths.
- Responses: the National Urban Transport Policy of 2006 favours public transport and non-motorised travel; the Metro Rail Policy of 2017; bus rapid transit; electric buses under the FAME scheme; and the PM e-Bus Sewa; congestion pricing and parking policies are discussed.
What Are the Problems of Waste, Water and Sanitation?
| Sector | Problem | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Solid waste | Urban India generates roughly 1.5 lakh tonnes a day; collection is good in many cities but processing is low and waste is dumped at overflowing landfills such as Ghazipur and Deonar | Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016: source segregation, composting, bio-mining of old dumps; Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (2021 to 2026) for garbage-free cities |
| Water supply | Supply is often for a few hours a day, losses from leaking pipes are high, and groundwater is falling in cities like Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi | AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0 (universal tap connections in towns), rainwater harvesting, reuse of treated water |
| Sewage | Less than a third of urban sewage is treated; the rest pollutes rivers and lakes | Sewage treatment plants, hybrid annuity projects, Namami Gange |
| Sanitation | Open defecation has mostly ended in towns, but public toilets and faecal sludge management are weak | Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, ODF++ standards |
| Drainage | Storm drains are blocked by waste and silt, lakes and wetlands built over, and large paved areas raise runoff | Drain restoration, rainwater drains, protection of water bodies, flood maps |
The figures are approximate and are updated by the Central Pollution Control Board and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, so the latest reports should be checked.
Why Do Cities Flood and What Can Be Done?
Urban flooding has become a major hazard, as seen in Mumbai in 2005, Chennai in 2015, Bengaluru in 2022 and Delhi in 2023. The reasons are heavy and intense rainfall linked to climate change, loss of lakes, wetlands and floodplains to buildings, paving of ground that stops water from soaking in, and blocked or inadequate drains. Remedies are to restore water bodies, build permeable surfaces and rainwater storage, map flood-prone areas, regulate building on floodplains, and improve forecasting and drain maintenance. Cities such as Chennai and Surat have shown that planning and early warning reduce losses.
Cities also lack open space and play areas, and street lighting and public safety, especially for women, are weak in many places. Fire services, ambulances and disaster response have not grown with the cities, and old buildings, many of them unsafe, add to the risk. The cost of fixing all this is large: expert committees have estimated that India’s cities need investments of several lakh crore rupees a year in the coming decades, much more than the current spending of city governments. As an analytical point, urban infrastructure is a question of governance as much as money: city governments are weak and lack their own funds, as described in National Urbanisation Policy and Government Urban Development Policy. The trade-offs of city size and planning principles are in Principles of Urban Planning, and the effect on the poor in Urban Poverty.
Why Is This Topic Important?
- Services Basic urban problems
- Schemes AMRUT, SBM-U, metro
- Hazard Urban floods
What Came Next?
The next topic describes urban poverty. Next topic: Urban Poverty.
Key People and Terms
- AMRUT Mission for urban water and sewerage
- SBM-Urban Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)
- BRT Bus rapid transit
- Urban flood Flooding due to heavy rain in built-up areas
- Bio-mining Clearing old dumpsites
- Last-mile connectivity Link from transit stop to destination
Exam Corner
Points to Remember
- Urban waste: over 1 lakh tonnes a day.
- SWM Rules came in 2016.
- AMRUT began in 2015; AMRUT 2.0 in 2021.
- Urban floods: Mumbai 2005, Chennai 2015.
- Under a third of urban sewage is treated.
Do Not Confuse With
- AMRUT and Smart Cities Water and sewerage mission versus area-based smart development
- SBM-Urban and SBM-Gramin Urban versus rural sanitation mission
- Drainage and sewerage Rain water versus waste water
Memory Hook
Roads jam, waste piles, taps run dry, drains choke, sewage flows by; schemes try.
Mains Angle
Questions ask for the urban service gaps and solutions. These points add depth.
- Gaps Transport, water, waste
- Hazard Urban flooding
- Governance Weak city finances
A Question You May Face
An original practice question, not a past paper question.
“Examine the major infrastructure challenges of Indian cities and suggest ways to make urban services sustainable.”
How to Answer
- Transport Congestion and public transit.
- Services Waste, water, sewage.
- Floods Causes and remedies.
- Governance Finance and planning.
GS Relevance
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main problems of urban transport in India?
The main problems are congestion caused by the rapid growth of private vehicles, weak and unreliable public transport, limited metro and bus services, lack of footpaths and cycle lanes, air pollution and road accidents. Policies such as the National Urban Transport Policy favour public and non-motorised transport.
How much solid waste do Indian cities generate?
Urban India generates roughly 1.5 lakh tonnes of municipal solid waste a day, according to the Central Pollution Control Board, and the quantity is rising. While collection has improved, a large part is not processed and is dumped in landfills. The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 require segregation at source and processing.
Why do Indian cities face urban floods?
Urban floods occur because of intense rainfall, loss of lakes and wetlands to construction, paved surfaces that prevent water from soaking in, and blocked or inadequate drains. Climate change is making heavy rainfall more frequent, as seen in the floods in Mumbai in 2005, Chennai in 2015 and Bengaluru in 2022.
What is AMRUT?
The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, launched in 2015, supports water supply, sewerage, storm water drainage, urban transport and green spaces in selected cities. AMRUT 2.0, launched in 2021, aims for universal tap water in all statutory towns and sewerage in larger cities, with a focus on reuse of water.
How much sewage is treated in Indian cities?
Less than one-third of the sewage generated by Indian cities is treated, according to Central Pollution Control Board assessments, as treatment capacity falls short of the amount generated and many plants work below capacity. The untreated sewage flows into rivers, lakes and the ground, and pollutes water sources.
PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis
1 The Solid Waste Management Rules were notified in 2016.
They require waste segregation at source.
2 AMRUT is a mission for urban water supply and sewerage.
It began in 2015.
3 Most urban sewage in India is fully treated.
Less than a third is treated.
4 The Chennai floods took place in 2015.
A major urban flood.
Past Mains Questions on This Topic
This topic comes under Urbanization, Settlements and Migration. UPSC Mains questions asked on the matching syllabus topic, year-wise with marks:
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