What Ails Odisha’s Urban Planning?

Odisha’s urban growth is undeniable, but without integrated planning and enforcement, our cities risk becoming unlivable. Development must match vision with action

Pradeep Biswal

A state like Odisha, experiencing rapid urbanisation during the last few decades, faces numerous and complex challenges in urban planning . Cities like Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have been at the forefront of this growth but the rapid expansion has often outpaced the development of supporting infrastructure and services, leading to a host of problems for the citizens.

The key problems of urban planning in Odisha are many .  Unplanned and Haphazard Urban Development is one of them. There’s a lack of Integrated Planning in most of the cities.  In fact the cities in Odisha have grown without updated master plans or zoning regulations. This has led to uncontrolled and haphazard construction, with commercial and high-rise residential buildings mushrooming in different areas with minimal oversight.

Encroachment
Besides, there is widespread encroachment on Public and Natural Spaces. Illegal encroachment on government land, pavements, natural drainage channels, and public spaces , unauthorised slums , and street vendors pose serious problems. This not only creates traffic and safety hazards but also blocks natural waterways, exacerbating urban flooding. Admittedly, flood water drainage and water logging have become  menacing problems in cities like Bhubaneswar and Cuttack particularly during monsoon.

Insufficient Basic Services is another.  Over the past few years, the number of vehicles, particularly four wheelers, has increased rapidly, but the road network and public transport system have not kept pace. Rather the public roads are being encroached by miscreants and maintenance is too poor . This results in daily traffic congestion , especially in a crowded city like Bhubaneswar.

Many urban areas and their fringes lack adequate piped water supply, proper sewerage systems, and scientific waste management facilities. The multi-storey apartments being developed by promoters don’t have the proper drainage and waste management system. This has led to the depletion and contamination of groundwater and the proliferation of open dumping sites, which pose significant health hazards for the public.

Environmental Degradation comes on the third. There is rapid loss of green spaces in the urban areas for road expansion and construction of new buildings. This is again accelerated by natural disasters like cyclones. The expansion of cities has come at the cost of green cover. Forests, open spaces, and agricultural lands are being converted for construction, leading to increased air pollution, urban heat island effects, and a weakened natural ability to control floods.

Besides, growing urbanisation and construction activities are major contributors to air pollution in the urban areas. The lack of proper waste treatment and disposal further contributes to environmental degradation.

Migration
Then there are Socio-Economic Challenges. Uncontrolled migration from rural areas to  cities in search of employment and better living conditions has led to a significant increase in slums and informal settlements around the cities , which lack basic amenities and are often located in unsafe and unhygienic environments.

Since they provide services to the city heartlands , they are usually accommodated with sympathetic considerations and they also enjoy political patronage. But the slums always pose a threat to the health and hygiene of the cities.

Housing Shortages and Inequality is another problem. The rapid population increase has created a severe shortage of affordable housing for the urban poor, leading to a rise in slums. While there are some subsidised housing schemes by the government , the disparity in access to quality housing always remains a significant challenge.

So also,  institutional and Governance Issues. While the development authorities and the municipal authorities have the power to approve projects, violations of these approvals are frequent due to poor oversight and a lack of strict enforcement. Very often plans are being approved sacrificing the basic principles of planning and there is complete lack of transparency and accountability in the system. Enforcement is almost absent.

Manpower
There are often vacant positions in town planning branches , which hinders effective planning and the timely execution of urban projects. One Planning Officer is officiating for two to three local bodies at a time. In a few instances the multi storey buildings are coming up outside the jurisdiction of the development authority and the Panchayats don’t have the expertise to give plan approval for such buildings.

Some urban local bodies, particularly in smaller towns, have weak institutional capacities and are limited by their financial resources. This leaves little to no budget for development work after covering salaries of the employees and maintenance of basic services.

The state government  is well aware of these challenges and has introduced several initiatives to address them. The “JAGA Mission” aims to transform slums into livable habitats by providing land rights and civic amenities to slum dwellers.

Additionally, there are plans to expand the boundaries of cities and create a “tri-city” comprising Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Puri to better manage the growing population and address infrastructure strain on these cities .

The government is also working on a “2036 vision” to accelerate urban development by leveraging public-private partnerships and revising existing urban planning systems. However, the successful implementation of these plans remains crucial to overcoming the systemic problems of urban planning in the state plaguing it for many years.

(Pradeep Biswal, retired IAS Officer, is a bilingual poet writing both in Odia and English. His poems are widely anthologized. He is also an editor and translator of repute. Views are Personal)