Urban environmental planning
Sanitation, water, transport, energy, housing and indigenous solutions such as rainwater harvesting and composting.
Planning a healthy city
Urban environmental planning tries to provide basic services while protecting the environment.
Sanitation: safe toilets, sewer networks and sewage treatment plants. The Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on 2 October 2014 to end open defecation and improve solid waste management.
Solid waste: the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 require segregation at source into wet (biodegradable), dry and hazardous waste. Wet waste can be composted or turned into biogas; vermicomposting uses earthworms. Dry waste can be recycled. Only what remains should go to landfills.
Water: reduce leakage, meter supply, treat and reuse wastewater, and protect lakes and wetlands. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) collects rain from rooftops and stores it in tanks or uses it to recharge groundwater through pits and wells. Tamil Nadu made rooftop RWH compulsory for buildings in 2003, and Chennai’s groundwater levels rose in the following years.
Transport: give priority to public transport (metro, buses, Bus Rapid Transit), walking and cycling (non-motorised transport); reduce dependence on private cars; plan transit-oriented development (homes and jobs near stations).
Energy: rooftop solar, energy-efficient buildings and street lighting (LED), and green building codes.
Housing: affordable housing and slum upgrading near jobs, so that people do not have to travel long distances.
Indigenous solutions
Traditional Indian practices offer low-cost ideas:
- Stepwells (baolis/vavs) and kunds stored rainwater in dry regions.
- Courtyard houses, thick walls and jaalis (lattice screens) keep homes cool without air-conditioning.
- Composting of kitchen and farm waste returns nutrients to the soil.
- Village ponds and tanks recharge groundwater.
Key points
- Swachh Bharat Mission: 2 October 2014.
- SWM Rules 2016: segregation at source.
- RWH: rooftop collection and groundwater recharge; mandatory in Tamil Nadu from 2003.
- Priority to public and non-motorised transport.
Exam tips
Questions often ask for the best low-cost or indigenous solution to a stated urban problem, e.g. falling groundwater → rainwater harvesting; organic waste → composting.
Common mistakes
- Thinking more flyovers solve traffic; they often attract more cars.
- Mixing wet and dry waste; segregation at source is the first step.
- Thinking rainwater harvesting is only for villages.