Infrastructure development is recognised as an essential factor to sustain economic growth of the country. Increasing urbanisation demands more investment in urban infrastructure development. Considering the special features of urbanisation and the geographical peculiarities of Kerala, the process of urbanisation in the State requires special attention while moulding various urban infrastructure development programmes. The specific pattern of urbanisation and high density of population of the State are huge challenges for the creation of urban infrastructure.
Urban infrastructure covers schemes like water supply, waste management systems, city sanitation plans, establishment and enhancement of public comfort facilities, implementation and improvement of sewerage schemes, storm water drainage schemes, effective parking policies and modern mechanised parking systems, beautification of cities and creation of green cities and non motorised urban conveyance. These schemes are implemented by departments. The major urban development programmes being implemented in the State are discussed below.
1. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) is one of the initiatives of Ministry of Urban Development launched in June 2015. Project period of AMRUT is five years from the financial year 2015-16 to 2019-20 and 50 cities being taken up in AMRUT. Nine towns have been identified from the State for funding under AMRUT. The list includes 6 Municipal Corporations and Alappuzha, Palakkad and Guruvayoor Municipalities. The scheme aims at providing basic services to households and build amenities in cities which will improve the quality of life for all, especially the poor and the disadvantaged. The scheme focuses to create infrastructure that leads to better delivery of services to citizens. The core infrastructure elements included are water supply, sewerage facilities and septage management, storm water drains to reduce flooding, pedestrian, non-motorised and public transport facilities, parking spaces, enhancing amenity value of cities by creating and upgrading green spaces, parks and recreation centers, reform management and capacity building.
Kerala has submitted three State Annual Action Plans during the period September 2015 to September 2017 which have been approved by GOI. Detailed Project Report was prepared for 255 projects, of which 217 projects got administrative sanction and 45 projects got technical sanction. In 2016-17, 3.08 crore was expended and cumulative expenditure incurred (as on August 31, 2017) was 5.58 crore.
2. Smart Cities Mission (SCM)
The Smart Cities Mission is a flagship programme of Government of India covering 100 cities for duration of five years (2015-16 to 2019-20). Kochi city was selected under Round I of the Smart city mission programme, focusing on Area Based Development and Inclusive Development and GOI released 2 crore for the preparation of smart city Plan for Kochi in 2015-16. Under the Area Based Development, heritage area of Fort Kochi and Mattanchery and the Central city area haas been selected and decided to be interconnect ed with Water Metro. Under Inclusive Development Kochi smart city has identified urban mobility, tourism, urban transport and smart solutions as priority areas and prepared projects under these areas. The total project cost of 2,076 crore was submitted and got approved from Government of India. Detailed Project Report was prepared for one project and administrative sanction and technical sanction were accorded for that project. In 2016-17, an amount of 1.75 crore was expended and cumulative expenditure as on August 31, 2017 was 1.89 crore. Thiruvananthapuram city has been selected in 2017-18 in the 3rd phase of Smart Cities Challenge. Thiruvananthapuram smart city proposal costing 1,538.19 crore has been approved.
3. Capital Region Development Project
The Capital Region Development Project (CRDP) was introduced in 2002 to improve the quality of life of people in the capital city by strengthening and improving the critical infrastructure like roads, water supply, solid waste management, surface water drainage, city beautification and bus terminals. In 2016-17 an amount of 1.71 crore and in 2017-18 up to 31-08-2017 an amount of 23.64 crore was expended under CRDP phase-I. Details of projects undertaken by Capital Region Development Programme (CRDP phase-I) are given in Appendix 6.3.1.
In 2012, second phase of the planning process under CRDP-II was conceived to start the integrated development process for entire capital region including the suburbs. The identified projects are classified into two groups viz. improvement of public mobility and road safety and economic development. This includes improvement of city roads, pedestrian safety infrastructure, junction improvement schemes, parking facilities and parking policy. Cumulative expenditure incurred as on August 31, 2017 was 4.99 crore.
4. Town and Country Planning Department
The Town and Country Planning Department has been initiating scheme for preparing master plans and detailed town plans, research and development, GIS and preparation of Local Development Plans (LDP) and Integrated District Development Plans (IDDP). In 2016-17 and 2017-18, as part of the R&D work, preparation of parking policy for Kozhikode urban area was taken up and is under finalisation after consultation with stakeholders. Also study on paddy and wet land conservation/development in Kochi city region has been completed. Under Geographical Information System and Aerial Mapping scheme, steps have been taken to host all sanctioned/published Master Plans (either raster/vector format) for public viewing and develop interactive Web GIS (IMS) in consultation with Kerala State IT Mission. Under the Scheme ‘Preparing Master Plans and Detailed Town Plans’, development plans for 32 towns started in the first phase, 31 towns in the second phase and 24 towns in the third phase. Technical works of all master plans included in the first phase and 14 master plans of the second phase are completed and the remaining is under various stages of preparation. In 2016-17 an amount of 3.40 crore was provided and the expenditure reported is 2.96 crore i.e., 87.23 per cent of the outlay provided. In 2017-18, an amount of 3.65 crore was provided and the expenditure reported as on August 31, 2017 is 0.79 crore i.e., 21 per cent of the outlay provided. Master plans prepared under three phases are given in Appendix 6.3.2.
5. Development Authorities
The objective of the Development Authorities is to achieve sustainable and comprehensive development in the area, which comes under these authorities. The major activities undertaken by the Development Authorities are construction of shopping complexes, bus stands and terminals, parking plazas, development of plots for construction of buildings and widening of important roads in the cities etc. There were five Development Authorities earlier but the government has dissolved Calicut, Kollam and Thrissur Development Authorities and retained TRIDA and GCDA in 2017-18. In 2017-18, 150.25 crore was provided to the five authorities in the 12th Five-Year Plan period and the expenditure was 44.98 crore, i.e., 29 per cent. In 2017-18 an amount of 25 crore and 7 crore were provided to TRIDA and GCDA respectively until August 31, 2017, no amount has been expended by TRIDA and GCDA. Details of major projects undertaken by TRIDA are given in Appendix 6.3.3.
6. Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U)
The scheme was started in the State on December 8, 2015 and is being implemented in all 93 Urban Local Government institutions in the State. The mission seeks to address the housing requirement of urban poor including slum dwellers with the mandate of providing housing for all by 2022. In June 2015, Government of India subsumed Rajiv Awas Yojana project with PMAY. 122 Detailed Project Reports for Beneficiary Led Construction (New) of 93 Urban Local Bodies for the construction of 36,918 dwelling units to the tune of 1,107.54 crore have been approved by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. In 2016-17, construction of 12,168 houses was started and 229 houses have been completed. Total project cost was 1,476.72 crore. Financial achievements under PMAY are given in Appendix 6.3.4.
7. Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)
It is a Centrally sponsored sanitation scheme started by Ministry of Urban Development, with the aim of achieving and ensuring hygiene, waste management and sanitation across the nation. Individual household latrines (IHHL), community and public toilets, solid and liquid waste management and Information, Education, and Communication and capacity building are the main components under the Mission. The State Government declared the Rural Kerala Open Defecation Free (ODF) by November 1, 2016. As regards Urban Kerala, out of 93 ULBs, 92 ULBs declared ODF as on March 31, 2017 and 20 urban local bodies were certified by Government of India. A total of 29,456 IHHL have been completed against a target of 29,597 (93.2 per cent). In 2016-17 construction of 26,681 number of toilets and in 2017-18 (up to August 31, 2017) 2040 numbers of toilets were completed. ODF status in urban is given in Appendix 6.3.5.
8. National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM)
The Government of India has started the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) by replacing the previous scheme Swarna Jayanthi Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) for reducing poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor. In the first phase, the scheme was initiated in 14 selected cities and has been now scaled up to the rest of the 79 urban local bodies since November 2016. In the period under review, 4,987 new neighbourhood groups were formed, 333 individual and 39 group enterprises were established and 180 enterprises have been supported with interest subsidy loan. Under the component, ‘Support to Urban Street Vendors’ 19,838 street vendors was identified from 93 ULBs and ID cards distributed to 1,357 street vendors. Under the component, ‘Shelter for Urban Homeless’ (SUH) 3,195 street dwellers has been identified and 26 shelter homes are being supported under NULM in 10 urban cities. In 2016-17, an amount of 48.78 crore and in 2017-18 (up to August 31, 2017) an amount of 12.19 crore has been expended. Financial achievements under NULM are given in Appendix 6.3.6 and the physical achievements in the review period are given in Appendix 6.3.7.
9. Ayyankali Urban Employment Creation Scheme
The State Government has launched the Ayyankali Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme in the pattern of MGNREG in 2009-10. It is intended to address the unemployment and under employment problems in the urban society. In the financial year 2016-17, an amount of 1,500 lakh has been earmarked for this scheme. The full amount has been expended through various Municipalities/Corporations. The fund has been utilised for creating durable assets in local bodies. The total work days generated through this scheme as on August 31, 2017 is 4, 03,022. The local body-wise distribution of fund is given in Appendix 6.3.8.
Major Infrastructure Projects Discontinued from 2017-18.
The loan period of Kerala Sustainable Urban Development Project (KSUDP), ADB assisted project, had ended on 30-06-2016. Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT), a sub-scheme of JNNURM, Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) and Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) are the centrally sponsored schemes discontinued from 2017-18 onwards.
Under KSUDP, out of 102 packages sanctioned, 88 have been completed. Altogether 11 sewerage packages, and septage treatment plant in Kollam Corporation and solid waste management of Kollam and Thrissur corporations have to be completed. In 2016-17, the expenditure incurred was 27.19 crore. In 2017-18, for the winding up and completion of spillover works under KSUDP an amount of 87 crore was provided. Year-wise outlay and expenditure under KSUDP are given in Appendix 6.3.9 and the status of major projects included under KSUDP is given in Appendix 6.3.10.
Under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) Ist phase the bus projects of Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi alone were completed. Three projects were dropped and one was foreclosed due to public protest. The remaining projects are included in the spillover work. The expenditure incurred for the Ist phase in 2016-17 was 12.48 crore. Under the Transition Phase, 110 AC low floor buses and 279 Non-AC low floor buses were procured in Kozhikode, Kalpetta, Malappuram, Kottayam, Thodupuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kannur, Kasaragod, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kollam and Alappuzha. The procurement of remaining buses is under process. The expenditure incurred for the year 2016-17 was 99.96 crore. In 2017-18, for the winding up and completion of spillover works under JNNURM an amount of 63 crore was provided. Year-wise outlay and expenditure under JNNURM are given in Appendix 6.3.11 and the details of projects approved for implementation under JNNURM are given in Appendix 6.3.12.
Under the sub-scheme of JNNURM, Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT), five water supply projects have been completed and nine solid waste management schemes were foreclosed due to non availability of land and public protest. At present five water supply schemes and two solid waste management schemes are progressing as spillover projects. In 2016-17, an amount of 56.39 crore was expended. The cumulative expenditure reported as on August 31, 2017 is 453.28 crore. In the transition phase of UIDSSMT for a period of three years w.e.f April 1, 2014, six projects worth 184.47 crore were sanctioned and funds for solid waste management project worth 14.66 crore was released by Government of India. Year-wise outlay and expenditure under UIDSSMT are given in Appendix 6.3.13 and the details of projects approved under UIDSSMT are given in Appendix 6.3.14.
Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) project started in June, 2010 envisaged a “Slum Free India” with inclusive and equitable cities. The scheme was launched in the State in 2011 with Kudumbashree as State level nodal agency. 811 slums in six corporations were covered under the scheme. In June 2015, Government of India has subsumed Rajiv Awas Yojana with Pradan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) (Urban).As on August 31, 2017, under RAY, 123 houses were constructed. Details of projects implemented under RAY are given in Appendix 6.3.15.
Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP), Centrally Sponsored programme aims at the holistic development of Slums in Urban areas. IHSDP is implemented in 45 ULBs. The projects are being implemented in the State with Kudumbashree as State level nodal agency. Three urban local bodies, viz; Koothuparamba, Malappuram and Thalaserry have completed the project. Total project cost was 273.32 crore and the expenditure incurred was 169.37 crore (62 per cent).
Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) a sub-component of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) aims at the integrated development of slums through projects for providing shelter, basic services and other civic amenities with a view to provide utilities to the urban poor. In Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi corporations were identified for implementing BSUP. Total project cost was 343.67 crore and the expenditure incurred was 226.13 crore i.e., 66 per cent. IHSDP and BSUP schemes have been discontinued from March 2017 onwards. As on August 31, 2017, under IHSDP, 8,718 houses were constructed and 10,819 houses were renovated and in BSUP 18,004 houses were constructed and 809 houses were renovated. Details on the physical achievement of Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) and Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) are given in Appendix 6.3.16.