Revive small towns

They hold the key to congestion-free, cleaner mega cities

People living in large metropolises are so obsessed with their own cities that they hardly pay any attention to smaller towns and cities, even in their neighbouring regions. In India, we have over 7,000 urban areas (any settlement with over 5,000 people and over 50 per cent of the males engaged in non-agricultural activities). However, the count of metropolitan cities (with a population of one million or more) stands at only about 65. This disregard for the development of smaller urban areas has led to a migration influx into larger cities, triggering issues like overcrowding, congestion, pollution, and various other infrastructure and service-related challenges. The most pressing issue in cities with large migrant populations is providing employment and essential services, particularly for the economically disadvantaged and marginalised sections of society.

This brings us to the fundamental question: What is the role of smaller cities and towns? While some secondary cities like Surat, Kanpur, Coimbatore, and Visakhapatnam have shown signs of robust growth, now boasting populations over 20 lakh, others like Hubballi-Dharwad and Mysuru have lagged behind, recently crossing the 10-lakh mark, thus attaining the status of million+ cities (albeit unofficially, as the 2021 census remains pending). The primary reason for this discrepancy is the lack of sufficient manufacturing activities in cities apart from Bengaluru in Karnataka. Conversely, states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have thriving manufacturing industries, such as diamonds in Surat, leather in Kanpur (UP), textiles in Coimbatore, and export-oriented garment manufacturing in Tiruppur. In addition to the old shipbuilding yard established during the British era in Visakhapatnam, the city houses a steel plant and a thermal plant, along with other ancillary units.

India has numerous small towns brimming with potential for growth, yet these areas often go unnoticed and unattended by the government. For instance, the once-thriving wooden toy industry in Channapatna, near Bengaluru, has experienced a decline, just as Davangere, noted for its textiles and once dubbed the “Manchester of India,” has faced a similar fate.

I recently discovered a small town named Bhagyanagar near Koppal, which hosts a thriving hair processing centre that makes wigs. These wigs are in demand not only in India but also in countries like China and some African nations, where they are processed into wigs and exported to the West. Unfortunately, we have neglected the processing and export of raw materials, missing out on the opportunity to enhance the value of our products and earn substantial foreign exchange. Tirupati, with the renowned Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirumala, stands as India’s largest source of raw human hair, yet this resource is sold as raw material to exporters in nearby cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad. These exporters engage in unhealthy competition and export the hair as raw material without processing, merely to make quick profits. If we were to process this raw hair and transform it into high-quality wigs for export, India’s present Rs 3,000-crore wig industry could expand 10 times, at the very least.

The crux of the matter lies in government intervention (both state and central) to encourage the making of traditional goods in small and medium towns. However, this intervention should be well planned through a strategy known as ‘Local Economic Development’ (LED). Essentially, this entails local community action aimed at generating economic opportunities and enhancing social, economic, and environmental conditions in a sustainable manner. Government intervention can take the form of encouraging local communities to initiate their own projects and build long-term capacity and resources to implement these projects and tackle future challenges. Traditional economic strategies can be combined with modern approaches to ensure efficient outcomes.

Since each city or town possesses unique attributes, strategies may vary accordingly. In addition to development rooted in manufacturing, the focus can be directed towards human capital-based growth. This involves establishing small enterprise incubation centres. Tiruppur, originally a small town in Tamil Nadu, has grown into the largest exporter of garments, housing hundreds of manufacturing units. However, the town lacks proper infrastructure, including roads and communication facilities. Hence, every such urban centre must draft its local development plans and integrate them with the district development plan. This, in turn, could be harmonised with the state development plan, encompassing a vision for the holistic and sustainable urban development of the entire state. Although not an easy feat, as it demands meticulous and professional planning as well as stakeholder involvement at various levels, a beginning must be made now.

The key strategy must revolve around creating employment opportunities not only for local communities but also for migrants from neighbouring villages and towns. The aim here is to curb the migration tide towards larger cities, particularly mega-cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai. This approach will benefit both smaller and larger cities.

In the US, some very small towns serve as potential models for LED in India, although the conditions in the two countries are different. For instance, Dilsboro, in North Carolina, with a population of about 500, faced pollution challenges due to a waste landfill site. Through LED, they managed to transform this environmental burden into an economic asset by converting landfill methane gas into energy. This energy supply subsequently powered a local artists’ studio at the nearby Jackson County Green Energy Park, boosting tourism prospects by showcasing the area’s rich cultural heritage. In India, the bulk of waste generated in large cities is often disposed of beyond city limits, eventually turning these areas into pollution hotspots and eliciting local protests, as witnessed at the Mandur garbage dumping yard near Bengaluru. Instead of solely protesting, communities should explore ways to convert these sites into energy-producing or otherwise valuable zones. State governments, especially those emphasising renewable energy, should readily offer support. Many locales with rich traditions and cultural heritage in India also hold untapped tourism potential, provided that local communities take the initiative and seek backing from relevant stakeholders. During my visit to Badami Caves, renowned for their world-famous sculptures, I found the surrounding areas dirty and lacked proper sanitation facilities.

It is time urban planning in India takes into account all urban settlements in a regional setting, from a district to metropolitan regions with outgrowths and agglomerations, adopts a process of planning from below, uses strategies like LED and modern technological devices, and establishes a robust urban planning system across the country.

(The writer is former chief secretary, Government of Karnataka)