PM calls for ‘adequate drainage’ in urban areas

By IANS

New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday called for “adequate drainage facilities” in India’s vast urban landscape so that “life in our cities does not come to a standstill during heavy rains”.

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“The day is not far off when half a billion people will be living in our cities and we need to prepare for that day,” the prime minister said in his speech from the Red Fort on the 60th anniversary of India’s independence.

He said as more and more people live in urban areas because of industrialization, “we need to have a more creative process of urbanization. This requires greater foresight in urban planning and development.

“Adequate compensation must be paid to those displaced and urban space must be used in an economical manner.”