Page 83 - Abhivruddhi

A renewed focus on vocational courses and technical education is also
important. Industry-linked apprenticeships also require a further push. A
comprehensive city-based skilling plan goes a long way in implementation
of these activities.
Availability of trained manpower at the right price is integral to a vibrant
economic activity.

Housing
Many schemes have been launched to bridge the urban housing deficit.
Most of these schemes require the applicant to have land ownership which
is a detriment. Hence, the rural to urban migration has led to sprouting of
slums in most urban areas.
It is important to provide low-cost rental/ownership based housing
for daily wage earners like construction workers, street-food vendors,
support staff etc. This has a direct impact on their quality of life. Many
people sharing the same room/toilet leads to faster spreading of infectious
diseases. Many leave their families back home in their village due to the
high prices of housing in urban areas. This leads to a dysfunctional family
life.
Many cities have experimented with slum-redevelopment projects
which are state-funded where slums are converted into in-situ high-rises
accommodating the slum dwellers while other cities have tried public-
private partnership mode where the slum habitants have been rehabilitated
in some buildings while other buildings have been sold by the developer
to cross-subsidize the project. More steps in this direction are required.
(SinghS,2011)
The more initiatives we take in this direction, the more effective the
manpower of our cities becomes. This has a direct impact on economic
growth.

Waste Management
Garbage dump sites are an eye-sore in many Indian cities. This leads to
various diseases and has a detrimental effect on air and water quality. It is
important to have segregated house-to-house collection with no garbage
dumping in waste dumping areas. Incentives like rebates on property tax if
a housing complex sets-up their own Organic Waste Composters (OWCs)
can also be considered.
Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste has become a big nuisance.
Local municipal authorities should invest in C & D waste conversion
plants. These plants can be made sustainable by using their end-product
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