New Delhi/Shimla: Mayors, councillors, along with civil society leaders and experts, demand an immediate boost in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) allocations in the 16th Finance Commission. Their call comes reverberating from Himalayan states, who convened at Parvat Manthan, a platform for the Manifestation of Clean and Sustainable Hills and knocked its door right in New Delhi today.
Organized by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and BORDA in collaboration with the Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI), the two-day event at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi saw the first-time participation of mayors, deputy mayors, and councillors from remote mountain towns.
They voiced grievances about the starkly different challenges faced by their communities compared to those in plain cities.
Lack of funds, functions, and functionaries emerged as the primary obstacles hindering effective operation of ULBs in mountain towns and cities, impeding efforts to enhance basic facilities.
The main objectives of the Parvat Manthan is: Assessing ULB capacities in light of the 74th amendment, identifying bottlenecks, and outlining future actions for holistic sanitation planning.
New Delhi remains as remote and removed from the harsh realities of the mountain cities despite the fact that Himalaya is water tower and its fate is directly linked to that of Delhi's,
Dr. Rajan Kotru from IMI and Ms. Vaishnavi from NIUA emphasized the significance of the Indian Himalayan Region as crucial water towers sustaining life downstream.
IMI President Mr. Ramesh Negi reiterated the call for enhanced ULB allocations in the 16th Finance Commission and the provision of funds, functions, and functionaries to ensure the sustainability of mountain cities.
Mayors, chairpersons, and councillors came from Shimla, Palampur, Ladakh, Gangtok, Darjeeling, Pasighat, Aizawl, Lunglei, and Tura to raise their voice at Parvat Manthan.
The inaugural session, attended by NIUA Director Ms. Debolina Kundu, IMI President Mr. Ramesh Negi, and SCBP Team Lead Dr. Mahreen Mattoo, set the stage for discussions on water, sanitation, health services, and governance challenges faced by Himalayan cities.
Mayor of Shimla Mr Surinder Chauhan appreciated the efforts of the organisers in bringing urban local bodies of the mountains on one platform, and highlighted the challenges of governance in hill towns.
Gangtok’s deputy mayor Ms. Tshering, Mayor, Shimla Chauhan, and Pasighat chief councillor Ms. Okiam reiterated that municipalities are facing problems of power devolution, funds and functionaries.
Panel discussions delved into capacity building and skills of urban local bodies, with former Deputy Mayor of Shimla, Mr. Tikender Panwar, emphasizing the need to redefine urban contexts in mountain regions.
Financial challenges were highlighted by Mr. Matthew Idicula from Azim Premji University and Dr. Sandeep Thakur of NIUA, shedding light on power devolution obstacles and difficulties accessing central grants.
Mr. Roshan Rai from IMI advocated for adequate resource allocation for mountain ULBs, emphasizing the importance of rural-urban connectivity.
Public figures from Gangtok, Shimla, and Pasighat reiterated challenges related to power devolution, funds, and functionaries.
A panel discussion on key bottlenecks to WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) service delivery, chaired by retired IAS officer Mr. Deepak Sanan, highlighted misplaced priorities on asset creation and the need for institutional strengthening.
The focus on human-centric development, community action, and evidence-supported cases was emphasized by Ms. Akila Sivadas from the Center for Advocacy Research.
Summing up the event, participants underscored the importance of expressing and hearing the voices of Himalayan cities.
They spelled out the strengthening the ULB platform, building skills, conducting research, and providing technical support for construction projects as the major action points.
Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC, Adv. Tashi Gyalson, expressed gratitude and endorsed the need for continued ULB strengthening for sustainable mountain cities.
A field visit and sessions on climate change impacts on urban service delivery rounded out the workshop.
As Manthan wraps up, will the voices of the Himalayan people will be heard in the “inaccessible corridors of power in New Delhi or they will be left to be reverberating in the remote valleys and hills of the Himalayan towns and cities?
