Urbanizing India seeks solutions at Municipalika 2012
Posted on: 24/Jan/2012 12:44:21 AM - No. of views : (2365)
10th International Conference and Exhibition on �Good Urban Governance for Safe, Healthy, Green, Inclusive and Smart Cities� inaugurated in Chennai.
According to the 2011 Census, the urban population of India grew by 31.8%, adding 91 million people in 10 years. This fast pace of urbanization, while serving as a driver of economic growth, has also thrown up immense challenges in the area of creating adequate and sustainable urban infrastructure and services.
It is with this background that Municipalika 2012, 10th International Conference and Exhibition on �Good Urban Governance for Safe, Healthy, Green, Inclusive and Smart Cities� opened today at the Chennai Trade Centre. Municipalika is an only exhibition and conference of its kind, which is focused on all, that is required for making cities work. Exhibits on display include live demonstration of products of companies such as Mitsubishi Electric, Mahindra & Mahindra, Phillips, Doosan, Grundfos, Sintex, Georg Fischer, Nilkamal, Otto Waste and Shrikrishna Agro.
K P Munusamy, Minister for Municipal Administration and Rural Development, Government of Tamil Nadu, delivered the Inaugural Address, while Presidential Address was delivered by R Vaithilingam, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Government of Tamil Nadu. Among the other dignitaries, who spoke at the Inaugural Function were Saidu Duraisamy, Mayor of Chennai, Dr Sudhir Krishna, Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, Sheela Balakrishnan, Additional Chief Secretary, Municipal Administration & Water Supply Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Phanindra Reddy, Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Government of Tamil Nadu, H.E. Mike Nithavrianakis, British Deputy High Commissioner for Southern India, and Andre Dzikus, Chief of Water and Sanitation Section, UN Habitat. The exhibition was inaugurated by both the Ministers. V Suresh, Advisor, and Sanjiv Agarwal, Founder Trustee, of Good Governance India Foundation, organizers of Municipalika 2012, spelt out the vision and objectives of the event.
The theme of Municipalika 2012 - �Good Urban Governance for Safe, Healthy, Green, Inclusive and Smart Cities� - encapsulates the most relevant areas of urban development, management and governance today.
