Amidst the ongoing controversy in Andhra Pradesh over the YSRCP government's move to have three different capitals, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday stressed on the need for decentralized development to stem distress migration.
"Development has to be distributed and more focus should be on rural areas to check migration," the Vice-President remarked.
Venkaiah Naidu was delivering the convocation address at the first Convocation of the National Institute of Technology at Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district.
"I am not talking about the politics and the controversy about the capital. That's an administrative matter. It is for you people to decide," he said.
Noting that urbanisation has become a reality, the Vice- President said there was hence a need to "decentralise, distribute and redevelop."
He said India's urban population was expected to rise to 570 million by 2020 and cross the 700 million mark by the year 2050.
"Our urban spaces are engines of growth and we need to create infrastructure. Unfortunately our towns and cities have exceeded their carrying capacity and are choking," he pointed out, citing New Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai as examples.
Large influx of people into the cities and less availability of space was the cause of the problem.
"So, once you decentralise, flow (of people) into urban areas will come down. We must check distress migration by providing quality healthcare, education, other amenities and economic opportunities in rural areas as well," Venkaiah Naidu stressed.
Urban development would be possible only if rural development was achieved, he added.
The Vice-President said the cities must grow "inclusively and sustainably."
"We have to find solutions for sustainable housing, drinking water, mass mobility and provide economic opportunities to bridge the huge income gaps in cities.
We must address concerns of pollution and congestion and create sustainable waste management solutions and waste-to- wealth initiatives," he said.
The Vice-President told the students that converting waste to wealth was a challenge before them.
"That's where new technologies are required," he said.
AP Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan also attended.
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