In a span of one decade, between 2001 and 2011, the number of million plus cities in India has increased from 35
to 53, while the number of towns and cities has increased from 5161 to 7935, leading to an overall increase in the
proportion of urban population from 27.8% to 31.2 %. It is projected that India’s urban population would increase from 380 million in 2014 to about 600 million in 2030. Such a massive increase in urban population would also create
huge challenges for urban local bodies, mainly in maintaining the environmental quality without any compromise in
the human well-being. It is beyond doubt that urban planning, infrastructural development and the resource
consumption patterns of the emerging urban space will impact ecosystems both within cities boundary as well as
outside, with implications for the quality of life for people across the country.