14. Perspectives on Urban Sanitation, Liveability and Peri-urban Futures of Indian Cities

Urbanisation and associated peri-urbanisation is widespread in India, however, the underlying processes and resulting impacts at its peri-urban interface needs better understanding. Peri-urbanisation, a dynamic process that changes the land use in the margins of growing urban centres (large and small), often displaying a form, structure and interaction that is unique and geared to support the urban centre, across many sectors. Urban sanitation is one of the sectors that face the greatest challenge, where the services are concentrated within municipal limits and disposal activities extend into peri-urban areas. The peri-urban area, due to its dynamic nature, has often fallen between the cracks of “rural” and “urban” development planning. In light of the emerging complexities of increased urbanisation in India, many are of the opinion, that the peri-urbanisation needs a critical review and new perspectives of understanding. This chapter looks at the evolving morphology of the urbanisation in India, the status and trajectory of urban sanitation initiatives and its impact on the liveability of cities and peri-urban areas and highlights the importance of looking at an urban-rural continuum for urban planning and governance.