A recent report by NITI Aayog has revived attention to infrastructure development in Tamil Nadu and it has raised important questions about the state's future priorities.
Airport expansion, sewage treatment facilities and urban planning are the areas that could have a great impact on economic growth and quality of life.
With Vijay, an actor-turned politician now a major political figure in Tamil Nadu, we are more and more confident that these challenges will be a central part of the governance agenda if he gets appointed when he becomes the CM of Tamil Nadu and what he will do about it.
Although no official policy decisions have been made regarding what will be the policy orientation of the report’s recommendations in terms of policy making, the findings have made political observers and the public concerned about them in the report have been debated as well.
The NITI Aayog report suggests that there should be better infrastructure planning in order to keep pace with the pace of urbanisation and industrialisation. We have an acute capacity problem at the airport as passenger traffic is rising in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli.
Better airport links are needed to attract investment, promote tourism and boost exports.
Sewage management is another major problem also identified. Many urban local bodies still have issues with wastewater treatment, drainage and sanitation infrastructure.
Greater sewage treatment facilities and better wastewater recycling will be necessary for sustainable urban development and environmental protection in many municipalities, experts say.
There is growing population growth and the pressure on civic infrastructure is on the society. Sufficient sewage systems are both critical for public health as well as for the health of rivers, lakes and groundwater resources, and good sewage systems are also necessary for the environment.
In addition to urban expansion projects, modern sewage treatment facilities are necessary, the report suggests, and investment should be considered to be made as well.
Political analysts note that infrastructure is a key issue in elections. Vijay is an alternative political voice in Tamil Nadu and thus, voters could expect detailed plans on transportation, urban development, public services, and environmental sustainability. Whether airport modernisation and sewage management will be the key campaign promises remains to be seen.
Infrastructure experts believe that the solution to these problems requires cooperation between the state government, the Union government, local authorities, local bodies and private players. Large-scale airport expansion projects entail land acquisition, environmental authorization and financial investments.
Likewise, modern sewage networks are a long-term project that requires long-term planning, technological upgrades and maintenance.
Public policy experts believe that expanding the infrastructure can bring a host of benefits from employment opportunities to public health, industrial competitiveness, and living conditions to the people living there. Tamil Nadu is one of India’s most industrial states so infrastructure investment is the single most important thing for Tamil Nadu to grow and develop economically.
To the best of our knowledge, as the political landscape changes ahead of the next elections, the questions raised by the NITI Aayog report will continue to be part of the public discussion. Vijay or a future administration will have to make policy decisions and allocate funding and implement these recommendations to do so.
But for now, the report shows that sustainable development is predicated not only on economic growth, but also on good civic infrastructure to cater to a growing population.
