Drinking water, sewerage, drainage top priorities: Jaipal Reddy

New Delhi, Nov 25 (UNI) Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy today said drinking water, sewerage and drainage are top priority under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

Delivering the concluding address at national seminar on 'Urban Governance' here, he said government would continue to operate public taps for the benefit of the poor.

Stating that urbanisation was a byproduct of industrialisation, Mr Reddy said state governments should be sensitised about this irreversible process. Urbanisation was inevitable and indispensable.

Poor were bound to migrate to urban areas because of high wages being offered by the cities.

On slums, Mr Jaipal Reddy said slum dwellers should be provided honorable replacement. Slum land could be used as a resource for building flats for them. But big builders were not coming forward to build flats for slum dwellers, The union minister added.

Stating that new townships were welcome, Mr Reddy said there was no escape from vertical growth as land was scarce in urban areas. He quoted Japan as a model for vertical growth.

On Metro Rail, Mr Reddy said all cities could not afford metro rail, as it was an expensive proposition. He suggested Bus Rapid Transit System, BRTS as a mode of public transport for other cities.

Ahmedabad, Pune, Indore and other cities were opting for BRTS , he added.

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