A floral sculpture of the Olympic rings, accompanied by the sign ‘Bharat 2036’, was unveiled at the annual flower show at the Sabarmati Riverfront last week. This installation symbolises India’s ambition to host the 2036 Summer Olympics. With Ahmedabad in focus as a potential host city, efforts are intensifying to present a successful bid. Key to these efforts is the development of world-class sports infrastructure, a central theme at a recent meeting of district collectors who were assigned targets for infrastructure creation.
The High-Level Committee (HLC) on Urban Planning, under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), has emphasised the need to engage top-tier urban planners to facilitate the large-scale transformations required to support India’s Olympic aspirations. Promoting the economic growth of smaller cities to reduce pressure on major urban centres is one of the key recommendations.
The central government also received a national-level assessment that included recommendations for states such as Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Crucial to India’s Olympic infrastructure plan is the Narendra Modi Stadium, located in the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (SVP) Sports Enclave in Motera, Ahmedabad. The HLC sees this area serving as a central location for a range of athletic events and training centres.
Gujarat is a top contender for international events like the Olympics, according to Keshav Varma, the chairman of the HLC and a former Ahmedabad municipal commissioner. He stresses that organising the event would support sustainable urban development and better lifestyles in addition to generating jobs.
Redeveloping unused urban areas into thriving residential, commercial, and recreational places is one aspect of this change. Another is the expansion of green spaces to improve environmental sustainability.
Furthermore, the Gujarat government has established the Gujarat Olympic Design and Infrastructure Corporation Ltd (GOLYMPIC), an SPV under the Companies Act of 2013 to oversee the designing and construction of Olympic-related infrastructures. According to the media, Gujarat’s urbanisation rate will rise from 42.6% in 2011 to 55% and 75% by 2036.
That said, the newly established municipalities must quickly increase their capability for urban planning. The HLC has recommended the building of satellite cities and towns with first-rate social infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and recreational centres, to relieve traffic in large cities like Ahmedabad and Surat. Enhancing the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar and Surat-Navsari-Valsad regions as economic gateways is part of regional development strategies. The HLC also suggests concentrating on smaller cities to reduce out-migration and make cities more sustainable and inclusive.
Development projects along rivers and lakes in places like Bharuch, Vadodara, and Surat are also given priority. Such projects would only proceed if there is a consistent, year-round supply of water, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has said.
At the national level, the HLC has called for amendments to state regulations to bring in high-quality professionals in urban planning, economics, transportation, and environmental management. This will ensure the efficient execution of large-scale projects in preparation for the Olympics.
Beyond Gujarat, states like Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir are included in the HLC’s recommendations. The committee in Haryana recommended that other cities adopt the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model after pointing to its success in Gurugram. Faridabad, a top industrial town in the 1970s and 1980s, has found it difficult to keep pace with its neighbours.
In order to stall unapproved growth and assure sustainable urbanisation, the HLC is keen on developing a comprehensive urban development strategy for Haryana’s towns, especially those along the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway.
Reports added that in the same vein, the HLC desired that Haryana fill the open town planner positions in order to control the state’s rapidly increasing urbanisation. The state is positioned for significant urban expansion by 2030 owing to its close proximity to Delhi and the 20 towns that are within a 20-kilometer radius of the capital.
To maximise growth and solve issues like pollution and a lack of public facilities, the HLC advises Haryana to design an urbanisation strategy.
The HLC advocated a targeted strategy for the urban poor, especially slum-dwellers, with a strong PPP framework to manage urban regeneration and promote inclusive growth in Jammu & Kashmir.
The committee has called for sustainable development in Uttarakhand’s cities, which see a lot of tourists to preserve the equilibrium between environmental preservation and urban growth. The economy that depends heavily on tourism is given particular consideration, as it will need thorough urban planning to maintain long-term growth.
India’s attempt to host the Olympics in 2036 will necessitate significant adjustments in urban planning and infrastructure in several regions. To establish a sustainable, inclusive, and globally competitive environment, this bid’s success depends on the smooth integration of numerous development projects, such as sports facilities and urbanisation.
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