Cabinet approves CITIIS 2.0

CITIIS is a part of the government’s Smart Cities Mission. (Representative image)

The Cabinet on May 31 approved the launch of City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain 2.0 for four years with a budget of Rs 1,866 crore, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur told reporters. CITIIS is a part of the government’s Smart Cities Mission.

CITIIS 2.0 aims to leverage and scale up the learnings of CITIIS 1.0, which was launched jointly in 2018 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, French aid agency AFD, the European Union and the Delhi-based National Institute of Urban Affairs, with a total outlay of Rs 933 crore.

The programme envisages supporting competitively selected projects promoting a circular economy with a focus on integrated waste management at the city level, climate-oriented reform actions at the state level, and institutional strengthening and knowledge dissemination at the national level, Thakur told reporters. Its aim is to develop projects focused on building climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation, he said.

The funding for CITIIS 2.0 would include a loan of 200 million euros or Rs 1,760 crore with AFD and German development bank KfW contributing 100 million euros each, and a technical assistance grant of 12 million euros or Rs 106 crore from the EU, Thakur said.

The three components of CITIIS 2.0 include financial and technical support for developing projects focused on building climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation in up to 18 smart cities.

All states and Union territories will be eligible for support on demand basis. The states will be provided support to (a) set-up/strengthen their existing climate centres/climate cells/ equivalents; (b) create state- and city-level climate data observatories; (c) facilitate climate-data-driven planning, and develop climate action plans; and (d) build capacities of municipal functionaries. To achieve these objectives, the PMU or programme management unit at NIUA will coordinate the provision of technical assistance and strategic support to state governments.

The third component includes interventions at all three levels, the Centre, state and city, to further climate governance in urban India through institutional strengthening, knowledge dissemination, partnerships, building capacity, research and development to support the scaling up of capabilities across all states and cities.

CITIIS 2.0 will supplement the climate actions of the government through its ongoing National programmes (National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, AMRUT 2.0, Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 and Smart Cities Mission), as well as contributing positively to India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions and Conference of the Parties (COP26) commitments.