Urban Stone Soup: Stirring the pot, but where's the meal?

I had heard a story about 'Stone Soup', where a mother made stone soup by adding stones to a pot of plain boiling water and continuously stirring stones to keep hope to satisfy her children's hunger. The story stayed with me; however, this story has taken on a new meaning while reflecting on a worrying trend in our approach towards urban development.

- HITESH VAIDYA

I had heard a story about 'Stone Soup', where a mother made stone soup by adding stones to a pot of plain boiling water and continuously stirring stones to keep hope to satisfy her children's hunger. The story stayed with me; however, this story has taken on a new meaning while reflecting on a worrying trend in our approach towards urban development. We seem stuck in a loop when planning and reforming, endlessly stirring the pot without serving the meal.

Despite having numerous reports, committees, and policies dedicated to urban issues, we find ourselves in a situation akin to the 'stone soup' story. For example, from the Group of Secretaries report, the draft National Urban Policy, the India Habitat III report, Urban Renaissance, the Urban Planning Capacity Reform report, and the recent High Powered Committee report on Pathways to Amritkaal, to the Prime Minister's emphasis on climate and circularity, and the Hon'ble Finance Minister's budget speech all highlight the need to transform cities as engines of economic growth, ingredients for impactful change are all there.