Infrastructure is about people and providing them with high quality, dependable, and sustainable services in an equitable manner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday. Addressing the inaugural session of the fourth edition of the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Modi said resilient infrastructure can be the centrepiece of our wider adaptation efforts.
"People must be at the heart of any infrastructure growth story. And, that is exactly what we in India are doing,” Modi said.
The prime minister sought to remind the world that the solemn promise of the Sustainable Development Goals is to leave no one behind, and said: "That is why, we remain committed to meeting the needs of the poorest and the most vulnerable by building the next generation infrastructure to realize their aspirations”.
Modi said India has been scaling-up the provision of fundamental services in the areas of education, health, drinking water, sanitation, electricity and transport. "We are also tackling climate change in a very direct way. That is why, at COP-26 we have committed to attain 'Net Zero' by 2070, in parallel with our developmental efforts,” said the prime minister.
Mentioning the importance of infrastructure in unleashing the human potential, he said that damage to infrastructure leads to lasting damage for generations. “With modern technology and knowledge at our disposal, can we create resilient infrastructure that is built to last?,” he asked.
"If we make infrastructure resilient, we prevent disasters not only for ourselves but for many future generations,” Modi further said.