from daijiworld's special correspondent in Panaji

Panaji, Feb 9: Rapid urbanization must take into account environmental issues and make use of technology to provide better amenities in cities, Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani said.

"Cities of the future must exploit existing resources with the help of technologies in areas like solar energy and low-cost desalination," he said.

Ambani was addressing the inaugural Euroindia Summit that began in Panaji on Thursday. Business leaders and experts from Europe and India are taking part in the summit that was inaugurated by Goa Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane.
 
"The underlying factor remains that we need to provide basic amenities to people besides green cover and proper transportation," the leading industrialist said.
 
The four-day summit intends to exchange expertise on urban management with five Indian cities listed in the first phase of a programme to implement the best urbanisation practices.
 
"Five Indian cities - Kolkata, Jaipur, Kochi, Mumbai and Panaji - have been selected for executing planned urbanisation," Collette Mathur, co-president of Euroindia Centre, told reporters in south Goa.
 
"Expertise on water, sanitation, transportation and other urban fronts will be exchanged during the conference. We will work on initiatives to offer the select cities concrete practical solutions to problems faced by them," Mathur said.