"India needs an over-arching, visionary and coherent piece of legislation based on human rights," Leilani Farha, the United Nations special rapporteur on the right to housing, said in a report released on Wednesday.

"A national housing law that aims to address growing inequalities and offers a long-term road map is essential."

Farha said this should include policies aimed at the homeless and those living in informal settlements.

While India has introduced several schemes to provide homes, she said nearly 60 million households lacked adequate housing.