The Indian Government, driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, propelled the Smart Cities Mission on 25 June 2015. This spoke to and keeps on encapsulating an aggressive urban recharging and retrofitting system to create 100 smart cities in India, making them native and naturally inviting, monetarily solid and manageable for the future populace.
In a nationwide competition, 100 smart cities have now been chosen, with a populace of 99,630,069 affected by the Smart Cities Mission. The point is to build up these regions, with the goal that they end up smart cities in India.
The Importance of Smart Cities in India
India’s urban populace is right now around 31% of the total populace and it contributes more than 60% of India’s GDP. India’s is urbanizing at an extraordinary rate, so much that evaluations recommend about 600 million Indians will live in urban communities by 2030, up from 290 million as detailed in the 2001 registration. With around 30 town occupants moving each moment from towns to wind up city inhabitants, relatively few towns will be left India toward the end of this century.
The present cities face noteworthy difficulties – expanding populaces, environmental and administrative necessities, declining tax bases and budgets and expanded expenses. In addition, the cost of Information and Communication Technologies has dove making it practical for the management to execute them.
With expanding urbanization and the heap on rural land, the government has now understood the requirement for smart cities that can adapt to the difficulties of urban living and furthermore be magnets for speculation. The declaration of ‘100 smart cities fall in accordance with this vision.
Three mainstays of smart cities in India
Physical infrastructure, Institutional infrastructure, and social infrastructure comprise three pillars on which smart city rests.
Institutional infrastructure alludes to the exercises that identify with the arranging and management frameworks. Physical infrastructure alludes to urban versatility framework, the lodging stock, the energy infrastructure, the water supply framework, sanitation facilities, strong waste management framework and drainage system which are altogether coordinated using technology
Improvements in public transport – metro rail, BRT, LRT, Monorail, etc. Improvements in the infrastructure of other motor vehicles – ring roads, bypasses, elevated roads, improvements in the existing roadways. Improvements in infrastructure for walking, cycling, and waterways.
Social infrastructure assists in improving human capital catalog so a lot of importance should be on education, entertainment, and healthcare systems. Quality education for school and higher education, quality healthcare facilities and good entertainment facilities like cultural centers, open spaces, sports facilities, and plazas are fundamental elements for quality life.
Northern smart cities in India
- Chandigarh
Chandigarh is considered one of the most modernized and developed cities in North India. Therefore, it fits tightly into the category of becoming the next “Smart City” under the “Smart City Initiative” by the Indian Government. Under the Smart City plan, the Government of India aims to upgrade the lifestyle and the infrastructure of around 109 cities across India. The central idea is to make use of technology and the advanced modes of lifestyle to optimize the living conditions in the selected cities under this program.
Chandigarh too has been selected as one of the prime cities under this project. To achieve the same within the given deadline, the local authorities of Chandigarh along with the Punjab Government has proposed several developments in varied sectors
- Varanasi
The city Varanasi under the Smart City project has assured about the proper implementation of the strategic partnerships with leading companies like Philips, IBM, Uber, Schneider Electric, and Ericsson for the delivery of its vision. The vision of the “Smart Kashi” goes as “confluence of ancient tradition and modern innovation” towards the development of the Smart City of Varanasi
There have been suggestions made for the introduction of new smart technologies also to enhance the services of the e-rickshaw drivers and the local boatmen. The city has also consulted several domain experts from the IIT, Government of United Kingdom, Department for International Development, and BHU for implementation of the “Smart Kashi” plan.
- Allahabad
According to 2011 enumeration, Allahabad has a populace of 1.17 million (counting OG), spread over a zone of around 70sqkm. According to the City Development Plan (2015), it is evaluated that the city’s populace will cross 2 million by the year 2031. Allahabad is one of the real explorer/traveler’s goals of the nation, bringing about a substantial skimming populace
Allahabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) gets ready for the entire recovery of the framework in the city and makes the M and E management access to normal open to guarantee great management. As a piece of this activity, AMC expects to have an association of open as recommendations to make the city keen and enhance the expectations for everyday comforts.
- Kanpur
Kanpur City has effectively finished the aggressive procedure of the ‘Smart City Challenge’ and has been shortlisted as one of the 98 Smart Cities under Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) ‘Keen City Mission’. It is one of the 12 urban areas that have been shortlisted from Uttar Pradesh against the 13 urban areas designated to that state. It will be situated at a separation of 70 km from the Lucknow International Airport and has been conceptualized for prodding speculation, employment creation, education, health and modern advancement in the district. It is proposed to be furnished with worldwide framework facilities. Under the mission, alongside modern and local locations, business and institutional zones would be produced. A lodging society including a presentation focus, multiplex, uber shopping center, and multi-storied private edifices has additionally been proposed.
- Faridabad
Faridabad has been shortlisted as one of the hundred smart cities in India by Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) to take part in the Smart City Challenge. Under which, Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) is required to set up a Smart City Proposal (SCP) to vie for its situation among first best twenty smart cities in India and figure its own particular vision, sub-objectives and procedures through dynamic counsel of its natives and all partners.
- Agra
The Agra Municipal Corporation (AMC) has been positioned 24th among 87 smart cities in India
Agra Municipal Corporation has begun doing progression for enhancing the personal satisfaction of subjects; like LED lighting, solid waste management, Property Tax Collection and so forth. As of late, Agra Municipal Corporation was awarded for effective execution of LED Light project. AMC likewise begin to gather household mobile numbers and e-mail id to propel information about tax dues and tax collection automatically.