National Workshop on Urban Transformation in Delhi, only 30 cities made it. This was done to
ensure that upon selection of the cities, proper and effective implementation of the plans can be
made if there are a reasonable number of cities, says Kriti Kalra.
The Smart Cities Mission was launched by the government in June 2015 with the aim of promoting sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions. The primary focus of the unique mission is sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act like a lighthouse or a guiding light to other aspiring cities.
It was in June 2017 when Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu announced the list of 30 smart cities that were winners of round three of the smart cities challenge. The third batch of smart cities included Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru, Patna, Jammu, Shimla and Allahabad. With the announcement, the number of cities selected under the project reached 90 under the Smart Cities Mission.
The proposed investment in the 30 cities selected under round three was ₹ 57,393 crore. The newly-selected cities were to further the Smart Cities Mission by setting examples that can be replicated both within and outside the Smart City, catalysing the creation of similar Smart Cities in various regions and parts of the country.
Water, housing, safety for all
The selected smart cities are developed strategically to have basic infrastructure and amenities. The Cabinet had approved the smart cities plan in 2015, one of Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi’s pet initiatives. During the launch, PM Modi had said that there will be Smart Cities in every state of the country with Uttar Pradesh getting the most, at 13. The number of smart cities in a state will depend on the size of the state including its population, etc.
Some of the core infrastructure elements in a Smart City would include adequate water supply, assured electricity supply, sanitation including solid waste management, efficient urban mobility and public transport, affordable housing, especially for the poor, robust IT connectivity and digitalisation, good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation, sustainable environment, safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly and health and education.
In addition to the above, the strategic components of the Smart Cities Mission are city improvement (retrofitting), city renewal (redevelopment) and city extension (Greenfield development) and a pan-city initiative in which Smart Solutions are applied over a large part of the city for effective implementation.
For the third round of the Smart City Challenge, there were 45 cities that had contested in the challenge for the 40 available slots. However, when the results were announced at the National Workshop on Urban Transformation in Delhi, only 30 cities were selected. This was done to ensure that upon selection of the cities, proper and effective implementation of the plans can be made if there are a reasonable number of cities.
The winning cities
In round three, the winning cities included the following: Thiruvananthapuram, Naya Raipur, Rajkot, Amaravati, Patna, Karimnagar, Muzaffarpur, Puducherry, Gandhinagar, Srinagar, Sagar, Karnal, Satna, Bengaluru, Shimla, Dehradun, Tiruppur, Pimpri Chinchwad, Bilaspur, Pasighat, Jammu, Dahod, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tiruchirapalli, Jhansi, Aizawl, Allahabad, Aligarh and Gangtok.
At this time, the government had also launched a city livability index to be based on 79 indicators to monitor the development of cities and address gap areas. Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister for Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, M Venkaiah Naidu said, “We want the revival of urban transformation. Smart cities have redefined urban discourse in the country.
Secretary of the Ministry of Urban Development Rajiv Gauba spoke of the impressive progress of the initiative. He said, “The work that has been done in the last two years needs to be acknowledged. In last three months under the leadership of the minister we have visited 22 states to take stock of the missions. We are doing things differently this time.”
The proposed total investment of ₹ 57,393 crore for the 30 winning cities includes ₹ 46,879 crore for core infrastructure development and ₹ 10,514 crore for technology-based development. Additionally, 20 cities, including Imphal, Itanagar, Meerut and Haldia competed for the remaining ten slots under the Smart Cities Mission.
A vibrant, future ready city
The proposal submitted by a competing city is also an indication of the aspirations of the city and its challenges. Gandhinagar, for example, had proposed a vibrant and future ready city that provides ‘good quality of life to its citizens by providing sustainable infrastructure and services through confluence of physical and digital realm’.
In particular, the proposal had focused on some key areas that included – Creating and augmenting physical infrastructure that is resilient, sustainable and of best quality; Providing social infrastructure that is accessible, affordable and of best quality to all citizens of Gandhinagar; Making Gandhinagar future ready city while making ‘environmental sustainability’ a cornerstone of development.
On the other hand, Sikkim’s capital Gangtok had stated promoting an innovation-driven new age economy as its primary goal. Additionally, expanding its Tourism Economy by offering an enviable Quality of Life and lifestyle options, in an ecologically
Leveraging cultural and natural heritage
The Srinagar Smart City project was approved in the third round of the Smart City challenge in April 2017. The project comprises two distinct parts that include: Area-Based Development with an estimated amount of ₹. 2869.24 crores and Pan-City Solutions with an estimated cost of ₹. 765.03 crores.
As part of the Srinagar Smart City Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was incorporated on 8 September 2017. Srinagar Smart City Limited is governed by the Board of Directors with its Chairman, Administrative Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Jammu and Kashmir.
For Srinagar Smart City, the initiative envisions ‘transforming Srinagar into an eco-friendly, resilient and
socio-economically vibrant city that celebrates its natural and cultural heritage creating harmony and opportunities for all’. It aspires to leverage its natural and cultural heritage through innovative and inclusive solutions and enhance the quality of life for its citizens.
Here, ongoing projects include Jhelum cruise for tourism and transport; Gilsar Lake rejuvenation; Boardwalks, walkways and cycle tracks; Conservation of existing shrines; Smart water meters; Sports infrastructure; Social Protection Plan and Capacity Building; etc.
Furthering information technology
Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Limited was a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up for implementation of Smart City Mission of the Government of India with a project overlay of ₹.1,538 crore when Thiruvananthapuram was selected in the third round of Smart City Selection and secured first rank in the Smart City Challenge in 2017.
The proposal that was submitted during the challenge had 43 projects aimed at ‘improving basic infrastructure of the city and harnessing the use of IT-based solutions’ to make the city smart as per the mission.
The proposed projects intend to improve land use efficiency, upgrade basic urban services, further cultural identity and heritage, improve resilience and eco-friendliness and promote socio-economic inclusiveness.