Smart cities Mission in India- On the threshold of success and modernisation

Standing smart on the shoulders of capable, new-age tech- There’s much to look forward to in a smart city!
When we look at highly urbanized, modern cities in Asia such as Japan & Singapore or any of the European and American cities for that matter, the first thing that usually hits right between the eyes is the 24/7 seamless infrastructure, the complex maze of road networks replete with snaking trail lights zipping by on multi highways and hi-tech transportation systems that seem to exist and breathe a life all of their own.
That however, is an image that we associate with these above mentioned cities, a bit hard to conjure up the same when it comes to our own home cities back here in India, isn’t it?

Living Smart

Not too far from reality, the dream of this uber chic urbanisation which many thought was a far fetched utopia reserved for only ‘those living abroad’ is now coming to fruition what with the implementation of the smart city plan for multiple cities across India.

So what is this brouhaha all about?

Not very long ago it was announced, amidst much enthusiasm and excitement of the citizens that in India too there would be an ambitious plan of creating 100 smart cities by 2022. But naturally, there was an open eagerness and much curiosity about the nuts and bolts details of the entire project, something which we plan to explore a bit more in detail under.

As expected, everyone wanted to know what the smart city would entail and how it would change the lives of people especially in the context of their housing, commercial, vehicular, road and civic capabilities.

Solutions downright smart

Let’s put it simply, a smart city is one that is wired to think, execute and function efficiently and ‘smartly’ standing firmly on the shoulders of capable, new-age technology. The mechanism is thus wired to effectively put to use the latest automotive digital advancements so as to provide citizens a better (more modern) urban lifestyle besides also ensuring that there is less cost and impact on the existing civic assets. In effect, a smart city would, using sensor tech, mobile apps, internet and wireless sets of connections, be able to take on the additional load of a burgeoning population, increased vehicular traffic on roads and a greater than before burden on public utilities and systems, in a smooth and seamless manner.

Of course, there are naysayers who believe that nothing can actually transform or magically eradicate the mass existing issues that are bogging down the cities as of now. While even this argument does have merit, it is also a fact that the implementation of smart cities is going to be rolled out in a phased manner, with active participation from citizens and civic authorities alike.

Going ahead, full steam

The arrangement has been thought of such that the implementation of one Smart city will be emulated by other cities chosen under the plan. The chosen cities, in the first phase would be granted approx. Rs 200 crore for the execution and Rs 100 crore in a phased manner over a span of 3 years thereafter. Here, of course, it is proposed that the individual states will also be pumping in equivalent sums towards the same and the carrying out duties would pitch in capabilities pooled in from joint ventures and public-private partnerships.

In Chennai, a city that has been chosen under the Smart city plan, the impetus is ongoing and has seen the moving ahead of key projects such as the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor- a 800-km national highway project aimed at boosting business and trade in Visakhapatnam-Chennai cities, (MRTS) Mass Rapid Transit System, Chennai Metro and the Outer Ring Road II besides other cohesive city developments (not necessarily under the gamut of the Smart city plan) such as the proposed Greenfield airport and the 300-crore Oragadam Industrial Corridor Road are being thought of as significant infrastructural changes that will perceptible alter the Chennai skyline forever.