Smart cities: Not such a smart move

Smart cities: Not such a smart move

Prakash Bal JoshiUpdated: Friday, May 31, 2019, 10:50 PM IST
article-image

The most advanced industrial state in the country will have ten smart cities as part of the Union government’s plan to have 100 smart cities in the country to push ahead “Make in India” programme. Apart from this central list, the state government will add its own list of smart cities to attract more investment in the state. With much delay in approving some of the major reforms due to logjam in the Parliament, the sceptics will keep a close watch on how these proposed smart cities take shape in near future.

Mumbai, being the El Dorado of India, attracts massive migration from all over the country and as such population has always stripped the metropolis of its available civic amenities. The planning always remained incomplete as before the infrastructure projects are put into place, the population has always over grown making available facilities look inadequate – including roads, power supply, housing and other infrastructure. Apart from Mumbai, other major cities in the state are also facing pressure from migration and need urgent upgradation of civic amenities and proper infrastructure.

It is not yet clear as to what exactly will be achieved my declaring a city as smart city , except making Wi-Fi available to people in public places and taking steps towards digitalisation of all public facilities. It is estimated that over Rs 48,000 crore will be required for 100 smart cities in the country and the government may partly finance it and secure funds from the private sector. Each city is expected to get Rs 100 crore for next five years for preparation of essential infrastructure projects to make the city smart. As per the list announced by Union Minister of Urban Development, Venkaiah Naidu, Mumbai city, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, Thane, Amravati, Solapur, Nagpur, Kalyan-Dombivli, Aurangabad and  Pune from Maharashtra have been declared as smart cities. Most of these cities have already grown big, have municipal corporations and require urgent upgradation of infrastructure. The state urban development department will have to work out a detailed plan for each smart city for improvement of living conditions. The funds made available by the Union government will have to be utilised in a well planned manner to avail proper benefits. Some of these cities have become so unhygienic that part of the available fund will have to be used to make them clean before providing modern facilities.

The idea behind creating such smart cities is to create conducive atmosphere for faster growth. These smart cities can become nodal points for creating better living conditions in the surrounding region. Apart from these 10 cities in the state, there are other tier-two cities which have also grown fast and will require better infrastructure. On the lines of smart cities list declared by the union government, the state government plans to declare its own list of smart cities to take care of these tier two cities like Nanded, Kolhapur, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Akola and Chandrapur.

More than 35 cities in the state had shown interest in the smart city programme but only 10 could be included in the final list. The remaining cities could be supported and developed as smart cities by the state government. The urban development department is consulting experts and will decide quantum of funds for state’s own smart cities. The state government is trying to work out how to raise funds and coordinate with elected local self-government bodies of these cities which would be developed as smart cities under the state government’s patronage.

The state government has adopted resolution for new special township policy to develop multiple smart cities in Maharashtra on the lines of the union government’s plan. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has approved the proposal in principle and details are being worked out for developing a number of smart cities in the state. The special township policy will now be framed along the lines of the proposed smart cities and will make sure all amenities and services are offered to the public. He has also asked the urban development department to make the smart cities policy public so that people can study it and give their suggestions. The special township policy was introduced in the state in 2007-08, to give encouragement to private developers to take up development of over 100 acres and offered several incentives. The move has not helped the state in terms of developing infrastructure for future urban conglomerates. Some of the real-estate entities acquired more than 100 acres of land but could not even go beyond plotting and fencing.

The state authorities must plan to make provision for the smart cities they are planning to develop in the state. Without such provision, the plan will remain on paper and nothing tangible will be achieved in these cities in terms of infrastructure and betterment of living conditions. Realising this is a very essential part of the project. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and State Industries Minister Subhash Desai are visiting Japan to attract investments in the field of manufacturing, electronics, information technology and specially for the smart cities. The government believes that there will be lot of interest among Japanese corporate investors who would be interested in participating in this programme.

The state will have to develop a system with fixed procedures for flow of private investment towards the proposed small cities and a way for it to monitor its utilisation by local self-government bodies like municipal councils. The state will also have to set priorities for development of infrastructure otherwise these bodies, under local influence, may divert and misuse funds made available to them or use it for paying off old debts. Such process will require strong backing from professional experts to advise the local bodies and the state authorities. Otherwise, such talk of smart cities will remain a daydream and cities would remain languishing in state’s backyard without much improvement.

During recent visit to Seoul in South Korea, I was amazed at the way public Wi-Fi was made available all along major roads and public spaces like parks, squares, government establishments and railway stations. The city presented a classic case of digitisation of day to day life in all its aspects. Every city has its own personality, background, historical reasons for developments and unless these cultural factors are taken into consideration, a city cannot become smart by mere technological upgradation.

Citizens need their own open spaces while the city is being developed into hub of modern technologies. The planners must make provision for public spaces where citizens can relax and entertain; it should also help in revival of local culture. There has to be a provision of space for public art as well so that the proposed smart cities do not look like heartless entities from science fiction.

RECENT STORIES

Decentralisation Can Build Better Cities

Decentralisation Can Build Better Cities

Analysis: Elections Are The True Test Of Democracy

Analysis: Elections Are The True Test Of Democracy

Analysis: Crucial Questions About Navayuga And The EBs

Analysis: Crucial Questions About Navayuga And The EBs

Editorial: Too Few LS Tickets For Women

Editorial: Too Few LS Tickets For Women

From Mandir To Mandi

From Mandir To Mandi