Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The Indore Smart City’s Ahilya Van received appreciation in the Smart City Mission weekly newsletter published by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (GoI), while sharing the progress and works done by all the Smart Cities in the country.
In the citizen’s impact story, Ahilya Van received appreciation from the citizens and analyses done by the ministry.
In 2021, Indore Smart City started the initiative of identifying unutilized spaces within the city. The initiative intended to develop dense green pockets amidst the urbanized landscape of Indore. A list of around 400 such spots was prepared.
Indore Smart City developed city forests, at the identified spots, known as 'Ahilya Vans' to improve air quality, help retain groundwater, recharge groundwater tables, support local biodiversity, lower temperatures and increase green cover in the city.
In the first phase, 100 locations were identified for plantation. It was envisaged that these forests when fully grown, will act as carbon sinks and will drastically improve the microclimate of Indore. Special focus was given to the design of these inserts by making them open to the public and minimizing the use of concrete in these zones.
