IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

With a geographic spread that spans across 3.287 million km, the fragmented public information system is a real challenge for the government, service providers, and other parties involved.

Smart city in India is no more a buzzword as we have already seen live implementations across the country. Close on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 100 smart cities vision, we have multiple examples across the country today from Park Street in Kolkata, which is completely wi-fi enabled, to Bhubaneshwar, showcasing a rapid urbanisation of infrastructure and even the President's Estate, which is completely a connected smart community in itself. India is progressing rapidly in making its cities smart and secure.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) has spent has spent six times the money used for urban rejuvenation in the 10-year UPA rule and asserted that it is not going to stop at just 100 smart cities. As many as 15 smart command and control centres (SCCC) worth Rs2,771 crores in 15 smart cities have been completed and work orders for setting up 31 integrated command and control centre have been issued. In 18 cities, it is under tendering process. Due to this, crime rate has been decreased in these smart cities.

According to HUA, smart roads in 21 cities worth Rs795 crore have been completed, work orders amounting to Rs7,626 crore have been issued in 54 cities and tendering worth Rs5,942 crore is under progress in 40 cities under smart city mission (SCM). As per latest data, smart waste water projects in four cities worth Rs326 crore have been completed, work orders amounting to Rs5,342 crore have been issued in 41 cities and tendering worth Rs3,860 crore is under progress in 23 cities.

Rains in Gurgaon and Delhi have embarrassingly exposed the fragile infrastructure in these cities. This just proves that a downpour would leave our cities, old and new alike, in absolute disarray. The civic administration, urban planners and politicians have miserably failed in planning and implementing basic infrastructure, be it drainage or pothole free roads in our cities.

Despite the current infrastructure woes in cities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the laudable initiative of “100 smart cities” mission. Indeed, the right strategy considering India’s urban population is expected to grow to over 50 per cent in the next 15 years, contributing to over 75 per cent of the GDP.

Ministry of housing and urban affairs will get experts in planning and development of smart cities from France in order to bring the delayed smart city projects on fast track. “French President will visit India in the month of December this year and agreement on many projects including smart city will be on the agenda. French participation in smart city projects of India is likely to be announced in December this year,” a senior government official said. The French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit India in December.

The State government is planning to develop Mumbai, Nagpur, Amravati, Aurangabad and Nashik into smart cities with the help of Israel, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said.

Fadnavis is on three day tour to Israel. He discussed the co-operation with Ron Huldai, mayor of Tel Aviv. The discussion was based on turning the cities into ‘smart cities’ using the technology, social media, e-governance and people’s participation. Tel Aviv was adjudged as the ‘World’s Smartest City’ at the Smart City Expo World Congress held in 2014.

A model of eco-friendly smart city presented by Amit Sharma, Regional Director, Survey and Land Records, Udhampur/Reasi was widely appreciated and awarded in recently concluded Start-up Festival and Smart City Summit in Surat.

This eco-friendly and sustainable growth-oriented smart city model was presented by Amit Sharma during a special panel discussion on ‘Usage of IT & e-Governance to Build Futuristic Smart Cities” which was clubbed with best models/practices of smart cities across India.

In a step towards making Jalandhar a Smart City, work on first of its kind Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in Punjab has been started. Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the project at local police lines.

The project would come up at a cost of Rs 116 crore under which 1250 CCTV cameras would be installed at 250 locations in the city.

Hype or Reality?

Smart City Mission Program was launched by PM Narendra Modi on 25th June 2015. Initial entitlement was for hundred cities across India to be developed under smart city Mission program. The Modi government decided to undertake the endeavour of developing smart cites, aiming at improving the urban efficiency and sustainability as well as the wellbeing of its urban residents.

The 4th Board of Directors (BoD) meeting of the Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) saw approval of several proposals for building smart infrastructure and facilities for the citizens, providing them hassle-free access to public services. Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department, chaired the meeting.

During the meeting, extensive discussions were held on all proposals and put before CEO Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary for approval. A number of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) were approved for execution whereas several others were accepted in principle and asked to be put before the board after re-evaluation and value-addition.

After Ranchi was listed among the top 98 cities to be converted into smart cities on Thursday, the urban development and housing department and Ranchi Municipal Corporation have begun working towards taking Ranchi in the top 20 list.

In the first phase, 20 cities will be selected from the list of 100 in the first year to be made smart cities while in the year 2016-17, 40 out of the remaining 80 would be selected. Deputy mayor Sanjiv Vijayavargiya said, "We are trying our best to get place in the top 20 cities. We have time till March 31, 2016 to send our development report and proposal to the Centre through which selection of top 20 cities would be done."

As many as 44 projects worth Rs 958.57 crore are taken up under Smart City project and 7 projects worth Rs 912.17 crore are taken up under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP), said Mangaluru Smart City CEO Narayanappa.

Addressing media here on Tuesday, June 25, Narayanappa said," In the year 2015, Smart City guidelines were passed. A proposal was sent to consider Mangaluru under the project. In the first phase, 20 cities were selected and in the second phase Mangaluru was selected. In April 2017, the process and work for Smart City began and 44 projects were placed under Smart City project and 7 projects under PPP.”

A year after the formation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to implement the Smart City project in Bengaluru, the Central government project is yet to take off

A year after the formation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to implement the Smart City project in Bengaluru, the Central government project is yet to take off. Though a grant of ₹100 crore was released recently, the SPV has not got into action.

The state government has decided to set up a separate office for execution of ‘Smart City’ project.

During question hour in Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa made the suggestion that officials, who are handling Smart City projects, were multi-tasking and therefore they were going on behind schedule. Housing and urban development minister U T Khader, in reply, said that he would take steps to set up separate office exclusively for ‘Smart City’ projects.

The tech hub could be one of six to be selected for the smart city concept; stiff contest between smaller urban spaces for other slots

Bengaluru could be one of six cities from Karnataka to make it to the list of smart cities. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to send its name to be included in the smart city category.

Bengaluru can easily get through the process as it is a state capital, but the other cities have a fight on their hands to grab the five other berths. Former chief secretary A Ravindra held discussions with BBMP officials including administrator TM Vijay Bhaskar and commissioner G Kumar Naik and explained the concept of a smart city to them. Ravindra said that Smart City Foundation, a non-profit organisation, will help the BBMP prepare the project under Smart City Mission. He said, "The union government has decided to include six cities from Karnataka for the Smart City Mission project and it is the responsibility of BBMP to make sure that Bengaluru's name is included."

This has been on the cards since 2017; plan includes reviving the lotus pond, building walkways

Cubbon Park — one of the city’s main lung space which has been in the news after permission was given to raze a building on its premises to make way for a High Court annexe — is set for a revamp under the Smart City project.

The 'Smart City' project, which is aimed at developing 100 cities of the country, is limping in the state. The progress of this is further hampered by the oncoming parliamentary elections, which are due to be held in the next six to seven months.

Though the grant regarding this project is released and necessary instructions are given, it is really sad to note that the funds are not utilized for the implementation of the project.

The project is expected to be implemented in a phased manner and will go live by mid-2019

NEC Technologies India has concluded a contract to provide command and control centre components and other IoT enabled smart ICT systems for Hubballi Dharwad Smart City (HDSCL). The project is expected to be implemented in a phased manner and will go live by mid-2019. Under the contract, NEC Technologies India will implement an Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), city wide surveillance system and ICT based solid waste management system.

It's a win-win situation for Belagavi city all over. The city which on the mode of speedy development with coming up of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (SVS) three years ago, all set for big leap, with the state government recommended the name of city for 'Smart City' project to the central government.

Prime minister Narendra Modi led NDA government has announced of converting 100 cities into smart cities across the country and sought names of cities for the project from state governments. Karnataka government has recommended names of four cities comprising Belagavi, Davanagere, Shivamogga and Mangaluru.

Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Tumakuru, and Davangere chosen.

Six smaller cities of Karnataka have outdone their bigger counterparts for inclusion in the coveted smart cities project list.

The poll-bound capital city of Bengaluru — which contributes nearly 70 per cent to the State’s total revenue — failed to make it to the list, securing just 62 per cent under the 15-point parameter set by the Centre for inclusion. Two other major cities — Mysuru and Kalaburagi — too did not make it to the list.

The twin cities are among 100 smart cities selected by the Centre for the project, which is being funded by both the Centre and the state, with each investing `500 crore.

Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City Limited (HDSCL), a special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up for implementing the smart city project, has got a full-time managing director, 20 months after it was incorporated under the Companies Act. The appointment of IAS officer Hephsiba Rani Korlapati as full-time MD is now expected to speed up work under the project.