Four major projects move to different departments, but their fate remains uncertain; will they be completed thoughtfully or linger in bureaucratic limbo? past experiences suggest cautious optimism at best
On March 20, 2025, Chandigarh Smart City Limited (CSCL) officially wound up operations. Before filing it away in urban archives, let’s reflect—what was promised, what was delivered, and what remains.
The Smart City initiative arrived like a home makeover show—ambitious, enthusiastic, and determined to ‘modernise’ Chandigarh. But here’s the thing: Chandigarh was already a smart city. Le Corbusier’s grid, green spaces, and walkable sectors gave it a head start long before ‘smart city’ became a buzzword. Instead of building on this, the initiative often felt like adding decor while ignoring structural issues.
When ‘smart’ wasn’t sensible
The idea was to bring tech-driven solutions to urban life. The reality? A series of misplaced efforts. Where did things go sideways?
- Tech for the sake of tech– AI-powered waste bins, digital dashboards, and sensor-driven traffic signals made headlines. But did they fix deeper issues? Not quite. The waste bins malfunctioned, dashboards glitched, and traffic woes remained. The smart parking system suffered technical failures and poor integration.
- The bureaucratic blame game– The municipal corporation (MC) and UT administration passed responsibilities like an unwanted group project. Overlapping roles and delays slowed execution. The ‘Smart Roads’ project, meant to enhance mobility, missed deadlines due to coordination failures.
- Citizens? Oh, right! – The smartest cities work with their people, not around them. Here, residents often realised a project was underway when they hit a literal roadblock. Public involvement felt like an afterthought. The pedestrianisation of Sector 17 had potential but was executed with little dialogue, leading to chaos.
- Missed the basics – The much-hyped Integrated Command and Control Centre was meant to be the city’s digital nerve centre. Instead, it faced technical issues, while basic urban challenges—like efficient public transport or pedestrian-friendly spaces—remained unaddressed. Chandigarh’s bus system is still outdated and unreliable.
With CSCL gone, its 32 ongoing projects now land in the MC’s lap—already burdened with routine challenges. Four major projects move to different departments, but their fate remains uncertain. Will they be completed thoughtfully or linger in bureaucratic limbo? Past experiences suggest cautious optimism at best.
What could have been done differently?
- Enhance, don’t overhaul– Chandigarh didn’t need a tech-heavy reinvention. It needed a thoughtful upgrade—better public transport, sustainable infrastructure, and efficient governance. Strengthening existing systems should have been the priority.
- Listen first, build later– A city’s intelligence isn’t measured by sensors but by how well it responds to its people. A structured feedback system could have led to projects that truly improved urban life. Jaipur and Pune involved citizens throughout their smart city implementation, resulting in more practical interventions.
- Phased, practical implementation– Cities don’t transform overnight. A data-backed roll out would have been more effective than hurried, politically driven initiatives. If pilot projects had been tested before scaling up, Chandigarh could have avoided costly missteps.
What Now?
With CSCL out of the picture, this is a chance to rethink what ‘smart’ means. Is it about chasing tech trends or fine tuning Chandigarh’s strong urban DNA to meet modern needs? The real challenge isn’t launching ambitious projects—it’s executing them in ways that genuinely benefit people.
Chandigarh never needed to prove its intelligence. It needed leadership that understood its essence. If the MC picks up the pieces wisely, there’s hope. Otherwise, we may just be watching another rerun of ‘Smart City: The sequel’—and we all know how sequels usually turn out.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Aashna Gakhar
Quelle/Source: Hindustan Times, 30.03.2025
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