GIVING CITIES THE SMART EDGE

The Central government’s framework for 20 cities to become ‘smart’ over a five-year period can cover new ground if it makes intelligent use of information technology to deliver better civic services(नगरिये सेवाएँ). Rapid and poorly regulated urbanisation(शहरीकरण) has overwhelmed(अभिभूत) urban governments, rendering(प्रतिपादन) them incapable(असमर्थ) of providing even basic services such as clean water, sewerage(मलप्रबाह पदध्ति), pedestrian-friendly roads, public transport, uninterrupted power, street lighting, parks and recreational spaces. So weak and uncoordinated(बेबुनियाद) is governance that commercial entities(संस्थाये) have willfully(जानबूझ कर) violated(उलंघन) building regulations and put up unauthorised(अनाधिकृत) structures — with severe impact on congestion(भीड़), air quality and flood management — and governments have gladly regularised the violations later. The smart city plan now proposes to intervene and bring some order by upgrading the physical infrastructure in select enclaves, and incentivising(प्रोत्साहन देना) the use of information and communication technologies. Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has come up with a generalised definition of a smart Indian city as one that “enables(सक्षम बनाना) a decent life to the citizens, and green and sustainable(सतत) environment, besides enabling adoption(गोद लेना) of smart solutions”, but the exercise should lead to measurable outcomes(परिणाम).
              The first batch of smart cities would create virtually(वास्तव में) new business districts in several cities, marking a departure from the disaggregated(अलग-अलग) urban development witnessed over the past few decades. This area-based development approach makes it imperative(अनिवार्य) that the resulting demand for mobility(गतिशीलता) to and from the ‘smart’ area be made an integral part(अभिन्न अंग ) of the plan, with an emphasis on walkability, use of non-motorised transport and access to public transport. Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar have shown high ambition(महत्वकांक्षा) by opting for a common travel card. Others such as Indore, Davangere and Belagavi plan Intelligent Transport Solutions, something that has been unattainable(पहुँच के बाहर) for even a big metro such as Chennai. Although it enjoys high visibility, the smart city programme is merely a framework(ढाँचा) for urban development aided by the Centre with a small initial(पहल) seed fund of Rs.500 crore, while additional(अतिरिक्त) finances have to come from public-private partnerships and local revenue. State governments, including those left out of the first list, could unlock the potential of all cities with development policies that aim at structural change. Improved public transport, for instance, has an immediate positive impact on the local economy. Technologies such as GPS to inform passengers in real time on their mobile phones, and common ticketing, increase the efficiency(क्षमता) of transport use. Universal design in public buildings and streets would help all people, including those with disabilities. The challenge for Smart Cities 1.0 is to provide proof of concept(धरना) quickly and make outcomes sustainable. Care also needs to be taken that the effect is not to create gated communities of best practices and civic upgrade in a wider landscape of urban distress. It is crucial(महत्वपूर्ण) that these urban enclaves cater(आवश्यकतायें पूरी करना) to the housing, health, education and recreation(मनोरंजन) needs of a wide cross section of society, and that the convergence(सम्मिल्लन) of the Smart Cities programme with existing urban renewal projects countrywide(देशव्यापी) be smooth.