Page 26 - TT Magazine Aug-Sep 2018

SMART CITY

Smart Cities
India’s Journey of

Urban Transformation

While a momentum for Smart City is achieved, the
same needs to be accelerated through specific and
continuous interventions at national regional
and local levels from policy to performance

management to take this journey forward and set
the benchmark for rest of the cities to get started
writes Venkata Chunduru, Director, IBI Group

bout 55% of the world’s population today Realizing the scarce availability of natural and financial
lives in urban areas. In India it is 34% increase resources, urban renewal in India was pivoted on
of about three percentage points since the Sustainability which became extremely important in this
2011 Census. It was well assimilated by our journey of transformation.
Apolicy makers that managing this urbanisation Launched in June 2015, Smart Cities Mission with an
in a smart way shall provide for a significant opportunity aim of developing 100 cities with an investment of Rs.
for renewing the cities to become growth engines and 2.03 lakh Crores impacting nearly 22% of Urban India
leapfrog Indian economy to greater prospects. But not is definitely one of the most ambitious development
without addressing in a sustainable way the problems programs ever conceptualised.
emanating out of such urbanisation i.e. acute shortage of
housing and growth of slums, increased traffic congestion, Urban India Conundrum
inadequate water supply and sanitation, growing Before we embark on this, a quick look at India’s
pollution both water and air and finally inadequate social Urban predicament which will help us appreciate the
infrastructure i.e. schools and hospitals efforts better.

26 August-September ’18 / TrafficInfraTech www.trafficinfratech-com-500653.hostingersite.com