Bandra-Kurla Complex likely to be city’s foremost ‘Smart district’

The Bandra-Kurla Complex is set to become the first smart district in India’s financial capital with authorities calling for bids to complete the project by the end of this financial year.

Under the Smart BKC project, MMRDA plans to provide mainly five services—public wi-fi, smart parking to book a slot instead of going round looking for one, smart solar street lighting, a citizen portal or apps to spot utilities—or even help book a restaurant table—and video analytics-based CCTV cameras that can alert agencies about thefts or suspicious activities.

The MMRDA plans to bring 175 hectares in Bandra-Kurla Complex under wi-fi connectivity. The agency has invited expressions of interest for the project; the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model is also under consideration. As part of the project, a smart parking concept will be implemented across all the 3,000 parking slots in BKC. A person entering BKC can pre-book a slot online or arrive at the place, check out the spaces available on his mobile phone or display boards and make straight for them.

Another environment-friendly initiative in the pipeline is the solar smart street lighting system. The system will be almanac-based, so that the brightness of the street light can increase or decrease according to the natural light and do away with wastage of power. Mobile charging points will also be provided at various places in BKC.

Around 90 CCTV cameras with video analytics-based technology will be installed to boost security in the financial hub. This system will have the fixed geography of the area—houses, street furniture, etc—fed into its memory. Anything not matching the mapped memory, like an accident or an injured man on the road, will be spotted and alerts will be sent to hospitals and cops. The cameras will help prevent theft and defiling of public property and identify suspicious movement. With the citizen portal, users can get information about cafes, or book tables in restaurants or rooms in hotels, or locate a hospital or retail outlet.