After smart devices, the world is catching up on the idea of smart cities. What is a smart city? What did the Indian union budget account for these smart cities?

Post Union Budget 2020 being presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the move to set up 5 new smart cities has been proposed. These smart cities will be developed by the state in private partnership mode. While there isn’t a mention of budget allocation for this, the smart city idea has already been successfully implemented in the country.

‘Smart Cities Mission’ an urban renewal initiative by the Government of India aims to build 100 smart cities across the country that are sustainable and citizen-friendly. This mission’s launch saw a total of 5,151 projects started to push forward this mission with over 100 cities seeing different phases of implementation.

Here is your guide to know everything about a smart city:

What is a smart city?

As the name suggests, a smart city makes use of smart devices and solutions to enhance the quality of life and create a sustainable environment. A city that is connected by the internet, has cameras and sensors set up and makes optimal use of social media would constitute as a smart city.

Along with the basics of water, sanitation, and electricity supply, a smart city would be required to work on mobility and powerful internet connection.

How does it work?

Once the government provides guidelines, a nomination will take place. States will have to nominate cities (names of cities) under the ‘City Challenge Competition’. Once selected, the government will fund that State with Rs. 100 crore each year for 5 years to develop these smart cities.

Every State will get at least one smart city and a Special Purpose Vehicle will be made to support the plan. This SPV will have the signatures of the Central Government, State Government, and Local body.

Why does India need a smart city?

When the ‘Smart Cities Mission’ was put into action in 2015 by the government, the reason behind it was the analysis of most people moving to cities by 2050. To accommodate a growing migration from villages to cities, there is a need to have more cities. This effort may build new cities but not grow villages as such. Nevertheless, India definitely needs a smart city because:

Housing – As the population moves in the hope of a better life, it is important for the government to provide ‘Housing for All’ as that is the basic standard of living. ‘Under smart cities’ idea, a sustainable housing capacity will be built.

Infrastructure- Basic amenities of water and electricity supply would be provided in a smart city. Sanitation, smooth transport, and options for urban mobility would also serve the smart city mission.

Employment- Since it would require a lot of manpower to set up a smart city, it will provide more employment opportunities to people and also let them be a part of building a city of the future.

The ‘smart’ in smart cities- The city would have great internet connectivity which would connect devices. A shift towards digitalising processes would take place such as e-governance, electronic deliveries, monitoring of waste and water for management, etc.

Which are the smart cities in India?

As per Wikipedia, these cities were shortlisted in the first round:

1. Bhubaneshwar, Odisha
2. Pune, Maharashtra
3. Jaipur, Rajasthan
4. Surat, Gujarat
5. Kochi, Kerala
6. Ahmedabad, Gujarat
7. Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
8. Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
9. Solapur, Maharashtra
10. Davangere, Karnataka
11. Indore, Madhya Pradesh
12. New Delhi
13. Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
14. Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh
15. Belagaavi, Karnataka
16. Udaipur, Rajasthan
17. Guwahati, Assam
18. Chennai, Tamil Nadu
19. Ludhiana, Punjab
20. Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

Summing Up…

There is quite some progress on development in the above stated smart cities. They might be at different stages of implementation yet changes can be seen. Urbanisation is an inevitable future and using data technology correctly could lead the country into a more sustainable future.

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