Smart City road map explained – Citizens suggestions sought
Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) Commissioner G Prabhu made a smart presentation on the Smart city project and how citizens can also be involved in same which is also one of the perquisites of he smart cities challenge.
According to Prabhu, Central Government desires to accord top priority to e-governance, transparent and quick response pertaining to all citizen services, waste management, and financial health of local bodies among others. infrastructure elements in the Smart City would include adequate water supply, assured electricity supply, efficient urban mobility, affordable housing, sustainable environment, health, education and more. He clarified that the participation of the citizens will play an important role for availing success in the implementation of the programme.
The core infrastructure elements to develop the city into a Smart City consisted of adequate drinking water supply, assured electricity supply, proper sanitation and solid waste management system, efficient urban mobility and public transport, affordable housing especially for the poor, robust IT connectivity and digitalisation, good governance, e-governance and citizen participation, sustainable environment, good health and education facilities. That apart, safety and security of citizens, particularly of women, children and the elderly had to be ensured through effective governance, Prabhu added.
Area-based development will transform existing areas (retrofit and redevelop), including slums, into better planned ones, thereby improving livability of the whole City, he added.
Prabhu said that new areas (greenfield) will be developed around cities in order to accommodate the expanding population in urban areas. He informed that application of Smart Solutions will enable city to use technology, information and data to improve infrastructure and services. Comprehensive development in this way will improve quality of life, create employment and enhance incomes for all, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, he concluded.
Belagavi South MLA Sambhajirao Patil said that the Central and State government has given an opportunity to one and all corporators of BCC to unitedly think and put in efforts for the overall development of Belagavi by forgetting difference of opinion between them. `Do not just think till your ward limits. Go beyond it and think for the welfare of the city, for which you have got an golden opportunity called Smart City,’ he said.
Under the smart city project, three models of development could be taken to transform the existing city into smart city. Under Retrofitting model of development a minimum of 500 acres of the city would considered for development. Under the Re-development model : over 50 acres of existing built-up area would be considered for redevelopment while under the Greenfield and pan city development more that 250 acres of city green zone will be developed and smart solution will be adopted across the city adopting high technology he stated and urged people to actively participle for developing a better and comprehensive smart city plan.