After the recent amendments to the Smart City project, Udaipur has come a lot closer to realizing its dream of becoming a smart city. Needless to say, Udaipur literally upped the ante by performing exceptionally well in the latest ranking conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India and has really given the other cities a run for their money. It is the combined efforts of the people of the city and the Municipality that Udaipur is now seen as a competitor in the smart city race. Udaipur ranked 4th in the rankings and was judged on the basis of the commencement and completion of projects within the timeframe along with the tender allotment process and the implementation speed.
Some of the recent developments in the city include pole-less old city area, under which all the open lines and connections including cable, internet, telephone will be made underground, also, the undergoing sewage line modification and the door-to-door garbage collection plans have given a boost to the residents and motivated everyone to perform our bit towards making Udaipur a Smart City.
Different people have different approaches to the concept of Smart City. It depends on the level of development, desire to change and reform, and most importantly, the dreams of the citizens of the city. The main aim remains to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and provide a decent standard of living to its residents along with a clean and green environment.
The main objectives with which a smart city is developed include:
- E-Governance, through online records, complaint management, etc.
- Green City, providing alternate energy and utilities, also, being transport efficient.
- Public Safety which means strict law enforcement and proper security and surveillance.
- Smart Building which optimizes energy and smart metering.
- Proper healthcare services followed by asset management, telemedicine, and remote monitoring.
- Education that is research-based and is technologically equipped.
- Transport, which includes, fleet optimization, airport, and railway management.
Running along the same lines, Smart City Board gave a nod to ABD tenders (Area Based Development worth ₹537 crores to L&T company. They broadly include the development of 50 Bus Q shelters, Conservation and development of works of heritage appearance, lighting for bazaars in the Walled city area under Udaipur Smart City project Phase-I and redevelopment of Government schools and Anganbaris in the municipal areas for which the work-order will be prepared in the next 10 days. Whereas, the work shall commence after the company’s two-month survey and is expected to complete the same within a timeframe of 2 years.
Here are some amendments that make the ABD tender such a special gift for the city:
An all-day water supply to all the eighteen wards coming under the Walled city area.
New network of sewage lines to be laid.
Upgradation of old lines with new techniques.
Pole-less walled city area with all the connections going underground.
New roads in ABD area.
Covered drainage lines and gutters.
SCADA system implementation that helps to gather reports online about electricity, water, etc. through sensors and delivering commands to control relays.
The Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) lauded the tender allotment process of Smart City Limited and Board and gave directions as to how the same should be served as a Model Tender throughout the country.
Rajasthan was the first major state to have gotten the smart city projects approved for all the four cities in mere two rounds of the competition. Udaipur got through in just the first round of 20 smart cities along with Jaipur followed by Ajmer and Kota in the second round of the competition. Rajasthan is one of the 11 states to start implementing the six urban missions that comprise the development of the heritage city and augmentation yojana. The Government of Rajasthan is spending close to ₹30,000 crores on these projects. The projects are expected to be completed by the year 2020.
What are your thoughts about Udaipur’s Smart City mission?
Tell us in the comments below and suggest some ideas and measures we can take to take it a level further. After all, it is our city and our participation remains of the utmost importance!
Keep the city clean. Charity begins at home!