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BW Businessworld

Smart Solutions May Differ On Actual Needs Of People And Be Sustainable

Satyaprakash Patel, Commissioner, Aligarh Municipal Corporation said, “We have to understand the responsiveness while developing since more than 50 percent of the population is in urban areas and there is immense pressure on the resources. We need to find out solutions to deal with these situations.”

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Smart cities mean the use of infrastructure and facilities in a smarter way, and they cannot develop without people. Moderating the panel at BW Businessworld 7th smart cities conclave, Satyaprakash Patel, Commissioner, Aligarh Municipal Corporation said, “We have to understand the responsiveness while developing since more than 50 percent of the population is in urban areas and there is immense pressure on the resources. We need to find out solutions to deal with these situations.”


Ajay Gupta, Secretary, Dept. of Urban Development, Andaman & Nicobar administration said, “Smart city is two-way interaction. Technology implementation is going to help in the delivery of services, regulatory mechanisms. By taking care of gaps in the delivery system, we will be leaner and smarter. Engagement of people through technology is the key to the functionality of a smart city.”

Adding further to it, Suneel Anchipaka, Secretary & CEO, Port Blair Municipal Corporation talked about Andaman being different from the mainland. He said, “We have taken feedback from the citizens in terms of mechanism and we believe in a bottom-up approach. We have taken a sewerage project in the smart city. As part of the smart city, we have engaged with the German team for tackling marine litter.”

Andaman has tourism and fishing as main business streams and has initiated urban forestry. The focus is now on smart waste management, and managing the city is focused on ecology and citizen connect.

Viraj Shyamkarn Tidke, Asst. Commissioner of Ludhiana Municipal Corporation shared his views about smart cities saying physical connectivity has some problems. Ludhiana has a big population and is a highly industrialized city leading to overcrowding and crimes. The smart city looks forward to finding solutions and has introduced e-rickshaw, trying to introduce EV’s to public transport but rues the lack of private sector participation in the projects.  

He said, “Another issue is trying to generate funds through bonds. Not being able to attract private investors to Ludhiana is hampering smart cities' mission.”

Hari Kumar Singh, CEO of Imphal Smart City Ltd. says his city has 4 pillars carrying forward the smart city, but the central pillar point is the citizen; regular feedback from them and integrating those feedbacks in smart solutions.

He said, “The decision making should tactically involve all sections of the public. In most cases, the weaker economic section has their voices unheard. We have become smarter in the hurry of delivering the solutions at the earliest, copying from one city to another without actually realizing whether that solution is feasible in the same format.”

He added, “When we talk about connectivity and sustainability, our solutions should be focused on the actual need of the people. Smartness may differ from time to time, and be sustainable.”

Vinod Agarwal, Mayor of Moradabad municipal corporation said we need to focus on giving fundamental amenities first before becoming smart cities. Talking about the smart city, he said things have been planned and will start coming on the floor soon.  


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Port Blair ludhiana public transport ICCC sustainability