Image Credits : DNA

Navi Mumbai is going to get the India’s first “Smart City” which is spread over an area of 75 sq km encompassing seven nodes and the upcoming airport with one new township.

Presently, Brownfield project is developing the existing facilities in the few regions such as; Kalamboli, Kharghar, Ulwe, Panvel, Dronagiri, Kamothe, and Taloja nodes and Greenfield project is developing the existing facilities in other regions such as; Pushpak Nagar (2.5 sq km) near the airport, which will developed by the CIDCO at the cost of Rs 35,000 crore. It is expected that by the end of 2019, these regions will get the smart roads, transport, citizen-friendly administration, security other tech-driven facilities with the help of CIDCO.

According to officials, it is expected that many new project will also come in these regions whereas; few are underway.

Navi Mumbai

To enroll for the Smart City challenge and grab the title, people’s participation is of utmost significance. Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has taken a step towards ensuring this by launching a website. “It is very important to garner involvement of people for the success of any campaign. This website will take us closer to citizen,” said D.T. Waghmare, the civic body chief.

Residents can visit www.nmmconline.com, the official website of the civic body where a separate link www.smartcity.com has been specially hosted to facilitate public comments & feedback with ease. Besides, a two-page questionnaire has also been designed for citizens’ inputs. Nearly seven lakh copies of the questionnaire are proposed to be circulated to schools within civic limits.

Well-known music composer and an ardent Navi Mumbaikar, Shankar Mahadevan was taken on a virtual tour of the website when he visited the ‘SmartCity War room’ arranged at the civic headquarters. He suggested efficient garbage disposal system for the city.

Smart Cities in India

Recently, CM Fadnavis informed that 10 cities of Maharashtra would compete with other states to bag the ‘Smart City’ projects which meant to get the more advanced and well developed urban infrastructure.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis stated that there are 10 cities from our state which is being nominated for the Centre’s “Smart Cities” project and we will compete with the entries of other states to bag funds from central to develop more advanced and developed urban infrastructure. Edged out emerging towns from the developed cities of Maharashtra are in the race to bag the funds from central. However; the name of shortlisted cities are; Mumbai, Kalyan – Dombivali, Navi Mumbai, Thane from MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan region), Pune, Solapur, Pimpri – Chinchwad from Western Maharashtra, Nagpur and Amravati from Vidarbha, Nashik from North Maharashtra and Aurangabad from Marathwada.

Recently, Central Government of India, has identified development of new towns close to those cities which are well developed because its key behind the smart city initiative where central government will contribute Rs 50 crore each year towards the smart city project. According to Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India there are lacks of infrastructure and basic amenities in the new emerging towns of Maharashtra and due to that soon CM will announce next plan for development, which will focus on the urban areas or Maharashtra. This report observed that out of 36 none of the town has even the basic service level benchmarks for solid waste management, sewage management and water supply, however; the audit was for the period of 2011 to 2014. According to CAG report, water supplied in 50 per cent of the audited towns are between 25 to 69 litres per day per person, however; according to government norms it should be between 70 to 70 litres per day per person. It was observed that due to loss from distribution system, treatment plans, reduced efficiency of water the problem of irregular water supply comes in existence.

Almost there is no town which found to be segrating municipal waste; the more CAG added that the numbers of towns are not even authorized by the state pollution for the waste disposal facilities. However; the CAG has also identified irregularities in the main irrigation projects in all over the state and there are many mini projects which don’t have approved master plan.