When generally people talk about smart cities, lots of people think we would have flying cars, lots of people believe that humans will stop talking to each other and lots of other people think that everything would be different from our time, but that is not so. I don’t think that. I believe that everything will be better and that everything will be a little smarter. I believe everything that we have around us will communicate, everything will just fit in.
So before moving ahead, let us understand the term ‘Smart Cities’. What are smart cities? Smart cities leverage technology to serve people. They are built around users and start with an information network. They are designed to optimise resources and thereby promote sound, sustainable environment. Connected streets are the core of smart cities. As our planet becomes more urban, our cities need to get smarter. We’ll need to find new ways to manage complexity, building together, to make life even more fun. It must include dynamic traffic management, energy management, adequate electricity and water supply, robust IT connectivity and digitalisation, sanitation including solid waste management, improved health and education systems, good governance especially e-Governance and citizen participation, Efficient urban mobility and public transport and safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly.
India’s push to accommodate a booming urban population and attract investment rests in large part with dozens of “smart” cities. Development of smart cities using next generation technology will enable India to technologically lead in the process of urbanisation. 21 new industrial clusters have been approved and developed in the last few months with an ecosystem of chain responsiveness, lower logistic costs, availability of labour and technology up-gradation. These clusters will provide cost and productivity gains and drive India up in the manufacturing chain.
One such city is the beautiful pink city, the capital of the largest state in the country-Jaipur. It is commendable that Jaipur ranked number 3 in the list of first 20 smart cities in India following Bhubaneswar and Pune on number 1 and 2 respectively. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje unstopabally has been working hard each day for the development and the betterment of the people of the state. She firmly believes that the goal of building a smart city is to improve the quality of life of the residents of the state by using technology to improve the effectiveness of the services. Presently, more than 30% of the population of India lives in cities which generate approximately 63% of the total economic activity of the nation. The smart cities mission, started by the government of India is an excellent initiative to improve the quality of life and drive economic growth. So does the CM Raje think and implement. What could have been a better choice then beginning with the capital city itself? From developing metro connecting every area to providing access of clean drinking water to every household, Jaipur, in the guidance of Raje has significantly changed developing as a SMART CITY.
On 25th June 2016, Jaipur completed its one year of being titled as a smart city. On the occasion of Jaipur’s first anniversary under the smart city mission, the CM said, “The day is not far when with the vision and the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jaipur will rank No. 1 in the Smart City Mission.” On the occasion she announced many projects for the pink city and inaugurated some which included solar power plant, open standards based fare card and ticketing system14 traditional step-wells, ‘Public Information Shelter in Bus-Q-Shelter etc. The cost of the rejuvenation of the 14 planned baoris (step-wells) is being estimated to be 4.37 crores approximately. CM has also wisely allocated Rs 9.7 crores on the renovation of the Ram Nivas Garden to restore its glory and Rs 3 crore on the Sawan Badhon Park. CM Raje announced that 100 new buses will be introduced to enhance and strengthen the public transport system of the city.
Apart from this, CM Vasundhara Raje said that Jaipur will get a power plant which will convert the garbage into electricity at Langariawas. She said Rajasthan has build highest number of toilets under the ‘Clean India Campaign’ by PM Modi and ranks number one in the country. She also told that Jaipur has been selected as Asia’s first lighthouse city. She emphasised on the point that it is every indidivdual’s responsibility to keep our state clean and green. We should plant more trees, avoid throwing garbage on the roads and public places, should not harm the heritage places of the state, must not leave our pets out on the roads, must follow the traffic rules, encourage children for education and skill development, respect elders, be digitalized and should always learn everywhere and every time we get an opportunity.
CM Raje has left no stone unturned in making the capital a SMART CITY. She has made it a perfect example of a heritage and a modern city. She said that she believes every step of the state government will one day be fruitful when many districts of the state will counted among the smart cities and several villages with be counted among the smart villages of the country. Let us all pledge to move forward together on the path of becoming smart and making the cities smarter.
