Budget 2024: 10 of India’s 100 smart cities need mobility solutions

Airports, e-buses, and smart metering: Ever since its inception in 2015, the ‘National Smart Cities Mission’, has led the transformation of as many as 100 cities across the country. The project was extended and allocated Rs 16,100 crore in the Union Budget last year. A total of 7,960 projects worth Rs 1.71 lakh crore have been tendered under the project, as per Union Housing and Urban Development Ministry.

The Smart City Project has succeeded in many cities and is a mixed bag for others. Which are the two smart cities, in each of the country's four zones, in need of more e-buses, bigger airports, and smart electricity metering to boost trade and tourism? Republic Business takes a deep down.

Better connectivity for pilgrimage tourism

Even as Tata Motors, the country’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, added to the 600 existing electric bus fleet of Jammu, the city of temples has seen a mixed bag of progress and pitfalls under the Smart City Project.

Tata Motor’s delivery of the electric buses is part of its larger order to supply, maintain and operate 200 buses in J&K, for 12 years is aimed to boost tourism and trade in the Union Territory. However, more charging stations in the UT under a public-private partnership (PPP) mode are likely to be completed next year.

The Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express and many such mobility services have helped transform Varanasi into a smart city. However, last-mile connectivity apart from the existing Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, can further improve tourism-related activity, reads the Smart City vision document. Besides, a need to make the Varanasi Airport runway CAT III-B compliant will help tackle the flight delays witnessed during foggy weather conditions during winter months, the document has stated.

Southern smart cities mantra

A second terminal commissioned at the Chennai International Airport as part of the Smart City Project has helped the city’s growing manufacturing boom. The city’s south, and north axis earmarked to get 1.17 crore smart electricity meters under Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) will soon begin the installation of smart meters for domestic consumers throughout Tamil Nadu.

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Chennai was one of the worst hit by the floods that hit Tamil Nadu in September. As part of the Smart City Project, the southern city has witnessed considerable development. However, the deluge exposed Chennai’s poor drainage system, especially in its low-lying industrial estates.

As per the progress report of the Smart City Project, infrastructure, sustainable development, and use of technology in urban planning are witnessing steady progress in the city.

Similarly, another smart city - Coimbatore, a growing business and Information Technology hub of Tamil Nadu needs more flights to the country’s metro city connections. Besides, the intra-city e-bus shuttle service has also helped the city come on the trade and tourism map of the country.

Infra boost for sustainable growth 

Being among the cities competing to be the “Silicon Valley of India”, Pune has vastly benefitted from the Smart City Project. Trade lobbies in Pune, also known as “Oxford of the East”, have been demanding a dedicated civilian airport, as the existing airport operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) is located at Lohegaon Air Force Station.

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Another smart city, Ranchi hold the advantage of the Tata Motors' set-up in Jamshedpur, and the large-scale industrial activity in the region. The auto ancillary facilities, have helped the modernisation of a large part of the city, offering a glimpse of a tech-savvy future. However, the vision statement has added that the shadows of underdevelopment in old parts of the city need to be overcome with the help of growth and development.

The government's efforts to enhance infrastructure, promote sustainable development, and integrate technology into urban planning are commendable. However, it's essential to consider the perspectives of the common people, who often experience the impact of these initiatives directly, the vision document has stated.