Why in the news?
As per the Smart Cities Mission Dashboard, the cities have completed 7491 projects, with 567 projects still ongoing till feb 2025
Key Features
Objective:
- Enhance urban living by providing core infrastructure, a clean environment, and a decent quality of life.
- Drive economic growth and improve the quality of life through social, economic, physical, and institutional development.
Operational Framework:
- Selection Process: 100 cities were selected through a two-stage competition.
- Implementation: Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) handle project execution.
Centrally Sponsored Scheme:
- ₹48,000 crore allocated by the central government over five years (₹100 crore per city annually).
- Additional resources were raised via municipal bonds, government programs, and public-private partnerships (PPP).
- Timeline: Mission extended to March 31, 2025, for completion.
Achievements
(a) Over 8,000 projects launched, with an investment of ₹1.6 lakh crore.
(b) As of July 2024: (a) 90% of projects completed (7,188 projects). (b) 75% of projects were completed in 75 cities. (c) 17 cities achieved 100% project completion.
(c) Integrated command and control centres in all 100 smart cities, which utilize data for making informed decisions.
(d) Public safety and security is ensured through the installation of 84000 CCTV cameras in all 100 smart cities.
(e) A Water supply system of more than 17026 kilometers is there, which is reducing non-revenue water and leakages.
(f) Solid waste management in more than 66 cities with increased technology use, improved route management, and efficiency of collection. (C, D, E, F till feb 2025)
Challenges
- Implementation Hurdles: Legal issues, clearances, and resource challenges are a few reasons for the delay in 10% of the projects.
- Technological Barriers: Reliance on advanced technologies like IoT faces challenges in areas lacking basic infrastructure.
- Funding and Engagement: Difficulty in securing funds, involving the private sector, and ensuring citizen participation.
- Integration Issues: Achieving seamless integration of systems remains a complex task.
Steps Needed to Strengthen the Smart Cities Mission
The Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs gives the following overarching recommendations.
Governance and Implementation:
- A dedicated CEO should be there with fixed tenure, ensuring the representation of experts and stakeholders, and utilising existing expertise.
- Members of Parliament (MPs) need to be included in State-Level Advisory Forums, and should be consulted for project identification, selection, and implementation, as they have grassroots-level expertise.
Project Focus and Priorities:
- The emphasising should be more on pan-city projects for comprehensive and holistic development, optimising resource allocation as well as reducing wastage.
- Digital infrastructure protection mechanisms are essential to safeguard against cyber threats, eventually maintaining data privacy.
Capacity Building and Funding: A plan to strengthen Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) capabilities in small cities, as well as central government assistance for organisational restructuring and capacity building in states requiring support, should be there.
Project Completion:
- The focus should be on the timely completion of the project.
- The ministry’s role should also be to ensure the execution and completion of funds and projects respectively, by intervening with inputs and expertise.
Conclusion
There is a lot of low-hanging fruit on the road to smartness, and a nimble policy approach can tap this quickly. The plan should recognise that the vibrant life of cities depends on variety and enabling environments, rather than a mere technology-led vision. Pollution-free commons, walkability and easy mobility, with a base of reliable civic services, is the smart way to go. With urbanization gaining prominence in the global policy discourse, it is important to focus on local governance.