Govt spells out ‘Smart City’ features

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced his vision to set up 100 smart cities across the country soon after coming to power last year.

The Union Minister for Urban Development, M Venkaiah Naidu, while releasing the list of 98 cities selected for being developed into smart cities, also spelt out the features of a Smart City.

Naidu said that the objectives to promote cities include providing core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ solutions.

The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model, which will act like a light house to other aspiring cities, the minister underlined.

The core infrastructure elements in a Smart City would include:

* Adequate water supply

*Assured electricity supply

*Sanitation, including solid waste management

*Efficient urban mobility and public transport

*Affordable housing, especially for the poor

*Robust IT connectivity and digitalization

*Good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation

*Sustainable environment

*Safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly

*Health and education

For the entire list of features of a ‘smart city’, click here.