Our Smart CitiesAre Dumbing Down | Current Affairs | Vision IAS

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Our Smart CitiesAre Dumbing Down

2 min read

Challenges in Maintaining Smart Cities

Launching new projects is often easier than sustaining them. Despite the initial hype and media coverage, cities frequently face maintenance issues, a problem highlighted during the monsoon season, even in 'smart cities'.

Case Studies: Bengaluru and Pune

  • Bengaluru and Pune, both considered 'smart cities', experienced waterlogging after pre-monsoon showers.
  • This indicates that the true essence of smartness lies not in technology, but in consistent maintenance and upkeep.

Smart Cities Mission (SCM)

  • In 2014, the Government of India announced the development of 100 smart cities using technology to address urban challenges like traffic congestion and flooding.
  • However, the mission shifted focus to renovating existing cities and providing basic amenities such as housing, clean water, power, and transport.

Project Scope and Financials

  • Over the past decade, approximately 8,000 projects worth ₹1.64 lakh crore were sanctioned under the SCM.
  • The mission concluded on March 31, leaving questions about the future of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and integrated command and control centres (ICCCs).

Future of Smart Cities

  • ICCCs were established in all 100 smart cities to facilitate real-time, data-driven decision-making.
  • The parliamentary standing committee on housing and urban affairs recommended that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) formulate guidelines for the continued operation of SPVs post-mission.

Conclusion

  • There has been little progress on the continuation of SPVs and ICCCs beyond the mission's end.
  • Effective use of public funds necessitates not just spending, but ensuring functionality through a culture of upkeep and performance tracking.
  • Failure to do so would result in rebuilding the same infrastructures repeatedly every decade, which is counterproductive to the concept of smart cities.
  • Tags :
  • Smart Cities Mission (SCM)
  • Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs)
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