Smart Cities Mission is a dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under the ambitious Smart City Mission of the Central Government, 93% of work has been completed so far. To complete the remaining work, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs extended its period by one more year till March 2025.
The Smart Cities Mission is an initiative by the Government of India to develop smart cities across the country. The goal is to create cities that are more sustainable, inclusive, and citizen-friendly. The mission focuses on improving core infrastructure, such as water supply, sanitation, and transportation. It also promotes the use of technology to improve efficiency and service delivery. Furthermore, this mission is to provide a decent quality of life to its citizens through smart solutions.
Objectives of the Smart Cities Mission
Improving Urban Infrastructure: Enhance basic infrastructure services such as water supply, sanitation, electricity, and waste management.
Technology Integration: Utilize digital and information technologies, urban planning best practices, and public-private partnerships to improve the urban environment.
Sustainable Development: Promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to citizens.
Citizen Engagement: Engage citizens in the planning and implementation process to ensure that the solutions meet their needs.
Efficient Governance: Improve governance by increasing transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.
Economic Growth: Boost the local economy by creating employment opportunities and promoting local industries.
Key Features
- Smart Governance: Implementation of e-governance initiatives, online delivery of services, and use of IT for improved city management.
- Smart Energy: Promote energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and smart grids.
- Smart Environment: Focus on sustainable urban development, green buildings, and reducing pollution levels.
- Smart Mobility: Develop efficient public transportation systems, smart traffic management, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.
- Smart Infrastructure: Develop robust physical infrastructure like smart water and waste management systems, reliable electricity supply, and efficient urban mobility.
- Smart Health and Education: Improve access to quality healthcare and education services through the use of technology.
When was the Smart Cities Mission Launched
The Central Government launched the Smart City Mission in June 2015, making a new experiment in urban development. Under this mission, 100 cities of India were selected after a competitive process between the cities. Moreover, cities that are selected for the mission receive financial and technical assistance from the central government. The mission was expected to be completed by 2023.
Jaipur, Udaipur, Kota and Ajmer cities of Rajasthan are selected under the smart cities mission. Every city has formulated its projects and solutions tailored to its specific requirements.
More than 8,000 multi-sector projects are being developed in these 100 cities, costing about Rs 1.71 lakh crore. As of the 3rd of July, 100 cities have completed 7,188 out of 7960 projects worth Rs 1 lakh 44 thousand 237 crore as part of the mission. The total tendered amount is of ₹171,432 crore. This is about 93% of the total project. Whereas the remaining 830 projects worth Rs 19 thousand 926 crore are also in the final stage.
Smart Cities Mission Extended
The mission has a budget of Rs 48 thousand crore for 100 cities. Of these, Rs 46,585 crore has been allocated to 100 cities. The biggest thing is that the Government of India has also released full financial assistance under the Mission to 74 cities out of 100. State and city government representatives had sought more time to complete the work under the mission. Hence to complete the remaining work, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs extended its deadline by one more year until March 2025.
Challenges and Future Outlook
While the Smart Cities Mission has made significant progress, there are challenges such as funding gaps, bureaucratic hurdles, and the need for capacity building at the local level. The success of the mission will depend on overcoming these challenges and ensuring that the smart solutions implemented are sustainable and inclusive. The future outlook involves scaling successful initiatives to more cities and integrating emerging technologies to further enhance urban living.
