The Smart Cities Mission, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, was launched in June 2015 to transform 100 cities into hubs of sustainable urban living through "Smart Solutions."
Aimed at ensuring core infrastructure, a clean and sustainable environment, and an improved quality of life for citizens through inclusive and replicable urban development.
Objectives
Core Infrastructure Development: Improve urban facilities and services.
Clean Environment: Focus on sustainability in city planning and development.
Smart Solutions: Integrate technology to enhance urban management and citizen engagement.
Inclusive Growth: Promote development that benefits all societal segments.
Compact and Replicable Models: Create scalable and replicable urban development projects.
Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework: A tool for assessing cities' climate resilience.
TULIP (The Urban Learning Internship Program): Provides internships to build youth capacity in urban management.
Defining a Smart City
Globally, smart cities emphasize advanced ICT integration for economic growth, efficiency, and sustainability, akin to “Silicon Valley-like” development models.
In India, a smart city prioritizes:
Sustainable and inclusive growth.
Advanced ICT-enabled governance.
Area-based development and effective resource management.
Challenges Faced
Lack of Clear Definition:
Diverse urban contexts made defining “smart city” ambiguous, leading to resource allocation challenges.
Top-Down Approach:
Reduced involvement of elected councils undermines democratic governance.
City Selection Process:
Competitive selection ignored the dynamic nature of urban challenges, often focusing on a small fraction (<1%) of city areas.
Example: Chandigarh invested disproportionately in one locality (Sector 43).
Inadequate Funding:
A McKinsey report estimates USD 1.2 trillion is needed to improve urban livability by 2030, far exceeding SCM's allocation of ₹1.67 lakh crore.
Governance Issues:
The SPV model bypasses traditional local governance, drawing criticism.
PPP, a major funding mechanism, contributed minimally (5%).
Social Impact:
Infrastructure projects led to displacement of urban poor, disrupting communities (e.g., street vendors).
Urban flooding increased in some areas due to disrupted natural water channels.
Recommendations for Strengthening SCM
Governance and Implementation:
Appoint dedicated CEOs with fixed tenures.
Include Members of Parliament (MPs) in State Advisory Forums for better representation.
Project Focus:
Shift focus to pan-city projects for comprehensive urban development.
Develop robust digital infrastructure protection to guard against cyber threats.
Capacity Building and Funding:
Strengthen Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in smaller cities.
Provide central assistance for organizational restructuring and capacity building.
Timely Project Completion:
Expand the ministry's role beyond fund transfers to monitoring execution and ensuring completion with technical inputs.
Key Takeaways The Smart Cities Mission represents a transformative vision for urban India, aiming to address growing urban challenges with sustainability and inclusivity. However, gaps in governance, funding, and community participation hinder its progress. By focusing on democratic governance, holistic development, and timely execution, SCM can emerge as a global model for smart and sustainable urban development.
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