The idea of smart cities has been making waves ever since the Government of India unveiled its ambitious mission of building a hundred smart cities in the country. These cities would incorporate technology-based urban systems for efficient city management and economic growth.

Any development that uses information and communication technology to make the city more accessible to the citizens falls under the umbrella of a “smart”, or “wired” city. These features could be anything like city-wide wifi systems, driverless metros or smart water meters.

The Indian context

One of the most important aspects of this mission that it calls for active participation of citizens in governance and reform processes which will create a sense of responsibility and belonging towards the city.

According to a Mckinsey report, India will need 20 to 30 new cities to accommodate our growing urban population which is expected to rise from 28% in 2001 to almost 36% in 2026, bringing the total number of people in urban regions to 590 million. Such cities would also generate employment and attract foreign investments. Not only that, but they would also reduce the burden on overcrowded metro cities.

However, there are key challenges in making “smart cities” a success.

The Dholera smart city project in Gujarat boasts of an intelligent, efficient, robust and connected infrastructure. This project was envisioned by Mr Narendra Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. This ambitious proposal sparked several protests in the region by a grassroots movement for land rights called Jameen Adhikar Andolan Gujarat (JAAG). Almost 500 JAAG activists, environmentalists and farmers carried out peaceful protests across the region. They argued that impact assessment included instances of misrepresentation and factual misinformation and claimed that Dholera will dispossess the area’s small-scale subsistence and landless farmers.

The most important aspect of all is the participation of the local public. That cannot happen when a huge section of our society is facing pressing issues like the struggle for food and shelter, gender inequality, and communal disharmony. Basic needs like education and health care facilities are barely functional in many regions causing a major gap between cities and villages.

Instead, efforts must be put to bridge this gap and upgrade the living standards of people irrespective of their urban or rural background.

Another challenge is the capital required for this kind of investment is very high. Making sure that raising funds will be transparent and corruption free is a huge task in itself. The focus must not shift from overburdened cities and development of rural areas.

While the overall concept of smart cities is appealing and worthy of note, it’s implementation and success depends on several factors.

Smart City Mission is a good initiative and the best option is to implement it in different phases. Such a mission would only gain traction once we rid our society of economic inequality and social evils. It cannot be a solution to our economic or social problems but the happy result of economic stability and social harmony.

GKWorks