City Plans: Spotlight on infrastructure development

The Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) has selected 20 cities in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. A large part of the focus of cities to transform into smart cities is on infrastructure development. Indian Infrastructure provides a snapshot of the 20 cities (in alphabetical order) and their infrastructure development plans.

Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Ahmedabad, which has a population of 5.57 million (Census 2011), ranks sixth among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on the provision of 24×7 power supply to the smart city in addition to the installation of smart meters for both water and electricity supply.

Key features

• Transport: Non-motorised modes of transport such as cycling and walking will be promoted. These will be supported through the development of dedicated cycle tracks and safe routes, under the AMRUT scheme. Besides, the installation of an intelligent traffic management system, which includes the induction of an intelligent red-light violation system, an area traffic control system and variable message signs at key junctions, has been proposed.
• Energy: Electricity supply will be assured, with at least 10 per cent of the smart city’s energy requirement being met by solar energy, through the installation of rooftop solar panels. A SCADA system will be deployed for early and automatic detection of faults.
• Water: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) will ensure adequate water delivery to the proposed area. To ensure adequate sewage management, a 60 million litre per day wastewater treatment plant is proposed at Wadaj. Meanwhile, extension of the stormwater drainage network is expected to be completed by 2020.
• Solid waste management (SWM): Door-to-door collection of solid waste will be carried out, along with segregation into dry and wet bins at source. The garbage bins will be fitted with weight sensors to record the quantity of garbage and send out signals when the bin is full.
• E-governance: There is a proposal to set up a command and control centre to operate and manage multiple city operations, which will involve the integration of existing control centres such as the e-governance-based complaint redressal system.

Belagavi, Karnataka

Belagavi ranks 15th among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The essential features of the city’s area-based proposal include the improvement of civic amenities, a greater focus on e-governance and improved urban mobility.

Key features

• Transport: Non-motorised transport modes such as cycling and walking will be promoted. These will be supported by the development of dedicated cycle tracks and safe routes. Plans to improve the central and city bus terminals, construct flyovers, underpasses and road overbridges, and deploy smart parking solutions have also been proposed, at a cost of Rs 5.87 billion.
• Energy: The promotion of smart energy metering for all consumers has been proposed.
• Water: In addition to ensuring 24×7 water supply, the installation of smart meters has also been proposed. The sewerage network for uncovered areas will be developed at a cost of Rs 1.56 billion.
• SWM: There is a proposal to implement an integrated SWM project, using waste-to-energy technology, at a cost of Rs 80 million.
• E-governance: Pan-city implementation of e-governance solutions and the deployment of smart traffic and transportation systems using information and communications technology have been proposed.

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, with a population of 1.79 million (Census 2011), ranks 20th among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The pan-city proposal for Bhopal is based on a three-pronged strategy focusing on the improvement of quality of life, reuse of existing infrastructure, creation of a backbone for smarter initiatives to be undertaken in the future, and the modernisation of service delivery.

Key features

• Transport: The area-based development plan includes the deployment of an intelligent traffic management system and the promotion of non-motorised modes of transport such as cycling and walking. These will be supported via the development of dedicated cycle tracks and safe routes. The Shivaji Nagar area has been planned as a pedestrian-friendly area.
• Energy: The area-based plan aims to ensure electricity supply through a captive gas-based power plant with at least 10 per cent of the smart city’s requirement being met from solar power. A smart metering system will also be put in place.
• Water: The smart city will have a dual piping system to ensure the provision of 24×7 potable water supply from the municipality and from reclaimed water sources. The city will also have a centralised sewage treatment plant.
• SWM: A pneumatic waste collection system will be provided for all public bins which will be fitted with weight sensors.
• E-governance: The area-based development will include the provision of fibre optic connectivity to each household and office for providing high speed internet connectivity. In addition, a range of applications to bridge the divide between citizens and government departments will be deployed. These will run at the centralised command and control centre.

Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Bhubaneswar, with a population of 0.84 million (Census 2011), ranks first among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. Overall, the city’s area-based plan proposes the implementation of 56 projects focusing on 24×7 energy and water supply and greater use of solar power.

Key features

• Transport: Pedestrian-friendly pathways will be developed to promote non-motorised modes of transport such as cycling and walking. To this end, unused right of way along railway tracks will be transformed into a dedicated cycle trail. The area-based proposal also entails the development of ”Janpath”, the people’s smart path, which is a priority transit corridor with pedestrian-friendly pathways. About 80 km of roads are planned to be transformed with equitable space allocation for all users.
• Energy: There is a proposal to establish a ring-fenced distribution network and augment capacity of existing power stations. In addition, under its Solar City Programme, the city proposes to generate 11 MW through the installation of solar panels on the rooftops of public buildings, railway stations, etc. In order to monitor transmission and distribution losses and facilitate efficient collection of revenues, the installation of supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)-enabled smart meters has been proposed.
• Water: The area-based proposal entails the implementation of a project for laying 30 km of water distribution pipelines and the installation of 20 energy-efficient pumps. Besides, five decentralised sewage treatment plants with an aggregate tertiary treatment capacity of 12.5 million litres per day (mld) will also be set up.
• Solid waste management: A number of projects have been planned for the efficient handling of waste. These include the Let’s Recycle, Pay as You Throw and the I Got Garbage initiatives. Meanwhile, initiatives such as a pilot project for the installation of 200 smart bins with solar compaction and the deployment of a radio frequency identification-based operational management system across the SWM value chain have also been proposed.
• E-governance: A pan-city Wi-Fi project is planned to be implemented. Plans are also afoot to develop an integrated city operations and management centre to convere information and communication technology-led initiatives of various agencies. Other e-governance schemes include the Citizen Connect Initiative and Town Centre Online.

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Chennai, with a population of 4.68 million, ranks eighteenth among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The primary focus of the smart city plan is the provision of adequate water supply and sanitation, stormwater drainage, pedestrian facilities, the creation and maintenance of green open spaces and the automation of utility systems,.

Key features

• Transport: The city aims to provide efficient public transport along with last-mile connectivity to reduce traffic congestion. It aims to cover 80 per cent of the road length on major bus routes with non-motorised and pedestrian infrastructure by 2021. The target is also to provide cycle tracks on all streets with right of way of more than 24 metres.
• Energy: As part of the plan, the city targets an increased uptake of solar power, comprising at least 10 per cent of the total electricity supply. It also aims to introduce microgrid management systems at distribution substations; development of waste-to-energy (WtE) plants and biogas-based power plants; as well as convert all 72,504 sodium vapour lamps in the city to smart LED-based lighting.
• Water: The focus will be on providing adequate, reliable water supply, including the development of wastewater recycling and rainwater reuse infrastructure. A disaster management system for floods, and a tsunami monitoring and warning system will also be put in place. The city aims to provide drainage to 100 per cent of the roads and will deploy a sensor-based monitoring system.
• SWM: The necessary action needs to be taken to reduce, recycle and reuse solid waste in the city. Emphasis will be laid on source segregation and scientific handling of solid waste in terms of setting up composting plants, biomethanation plants and WtE plants.
• Information and communications technology (ICT): Intelligent traffic management systems will assist in the provision of real-time information about arrival and departure of buses and trains on a smartphone. Further, a real-time information system is to be deployed to detect non-functional street lights. Every parking space available in the city will be integrated and data will be made available to users.

Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore, with a population of about 1.1 million, ranks 13th among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on the provision of non-motorised infrastructure, underground electricity cables, 24×7 water supply, and smart meters for utility services.

Key features

• Transport: The plan aims to increase the share of public transport along with mass transit and non-motorised transport facilities. The provision of 30 km of tracks for cycling and walking, and ducting, drains, footpaths and parking by 2020 on 100 per cent of arterial roads is also planned.
• Energy: The aim is to reduce power outages to less than 0.5 per cent, increase the contribution of solar power to over 10 per cent of the total electricity supply, and deploy over 190 km of underground cabling in the city by 2020.
• Water: The main objectives of the municipal corporation are to provide 24×7 water supply as well as rainwater harvesting structures. It targets the increase of reported domestic water connections to 85 per cent and metered connections to 100 per cent, and improving user charge collection efficiency to 95 per cent by 2020. Besides, sewage connections are to be extended to 80 per cent of the households and tertiary treatment capacity for waste-water reuse augmented to 30 mld.
• SWM: The aim is to increase the number of wards covered with source segregation to 100 and provide zone-level waste processing to all the wards.
• Others: These include ensuring that 100 per cent of the households have access to toilets; a slum-free city; 60 traffic junctions covered by CCTV surveillance; 100 per cent LED-based street lights; and 150 per cent coverage of the stormwater drainage network.

Davanagere, Karnataka

Davanagere, with a population of 0.43 million, ranks 10th among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on the provision of 24×7 water and electricity supply, underground electricity cables, and deployment of ICT and e-governance.

Key features

• Transport: The plan includes the improvement of city bus services with supporting infrastructure like bus shelters, footpaths, and non-motorised traffic lanes with intelligent traffic management systems. The city corporation also plans to deploy retro-reflective digital signages/display boards.
• Energy: The city is planning the provision of 24×7 power supply, with a 20 per cent contribution from the solar segment. Also, 100 per cent of the utility lines will be underground and all sodium vapour streetlights will be replaced with sensor-based solar-powered LED lamps.
• Water: The aim is to provide 24×7 water supply with an average availability of 135 lpcd.
• SWM: The city municipal corporation targets to have 100 per cent solid waste management and coverage to make the area bin-less. Also, all municipal vehicles will be fitted with radio frequency identification cards for tracking purposes.
• ICT and e-governance: IT connectivity with Wi-Fi-enabled services for citizens is being planned for better service delivery and two-way communication between citizens and the corporation (one city-one website and mobile application and one city-one number call centre support). Further, a public engagement platform and a public participation platform will be deployed. Deploying an ITS system with a central command centre and the provision of CCTV cameras at junctions, main roads as well as other significant areas.

Guwahati, Assam

Guwahati, with a population of about 1 million, ranks 17th among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on the provision of 24×7 power supply, an improved bus rapid transit system (BRTS), development of waterbodies/lakes and riverfronts, and the deployment of technology to enhance the delivery of municipal services.

Key features

• Transport: The city municipal corporation aims to solve the issue of traffic congestion in Guwahati. It also plans to improve pedestrian and non-motorised traffic infrastructure, prioritise bus operations, and introduce an intelligent parking management policy. The plan is to provide bus lanes along three-lane arterial roads and bus bays for two-lane main roads. Bus routes are also being planned to cover the entire city for providing a better transport system.
• Energy: The aim is to construct underground ducts and install smart electricity management solutions for streets. Further, a master plan for solar power development aims to supply 10 per cent of the total electricity demand. It has also been proposed that another 10 per cent of renewable energy will be provided by innovative solar ribbons along all walkways.
• Water: Advanced flood warning and control systems will be deployed in the city. There is a plan to prepare separate detailed project reports for the development of the Borsola and Deepor lakes. Riverfront development has also been planned along the Brahmaputra (5 km), Morabharalu (12 km) and Bharalu (6 km) rivers. Other work would involve the setting up of sewage treatment plants, cleaning and realignment of drains, construction of embankments, and other infrastructure work like the development of walkways, cycling tracks and shops.
• ICT: The overall objective is to have real-time information about weather, pollution levels, traffic, parking, tourism sites and special events. This would involve the deployment of intelligent sensor-based networks for monitoring water resources; CCTV surveillance at bus junctions/stops and parking places; an integrated ICT-based transport system: and installation of global positioning systems (GPS), Wi-Fi networks, computers and other equipment at public places as well as on government properties.

Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Indore, with a population of 1.96 million, ranks 11th among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on the application of information and communications technology (ICT) in local governance and delivery of public services.

Key features

• Transport: The city plans to strengthen the public transportation system through the provision of a metro rail network of 103.44 km and a BRT network of 11.5 km. Apart from this, an intelligent transport system for traffic, transit, parking and electronic payment management will also be installed. The goal is to provide a holistic public transport facility, which will lead to a modal shift from using private vehicles towards public transport.
• Energy: There are plans to supply 24×7 electricity through a supervisory control and data acquisition- (SCADA) enabled smart grid system, strengthen the distribution network and install consumer energy meters. There are also plans for taking electric wiring underground.
• Water and solid waste management (SWM): The city plans to provide 24×7 water supply, install a SCADA system, 100 per cent smart meter coverage, reuse of recycled wastewater and provision of underground stormwater drainage. The city also has the objective of achieving 100 per cent collection, segregation and disposal of solid waste. Besides, there are plans to collect waste in an environment-friendly manner and ensure economic transportation and disposal.
• E-governance: The plan is to ensure 100 per cent public Wi-Fi connectivity along with an optic fibre network to integrate pan-city proposals. A command and control centre with adequate software/hardware and a city dashboard for urban governance and services will also be developed.

Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh

Jabalpur, with a population of 1.05 million, ranks seventh among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on the development of an integrated multimodal transport system in addition to the provision of round-the-clock water supply and electricity.

Key features

• Transport: The city plans to provide public transport with every location being within a 500- metre radius of transport availability. The bus frequency will be increased to every 15 minutes. Apart from this, an ITS for traffic, transit, parking and electronic payment management will be installed. There are plans to improve roads, vehicular intersections and pedestrian crossings through geometric designs as per street design guidelines.
• Energy: The city plans to replace all existing energy meters with smart energy meters. Smart components in power substations and a smart distribution network with meters and sensors for 24×7 uninterrupted power supply will be ensured. The city also plans to generate 11.5 MW of energy from solid waste. Further, all street lights will be light-emitting diode (LED) based and will operate on solar power.
• Water and SWM : An ICT- enhanced integrated smart waste management system will be developed. The municipal corporation will ensure 100 per cent waste collection in the city. Further, the city plans to provide 24×7 potable water to its residents. Along with this, dual water supply lines with smart metering, a sewerage system with wastewater treatment facility, and a stormwater drainage system with rainwater harvesting, will be provided. Moreover, a decentralised waste water treatment system will be installed.
• E-governance: The city municipal corporation plans to set up public Wi-Fi hotspots at six locations with a 250 metre radius range (in all major areas including markets, roads, terminals, public open spaces). In order to improve existing levels of service delivery, there are plans to digitise government services.

Jaipur, Rajasthan

Jaipur, with a population of 3.07 million, ranks third among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city has made continuous attempts to implement a sustainable public transport network in addition to the installation of smart meters for water and power supply.

Key features

• Transport: The city targets increasing the share of public transport from 21 per cent to 40 per cent. In order to integrate public and private transport operators, a common mobility card and real-time information for all public transport modes will be provided. A multimodal public transit operations and management centre will also be developed. Dedicated lanes for pedestrian and cycle movement will be created. To curtail the unregulated growth of two-wheelers for short distance travel, there is a proposal for a public bike-sharing scheme.
• Energy: Of the energy needs, 15 per cent are to be met by solar power. A SCADA system for early/automatic detection of faults will also be deployed. The installed capacity of solar photovoltaic plants will be increased to 2.03 per cent of the total power supply.
• Water: The city aims at 100 per cent coverage of water meter connections with automatic meter reading for select areas, an automated online water quality monitoring system, recycling of wastewater and reuse of stormwater.
• SWM: The city intends to achieve collection, transportation, processing and disposal of 100 per cent of the solid waste generated. An area of 1,250 square metres has been identified in each ward as a dry waste segregation zone.
• E-governance: The proposal aims at making the entire city into a Wi-Fi-enabled zone. The Jaipur Development Authority is currently implementing IT-enabled projects which involve providing Wi-Fi in 36 zones. ICT- and social media-based two-way communications systems will be set up to interact with citizens.

Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh

Kakinada, with a population of 0.31 million, ranks 14th among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. Kakinada is proposed to be developed as a smart city in the next 15 years. In the initial stage, around 20 per cent of the area would be made into a smart zone (within the next five years). Subsequently, the entire city will be made smart in a phased manner.

Key features

• Transport: Non-motorised modes of transport such as cycling and walking will be promoted. There are proposals to develop 84 km of pedestrian facilities and 50 km of cycle tracks. The Kakinada Municipal Corporation has identified 10 junctions which will be improved and installed with smart signals as a part of an ITS. In addition, GPS-enabled devices will be deployed to monitor the movement of e-rickshaws that will eventually phase out the diesel autorickshaws.
• Energy: The city plans to implement rooftop solar projects on all government and public buildings and on 188 apartments with an aggregate rooftop area of 1.12 million square feet. An underground power distribution network will also be developed. Besides, LED-based solar lights will be used for street lighting. Further, an assured electricity supply, with at least 10 per cent of the city’s energy requirement coming from solar power plants, will be ensured. The installation of smart electricity meters and IT-enabled customer support under the Integrated Power Development Scheme will also be ensured.
• Water and SWM: The city plans to install smart water meters. A dedicated stormwater drainage network will be developed along with provisions for large-scale rainwater harvesting ponds and canals. Further, 254 km of stormwater drains are to be developed. The city also plans to construct 508 individual household toilets in slum areas. Further, the city will implement a 24×7 water supply project under the Andhra Pradesh Municipal Development Project.
• E-governance: A GIS-enabled system will be developed for levying and collecting property taxes. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited along with the city municipal corporation has already identified 20 feasible locations to install towers to ensure 100 per cent internet connectivity. The city has proposed to take up GIS-based mapping as part of the National GIS Mission project under Digital India. The city further plans to implement ICT-based intelligent urban services, which are based on the concept of internet of things.

Pune, Maharashtra

Pune, with a population of 3.12 million, ranks second among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on providing 24×7 power supply, improving per capita water availability and installing an intelligent transportation system.

Key features

• Transport: Non-motorised modes of transport such as cycling and walking will be promoted. These will be supported through the introduction of a smart public bicycle-
• sharing system with dedicated cycle tracks and routes. Besides this, the installation of an intelligent traffic management system, which includes the installation of an adaptive traffic management system, an intelligent road asset management system and a smart parking system, has been proposed.
• Energy: A comprehensive 24×7 electricity supply plan has been formulated comprising the development of a smart grid system, strengthening of the distribution network and installation of meters. There are also plans to meet at least 10 per cent of the city’s energy requirement from solar power.
• Water: The per capita water supply will be increased from 90 litres per capita per day (lpcd) to 150 lpcd. Infrastructure for water storage will be augmented by the setting up of two reservoirs each, at Balewadi and Baner. Further, automated meter reading devices will be installed for 2,900 commercial and 8,500 domestic water supply connections. In addition, smart bulk meters will be installed at inlets and outlets of the Warje water treatment plant (WTP), seven reservoirs, three pumping stations and all the district metered areas in the city. To encourage the use of treated wastewater, the capacity of the Baner sewage treatment plant (STP) is proposed to be enhanced by 30 mld.
• Solid waste management (SWM): A special purpose vehicle (SPV) will be established with the objective of achieving 100 per cent collection, segregation and disposal of solid waste. E-rickshaws will be deployed for door-to-door waste collection. Besides, there are plans to procure three modern road-sweeping machines and three garbage collection trucks, and develop an enclosed transfer station with charging points for e-rickshaws.
• E-governance: An intelligent operation centre will be set up for storing and maintaining data related to utilities, transport and public safety. Further, an application will be developed to redress citizen grievances. In addition, a digital SPV will be established to improve the functioning of geo-enabled city operations such as land management and tax assessment.

Kochi, Kerala

Kochi, with a population of 0.6 million, ranks fifth among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on the development of an integrated multimodal transport system for the proposed smart city in addition to the provision of round-the-clock water supply and electricity.

Key features

• Transport: The city plans to achieve seamless multimodal mobility by developing a waterway linkage to complement other trunk networks. Under the project, a new modern waterway linkage will be developed between Ernakulam and Fort Kochi. Further, in a project to provide non-motorised transport, pedestrian-oriented, integrated, three-tier road connectivity will be provided. Other initiatives like developing walkways, footoverbridges, and smart systems like smart parking, bicycle sharing and smart junctions will also be undertaken.
• Energy: Round-the-clock power supply will be provided with complete underground wiring to reduce transmission and distribution losses.  Besides, there are plans to provide grid-connected solar panels for at least 40 per cent of the households.
• Water: The Cochin Municipal Corporation will ensure 24×7 metered piped water supply in the proposed area. Smart meters will be deployed for over 10,000 household connections. To ensure adequate sewage management, decentralised treatment and collection facilities will be developed. The civic agency also plans to achieve 100 per cent waste collection and segregation.
• E-governance: An integrated system will be developed for the delivery of government-to-citizen services using smart cards and mobile platforms. Further, plans have been formulated to extend the EMV-enabled smart card payment system to all city services. There are also plans to develop an integrated mobile platform for citizen engagement.

NDMC, Delhi

NDMC, with a population of 0.25 million, ranks 12th among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on promoting non-motorised modes of transport in the smart city in addition to developing integrated mobile-based applications for civic services.

Key features

• Transport: Non-motorised modes of transport such as cycling and walking will be promoted. These will be supported through the introduction of electric vehicles to provide last-mile connectivity to the metro/bus transport system. Further, dedicated charging facilities for electric vehicles are being proposed at each parking bay. Also, there are plans to develop dedicated cycle tracks on identified routes. In addition, interactive bus information systems, ATMs, Wi-Fi hotspots and vending machines will be deployed at existing bus stops.
• SWM: Door-to-door waste collection services will be introduced in commercial and institutional areas. Besides, there are plans to introduce a radio frequency identification-based garbage bin monitoring system.
• E-governance: The existing parking facilities will be converted into a sensor-based smart parking management system linked to a centralised mobile application. Besides, there are plans to develop an integrated citizen application providing real-time information on car-pooling, cycling, traffic conditions, CCTV videos, air quality, e-challans, etc.

Ludhiana, Punjab

Ludhiana, with a population of 1.6 million, ranks 19th among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on the provision of 24×7 water supply to the smart city in addition to improving stormwater drainage and SWM systems.

Key features

• Transport: Non-motorised modes of transport such as cycling and walking will be promoted. This will be supported through the setting up of dedicated cycle routes and the introduction of smart e-rickshaws. Besides, a bus rapid transit network will be developed along the Ferozepur road with smart bus stop facilities.
• Energy: An underground power distribution network will be developed. Besides, light-emitting diode-based solar lights will be used for street lighting.
• Water: The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation will ensure 24×7 piped water supply to the proposed area. The entire water distribution network will be revamped along with the replacement of valves and the installation of smart meters and a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. Further, there are plans to revamp the wastewater and recycled wastewater distribution network.
• Stormwater drainage and SWM: A dedicated stormwater drainage network will be developed along with large-scale rainwater harvesting ponds/canals. There are also plans to procure additional collection bins and augment composting capacity.
• E-governance: A geographic information system-enabled system will be developed for levying and collecting property taxes. In addition, global positioning system-enabled devices will be deployed to monitor the movement of e-rickshaws that will eventually phase out diesel autorickshaws.

Solapur, Maharashtra

Solapur, with a population of 951,118, ranks ninth among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on recycling and reuse of wastewater, energy generation using solar panels and encouraging use of non-motorised modes of transportation.

Key features

• Transport: To encourage transit through non-motorised modes of transportation, the development of shaded footpaths, interconnected public places and non-vehicle corridors have been proposed under the retrofitting plan. Separate cycling tracks of 12 km each will be provided in select areas.
• Energy: Solar panels will be installed on municipal buildings, bus depots and stadiums to generate an estimated 2.4 MW of power. In addition, NTPC Limited is setting up a 1,320 MW coal-based power plant in the city.
• Water and wastewater: The non-revenue water (NRW) component of water supply, which is 57 per cent at present, is planned to be reduced through strengthening of the distribution network, installation of smart meters and replacement of public stand posts with household connections. Besides, rainwater harvesting has been made mandatory for obtaining building plan approvals.
• Solid waste management (SWM): For achieving the target of zero open defecation and 100 per cent waste collection, 51 barrier-free e-toilets will be constructed. In addition, 38 primary- and six secondary-waste collection vehicles as well as 253 smart bins will be procured to ensure that street cleaning takes place daily.
• E-governance: Citizens will have real-time access to traffic data through mobile applications. Besides, mobile applications will also be developed to provide information on parking facilities in the city.

Surat, Gujarat

Surat, with a population of 4.46 million, ranks fourth among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on encouraging the greater use of treated wastewater, supply of power through renewable sources of energy and promoting non-motorised modes of transport.

Key features

• Transport: Non-motorised modes of transport such as cycling and walking will be promoted. The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) plans to develop dedicated cycling and pedestrian walkways along three routes – the Surat Bardoli Road, the Canal Road and the Middle Ring Road. A bicycle-sharing scheme will also be implemented. Besides, the installation of an ITS has also been proposed.
• Energy: There are plans to meet at least 10 per cent of the energy requirement through renewable sources. To this end, a 1 MW solar power plant, a 0.5 MW biogas plant and 0.5 MW generation from the Anjana sewage treatment plant have been planned.
• Water and wastewater: SMC will install smart meters for all water connections. To ensure optimal utilisation of treated wastewater, SMC proposes to treat wastewater up to industrial standards and supply at least 50 per cent of this to various industries. A tertiary treatment plant at Dindoli has been proposed to provide industrial-grade water to the Sachin industrial area. In addition, the installation of a supervisory, control and data acquisition system as well as rainwater harvesting structures has been proposed.
• SWM: A global positioning system-based vehicle tracking system will be deployed in 60 vehicles. Besides, radio frequency identification systems will be deployed at 80,000 door-to-door collection points and 160 smart bins.
• E-governance: SMC is working in collaboration with IT solution providers such as Microsoft and IBM for improving citizen interaction. Further, it plans to introduce enterprise resource planning in all departments and make each department accessible through mobile applications, social media, etc. Besides, an integrated website for sharing various data (traffic details, administrative data, etc.) will be developed.

Udaipur, Rajasthan

Udaipur, with a population of 451,735, ranks 16th among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. As per the smart city plan submitted by the city, water and wastewater management, uninterrupted power supply and SWM are the key focus areas.

Key features

• Transport: With an aim to reduce congestion on roads, non-motorised modes of transport such as cycling will be encouraged. Restrictions will be placed on personal vehicles while battery-operated intermediate public transport services will be promoted.
• Energy: To maintain continuous and uninterrupted supply of energy, rehabilitation and upgradation of the power distribution system has been proposed. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and smart meters will be installed.
• Water and wastewater: Plans have been formulated to create infrastructure for 24×7 water supply in the city along with the installation of a SCADA system and water meters. Besides, a 12 million lpd sewage treatment plant (STP) will be constructed for industrial captive use and rainwater harvesting structures will be installed for water conservation.
• SWM: The plan has been formulated with a special focus on segregation of waste at source. Further, this will be integrated with comprehensive waste solutions for the entire city under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• E-governance: City surveillance will be undertaken through smart cameras. In addition, an information and communications technology (ICT)-enabled utility control centre will be established which will be integrated with the city command centre. Besides, mobile applications using an interactive map base will be developed for tourists.

Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Vishakhapatnam, with a population of 1.73 million, ranks eighth among the cities selected in Round I of the Smart City Challenge. The city plans to focus on encouraging greater use of treated wastewater, generating electricity through solar means and increasing the use of non-motorised modes of transport.

Key features

• Transport: According to the plans, walking and bicycle lanes will be made available. The accessibility of walkways for differently-abled individuals will be increased. In addition, new bus stops will be constructed and a system for the digital display of information will be installed in new and old bus stops.
• Energy: Solar rooftop panels will be installed at institutional buildings, bus stops, public toilets and bicycle stands. Besides this, smart meters will be installed and underground wires will be laid.
• Water and wastewater: Infrastructure to provide 24×7 water supply will be created and an underground drainage system will be set up. Wastewater recycling will be undertaken for industrial and irrigation purposes.
• SWM: Infrastructure for waste management and disposal will be developed with a special focus on constructing community toilets in slums.
• E-governance: Smart cameras will be installed for city surveillance. Further, an ICT-enabled utility control centre will be set up, fully integrated with the city command centre. Besides, an interactive map base and mobile applications will be developed for tourists.