After being ranked as the cleanest city five times, Indore has bagged the top spot for the ‘Best Smart City’ in India at the National Smart Cities Conclave 2023 held in the city. Gujarat’s Surat came in second, while Agra in Uttar Pradesh secured the third position among the smart cities of India.
Madhya Pradesh was adjudged the Best State in the country, followed by Tamil Nadu. Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh together bagged the third position.
President Droupadi Murmu felicitated the winners of the fourth edition of the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC) 2022. The ISAC has been organised under the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, since 2018.
Addressing the event, the President expressed happiness over the increase in the country’s overall investment in urban development. “Our country's overall investment in urban development has, over the last decade, been more than 10 times what it was earlier. The contribution of the Smart Cities Mission in implementing best practices and developing viable business models is very important,” she said.
The President also talked about the focus of the G20 on areas pertaining to urban development. She said that Urban 20, which is a sub-group of the G20, attempted to establish a sustainable practice of connectivity between cities. “Through this, a collective message was also given that the management of cities has an important role in pursuing the priority of sustainable development. Therefore, we should learn from the best practices and business models of the world’s best-managed cities and also share our successful efforts with other countries. Collaboration at the local and global level is essential for overall and sustainable development,” she added.
Noting the significance of Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs) in smart cities, the President said that all 100 smart cities have ICCCs that are making decisions using data. CCTV surveillance cameras are helping to strengthen law and order today. “But there is a need to take more strong steps, especially to ensure the safety of women. I am confident that the efforts being made in these 100 smart cities will prove very useful for our more than 4,800 towns and cities,” a statement by the housing and urban affairs ministry quoted her as saying.
Addressing the gathering, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said that the Smart Cities Mission embodies the Prime Minister’s vision for a ‘New Urban India’ and is a key component of India’s objective of becoming a developed country by 2047.
The Smart Cities Mission has sparked innovation in India’s urban ecosystems while also building core infrastructure and strengthening services in India’s 100 biggest cities. It has fostered deep partnerships with government, global organisations, partner cities, academia, and industry, he said.
He said it has empowered the third level of governance in the country by providing much-needed technical and management support through the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) that have led the building of social, economic, institutional, and physical infrastructure in a citizen-centric, future-ready way.
He said that 100 operational Integrated ICCCs that provide real-time decision-making capabilities through the use of cameras, IoT devices, sensors, and other technologies have served as ‘War Rooms’ during the pandemic for city leaders to collect information, develop strategies, and execute civic functions.
Drawing attention to the achievements of the Smart Cities Mission, the Union Minister said that a total of 7,934 projects worth Rs 171,044 crore have been sanctioned and 6,069 projects worth Rs 1,10,794 crore have been completed under the Mission. Another 1,865 projects worth Rs 60,250 crore are on target for completion by June 2024. Moreover, approximately Rs 25,000 crore worth of public-private partnership (PPP) projects have been delivered so far. He said that under the Mission, more than 2,700 km of smart roads have been constructed, close to 7,000 smart classrooms have been built, more than 50 lakh LED/solar lights have been installed, and more than 300 smart health centres have been constructed. Also, 1,884 emergency call boxes and 3,000 public address systems and traffic enforcement systems have been installed to improve public safety, he said.
The minister congratulated the 31 cities that received awards for their projects and initiatives. “Your recognition is well deserved; more than 840 applications were received this year for the awards,” he said. The minister also applauded Surat and Agra for their second and third-place finishes among cities, and Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh among the states.
The conclave witnessed participation from all 100 smart cities.
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