Smart Cities Mission lands in slow lane

New Delhi The ambitious Smart Cities Mission (SCM) continues to be dogged by delays, as just 5,909 projects or 74 per cent of the total of 7,978 projects in 100 cities, have been completed. This is despite the fact that the mission was planned to be over by 2020. The period of implementation of SCM has been extended up to June 2024.

Launched on June 25, 2015, the SCM is operated as a centrally-sponsored scheme. The Centre committed to provide financial support to the extent of Rs48,000 crore over five years, i.e. on an average Rs100 crore per city per year. An equal amount on a matching basis is to be provided by state and urban local bodies (ULBs).

Additional resources are to be raised through convergence, from ULBs’ own funds, grants under the Finance Commission, innovative finance mechanisms such as municipal bonds, other government programmes and borrowings. Emphasis was laid on the participation of the private sector through public-private partnerships (PPPs). Aggregated at the national level at the time of inception, these proposals contained more than 5,000 projects worth over Rs200,000 crore, of which 45 per cent were to be funded through mission grants, 21 per cent through convergence, 21 per cent through PPP, and the rest from other sources. By July 7, however, Rs73,454 crore were released for 100 smart cities of which Rs66,023 crore (90 per cent) was utilized, official sources told Bizz Buzz.

The government did not prescribe any particular model to be adopted by smart cities, thus avoiding the one-size-fits-all approach. Each city has to formulate its own concept, vision, mission, and plan (proposal) for a smart city that is appropriate to its local context, resources, and levels of ambition, an official website says.

Accordingly, they have to choose their model of smart city and answer the question: What kind of smart city do they want?

While a particular model has not been prescribed, it is expected that the projects will include a large number of infrastructure services and smart solutions, the website says. These include: assured electricity supply with at least 10 per cent of the power requirement coming from solar energy; adequate water supply, including waste water recycling and storm water reuse; sanitation, including solid waste management; rain water harvesting; smart metering; robust IT connectivity; and digitization, pedestrian-friendly pathways, encouragement to non-motorized transport; intelligent traffic management; non-vehicle streets and zones; smart parking; energy efficient street lighting; innovative use of open spaces; and visible improvement in the area (e.g. replacing overhead electric wiring with underground wiring, encroachment-free public areas, and ensuring safety of citizens especially children, women and elderly).