Ministerial update: DataSmart Cities Strategy will be scaled up in 500 cities
Of the total committed investments of Rs.205,018 crore as per approved Smart Cities Plans, as on 9 April 2021, over 5,600 projects worth around Rs.173,600 crores (85% of total), have been tendered; of which work orders have been issued for close to 4,900 projects worth Rs.140,500 crore (69% of total).
Giving this up date on the Smart Cities Mission on 15 April 2021, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said that 2,426 projects worth around Rs.40,263 crores (20% of total), have been fully completed and are operational.
There has been 247% growth in tendering, 353% growth in projects grounded and completed and 663% growth in projects completed in the last 30 months, he said at the launch of the ‘EatSmart Cities Challenge and Transport 4 All Challenge’ at an online event.
The Urban Learning and Internship Program (TULIP) aims to match opportunities in Urban Local Bodies with learning needs of fresh graduates. Over 280 ULBs have posted over 15,823 internships; so far, 919 students are undergoing internships, and 376 students have completed their internships.
The mission has targeted to setup Integrated command & control centres (ICCCs) in 100 Smart Cities by 2022, said Puri.
DataSmart Cities Strategy will be scaled up in 500 Cities by the end of the Mission. Open Data Platform and India Urban Data Exchange (IUDX) shall be enabled in 500 cities under the program.
To enable cities self-assess their data readiness, the second iteration of the Data Maturity Assessment Framework, aligned with the DataSmart Cities Strategy is currently underway in Smart Cities, said the Minister.
The Union Budget 2021 announced allocation of Rs.287,000 crore (US$39.36 billion) over the next five years for Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban). This will entail providing tap connections in 2.86 crore households, universal water supply in all 4,378 urban local bodies and liquid waste management in 500 AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) cities.
Indian cities have the golden opportunity to invest in public transport as a social good, completely revamp informal transit services, and prioritise digital innovation to improve user experience, said Puri. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched the Transport 4 All challenge in collaboration with Institute of Transport and Development Policy of New York.
The Challenge aims to bring together cities, citizen groups, and start-ups to develop solutions that improve public transport to better serve the needs of all citizens.
At the core of the Challenge are citizens who will not only define the problems for which solutions shall be created but also help start-ups and cities to refine the solutions to meet their needs. The first edition of the Challenge focuses on digital innovation.
Cities and start-ups will receive guidance to develop and test various solutions, learn from them, and scale them to build people’s trust in public transport and enhance their mobility. The solutions will make public transport—formal as well as informal— safe, convenient, and affordable for all.
All the Smart Cities Mission cities, capitals of states and union territories (UTs), and all cities with a population of over 5 lakhs—are eligible for the Challenge.
Three Stages of the Transport4All through Digital Innovation Challenge comprises three stages:
● Stage I PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION: Cities, with the support of NGOs, identify key recurring problems that citizens and public transport operators face
● Stage II SOLUTION GENERATION: Start-ups develop prototypes of solutions to improve public transport with inputs from cities and NGOs
● Stage III PILOT TESTING: Cities engage start-ups for large-scale pilots and refine the solutions based on citizen feedback
Cities, as part of the challenge shall form a Transport4All Task Force (TTF) consisting of key stakeholders vis. Municipal Corporation, Smart City SPV, city bus undertaking, metro and suburban rail, regional transport office, traffic police, road owning agencies, Intermediate Public Transport (IPT) unions, NGOs, and academic institutes working in the field of sustainable transport.
Speaking about EatSmart Cities challenge, Puri said, “It is a matter of pride that today, we see the Eat Right India approach getting scaled up to the smart cities level with the launch of EatSmart Cities Challenge. This movement will nudge the urban populace to make the right food choices and help build a healthier and happier nation. This will complement the remarkable work being done in the Smart Cities Mission”.
The EatSmart Cities Challenge aims to motivate Smart Cities to develop a plan that supports a healthy, safe and sustainable food environment supported by institutional, physical, social, and economic infrastructure along with the application of ‘smart’ solutions to combat food related issues. The Transport4All Digital Innovation Challenge aims to develop digital solutions that will make public transport safe, affordable, comfortable, and reliable for all. #technology #solutions #smartcities #urban #tenders #projects #investment /fiinews.com
