Under Smart Cities initiative which is spread over 100 cities about 3,880 projects worth ₹1.41 lakh crore have been tendered, out of a total of about 5,000 projects.

Kunal Kumar, Joint Secretary, Smart Cities Mission Director, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, releasing the Smart Cities Progress Report, said “3,100 projects worth ₹1,00400 crore are grounded, and completed 1,100 projects worth over ₹20,100 crore.”

“This is only one aspect of what the mission has achieved. The remaining projects are expected to be tendered out by March 2020,” he added.

The report includes all the recent data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on projects completed, operational, under implementation and tenders floated.

According to Kumar, “In the case of recent tenders floated, 12 cities have issued tenders for 12 Smart Command and Control Centres projects; 41 cities have issued tenders for 92 PPP projects; 49 cities have issued tenders for 107 Smart Roads projects; eight cities have issued tenders for 10 Smart Solar projects; 20 cities have issued tenders for 31 Wastewater projects; and 26 cities have issued tenders for Smart Water 46 projects.”

Pratap Padode, Founder and Director, Smart Cities Council India, said, “The Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor has planned eight industrial cities. Planned to come up around a radial distance of about 25-km from the proposed international airport at Navi Mumbai, NAINA city will now come up on just over a 334-sq km plot (Greater Mumbai is built on a 440 sq km plot). Recently, its development plan was cleared. Navi Mumbai probably was the last greenfield city that was planned and it has held its course.”

Drawing a comparison with China, Padode said: “It has developed 30 cities in last 30 years with over one million population. India has 53 cities or rather urban agglomerations with over one million population while China has over 160. The municipal act needs an overhaul if we expect commitment for building sustainable cities that will last centuries.”

Vijay Bhaskar TM, Karnataka Chief Secretary, said “ “The unprecedented urban growth that is expected, especially in countries such as India, demands a radical and proactive response.”

This will require a wide range of policies and practices to be conceptualised around a new socially inclusive and environmentally friendly paradigms. Technology has a role to play, and the global community is waking up to it.