GOI provides for 1L Cr urban challenge fund to meet urban challenges arising from the rapid urbanisation – admission of complete failure of Smart city project launched almost a decade back

Gustakhi Maaf Haryana-Pawan Kumar Bansal

By our enlightened reader RK Garg retired EIC Irrigation Haryana and ex member Delhi Jal Board.

Government of India provides for 1L Cr urban challenge fund to meet the urban challenges arising from the rapid urbanisation. In a way it is the admission of the complete failure of the Smart city project launched almost a decade back.
In case of smart city project, recall to have written in 2017 to the then urban development minister, GOI and the content of the mail is as relevant today:

Sub.- Smart City Project

Dear Sir,

I draw your kind attention to a news item, on 1st page of HT dated 26.11.2017 under the title ‘Funds to develop smart cities lie largely unused’. The news items is not surprising at all. I recall that in a normal conversation, sometime in beginning of 2015. I had stated that Namami Gange and Smart City projects of GOI were more likely to fail as the projects were being handled largely by the bureaucrats.

Regarding Smart City Projects:

Sir, what the country and a common man needs is a livable city. For a city to be a livable it has to be comprehensively planned by the knowledgeable people. Immediately after the independence we had a rich experience in urban planning when we sought services of famed le Corbusier for planning of Chandigarh. Our own town planners and architects learnt a lot to be part of his team. It was the city where specialists had the final say in the planning process and the result was there for all of us to see.

Unfortunately, thereafter, we just dropped the idea of involving professionals in decision making in the urban planning. In fact we practically dropped urban planning as a subject and it was allowed to be taken over by the nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and builders. Unplanned urban growth became a new normal.

As member technical of Delhi Jal Board for over five years I experienced the pain of unplanned growth and at one time questioned the then secretary, urban development, GOI that how a civic utility could function efficiently in absence of the planned growth. It is a pity that more than 40% of Delhi is not having even the basic sewage infrastructure even today.

As a resident of Gurugram, I along with lacs of people feel the pain of this urban mess. Clearly a sin committed by builders – politicians – bureaucrats nexus. Though the notorious change of land use industry is presently non functional under the current BJP Govt. yet the Director Town Planning still continues to be an IAS and not a professional.

Sir, a smart city can only be planned by a group of professionals. A piecemeal addition of few facilities will not make a difference.

We already have the experience of spending huge amounts under Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNRUM) without any visible result of urban renewal. For any city to become liveable, we need a comprehensive planning caring all aspects of human life. I feel that it is yet not late and request your honor to constitute sub groups for each city with direction to submit comprehensive urban plan for the city, notify the same for public review and approve the scheme after considering suggestions of people.

Implementation should be time bound and strictly as per plan.

         May it receive attention of your honor.

Its now the third attempt by the government to improve the urban infrastructure for the program to succeed, it’s necessary to work as per professional plans n progress and expenditures monitored closely. If handed over to bureaucrats only, the program is more likely to fail as was in the case of smart city project n JNNURM.