JOIN USFrom safety of women to menace of stray dogs and monkeys in the posh Lutyens zone, the delegates from various embassies highlighted a series of issues faced by them during an interactive session organised by the New Delhi Municipal Council.
The session was held on Friday to invite suggestions or ideas on Smart City plan for New Delhi area. Delegates from 34 countries participated in the event which served as a perfect platform for them to point out major irritants in the area under the jurisdiction of the council, apart from giving suggestions to develop it as a ‘smart city’.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had qualified as Delhi’s smart city, according to the list of 98 Smart Cities released by the Centre in August. The major problem areas that were echoed by almost all the delegates were traffic congestion and safety of women.
“There should be a strict enforcement of traffic rules. Everyone is driving as rash as possible these days,” said the delegate from Romania. “I have faced traffic jams due to cows on roads,” the Ugandan diplomat mentioned.
Others drew the council’s attention towards safety of women. Some of them said that their wives fear going out at the night due to lack of functioning street lights in the area.
While the Romanian delegate, highlighting the menace of strays, told that his daughter was bitten by a monkey recently, the diplomat from Japan brought to the council’s notice the waterlogging problem in the area during the rainy season.
The capital’s air quality was another area the embassies were worried about. The Belgium representative suggested of taking a “long view” of the Smart City project and bring in advanced facilities which will be useful five years from now.
NDMC Chairperson Naresh Kumar said that the agency “shall set the global benchmark in providing efficient, sustainable civic amenities, to provide world-class quality of life to all residents and visitors.”
Assuring the delegates that the suggestions will be considered, Kumar said the embassies will be sent a copy of the draft proposal on smart city.