JOIN USHere's how Karnataka's cities have fared in the Smart Cities Mission
Davanagere
Davanagere, which was chosen in the first round of the Smart Cities Mission in March 2016, is among the top 20 well-performing cities in the country. With the completion of the five-year programme just a few months away, the residents are not convinced by the progress achieved.
Retrofitting puffed rice units at the Mandakki Bhatti area in the city to reduce pollution was an important project taken up under the programme. Though five gasifier units were commissioned in the area on a pilot basis, owners of these puffed rice units were not keen to use them citing quality, yield and taste. They feel that the gasifier units resulted in less number of sacks of puffed rice and reduced taste. So, they resorted to the conventional method of processing puffed rice, which causes pollution. As the project proponents failed to convince the unit owners, the project in the Mandakki Bhatti area failed to produce desirable results.
Speaking to DH, Davanagere Smart City Limited Executive Engineer Gurupadaiah K M said, "We tried to convince puffed rice unit owners that it would reduce pollution level and the yield will improve in the coming days. But they were reluctant to take up the new method. So, the objective has not been achieved. However, we are hopeful that they would realise the importance of it and adapt themselves to the new technology."
E-toilets is another important project under the Mission. On usage of e-toilets in nine parks in the city, he said staff of agency entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining them sends pictures of toilets everyday to the authorities concerned, to ensure that they are maintained properly. Users just have to drop coin into the box set up there to use toilets.
He said as many as nine eco-friendly autorickshaws are being operated in the city under the Mission. But there are complaints from drivers that battery-operated autorickshaw gives less mileage and road grip is not good.
Social activist and former corporator Shivanahalli Ramesh said e-toilets were required more near the bus terminals and market places than at the parks.
(Nrupathunga S K, DHNS)
Belagavi
‘Smart City’, the two words brought cheer to people when the state's 'second capital' was chosen in the first round of the ambitious programme. Their hopes of a comprehensive development has now been replaced with dissatisfaction. Projects have become bane for the people, with deadlines not being met.
Many of the works under the Smart City Project are yet to take off and those taken off are seeing a slow progress including the first work of the Mandoli Road in Tilakwadi suburb that was supposed to be a model road.
The incomplete Mandoli Road has cost a human life, when a person who fell into the drain was killed, after iron bars pierced him.
Smart City works that are underway have been causing inconvenience to people. Concrete drains that are not linked to exit points have resulted in flooding of the areas like Hindwadi and Tilakwadi during monsoon.
Life of people in the areas where works are in progress has been affected. Digging in some areas like Anjaneya Nagar has created huge trenches in front of the houses and residents complain that officials ignore their pleas to fix them.
Funds to the tune of Rs 400 crore were received in September 2016 and Smart City works commenced under Belagavi Smart City Limited only in December 2017. Mandoli Road in Tilakwadi and KPTCL Road in Shivabasav Nagar were chosen initially. The plan was to develop them as model roads. While KPTCL Road is almost complete, Mandoli Road has seen a slow progress.
Complaints about Smart City works not being up to the mark have also come to the fore. Cracks were seen in parts of the road from Gogte Circle to Channamma Circle and its also uneven. Near Cantonment Board office, trenches were seen and they are yet to be repaired.
During the visit of State Urban Development Minister Byrati Basavaraj for review and inspection of work under the Smart Cities Mission, substandard works were brought to his notice. He ordered the officials to restore the damaged cement concrete roads and ensure quality was maintained, but Covid-19 pandemic has stalled any action.
Recently, Anjaneya Nagar residents and Belagavi North MLA Anil Benake brought the grievances of Smart City works to the notice of Water Resources and District In-charge Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and sought action against officials and contractors.
Aviation Gallery has been proposed to be made in the Glass House at Vaccine Depot premises in Tilakwadi. Bollywood art director Nitin Desai has been entrusted with the responsibility. Earlier landscaping and lawn in an area of 26 acres had been proposed in Vaccine Depot, but later it was shelved for not being viable.
(Raju Gavali, DHNS)
Hubballi-Dharwad
After the twin-cities of Hubballi-Dharwad were selected under the Smart Cities Mission, the implementation of the project has failed to live upto the expectation of the people.
The Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City Limited (HDSCL) has completed 10 minor projects worth Rs 15 crore; the renovation of a corporation-run swimming pool (at a cost of Rs 3.03 cr) and setting up of a musical fountain at Indira Glass house (Rs 4.64 crore) being the most expensive ones among them.
As on August 5, out of the Rs 1,000 cr approved for the project, 40 projects worth Rs 645.17 cr are ongoing, two projects worth Rs 10 cr have been tendered out and five projects worth Rs 250 cr is at the Detailed Project report stage.
The fact that none of the contractors are coming forward to take up three projects related to the ‘modernization’ of busy and commercial roads of Hubballi points to how much progress there is yet to be made, to convert Hubballi to a smart city.
‘Desired development’
Majority of the projects that HDSCL has taken up, including revamp of congested markets at Janatha Bazar, M G Market in Hubballi and Super Market in Dharwad are ones that the cities need the most. The multi-storied market plan at these locations will improve not just business but also ease movement of vehicles on the busy roads. However, non-cooperation from traders is delaying these projects.
For recreation purposes and also to improve water quality at two of the major tourists’ attraction in twin cities—Tolankere and Unkal kere—the smart city officials have chalked out a detailed project. However, prevention of sewage water polluting the lake is one of the engineering challenges that the HDSCL is facing.
Works related to installing LED streetlights, solar roof tops at selected government building and multi-level car parking, which are taken up under Public-Private Partnership model are still under nascent stages.
Sunil Nalvade, moderator of Hubballi City E-group on Facebook, feels that the officials of HDSCL failed to understand the basic concept of smart city. “Roads, footpaths and other basic amenities should have been our top priority to develop a city. Instead the officials are investing in projects that affect the lives of just 5%-10% of people.”
The HDSCL officials, on the other hand, claim that the smart cities projects could change the face of the twin cities, once completed.
(Pavan Kumar, DHNS)
Tumakuru
Despite a few faltering steps in the initial stages of implementing the Smart City project, Tumakuru took corrective measures and has implemented the projects at a brisk pace. Along with Davanagere, it is one of the best performing cities, according to the Centre's ranking under the Smart Cities Mission. The city has already spent Rs 255.03 cr under the project, including completed projects worth Rs 170 crore. Projects worth another Rs 686.46 crore have either been approved or work ordered; projects worth Rs 35.94 crore have been tendered out.
According to Jyothi Ganesh, the current MLA of Tumakuru city, a lot of unnecessary works were initially taken up under the project, a situation he compares to "Stitching a blazer to cover a bare body, when a simple pant and shirt to protect the person's dignity would do"
"When they hear the term ‘Smart city’, people set out to build another Singapore but basic parameters have to be addressed first. They [government officials] were unable to provide what the city needs: drinking water, sanitation, health facilities and the like."
In the beginning, Tumakuru took up projects at random, like providing barbed wire fencing for public areas; Rs 52 lakh was spent on off-grid solar systems, which was installed in an old, heritage building of the government PU college, instead of the new building; another 30 lakhs were spent on developing solar-based LED lights for the Vidyanagar area in a deserted area near the drinking plant, which would have no benefit for the people. Similarly, a Rs 5 crore rainwater harvesting system was taken up, but most were installed in old government buildings which were slated for demolition. However, with greater participation of citizen groups and political representatives, things changed.
‘Water Smart’
Tumakuru is currently provided water through a network of overhead tanks, constructed sometime in the 90s; over the years, increasing population has placed a strain on water resources.
Ganesh says under the Smart Cities project, the entire water distribution network was slated to be improved, but the officials did not look into where the additional water needed for the city would be stored. The Hemavathi river is the main source of water for Tumakuru. A portion of the river's water is currently stored in the Bugudunahalli tank maintained by the city corporation. Since the Hemavathi is not a perennial river, the Bugudunahalli tank can only be filled a maximum of two times when the river flows and there is no other provision to store additional water.
The rejuvenation of the Amanikere lake in the city, will allow the additional allotted water from the Hemavathi to be stored here. A project to pump the water in Amanikere to P N Palya water treatment plant, at a cost of Rs 27 crore has also been taken up. Provision to supply the Hemavathi's water to two other tanks, Gangasandra and Maralur in the southern portion of the city, are also under progress.
Kondarahalli Ramesh, an activist with the city-based Abhivruddhi Revolution Forum, says there are 27 small tanks and lakes around the city that could have been rejuvenated to secure the city's water requirements, but he concedes the work being carried out is better than nothing being done at all.
Ramesh is also all praise for support and enthusiasm of the local political representatives for the project. The Tumakuru Smart City also has a well-functioning Citizen Level Advisory Forum, which meets every week to review the progress under the project and troubleshoot issues. Ramesh says this constant vigilance has kept the government officials on their toes.
Another criticism in Tumakuru is the large number of beautification projects being taken up under the Smart City project: at least Rs 21 crores are being spent to spruce up parks around the city.
When asked about this, Jyothi Ganesh said "Open spaces and recreational areas are absolutely essential for daily life, especially in urban areas. I believe that every person in the city ought to have access to this in their locality,"
While there is always scope for improvement, Tumakuru's progress could well serve as a model for other Smart Cities in the state.
(Prajwal Suvarna, DHNS)
Mangaluru
Almost four years after it was selected in September 2016 in Round 2 of the Smart Cities Mission, Mangaluru is arguably one of the worst performers in the state, both in terms of funds utilised and quality of projects executed.
Projects worth a measly Rs 10.62 cr have been executed (each city gets Rs 1,000 crore under the programme), which includes the contentious clock tower, the 'smart bus shelters', a 37-bed ICU at Wenlock hospital premises, as well as Rs 54 lakh of 'civil interior work for Smart City office' that has been passed off as a Smart City project.
Several projects originally proposed under the Smart Cities plan - the redevelopment of the old port, development of the waterfront area, construction of an abattoir have either been put on hold or quietly dropped; several others have undergone multiple revisions, leading to a delay in their implementation.
Several other big-ticket projects, like the redevelopment of the city central market and fish market (Rs 114.03 cr), or the integrated bus terminal (Rs 495 cr) have not seen any work begin yet. Even the 'Smart Roads' project is simply a continuation of the concretisation of arterial roads in the city, which was taken up a decade ago.
The other contentious aspect of the project has been the lack of consultation with civil society organisations in the city, before taking up the work. The City Level Advisory Forum (CLAF) under the Smart Cities Mission has no representation from NGOs or local residents.
The kind of projects taken up under the Smart City Project also seem to be arbitrary, with no holistic vision for the development of the city.
"The Smart City Project is not there to take up normal works. It has an aspect of IT implementation, it should boost economic activities, develop crucial infrastructure. None of this has happened," said J R Lobo, an ex-MLA from the Mangaluru South constituency. Lobo said the projects under Smart Cities Mission could have been used as a "launchpad" to take up bigger development works for the benefit of the city. "Mangaluru had a golden opportunity, but we lost it. There is no political will or vision to take up these development works," he said.
"Mangaluru is a city of intelligent people. And the people are politically active. Any proposal is countered with a lot of counter-proposals and debates. That is good, but somewhere it has to stop, so that the work can actually take place," said a senior official at the Ministry of Urban Affairs and Development.
The Integrated Command and Control Centre, for which an outlay of Rs 74 cr has been proposed, was recently inaugurated. The ICCC is to act as a “central converging point for all smart interventions, especially the IT/ICT based ones”. The detailed project report mentions air quality monitoring systems, traffic monitoring systems (smart poles), as well as city-wide surveillance networks which have to be integrated here. However, it is not clear to what extent these works have been completed.
(Prajwal Suvarna, DHNS)
Bengaluru
Covid-19's body blow has not only disrupted the projects taken up by Bengaluru Smart City Limited (BSCL), but has brought officials from different departments to one table to sit and reengineer the projects, to prepare the city for the post-pandemic era.
Of the 30 projects that were finalised by the BSCL, 13 dealt with Tender Sure projects at a cost of about Rs 455 crore, two celebrated Bengaluru's heritage by developing Freedom Park and lighting up buildings like Vidhana Soudha. While tenders for these projects were awarded, the works promised to provide realistic solutions were delayed.
"Covid-19 disrupted work of even the projects that were awarded, first because of lockdown and later, due to the labour shortage. Our ambitioius projects that sought to provide practical solutions to the city's problems were delayed as our focus was on fighting the disease," said Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, the managing director of BSCL.
She said the project to develop KR Market junction with a focus on public transport and pedestrian movement was awarded on September 3. The tender for setting up a command centre to handle Bengaluru's waste, which has remained one of the top most concern of the city, will be finalised within a few days.
Most importantly, the Covid crisis has made all the officials pause and look at the priorities. "We are now holding regular meetings with BBMP, Directorate of Urban Land Transport and other departments to plan to end Bengaluru's traffic woes," Hephsiba said.
Along with other departments, the BSCL is working for an integrated model of transport where different modes of transport will come together to move people.
She said that as part of the plan, the BSCL will work with Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation to streamline the passenger information system. The idea is to provide relevant information to a person who walks into any bus stop or bus station in Bengaluru.
"We are already working with DULT on bicycle lanes. Sustainability will be the key and we have decided to take up more projects that will make the city liveable in the post-pandemic era," she added
(Chiranjeevi Kulkarni, DHNS)