Background:
The Smart Cities Mission (SCM), launched in 2015 by the NDA-1 government, aimed to develop 100 Indian cities.
The mission lacked a clear definition of a "smart city," acknowledging the concept's variation across contexts.
Mission Components:
Area-based development: Focused on redevelopment, retrofitting, and greenfield projects.
Pan-city solutions: Utilized ICT (information and communication technology) for e-governance, waste management, and other areas.
Funding: ₹2 lakh crore (around $26 billion) allocated, with public-private partnerships (PPP) encouraged.
Governance: Special purpose vehicles (SPVs) led by bureaucrats or MNC representatives bypassed traditional city governance structures.
Current Status (as of April 2024):
Project completion is lagging:
Only 5,533 of 8,033 projects are completed.
400 projects in 10 cities are unlikely to meet the June 2024 deadline.
Total outlay has fallen to ₹1.68 lakh crore (16% less than projected).
PPP funding is minimal (around 5%).
Reasons for Shortcomings:
Flawed Selection Process: Selecting 100 diverse cities ignored the dynamic nature of Indian urbanization.
Exclusionary Approach: Projects targeted only a small portion of each city, neglecting larger development needs.
Inadequate Funding: ₹1.68 lakh crore falls far short of the estimated $1.2 trillion required for Indian cities by 2030.
Unaligned Governance Model: SPVs contradicted the 74th Constitutional Amendment, leading to objections and a top-down approach.
Project Incongruence: Projects in some towns did not reflect local needs or budgets.
Displacement and Disruption: Slum dwellers, street vendors, and urban commons were negatively affected by the projects.
Increased Flooding: Infrastructure projects disrupted natural water channels, worsening flooding in some towns.
Conclusion:
The Smart Cities Mission has faced significant challenges, including flawed planning, inadequate funding, and a top-down governance model.
These shortcomings have limited the mission's impact and raised concerns about displacement and environmental consequences.
With the current focus on other priorities, the future of the SCM in India remains uncertain.
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