Nagpur Smart City officials and Smart Cities Council India partners came together and deliberated upon addressing problem areas, through expert opinions.
Smart Cities Council India (SCCI), in association with Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation (NSSCDC), organised a Think Table meet on January 31, 2019, in Nagpur. Smart Cities Think Tables (SCTT) are a series of forum sessions organised by Smart Cities Council (SCC) in different cities of India where the biggest challenges facing the sector are detailed and discussed threadbare. As the Council’s partners were in attendance to discuss the future requirements of Nagpur Smart City, as well as address the urban challenges faced and solutions for the same, there was equal enthusiasm from the corporation too. As many as 40 officials – senior to mid-level – from the corporation alone were present, making the conference an instant success.
In his inaugural address, Pratap Padode, Founder & Director, Smart Cities Council India, welcomed the city officials and Council’s partners. During his brief presentation, he appraised the gathering of the recent progress in India’s Smart Cities mission. He also showcased how Nagpur is recycling 90 per cent of its sewage water and making it a profitable proposition. Delving further into Nagpur, Dr Ramnath Sonawane, CEO, NSSCDC, explained that the city is focussing on the implementation of town planning based on the principle of retrofitting; rehabilitation and resettlement plan; smart infrastructure and utilities; and zero waste garbage city.
Further, Devendra Mahajan, General Manager (Environment Division), NSSCDC, informed about Nagpur’s smart city plan. ‘A total of 20 projects are identified, of which two are completed. Work order is issued for four projects whereas one project is tendered out. The remaining 13 projects are under DPR preparation. The entire proposal has been divided into four zones: Smart mobility, smart environment, smart governance, and smart living.’
Mahajan showcased Nagpur’s City Operation Centre in his presentation – the corporation has installed about 3,800 CCTV surveillance cameras covering 700 locations with advanced analytics. Apart from an update on what has been achieved, the Think Table provided the opportunity to bring together city representatives and private stakeholders to discuss practical solutions and strategies for the way forward.
It presented a platform for stakeholders to share relevant case studies on initiatives that could be useful to Nagpur Smart City, and the initiatives that need to be implemented to capitalise on innovations, smart technologies and best smart practices to help in the sustained growth of Nagpur. The event also provided networking opportunities by bringing together government and private stakeholders to deliberate on the opportunities, challenges and solutions for building sustainable, liveable and efficient cities in India. Meanwhile, the CEO and his entire team of officials interacted with the SCCI members, including TomTom, SenRa, Anchor, Bajaj Electricals, Persistent Systems and Oracle, and conveyed their expectations from them.
During his interaction with the visiting Council partners, Dr Sonawane, said, ‘Those who have financially sustainable (pilot) projects can submit them directly with the corporation, without going through any tendering procedure.’ ‘The city, through such initiatives, would like to transform India’s heart- Nagpur – into the most liveable, eco-friendly and edu-city that electronically connects people with the government to create an inclusive ecosystem.’