City’s inclusion in Smart City list doesn’t address basic issues like water supply, sanitation, traffic chaos while not considering strain on resources and environment, say citizens

une’s inclusion among the top three of the 20 cities that made it to the Centre’s ‘Smart City’ list has brought forth an outpouring of ayes from BJP-Sena politicians and civic authorities, while drawing scepticism from activists and the common man. The Sena-BJP combine, which is in a minority in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and the civic top brass went into mutual back-patting mode with city BJP MP Anil Shirole lauding municipal commissioner Kunal Kumar for Pune making it to the list.

“Pune has made the cut only due to its conscious citizens and the untiring efforts of the PMC headed by its commissioner, Kunal Kumar,” said Mr Shirole. “This is just the beginning of a new dawn,” tweeted an enthusiastic Mr Kumar, who was instrumental in pushing Pune’s bid for the project despite flak from Opposition corporators.

The Congress-NCP alliance in power in the PMC was vehemently opposed to the Smart City Plan (SCP), which they claim rides roughshod over the rights of local bodies and threatens to usher in radical privatisation, with humungous funds being funnelled through the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), the body to be created in each city to implement the SCP.

“While we welcome the announcement, we cannot comment until we get all details,” said Pune Mayor Dattareya Dhankawde of the NCP.

The proposed expenditure for Pune city is Rs 2,932 crore, while the budget for Solapur, the second city in Maharashtra to make it to the list, is pegged at Rs 2,921 crore. The project envisages adoption of ‘smart solutions’ for efficient use of available assets, resources and infrastructure.

How ‘smart’ is it, ask activists

City-based activists questioned if the ‘smart’ agenda will be able to address the city’s key concerns, and pointed to the PMC’s losing battle with the city’s garbage disposition and its chaotic traffic even as it put together its Rs 2.5-crore Smart City proposal.

Vijay Kumbhar, an RTI activist, contended that the SCP’s basic proposal is structurally flawed. “There is no harm in making Pune ‘smart’, but the plan proposes to concentrate on the ‘development’ of the Aundh-Baner-Balewadi cluster which is already an upmarket area. Developing areas like the Parvati-Bibwewadi cluster, bedevilled by a number of problems from sanitation to potable water supply, would have been a real challenge,” Kumbhar said.

While pitching for Pune, Mr Kumar emphasised that area development was only part of the plan, and would not be done at the cost of pan-city development. The PMC also assured that the issues of traffic, solid waste management and water supply that plague Pune will be addressed as part of the Smart City project.

Those reading the fine print, however, noted that the ‘Smart City’ plan uses terms like ‘walkable cities’ and ‘compact cities’ while proposing increased parking areas. Sujit Patwardhan, who heads Parisar, an NGO that works on the city’s burgeoning traffic problems, said, “If you want to have a ‘pro-walking’ city, you must incorporate ideas that drastically reduce personal vehicle use. Instead, the plan talks about fancy elevated roads and flyovers.”

Citizens are apprehensive that the plan makes no provision for the strains on the environment and the city’s natural resources vis-a-vis its exploding population, given the high rate of migration from villages nearby to this IT hub. They also noted that Pune has experienced drastic vertical growth, and the demands on energy resources will be immense, especially by 2022, the year targeted by the Modi government to fulfil its ‘Smart City’ mission.

“One cannot depend on energy-intensive development for a city to be smart and sustainable. The plan appears to be nonchalant about Pune’s water woes as well, with the PMC itself admitting a 40-per cent leakage in its water supply,” said architect Sarang Yadwadkar.

Since August last year, the PMC has collected suggestions from over 125,000 families to gauge citizens’ aspirations. The two-month drive, titled ‘Smart City Project’s Vision Document’, was conducted in three phases.

It must have ideas that reduce personal vehicle use. Instead, the plan talks about fancy elevated roads

Sujit PatwardhanNGO Parisar