Ludhiana made it to the first list of smart cities released by the Government of India over two years ago. The city that is the financial capital of the State and key industrial hub, is on its way to be Smart. Sanyam Aggarwal, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Ludhiana, who is overlooking the smart city projects, shares the challenges that the city is facing and the solutions on the anvil with Priya Yadav of Elets News Network (ENN).
What are the key projects in the smart city domain that Ludhiana is working on?
Ludhiana Smart City has three projects that are being currently executed on the ground. The most important being the LED project, second is the smart signages as per the IRC standards and the third is the rooftop solar projects in which we have selected key government buildings where we have installed solar panels. Many projects tenders have been issued but there are some technical issues like in some we have received single bids or there is no participation. The biggest project is the 24×7 water supply scheme in the Area Based Development area.
This is one big project coming up. Second is the smart road of Malhar Road which is the main commercial road and tenders have been floated. Tenders for toilets have been floated. Apart from this a modern C&D plant – Construction and Demolition waste plant, carcass utilisation plants are our top priorities. These are mostly social projects. At present, the way animals are being taken away, it is polluting the river Sutlej. So this is our need and with this there is Smart Bin project – in which underground bins will be laid at key positions so that there is no littering. There is a project for dedicated cycle tracks in industrial area where most of the labour that commutes through cycles. So we are creating dedicated cycle tracks.
What are the other key projects that are being worked on ?
There is command and control centre that is a mandate of the Ministry of Urban Development and all cities have to set it up. In Ludhiana Detailed Project Report is final RFP is being made. A big project is rejuvenation of Budha Nallah. This is a stream which is making RDF and compost also. Ideally, there should be proper segregation and reuse and recycle waste. Minimum waste should be generated. There is need for improvement in door-to-door as the city is very dirty right now.
Integrated Command Control Centre will integrate all the services together and we will monitor from MC office. The water project is being funded by World Bank. but one portion ABD area is under smart city. The canal water will come, automatic water meters will be put into place, proper distribution network will be in place with SCADA. Tenders are being done. Bigger companies are looking for bigger projects, small builders do not technically qualify so we have to retender a lot. Smart Health module is also there. OPDs etc will be run through technology.
Pollution and traffic are main challenges of the city. Pollution is comprehensive, be it air, noise, water. If we could control plastic bags that would be great. Also, we are running a campaign on “no horns”. It is one of the top projects of Punjab government also. So we are trying to cover it in a wholistic way. It is a 14 km stretch which runs through the city. Lot of meetings have happened on it already and an action plan has finally taken shape and soon there will be action on the ground. Then there are smaller projects — of smart schools, digital library. T
hen there is another smart road which will be made in the second phase. On the security front, the traffic police has already started a project which is already live automatic traffic light violation detection and number plate reading is being done. It is under the safe city project. When our ICCC comes up we will combine their feed with ours.
What is being done on the waste management front ?
In waste management, Ludhiana has an agreement with A to Z company that is collecting the waste and they are collecting from secondary points and making RDF and compost also. Ideally, there should be proper segregation and reuse and recycle waste. Minimum waste should be generated. There is need for improvement in door-to-door as the city is very dirty right now. Integrated Command Control Centre will integrate all the services together and we will monitor from MC office.
The water project is being funded by World Bank. but one portion ABD area is under smart city. The canal water will come, automatic water meters will be put into place, proper distribution network will be in place with SCADA. Tenders are being done. Bigger companies are looking for bigger projects, small builders do not technically qualify so we have to retender a lot. Smart Health module is also there. OPDs etc will be run through technology. Pollution and traffic are main challenges of the city. Pollution is comprehensive, be it air, noise, water. If we could control plastic bags that would be great. Also, we are running a campaign on “no horns”.
Smart Projects on the way
- Retrofitting of Sarabha Nagar market – Rs 14.89 crore
- Development of Malhar road (Rs 22.75 crore) as ‘smart’ road
- Carcass processing and utilisation plant – Rs 9 crore
- Retrofitting of Ghumar Mandi – Rs 25 crore
- Underground parking lot on National Highway-95 – Rs 75 crore
- A railway overbridge and an underbridge at Pakhowal road – Rs 75 crore approx
- 24×7 water supply – 47 crore
- Sewage rehabilitation – 39 crore
- Storm water drainage – 22 crore
- Construction and demolition (C&D) waste management project – 6.90 crore
- Integrated Command Contro
- Centre – 32.50 crore
- Digital Library – 5 crore
- Smart Road Phase 2 (Rotary Club Road) – Rs 35 crore,
- Cycle tracks – 20 crore Smart foot over bridges – Rs 21 crore
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