The Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) will get constructed ‘Smart Bus Shelters’ in the city through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode, officials informed.
It is also promoting Non-Motorised Transport (NMT) with dedicated pedestrianised corridors and enhanced ‘walk ability’ options.
This was stated in the ‘Smart City Proposal’ for Raipur submitted during Stage II of the ‘Smart City Challenge’ of India Smart City Mission of the Union Ministry of Urban Development.
The NMT mode had been focussed to bring pollution levels further down in the city, officials informed.
The citizens of Raipur foresee themselves living in environmentally clean, socially cohesive, sustainable, using renewable energy sources, utilizing scientific water and waste management, employing smart transportationand a safe city with a responsive ‘Smart Governance Framework’, the document mentioned.
It may also be recalled that Raipur Smart City limited (RSCl) will be setting up an 'Intelligent Traffic Management System and City Surveillance System' across the city under the ‘Smart City’ Mission, officials informed.
One of the primary objectives of RSCl is to develop 'Smart Traffic Management and Safe City - Intelligent Traffic Management System' (ITMS) and City Surveillance System which provide greater information to the authorities to proactively manage the ongoing traffic situation, increase safety and security of citizens and allow citizens to make informed travel choices, they informed.
With installation of ITMS and City Surveillance system, the overall burden of traffic on the roads will reduce, will help effectively maintain law and order situation.
RSCl will appoint an agency soon to set up priority initiatives identified under the Smart City mission which will include intelligent traffic signals, surveillance cameras, variable message sign and information boards and traffic enforcement systems such as e-Challan, red light violations detection systems, speed violation detection system etc.
It may be recalled that the well-developed ‘Greater Raipur’ region has also started fast taking shape near Raipur city.
A total of 19 urban centers are being planned in Greater Raipur region which would touch boundary of five municipal corporations, officials informed.
The regions such as Raipur, Naya Raipur, Charoda, Jamul, Kumhari Bhilai-III and Durg will come under ‘Greater Raipur’ region.
Notably, the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways also announced in March last year that a new Expressway in the 26.60 kms stretch of Raipur-Durg section of National Highway 53 will be constructed in the State.
Meanwhile, the 'Raipur Smart City Plan' has the component of visual mapping of the city for ease of travel across the city , officials informed.
The other key features of the plans would be — CCTV surveillance, Pedestrian only streets, 100 per cent door to door collection, removing street parking among others.
There are also plans to make Raipur a ‘Visually Aesthetic City’ which would comprise street art, neighbourhood art and rejuvenating dead walls.The plan also has the component of e-Rickshaw zones.
Notably, the Chhattisgarh government has already approved Rs 13 crore for 89 developmental works to be undertaken by RMC.
A sum of Rs 10 crore has been approved by the State government for various wards of RMC including drain construction, road widening, electrification and pipeline extension, according to an official press release .
Besides these, around Rs 2.50 crore has been approved for setting up a world class gym in the vacant space at International Swimming Pool at GE road besides other facilities.
The Central Government had already released the first installment of Rs 55.29 crore out of the approved Rs 573.40 crore for State Annual Action Plan (SAAP) under AMRUT project for the current financial year in Chhattisgarh.
The Union Ministry of Urban Development has already released Central Assistance of Rs 1,062.27 crore to 13 States as first installment under AMRUT project for the current financial year, officials stated.
This is a part of total Central Assistance of Rs 5,311.38 crore committed to 13 States for which the Ministry has approved Atal Mission Action Plans for 2015-16 entailing total investment of Rs 11,671.76 crore in 286 cities in these states.
The Ministry has so far cleared a total of 939 projects for 286 cities with most of them related to water supply and sewerage network services.
Chhattisgarh will witness total convergence of three major and highly ambitious Centrally-sponsored urban development schemes in the days ahead, officials informed.
As per a detailed note issued by the Union Urban Development Ministry, out of the 9 States under consideration, there is total convergence of housing, AMRUT and Smart City Missions in respect of Chhattisgarh (2 smart and 9 Amrut cities), Jammu & Kashmir (1 and 3), Kerala (1 and 7), MP (7 and 32), Odisha (2 and 9), Rajasthan (4 and 28), Telangana (2 and 11).
The Urban Administration and Development Minister Amar Agrawal in July 2015 had stated that the State Government has decided to develop all the other 11 municipal Corporations-run cities on the pattern of 'Smart Cities'.
The infrastructure will be upgraded, convenient transport will be provided, people's participation, good governance, health and education, e-Governance, healthy environment, adequate drinking water facilities, waste disposal management and sanitation and low-cost housing for poor are some of the proposals to develop the other 'Smart Cities', he said.
In September last year, CM Raman Singh had stated that under the Smart City project, an amount of Rs 2119 crore had been set aside for implementation in the entire State.
The target is to achieve the project goals by 2020. About Rs 882 crore is meant for developing better sewerage facility and Rs 50 crore for developing gardens, the Chief Minister stated.
