Raipur has a weak waste management system specially related to sustainable city solutions, informs Smart City document titled ‘India Smart City Mission’ of the Union Ministry of Urban Development.
Total waste generated is in the range of 15,140 to 16,635 metric tonnes (MT) in Raipur every month , it mentioned.
The Ministry observed that inadequate citywide sewerage facilities and lack of networked Storm water drainage facilities are key concerns for the city.
Water logging problems are prevailing in parts of the city, the document informed.
Pollution is caused by the vehicle emissions and dust from construction in and around the city. This has led to diseases and health impacts which are a major threat to the citizens well being., it informed.
Rising population pressure is leading to a stressed infrastructure environment. The present carrying capacity will not suffice for the projected population growth and may lead to poor living conditions in future, the Ministry informed.
There is sparse pedestrian facilities in the city core area. Only 14% of city roads have footpath, it informed.
Traffic congestion especially in the central part of the city which is the hub of commercial activities.
lack of Integrated land-use and transportation planning. The central part of the City is extremely crowded with high density in areas like Jaistambh chowk, Ghadi chowk, Fafadih chowk and Railway Station, the document informed.
Density reduces towards the periphery and there are scattered developments along the main arteries(NH30 and NH53) leading to traffic congestion on these roads. Transit Oriented Development has not been implemented, it informed.
Public Transportation is increasing but is still way below the URDPFI standards.
This has lead to mushrooming of private run autos and rickshaws leading to pollution and traffic congestion, the document mentioned.
The citizens of ‘Raipur Smart City’ foresee themselves as an Environmentally Clean, Social cohesive, Sustainable, using renewable energy sources, utilizing scientific water & Waste management, Employing Smart Transportation, Safe city with a responsive Smart Governance framework.
Through extensive Citizen consultation and a robust review of SWOT the City has voted and adopted the Vision which has a Four pronged approach comprising of "Clean, Connected, Cohesive and Credible(4Cs) Raipur". This is aligned to the strategic focus of the city and is in a easy to adopt format for the masses, it stated.
Incidentally, the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC) last month had informed that would soon be setting up an Organic Waste Converter ( OWC ) for conversion of organic waste generated daily in the vegetable markets in the city.
The waste collected would be converted into organic manure. Notably, 100 per cent door-to-door collection and waste segregation would be taken up as per RMC’s ‘Smart City’ plans.
It may be recalled that last month, the Chhattisgarh Government decided to establish composite production unit in vegetable markets of cities across the State for manufacturing organic fertilizer using fruits and vegetables.
State Urban Development Agency has issued directives to all 168 urban bodies to send information about the vegetable markets in respective areas, where significant amount of fruit-vegetable waste is found.
Commissioners of Municipal Corporations and Chief Municipal Officers of Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats have been instructed to send information within three days.
It is noteworthy that Agriculture Department will set up composite production units in market.
Raipur city had improved the quality of 'smart city' plans by 25 per cent to finally find its place in the list of 13 cities chosen by the Central Government for development as a ‘smart city’.
Notably, in February this year the Central Government in its cleanliness survey had listed Raipur among the top 10 dirtiest cities in the country.
Uttar Pradesh capital lucknow topped the list of winners of the Fast Track competition conducted for 23 cities from as many States and Union Territories.
Union Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation M Venkaiah Naidu said in New Delhi that the cities that participated in the competition improved the quality of smart city plans by up to over 25% to become eligible for selection.
With the selection of these 13 cities, 25 States/UTs are now covered under Smart City Mission
Other winners of Fast Track competition were ; Warangal, Telanagana (13%), Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh (27%), Chandigarh (9%), Raipur, Chattisgarh (25%), New Town Kolkata (11%), Bhagalpur, Bihar (25%), Panaji, Goa (9%), Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands (26%), Imphal, Manipur (27%), Ranchi, Jharkhand (27%), Agartala, Tripura (25%) and Faridabad, Haryana(12%).
These 13 cities were selected based on the marks scored by them in the Fast Track competition and the bench marks set by the top performers in the first round of Smart City Challenge competition in which the first 20 cities were selected from among 98 mission cities.
Meanwhile, demanding improvement of sanitation facilities in Raipur, the members of Congress party’s city unit staged protest before the Public Works Department Rest House in Raipur where Urban Administration Minister Amar Agrawal was taking a meeting on Thursday.
Congressmen led by City Congress Chief Vikas Upadhyay also staged court arrest on the occasion.
According to Upadhyay, demand for appointment of sufficient numbers of cleanliness workers along with other resources required to keep the city clean had been made.
“From time to time, the Congress party along with Corporator and residents of Sarona have pleaded the administration to stop garbage dumping there,” he said.
Upadhyay further informed that medical waste also being dumped in open at Sarona due to which several contagious diseases are spreading over there.
Sarona has become a breeding ground for diseases like Jaundice, Cholera and Malaria which then spread to other parts of city, he said.
Upadhyay alleged that the Urban Administration Department was ignoring the situation.
He also charged that the ruling BJP Government was not supporting Raipur Municipal Corporation and was particularly discriminating with Congress ward Corporators.