This refers to the editorial, “Water, water everywhere” (August 1). With heavy rains exposing the fragile state of urban infrastructure in many cities across the country, it reveals the long road ahead for the Centre's much-touted smart cities mission which promises to infuse a technological edge to urban development plan. It is pathetic how a major city like Bangalore, which boasts to be India's Silicon Valley, has been crippled by waterlogging and monster traffic jams brought by monsoon rains.
In the Millennium City, Gurgoan, where motorists were stranded for several hours on roads is an instance where the entire infrastructure of the city — institutional, physical, social and economic — came to a grinding halt. Perhaps it is time to involve local communities in basic issues like waste management, traffic control and road design, but this will depend upon State Governments relaxing its grip on cities and allowing them to run in a manner that satisfies the aspirations of the city's residents.