The Modi Government’s smart cities project is slated to change the face of urban India in the coming years and decades. But smart cities will not be that smart if they are not green cities as well. The foundation must be laid now
The ambitious smart cities project visualised by the Government of India and now in its primary stages of implementation, intends to create two smart cities per State in the initial phase. These ultra-modern cities are expected to be a fusion of cutting-edge technological innovation and efficient resource utilisation that will eventually deliver enhanced living conditions for the citizens. But it is essential for the Government to focus on establishing ‘green infrastructure’ as a spine to these smart cities if the concept is to really succeed and deliver.
Advanced countries across the world are combining urban planning with nature as an integral part in order to derive benefits such as protection against natural calamities, excessive heat and improvement of air, soil and water quality. This inclusion of nature in an urban planning framework is termed as green infrastructure. In the Indian context, the smart cities initiative can benefit a lot by having green infrastructure as a part of the foundation for the project.
In times of rapid environmental degradation that is being made worse by catastrophic natural calamities taking their toll on human life, green infrastructure is fast assuming a significant position in urban planning across the world. Green infrastructure can solve climatic challenges faced in the urban scenario by addressing aspects such as urban heat stress, healthy air and water quality and sustainable energy production. By including these aspects backed by climate adaptation in the urban context, green infrastructure is able to provide an ecological perspective to the manner in which cities are being planned.
leading town and country planning authorities globally are no longer considering wide and open green spaces in urban areas as high maintenance and extravagant, but are adopting them as the first step towards green infrastructure. In fact, some of the faster-learning Indian construction companies are leaving nearly 50 per cent of their housing layout areas as designated ‘green areas’.
These green spaces are instrumental in ensuring healthy air quality, as the trees are capable of holding carbon, which in turn improves the air quality. These green areas are also increasingly providing notable economic benefits as well, in addition to ecological and social spin-offs. According to a study conducted by the lawrence Berkeley National laboratory (US), the urban trees are able to provide up 47 per cent savings in energy.
But, however smart a city is, a persistent insufficiency of water resources can prove to be its Achilles’ heel. One-fifth of the world’s population, 1.2 billion people, lives in areas of water scarcity. Climate change and water-related disasters are set to place increasing demands on urban systems, and this is set to get worse with the increased migration to urban areas. Cities of the future will require a very large input of freshwater as the overall urban and industrial water use is projected to double by 2050. This presents a grim scenario for the future.
Green infrastructure can offset this weak point by effectively managing storm water run-off and creating effective bio-retention systems that remove sedimentation and contaminants from the water. This helps in superior groundwater recharge, and thereby improve the water table, water quality, and eventually water security as well. A study on 479 green infrastructure projects across the United States, found that 44 per cent of the projects reduced their costs due to less storm water run-off, and decreased their heating and cooling costs as an additional bonus in the process.
As the smart cities initiative in India gathers momentum, the Government can examine the possibility of adopting the practice of constructing wetlands as a part of the green infrastructure. The man-made wetlands in designated urban areas can work as bio-filtration systems. The wetlands are capable of improving water quality standards and stabilising the fluctuating water levels.These wetlands have low operating costs as well and help in enriching aquatic wildlife habitats.
According to a study, over the next several decades, the world will spend $30 trillion on intelligent and green infrastructure. This will take the global smart cities to the next level. India must ensure that its cities figure in the top 10 smart cities of the world. Now, given the country’s geographic immensity, rising population and steady urbanisation rate, this task currently seems like an insurmountable challenge. But the issue can be tackled.
A careful articulation of green infrastructure initiatives at the policy level and meticulous execution of the same will go a long way in providing environmental, social and economic sustainability. This will help safeguard and sustain our existing resources and strengthen India’s position as the next economic superpower.