Rising population pressure in Raipur 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, warns the ‘Smart City Proposal’ which was made for ‘The Smart City Challenge Stage-II’ of the Union Ministry of Urban development and Poverty Alleviation.
There are inadequate capacities at the Urban local Bodies of Raipur, it also observed.
There is sparse pedestrian facilities in the city core area. Only 14% of city roads have footpath, it further observed.
There is 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. 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, the document pointed out.
On th other hand, it may be recalled that the well-developed ‘Greater Raipur’ region has 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, Raipur city has 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, the Chhattisgarh government has approved Rs 13 crore for 89 developmental works to be undertaken by Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC).
Notably, 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, Chief Minister 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.
An amount of Rs 450 crore had been allocated for water facility at Bhilai and Korba under the Amrut Mission.
Singh said that the top priority is to provide electricity, drinking water and road connectivity in the urban regions. The State Government is assisting the local bodies in this regard .
Chhattisgarh was ranked first in implementing the prestigious project of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.
About 1.65 lakh private toilets had been built in the town limits of 168 urban bodies and the targets had already been met, the Chief Minister stated last year.
Similarly regarding Prime Minister Housing Project Chhattisgarh is second to Gujarat in allocating low-cost housing at Rs Four lakh a piece to the lower middle-class population, he said.
A total of 5143 Rain Harvesting Projects out of 9143 projects had been completed in the entire State. Thirteen Municipal Corporations and two Nagar Palikas are included in the scheme, he said.