State capital Ranchi, the only city to submit a proposal from Jharkhand for the urban renewal initiative, has been selected for Phase-II of Smart City Mission on special fast-track. It will receive projects worth Rs1500 crores for smarter urban amenities and better standard of living.
“This is a matter of jubilation for all, but making Ranchi a Smart City is a great challenge. Government has accepted this challenge and will make the most of this opportunity. As a State capital, Ranchi should have all the amenities: Urban Development Department and Ranchi Municipal Corporation will ensure that,” stated Urban Development Minister CP Singh during a press conference on Tuesday.
The proposal from the State Government opting for a combination of Greenfield Development (development on vacant space of 341 acres in HEC area) and Retrofitting Mode (developing an already developed area in the city) won Ranchi the Smart City tag.
“The 341 acres in HEC has already been approved by the Cabinet for Greenfield Development. We have sent a proposal for additional 34 acres of land which has received the Government’s approval,” stated Urban Development Secretary Arun Kumar Singh.
The project will be conducted in two parts – Area Based Development (Greenfield Development) and Pan-city Solutions (Retrofitting Mode). The total cost of making Ranchi smarter has been pegged at Rs1489.27 crores.Rs 1397.18 crores of which will be used for developing 341 acres in HEC as an educational hub whereas Rs92.09 crores is to be invested in Pan-city Solution. These expenses are to be equally borne by the Union Government, State Government and third parties like World Bank.
“The Area Based Development in HEC is meant to be a lighthouse project. The rest of the city will be developed based on the achievements and lessons we experience there,” stated Rajesh Kumar Sharma, State Urban Development Agency.
“Smart features will be incorporated in transportation, security, water and electric supply,” added Singh, while enumerating the changes that the Mission will bring about in the city. Smarter Ranchi will offer smarter versions of basic amenities –rainwater harvesting, sewerage treatment plants, solid waste management, use of solar energy, Intelligent Transport System, Wi-Fi hotspots, carbon emission reduction to name a few. Internet of Things (IoT) will be used prominently to efficiently manage them.
Sluggish transport system of Ranchi will definitely get a boost from the urban renewal initiative. “Five upgraded streets and two flyovers have been approved by me and will soon be taken up by the Department. For the first time, RMC is going to adopt hot mix plants for constructing roads,” stated the Minister.
Transportation, a part of the Pan-city Solution, will be crucial in decreasing average travel time and increasing average travel speed, stated Municipal Commissioner Prashant Kumar.
In their Smart City proposal to Union Urban Development Department, RMC had proposed to develop the city as a knowledge hub for Eastern India that will also address the socio-economic needs of its denizens. 150 acres of the available land will be converted into an educational hub; master plan for the same will be drafted soon, Singh added.
“Ranchi Smart City Corporation will be established within 15 days, which will receive Rs 300 crores from the Union Government simultaneously with its formation. Identical corpus of funds will be concurrently handed to the Corporation by Jharkhand Government,” said Singh.