Do we really need smart cities?

Do we really need smart cities?

Introduction

The rate of migration from rural to urban areas is increasing across the world day by day. By 2050, around 70% of the people will be living in cities and India is no exception in this regard.

There is an emerging need for the cities to get smarter in India so that it would tackle the issues related with the large scale urbanization.

Smart city can be defined as a city which should be equipped with basic infrastructure to give a decent quality of life.

Recently, PM Modi has announced his vision to set up around 100 smart cities across the nation. The 100 smart city mission tend to promote the adoption of smart solutions for the proper use of available resources and infrastructure.

But, does a country like India require a smart cities? Let's take a look.

Yes – Smart cities are required.

1. Good infrastructure – The main aim of constructing a smart city is to provide good infrastructure to the residents, such as water and sanitation services, 24*7 electricity supply etc. The information will be collected through the detectors – gas, electricity and other government analytics, which will be carefully complied into small grids and then, will be fed into the computers. This process can focus on making the city efficient.

2. Smart solutions – Smart cities are required as it would also provide smart solutions such as providing public data, electronic service delivery, 100% treatment of water waste, monitoring water quality etc.

3. Promotes development – Smart cities enhance the developmental activities of a region. A lot of developmental activities such as building schools, organizations, shopping malls can take place. These activities benefit everybody including citizens, businesses, government and environment.

4. Housing for All – The main aim of a smart city is “housing for all”. More than 70% of the Indian population would be living in cities by 2050. Due to the rising urbanization, a better standard of living is required. To support this rising shift, a sustainable model of housing should be developed.

5. Provides employment – A smart city is an economy of agglomeration. It provides various opportunities and advantages to its residents. India is expanding rapidly and the emergence of smart city can provide employment for many. The construction of a smart city requires a lot of manpower.

No – Smart cities are not required

1. Dumb administration – The politicians of India have picked up the term “smart city” to woo the youngsters. In the past few months, we have witnessed the real face of the corrupt ministers who rule our country. Corruption has become a part of our country's identity. Talking about a smart city and creating a plan under the corrupt minsters is a waste of time and resources. Smart city is not possible with a set of dumb administrators and politicians.

2. Unable to afford – In a smart city, people have to build their own houses according to their financial capacity. A lot of people would not be able to afford a place in smart city as it would be very costly. Thus, people from middle class and poor section of the society won't be able to enjoy the benefits of a smart city.

3. Better utilization of places – A large acre of land would be wasted for the construction of a smart city. If properly utilized, this area can be turned into a biodiversity park later on. Cities which are rich in river beds and hilly regions can be utilized to avoid ecological degeneration.

4. Proper use of fund – India is a country which is better known for its increasing poverty rate. Only a certain part of the city would be utilized for constructing a smart city whereas, the other part of the city would be still under the shadow of poverty. We should understand that smart city won't be able to solve the basic issues of an entire state or city. If the fund which is planned to be spent for a smart city is utilized for decreasing the poverty rate, India would be much ahead of other countries.

Conclusion

India is a developing country and the Modi government is trying its best to develop India into a powerful nation.

Introducing the concept of smart cities in India is a great idea but due to increasing poverty rate, lack of infrastructure and basic amenities, the cities might have to face a lot of challenges. Before initiating the project, the government should try to attend to the basic issues of the nation such as implementing a proper drainage system, providing good water, sanitation and health care facilities etc.

A nation with a strong infrastructure would be successful in creating numerous smart cities.
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    Discussion

  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Need smart cities - group disc (05/15/18)
  • A harbinger of latest technologies are being introduced to get the work done smartly, quietly and effectively. There is a clamor for smart cities as well with handy amenities available for citizens. Why should people have problem if they get better infra, enhance medical facilities, clean drinking water, high speed wifi connectivity, schools etc? There are many ruing against investment on smart cities stating that its a wastage of money and government should do more for poor and farmers. Of course, farmers and poor should be taken care of and government allocate budgetary supports for them every year. Smart cities are necessity as city's population is soaring high. To accommodate, facilities need to be provided smartly with advanced technologies and keep that in mind, a separate budget has been allocated. It's a way to give back to middle class who dwells in the city. Every section of society should get benefited from government development plan.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -smart cities (04/26/18)
  • World is getting smarter and so cites are. The clamour for a well equipped cities is soaring high even in India. There will always be a section in the society who inhibits us from thinking progressively. Mere developing smart cities would create many opportunities, will provide scope from lower to upper class. Many think that it's a wastage of money as it incur high cost by compromising the growth of many other sectors. The budget is allocated for every sectors by foreseeing the needs and demands. India is growing leaps and bounds and major migration is happening from rural to urban. Our cities should be able to accommodate huge population, availing all amenities smartly. A smart place attracts massive foreign investments, our present government's vision is spot on, eyeing to invest in the sector like this to achieve mammoth investment.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Shruti (01/24/18)
  • A smart city is an urban area that uses different types of electronic data collection to supply information which is used to manage assets and resources efficiently. After announcing to set-up 100 smart cities across the nation by PM Modi, the question arises that "do we really need smart cities?"

    Every topic has two sides, so it has. Let us see what are they.

    The main aim to develop the smart city across the nation is to provide good infrastructure that will include water and sanitation, 24*7 electicity supply, developmental activities like building shools, organizations etc. The second aim is "housing for all"; this scheme will help to develop sustainable model of housing and lastly, it will provide employement to many. The process focuses on making the city efficient.

    The reason for going against this decision are dumb administration and wastage of time, useless utilization of land and improper use of funds.

    Yes, we really do need a smart cities. The decision of developing cities in smart cities has bought positive impact across the nation. Take an example of a place in Mumbai, named as Bhendi Bazaar. There were three to five storeys building which has been converted into 40 to 60 storeys, water consumption and waste water production is likely to increase 155% because of potential use of bathrooms and rainwater harvesting is made compulsory etc.

    So, a nation with a strong infrastructure would be successful in creating numerous smart cities
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -hemalatha (04/15/17)
  • I do not agree with this contexts bcoz y we develop only few city under this smart city . india means different diversities and different people living in same line . but this smart city making differences here. I dont understand one thing here that by 2050 , 70% population will move to city what about villages . our country is based on agriculture if former also start moving to city . how the govt will get money from agricluture and how will sustain with out food . so if it is possible start develop villages first . provide basic needs and wants there and decrease formers sucides then india will become developed nation . smart city doesn't mean good infrastructure and quality of life and all really meaning of this campaign is to provide basic security to girls and stop encouraging fat cats.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -SHIV KUMAR PATEL (08/24/16)
  • i am not agree to smart city, because we need Two time food before smart city.. we need my farmer not suicide. we need Green India before smart city most of the people in India struggle for food and we ask the smart city.. i live in the village area and i know how a farmer struggle in the life for survive,, so i tell we need improve ment of my farmer condition..
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -life hacker (08/22/16)
  • aaniyae pudunga venam?
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Gururajsingh Sandhu (08/22/16)
  • We need "Green Smart City". We don't need urban development at the cost of nature. A common men don't need 10 to 15 malls and big building with lot of amenities..! We need green city and smart people in our city. Things like education is still very expensive...We are developing smart cities but don't forget that Indian is among top nations who's poverty rate is increasing...poor is becoming more poor...the ratio of poor will increase shortly and it will result in big man made disaster in next 10 to 20 years.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -K K Yadav (10/18/15)
  • If the word "smart" is not to be understood in a narrow meaning - which is associated with the ICT and IT enabled services only - and involves the basic issues such as inclusiveness, sustainability, better living and prosperity of a city, and integration of the rural and urban settlement in totality, then i think our Prime Minister Narender Mody is right in his approach. He has also rightly directed that Model Villages be identified in the constituencies and be developed by the respective MPs. Now, i think our experts running the show in the Ministrty of Urban Development and other ministries have not understood the real and true meaning of the word "smart". It therefore, becomes an urgent need to understand the meaning of urbanisation in totality to bring changes in the lives of all people living in the city or town and integrate the rural and urban settlements for their increased relationships and first focus on the basic infrastructure such as water and sanitation,education and medical,electricity,roads and streets and creating employment opportunities, of course with the help of ICT and IT enabled services.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -ankit gupta (10/15/15)
  • really its a very big and toughest Q for all Indians!!!!!!!
    Smart city means the development of our society, living life style,economic growth etc.....
    Mainly smart city refers to the development,construction our city like school,hospital,24*7 electricity,housing for all,education.....
    Although we need smart city but we really need smart people around us.But in our country the main problem is corruption. People wants extra income /money for just doing a small work whether its a govt/private employ or our leader@ politician.
    Smart city cant be achieved if corruption has no ends, its only be availble on pen and paper.....
    For making smart city huge capital is required,but for India ,a developing country it is not possible to make 100 city at a time.Its better to utilize this money in rural area for development of rural area like electricity, water supply, better education, hospital, cultivation....
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -M alam (10/14/15)
  • Smart city plan is not very effective.as there will be no benefit for the people that they are living in villages.they can afford the value of smart product and services even these people are not completely aware about smartcities availability.
    So it will be very important to just invest the money in agriculture sector and provide some basic amenities of life of that people in which most important is education,as per data about 26%population of our country is illiterate and instead providing smartness through education gov thinking about to make smart city.
    Whatever the services that is being avail by gov should be beneficial for everyone than there will be uniform development of our country.
    And one more thing that smart city as per the vision will use technology so I think it might create unemployment with the use of smart equipment and machinations service and product will be given and developed.
    So as per my opinion smart city idea this time for our country sholud be remained just like as an idea.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Vinayak (10/08/15)
  • seeing the current scenario of our county I say no we don't want smart cities in India now . Instead of smart cities government should focus on basic infrastructure facilities. As we have poor sanitatation systems ( many villages even don't have toilets ), poor irrigation systems ( many farmers are taking their life's because of this) , their are still many places where people get electricity just for name , water crisis , no prope roads (in ruler areas ) etc. firstly we should use our money to serve the needy ones. I know development is very important but it will be good if we connect all the section of our society with the stream of development.

    Luxury is a secondary thing firstly we should focus to provide basic facilities to every one
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -vikas kushwah (10/07/15)
  • ya,we need a smart city but it is impossible untill india,s people become smart.
    if people become a smart then no important are no need of smart city.only\
    people need to a change the mentallity toward smart city.so thanks to give me a beautiful appourtunity on smart city
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -vikas kushwah (10/07/15)
  • yas, its a big thought of pm modi so will be going acording to pm modi
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Dipanjali (10/05/15)
  • yes it is a good concept bt its implementation is not so easiy . To live in a smart city the high amoubt of money is required. Without money , living in a smart city is a great follishness. Smart city concept is too good n we really reaquire that bt fr dt we require money n smart job also.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Rounak Roy (10/05/15)
  • Yes its a very good approach from the govt. To pravide india with snart cities... But what I think is that first of all the govt. Should try to solve many othe problems like the big gap between the rich and poor..
    In a country like India poverty is a mojor factor.... So smart cities will be benefitting the rich ones and not the poors....
    Other problems are also present like drainage problem, proper waste management, proper sanitation and etc...
    So the govt. Should first do is to focus on solving this type problems so that their initiative to provide us smart cities can be done.....
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Ramez (10/05/15)
  • smart city is an very good factor which can be brought to our movies and dreams .The resource of government will be helpful to improve the black money of the politicians and the contract builders. If these cities are developed then the poor peoples and middle class people cannot overcome such great financial barriers .so first they have to be developed for certain level with good sanitations,power supply,education,and etc.
    The quality given by our government in education,hospitals,food items should be increased better than the private confirms.this should be possible before thinking about smart citiesss
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -sarvesh (10/05/15)
  • yes..help cities get faster eliminates urban compelxities and mess
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -nahida (08/23/15)
  • The cncept of a smart city is really pleasant bt, is it all feasibl? -is a matter of cncern.
    bcz India is facing a flood of difficulties. About half of the peopl in India are far away from at least the basic township infrastructures. The idea of cities like smart cities , smarter cities is like tying stones on the bellies of poor peopl. Undeniebl, ~ half of our peopl lack basic provisions as, sanitation, education, n even food! And the cncept of smarter cities cant fill the gap btween the smarter and the poor. Despite, thinking us as smart peopl is like singing..."aag lgi hmri jhopadia m, hm gaawe malhar.." ;)
    one more thing, bcz of the corrupt nd irresponsibl distributing system, even the basic gov beneficieries dont reach the target. Then this idea of a big financial plan is all a waste of time nd resources.
    Yes, frns,,! Smart city is important for it can reduce brain drain nd other inferiorities, . But without the basic reformations, it is bt unfeasibl nd wl be a big problem itself
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Jitendra (08/18/15)
  • First of all i would like to give answer to my friend Amol Raiker..yes we have smart people,In an interview Bill Gates said,"I take most of the indians in my company because if i"ll not do that many companies like microsoft would be flourishing in india". So be happy with what you have and what you got.,..Now talking about the topic..Yes, i do think that their is a need before india to make his way toward being a developed country. Infact i would say that we need to grow up, if we want the world to take up seriously. The country should believe in its people, then only world is going to believe and take us seriously. The smart cities would directly affect various problems india is facing today . It would give us proper infrastructure, educational facilities, hygienic environment free of pollution and will certainly help in changing the thinking of the people towards their own country.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Abbas (08/18/15)
  • What is smart cities...? need smart cities in our country...a big Q??
    Do we know what exactly is this & which country deserve a smart cities. I think the country who has free from corruption, poverty, education, people's smartness & their intellectual performance will deserve smart cities. So you guys thinking that it will make our country proud but do we know the other side that there are still some places in our country are lack of poverty, we don't focus on there
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -gopal agrawal (08/16/15)
  • seeing the above comments i would just ask a simple question that whether smart cities will have smart people to stay ...will the lifestyle of the people be so smart that they adapt a culture pertaining to the smart cities...will the people will have such a finacial condition where they can overcome their dream of the smartness in cities ...today india have no city developed as smart city till buying a small peice of land costs too much...taxes under developed cities are high after the smart cities development the taxes imposed by the goverment will be high , will a common man able to bear such expense...smart cities will have smart facilities at very smart rate will a man such as farmer be able to understand the smart facilities and use it in smart way...
    the only dire need today in india is to make first people smart then smart cities ...
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Gaurav Tripathi (08/16/15)
  • also...one more thing which I think that
    If we provide and fulfill d basic amenities to rural population, then the assumption which was made that by 2050 , 70% people resides in urban areas will be nullified...... its an obvio reason that if we provide opportunities, infrastructure, facilities, over there only ....then why anyone migrate from village to city.....just think of this
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Gaurav Tripathi (08/16/15)
  • watching d current scenario of our country where still there is no electricity in villages, youth moving towards wrong direcn due to unemployment, no sanitation and water facilities in villages.....d need for smartcity is just a dumb idea.....country where rural population form d majority is still lack of basic amenities .......
    okkk leave d rural population, talking about d middle class family which forms d majority of urban population still think twice or thrice before going to restaurant for dinner....WHY ??????
    are they not developed, they are....aren't they smart enough in handling their lifestyle ...yes they r......then what's d need NOW.....
    utilize d same investment for providing basic amenities to rural areas....
    developing smart cities will not make the people smart......but yes developing smart people will definitely make d city smart.....
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -pintu chouhan (08/16/15)
  • Ya we need a smart city but it is imposible until india's people become smart . if people become smart then no importance or no need of smart city .only people need to change their mentality towards smart city .we can get our success witout smart city .everything is become smart only people smartness is dealy for its.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -payal sen (07/19/15)
  • In a country like india which is tied in the shackles of poverty,unemployment,corruption n other evils it is not yet the time to think about smart cities.First n foremost heed must be paid in eradicating the prevalent problems .Without solving the problems of poverty ,umemployment,pollution etc the idea for smart cities is not appropriate.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -narendra modi (07/10/15)
  • I AM THE KING
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -The Gamechanger (07/05/15)
  • Smart cities are being constructed from the cities which are already developed , where people have the basic amenities like water supply, electricity, sanitation , education system. concept of smart cities is about taking the modernisation of the modern cities to a next higher level. Though its indeed a great move, but the benefits are however limited to the rich and elite class of the society. I would definitely raise the standard of living, cost of land, cost of house rent, cost of travel , cost of education n schooling , which would make life of middle class people already living in these cities difficult.

    People form small cities in India cannot afford living in metros because of higher living expenses. Similar will be the situation when smart cities comes up. Rather PM should focus on urbanisation of the rural villages. It should be the first priority and would ensure more holistic development of India as a nation.
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Shaikh Ahmed (07/03/15)
  • India Require Smart Cities, Or Not ????. A big question.
    As each coin has 2 sides so each case dependable case?
    Our Country is Based on culture. If smart cities are implement so we will be at all comforts but without any culture or tradition. If we still say that we will remebering a culture so how log would it go on. How many generation max to max 3 -4 generation. As the postal service is at the last breath.

    So We need to select 1 thing Comforts or Culture...

  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -pooja garg (07/03/15)
  • Smart cities is a very good initiative and great idea but its not a right time to think about smart cities in our country where there are lot of problems which have to be solved first instead of wasting too much money on smart cities,our young minds are wasting there lives because of unemployment ,if issues like this are solved first then we can think about having smart cities.otherwise smart cities will just increase burden on average people.the money we are raising by smart cities should be used to overcome problems like unemployment,corruption ..
  • RE: Do we really need smart cities? -Amol Raiker (07/02/15)
  • Well, whats more important is the people. We need smart people. Smart city, Digital India, E Governance everything will go for a toss if people do not grow smart.

    Do we have smart people?