Kohima: The Nagaland Municipal Department, along with the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) has started to build the infrastructure to convert Kohima as a Smart City within next four years, which will be completed by 2020.
Addressing a press conference here, Nagaland municipal department secretary Mawongwati Aier told newsmen that planning and preparations are on to convert Kohima to a Smart City with all IT facilities like the e-governance, e-education, e-banking, e-licensing of business establishments, e-payment of bills and other internet linking facilities.
He said there will be uninterrupted power supply with pre-paid meters and consumers would able to buy their power according to their needs.
So, also there will be water meter for consumers, along with rain water harvesting facilities and water recycling systems.
For sanitation, solid waste management process would be taken for the garbage and there would also be plastic recycle system and transport systems tp all the 19 Wards of KMC linking with city buses.
To support the IT system in the educational sector, Aier said all educational institutes would be fitted with WIFI system for easy access of education, as well as the health systems, in all health centers.
When asked about the poor BSNL system in Nagaland, he said if BSNL failed to improve, the municipal department would not hesitate to invite private public partner to serve the IT system to the smart city.
For greenfield development, there would be plantation in various parts of the town; moreover, some satellite towns of Kohima would be development to greenfield.
Aier also informed that there would be affordable housing for 3341 BPL families in the smart city of Kohima and for public safety, there will be a disaster management cell in KMC along with a toll-free number to help the citizens. For the poor power supply, he assured that he will take up the matter with the power department and if necessary, the power would be purchased from the neighbouring states.
The secretary lamented that Nagaland being a Special Category State under Article 371 (A) of the Constitution of India, the land owners became a hurdle for every administrative systems, for which the department would take the help of urban local bodies to remove the hurdles.
He said the revenue of the KMC has to rise to mitigate various development of infrastructure and if necessary the department would take loan from various funding agencies. Aier further informed that the entire project would be completed by 2020. He said to make the smart city project, the participation of public is must and appealed to the citizens of Kohima to cooperate to make the project successful.
The Smart Cities Mission is an innovative initiative by the Government of India to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local development and harnessing technology as a means to create smart outcomes for citizens. (UNI)
