It’s a travesty to imagine that a city that’s unplanned and built up over decades without adhering to any regulations and where building by-laws are regularly flouted can be transformed into a “Smart City.” The neon-lighted Smart City signboards up in different parts of the city have become a sick joke. Much has been invested in the Smart City project including so-called storm drains which are supposed to carry water but many of those drains continue to house water pipes that share space with the drain water. Just how unhygienic this is can be imagined when some homes surreptitiously release their septic tanks into public drains. It is a tough call to regulate a society that is wayward and bent on breaking the rules. Civilised societies are measured by the compliance levels of the citizens to the rule of law. This is far from possible in a state with multiple authorities pulling in different directions. That there is no elected Municipal Board is a surprise to many who visit this state and learn of this distinct phenomenon. Within the same city there are areas beyond the ambit of the Shillong Municipal Board where civic services are managed by the so-called traditional institutions which function in a whimsical manner and with each one having its own set of administrative practices. No two Dorbar Shnong function in the same manner.
Since there is no civic authority in areas beyond the 10 sq km radius, taking Police Bazar as the centre, the roads and drains are unswept and unkempt. Is there a smart city whose residents empty their septic tanks and kitchen waste water directly into the river? Is there a smart city where vehicles are allowed to be washed in the river? The existence of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) is itself suspect since every violation under the planet takes place without any punishment being meted out to the violators. While citizens cannot be policed 24×7 yet punitive measures are important to deter regular offenders. An important characteristic of a Smart City is its roads. Can that be said of the roads in Shillong city? Repair of a road/culvert that is less than a kilometer in Langkyrding next to an international school has taken over a year with no end in sight. This is true of most road repairs. Never in the past have Shillong roads been so dilapidated so what are the indicators of Shillong’s claims to being a Smart City.
The essence of a Smart City is retrofitting – which means planning in an existing built-up area to make the existing area more efficient and liveable. Depending on the existing level of infrastructure services in the identified area and the vision of the residents, the cities will prepare a strategy to become smart. Clearly this consultation has not happened in Meghalaya. Without citizen participation how can the Government execute anything? Is that a Smart move?
