We need to have walkways and address the concerns of traffic so that people can walk. With these mammoth buildings, we will not see the real Smart City
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 23: The residents of Shillong do not seem to be very impressed with the Shillong Smart City Project which is focussed on constructing buildings without considering the aspect of greenery and the environment.
Sharing his views, retired bureaucrat Toki Blah said the project, as of now, appears to be concentrating only on malls and the erection of signboards, declaring Shillong as a Smart City.
He lauded the removal of hawkers from the Police Bazar area but was critical of the government on other issues. He said Shillong continues to rely on the 19th century water supply system, with no housing for the poor, and no proper drainage and solid waste management system.
“The community was not taken into confidence before planning the Smart City projects. Only 2-3 people in the Urban Affairs department decided everything,” Blah said, insisting that the government should have considered the aspect of greenery and the environment while planning the projects.
He claimed that MUDA surrendered to the alleged demand and bullying of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council outside municipal areas, as one is required to obtain a simple NOC from the Rangbah Shnongs for the construction of a building.
“We don’t know the technical qualifications of these Rangbah Shnongs or if they even have the technical qualifications to check the applications for buildings,” he said.
M Kharkrang, Headman of Riatshamthiah, said although a lot of things have been planned but the pace at which these projects are being executed is too slow.
“Looking at the way we are going, it will take a long time for the projects to be completed,” he said, adding that the Smart City Project is not about making mere buildings. “Whatever we have, we need to make them more liveable. We need to have walkways and address the concerns of traffic so that people can walk. With these mammoth buildings, we will not see the real Smart City,” he said.
Work on the smart road project and the junction improvement project is yet to gather momentum.
However, Commissioner and Secretary of Urban Affairs department Dr Vijay Kumar D claimed that the Smart City Project has been executed very well.
“For instance, the quality of construction in Polo market, or Laitumkhrah market, is a testament to the quality of work,” he said, disclosing that the smart road project has been cancelled as it will involve a lot of dislocation in the city.
The project was supposed to be implemented from the state component only, and the money is being redeployed for other projects like Polo Riverfront, Iewduh development, etc.
Kumar said the work of junction beautification at IGP has been completed, while the work for Barik, Anjali, and Brightwell junctions has been awarded. He also said that the Nullah water treatment is a success.
“Recent reports of the water quality show a 68% reduction in BOD, 88% reduction in total suspended solids, and 95% reduction in faecal coliform levels,” he said.
Further, he said despite the initial challenges, including a 4-year delay, a short working season, and the complexities of onboarding technical experts and labour for smart solutions, the state has made significant progress in developing key infrastructure and implementing smart solutions to enhance enforcement and improve the quality of life of the citizens.
Highlighting the impact of the Smart City Project, he said the Integrated Command and Control Centre enables real-time city management with 348 CCTV cameras, intelligent traffic systems, 700 smart streetlights, 200 smart bins, 50 GPS-enabled waste trucks, 20 smart poles, 20 message displays, 22 emergency call boxes, 38 PA systems, 20 WiFi hotspots.
In addition, he said the Wah Umkhrah river has started showing major water quality improvements with pH stabilised, BOD reduced by 67.9%, TSS reduced by 87.54%, and faecal coliform dropped by 95%.
He also said that 1,371 car spaces were created through mechanised multi-level car parks at 5 locations while outdoor gyms have been installed at 10 strategic sites. Forty-one buildings have been equipped with rooftop solar panels, generating 4 MW of clean energy, while rainwater harvesting systems at 54 sites added 2.5 lakh litres of water storage.
Kumar said 240 new streetlight poles have been installed across the city and 35,519 sq ft of commercial space added via Police Bazaar and Polo Complex developments. He said solid waste processing capacity has increased to 170 metric tons/day.