Badnore, Kher launch Smart projects in city

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 25

VP Singh Badnore, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator, and Kirron Kher, city Member of Parliament, today launched the first series of projects under the Chandigarh Smart City Mission on the second anniversary of the Smart City Mission launched by the Ministry for Urban Development on June 25, 2015.

Parimal Rai, Adviser to the Administrator, Asha Kumari Jaswal, Mayor, Anurag Aggarwal, Home Secretary, and Kavita Singh, CEO, Chandigarh Smart City Ltd-cum-Commissioner, MC, were among the officers present on the occasion. The following projects were launched.

Dedicated cycle tracks

The Administration plans to construct 90-km cycle tracks in Chandigarh at a cost of Rs 18 crore. The work on a 9.2-km cycle track on Vigyan Path has been completed and opened to the public while work is in progress in the remaining areas. The total expenditure incurred on this cycle track was nearly Rs 1.40 crore.

The remaining cycle tracks are expected to be completed by December 2017.

Smart City Operations Centre at PEC

The Smart City Operations Centre at PEC includes a state-of-the-art integrated command control centre for smart analytics and artificial intelligence-enabled solutions. This platform will act as an urban observatory and has integrated smart city solutions such as water SCADA, solid waste management, mechanised cleaning of roads, bus transport and a citizens' portal.

Subway connecting Rose Garden & Sector 17

The estimated cost of an underpass connecting Rose Garden in Sector 16 and the Sector 17 Plaza on Jan Marg is Rs 7 crore. The construction work shall be completed within nine months. The pedestrian underpass connecting North Plaza, Sector 17, and Rose Garden will help join two large public spaces and increase the footfall in Sector 17.

Urban park

The proposed urban park will come up behind Neelam Cinema, Sector 17, Chandigarh, on 60 acres. The project is estimated to cost Rs 11.50 crore. The work will be completed in 12 months. Under the project, a public hill is to be created with the help of excavated earth having a seating capacity of 2,500. A multi-purpose play court and three open badminton courts will also come up.

Smart parking system at Sector 17

Under the smart  parking project,  M/s Arya Toll Infra Ltd, Mumbai,  will  provide smart parking solutions in the parking area to ensure the following features: Tickets to be provided with the help of an electronic machine. Real-time data to be available at a central server, which can be checked by MC officials on a computer or mobile.   The CCTV coverage of the parking area with 100   per cent recording to be provided at the central server.  

Water  supply, sewerage augmentation 

Residents of Madrasi Colony, Maloya, Indira  Colony,  Mani Majra, and  Dadu Majra will get relief from frequent complaints related to the water supply as  the MC has decided to replace the existing pipelines  under the  AMRUT project. A new  sewer pipeline  will be laid  at Ram Darbar Colony, besides new water pipelines.   

 After the completion of the project, about 50,000 residents of the colony will get relief from frequent blockage in the sewerage and contaminated water supply.   

Councillors  not invited  

Chandigarh: As no municipal councillors was seen during the launch of Smart City initiatives, Punjab Govenor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore had to ask at one of the events where the councillor was.

At the Sector 17 smart parking app launch, Badnore asked UT Adviser Parimal Rai as to where was area councillor Ravi Kant Sharma. Before Parimal could reply, city MP Kirron Kher told the Administrator that he was not present. However, sources informed Chandigarh Tribune that councillors were not invited by the UT Administration. There was not even their name in any of the invitation cards. Interestingly, the MC Commissioner is the nodal head of the Smart City project but councillors did not get invitation.