Germany, Netherlands MCs to help create smart facilities

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 12

Keen on finding smart solutions for creating facilities in its towns, the Urban Development Department will partner with municipalities in Germany and Netherlands for knowledge exchange and mutual partnerships.

Talks have already been held with the officials of the Hagen municipality in Germany for partnering in various areas for creating urban facilities. The town with a population of over two lakh has contiguous hilly area of Sauerland. In fact, all the information and documents sought by the Hagen MC officials have already been dispatched. Similarly, talks are on with some municipalities in Netherlands also for mutual partnership in the area of urban development.

Urban Development and Town and Country Planning Minister Sudhir Sharma today held talks with officials of the Swedish Embassy in Delhi about creating off-street parking with the use of latest technology. Though talks will be held with private companies the initiative is being facilitated by the Swedish Embassy.

“The Swedish experts will undertake a survey about the potential sites in Dharamsala where this kind of parking which is along the roads but not on the road so that the traffic congestion could be reduced can be created,” revealed JM Pathania, Director, Urban Development.

Though the pilot project on off-street parking will be undertaken in Dharamsala eventually it could be replicated in other crowded towns like Shimla, Kasauli, Solan, Manali, Kullu-Mandi and Dalhousie. Traffic congestion resulting from roadside parking is the biggest problem being faced by most Himachal towns and providing off-street parking could go a long way in providing respite.

Besides, pilot projects will be undertaken in the area of setting up Smart Poles under private-public partnership (PPP) mode with the help of Swedish expertise. Even as the final announcement about Dharamsala being on the second list of country’s smart cities is still awaited, this experiment too will begin from Dharamsala where a total of 100 such smart poles will be set up with the help of Swedish technology.

These poles will have all the latest facilities like high end close circuit cameras, public announcement system, LED lights and facility for wi-fi services for the convenience of telecom operators. Another facility that these smart poles will have is of kiosks which will provide all information to tourists about the town.

The project for having LED lighting has been finalized and the bids will be invited within a day or two. Under this project LED lighting will be provided in the towns of Dharamsala, Sundernagar, Paonta Sahib, Manali, Hamirpur, Ghumarwin and Mandi.