Open house: What needs to be done to make ludhiana smart on ground?
Integrate tech to enhance liveability
The smart city approach in the modern era necessitates the successful integration of urban disciplines that have traditionally dealt with individuals, such as personal security and public resilience, urban planning, energy management, waste management and infrastructure management. Ludhiana, also known as Manchester of India, was chosen as one of 100 cities in India, including three in Punjab, to be developed as a smart city under the Union Ministry of Urban Development’s Smart Cities Mission (SCM), which began in 2015. The goal of the SCM was to address citizens’ needs and improve their quality of life by providing them with a safe, secure, and sustainable future in various dimensions. However, despite spending a whopping Rs 935 crore, Punjab’s financial capital is unable to become a smart city due to mismanagement of funds. To make a city truly smart on the ground, technology must be integrated with urban infrastructure to improve efficiency, sustainability, and livability. First, robust data collection via sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices should be implemented to monitor traffic, air quality, and energy consumption in real time. Finally, encouraging community engagement and ensuring digital inclusion can help to build a smart city that benefits all of its residents.
Novin Christopher
Manage stray populations
The urban realities and Ludhiana’s economic significance are in sharp contrast. Ludhiana is frequently considered Punjab’s industrial and financial hub. Notwithstanding its economic prosperity, the city faces fundamental infrastructure problems that impede its development and standard of living. Ludhiana’s streets are frequently overflowing with trash from open trains, making the area ugly and unsanitary. Potholes are common, making driving difficult and dangerous. Encroachments onto sidewalks, which restrict pedestrian access, make the problem even worse. Even parking, a crucial component of city design, is still mostly non-functional, with cars overflowing into streets and clogging already crowded lanes. Due to frequently malfunctioning streetlights, the city is not well-lit after dark, which raises further safety concerns. The unrest is further compounded by the free roaming of stray dogs and cattle, which endangers public safety. It will take a coordinated effort to turn Ludhiana into a genuinely smart city. The city need better road infrastructure, efficient street lighting, parking systems and garbage management. Crucial actions include addressing encroachments and managing the stray animal population. Cleaner, safer and more effective Ludhiana will be possible with a comprehensive strategy that involves the government, local government, and residents.
Sofia khan
Solve problem of traffic congestion
To keep society and particularly our city Ludhiana clean and green under the Swachch Bharat Mission, we a must follow some important steps to make our contribution for building a better, clean and green city as a model city for our nation at the top of the list of clean cities in our country. Form green eco-service societies in each area of the city; this society will keep a vigil on those who don’t dispose garbage properly. One should set an example by not littering without taking care of what others do. The civic body should provide three dustbins (big ones) to each household marked. Car owners should carry a litter bag in their cars and every waste material should be put into that bag. Motivate people to plant flowers and other saplings along a sidewalk. Local government authorities should hire agencies to collect. To lessen the burden of traffic congestion, more underpasses and over bridges should be constructed.
Dr mohd saleem
Allocate proper parking spaces
For the beautification and putting Ludhiana in the list of the cleaner cities in our country, various projects are underway and are going to be completed very soon. Ludhiana is known as Manchester of India as the concentration of hosiery and cycle industry is high here. But except few localities, this city is not for worth living with the ever-increasing unplanned colonies and areas in the vicinity of Ludhiana. To make it a better place for living, local government along with the co-operation of people of Ludhiana should focus on carpeting roads. There is a need to designate a place for industries on the outskirts of Ludhiana — by removing industries from old city and other densely populated areas. Remove encroachment from shops, reserve some place in different localities for hawkers and other fruit and vegetable sellers. Develop parks in different localities. Develop some lakes for recreational activities such as boating. Construct more underways and overbridges for the smooth flow of traffic. Place fencing along roads to restrict the entry of stray animals. Allocate proper parking spaces.
Farzana khan
Relocate industry from denser parts
It is being realised that Ludhiana City has still not reached the level of a smart city. Many development issues have already been listed. However, there are still many that must be taken up before the city can be said to be a smart city. Many new development programmes have to be undertaken to make it a smart city. Ludhiana is an industrial town and many industries are operative in private houses in the old city. These industries must be moved out of the city by reserving some suitable land outside of the city and some incentives be provided to these industries so that they move out of the city. Further, all the roads in and around the city must be marked and suitable signboards put up for the knowledge of visitors and local masses as in other countries. The city must have more signage. There are more accidents and deaths on the roads here due to those who don’t give up speeding. The District Transport Office (DTO) must be extra careful while registering new vehicles. There is a strong need for the listing and building of good hospitals in the city, besides the mohalla clinics, so that the residents get the required treatment. Good schools and their buildings are another important requirement for the city. Currently, the markets here are always crowded. The local police have to be more vigilant that these markets are freely available for free movement of people. These steps will help in making the city a smart city.
gautam dev
Enhance public transport system
In recent years, a lot of effort is being put by the government in power to make Ludhiana a smart city, but nothing much has happened. Lack of planning, inefficient utilisation of funds, lack of experts’ involvement, lack of auditing are some of the reasons that are creating hurdles in enabling Ludhiana to become a smart city. Now, there is a high need that government should revitalise its plan. First of all, basic facilities such as good quality roads, water supply, sewage facility and electricity supply should be ensured in each and every corner of Ludhiana. Proper functioning of traffic lights and traffic rules compliance should be ensured to prevent traffic jams and reduce the number of road accidents. There is need to enhance the fleet of city buses connecting main areas of Ludhiana to make travel within city economical for residents and also help in reducing vehicular pollution. There’s a need of regular collection of waste and proper functioning of waste treatment facilities plants to prevent its dumping on public places. Dustbins need to be installed in public places and roadsides. Stringent action should be taken against those who dump waste in rivers, parks or on the roadsides. Efforts should be made to rehabilitate people living in slums to government shelters. Regular surveillance must be carried out by local government officials to ensure illegal construction and encroachments do not happen. In order to contain the rising stray cattle population, efforts need to be made to rehabilitate existing ones. Also, there is need to provide good quality and properly maintained washrooms on roadsides to prevent open defecation. Rainwater harvesting systems should be installed in public buildings and be encouraged in private buildings to recharge groundwater table and prevent sewage overflow.
medha batra
stakeholders need
to work in tandem
Ludhiana was selected by the Government of India in its first list of 20 cities in 2016 to be developed as a “Smart City”. Amritsar and Jalandhar were selected in the subsequent batches. The government allotted Rs 1000 cr to Ludhiana MC for various projects of public interest and human development. Many deadlines have passed but completion of these projects have never seen light of the day. This is the sorry state of affairs. Nobody is serious about this mission. With heaps of garbage strewn along the roadsides, open and overflowing drains, encroachments on streets, potholed roads, parking woes, non-functional streetlights and freely roaming stray animals — “Smart City” Ludhiana doesn’t have much to boast of when it comes to amenities. And that too after an expenditure of Rs 935 crore under the Centre’s Smart Cities Mission. To make it a success, all stakeholders right from government to general public should work in tandem, in harmony and with honestly. State government should focus on streamlining the functioning the municipal corporation as the workers are impassioned, corrupt and inefficient — make them accountable, make arrangements for canal water for drinking, recruit sufficient number of employees at all levels, install smart electrical meters for efficiency, remove encroachments from markets and colonies, traffic police should reduce the traffic snarls, make collection of solid and wet wastes separately a routine, improve public health delivery system, improve the standards of education, break the nexus between notorious gangs and police force and impose penalties on offenders. All these measures have potential to make Ludhiana town a smart city with good ranking among Indian cities.
Sukhdev sharma
Work towards sustainability
The smart city project though was started with great enthusiasm has now just become a mere bluff. Broken streetlights, roaming cattle and dogs, polluted water channels, improper road conditions are still commonplace. There is a need to take strict and immediate action to steer this project on the right track. The government must allocate separate funds for different areas of development. There is a need for stricter laws to curb water and air pollution. Community participation is necessary so that citizens’ interests are taken into account. Smart transportation system must be implemented to reduce congestion. Sustainable housing must be promoted so that land is protected. Introduce electric buses. Ensure public safety by installing CCTVs at strategic spots.
Kirandeep kaur
SCM was not for entire city
SMART city concept was an area-based development for which the West Assembly segment was chosen after conducting a proper voting procedure. In the West segment also, only a partial area was picked for undertaking development and demonstration to other parts of the city. Besides spending 25 per cent of the total funds under SCM on Buddha Nullah rejuvenation, streetlights, integrated command control centre, e-challaning system, CCTV cameras and sports infrastructure has also been created for the entire city. Those raising objections are oblivious of the fact that the SCM was never for the entire city.
Aaditya Dachalwal, CEO, Ludhiana smart city limited
