My views/opinion of a Smart City
- Part 2 -

Dr L Rajen Singh *

Bird eye view of Imphal Valley as seen from top of Cheiraoching in August 2014 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

11) Construction of Ring Road: -It is high time to have well plan two ring road, inner ring road and outer ring road in Imphal to connect all localities and public bus services should be available to check traffic congestion and to save fuel & energy.

12) Drainage system: -The increasing urbanization has caused problems which increased flash flooding after sudden rain. As areas of vegetation are replaced by concrete, asphalt, or roofed structures, the area loses its ability to absorb rainwater. The rain is instead directed into surface water drainage systems, often overloading them and causing floods. A sustainable drainage system is required to design to drain away dirty and surface water. This is to counter the effects of present drainage systems that often lead to flooding, pollution of the environment and contamination of water supply. The best efforts are required for improvement of drainage system in Imphal. Well planned river dredging operation should be carried out specially in Imphal river, Naga Turel and Nambul Turel to facilitate the draining of sudden and heavy rain to prevent flash flooding. All drains in and around Imphal are in worst condition. Unless we improve the drainage system, city cannot be a clean city if not clean how it possible to be a smart.

13) Waste management:- Waste management is a system of all those activities and action required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. Waste in the cities caused a rapid deterioration in levels of sanitation and the general quality of urban life. The streets became choked with disgusting dirt due to the lack of waste clearance regulations and lack of sense of self responsibility. It is proposed that the cleaning of the city in and around should be put under one uniform public management. It is important to implement an adequate waste removal and management facilities to improve the health and well-being of the city's population. Government must issue rubbish bags either on minimal payment or free of cost and every household should put their waste in government issued rubbish bags only. Management should collect waste only those put in government issued rubbish bags.

The management should start using a close body truck attached with self loading and unloading for collection of waste to eliminate inconvenient look andodours to public. We must introduce a system "Pay-As-You-Throw"and make it compulsory to charge the customers by the volume landfill-bound materials. Such policy will reduce the amount of waste the household produces and increase recycling rate. As we all noticed either empty or filled with waste plastic bags lying almost every corner of street in and around Imphal. To check such disgusting dirty environment the responsibility lies on all citizens. As for disposal part government should select suitable landfill site and may establish incineration plant or better system. City choked with disgusting dirty environment cannot be a smart city. Hence we all citizens must take equal responsibility to keep the area neat and clean for a good and healthy environment.

14) Water management and Improvement of water supply:-A sustain water management should be designed and implemented by authority to cope with water scarcity. Water supply at present is not up to the desire standard. It should reach to every household and all connection should be regularized with minimum effort and charge. As we all notice water pipe lines are broken/damaged at various sites it is not only wasting the public property but also has become the main source of contaminating public water eventually causing epidemic of many diseases. Hence authority should take immediate steps for repairing all damaged pipes. At the same time all citizens should take the responsibility of water management as we all are aware that many locations are not getting single drop water through water supply and on other side people are wasting/pumping water by using tulu without any useful purpose. Good drinking water should be made available to public, RO plant at specific important sites such as market areas, road side and recreation ground.

15) Improvement in health care system and availability of public ambulance:-Improvement in health care system is an essential part of our society to be a smart. Special efforts are required to put forward to improve health care management at all label. Primary health care management in the city/state should be brought up to highest standard by providing good and standard infrastructure, making available of medical, para-medical and supportive staffs for 24x7, by maintaining strict punctuality and making available of all minimum basic investigation facilities with good out-put with minimum charges. At the same time it needs to be up-gradation of secondary and tertiary care centre with best equipments to treat various serious illness in advance and modernized method. Ambulance should be readily available to public at free of cost as and when require specially evacuation of patient from primary health care centre to secondary/tertiary health care centre as well as evacuation of road traffic accident injuries.

16) Improvement of power supply and establishment of solar power generating system : - Power/Electric supply in and around the Imphal city have been very erratic, it should be made available 24x7 power supply to public by planning sustainable power generating system. Government should put maximum efforts to establish solar power generating system and make available to public.

17) Underground cable: - We have all noticed mesh of electric wire, BSNL lines and private TV cables are hanging both sides of the streets/road like dusty and dirty bunch of spider nets in a cow shed which make the city more disgusting and confused environment. It is suggested that government should make a concrete plan such as there should not be any visible wire whetherelectricity /BSNL lines / private cable TV lines above the ground at least in Imphal city.

18) Recreation place/ ring: - A well sited with good space and properly plan recreation place/ ring is required to construct for public to spent their leisure moments and holidays with dear ones.

19) Health ring: - There should be a well sited with greenery look and sufficient space as a health ring. The area should be strictly prohibited for entering any type of motor vehicles, so that citizens can have morning/evening walk for maintaining their good health in free air pollution.

20) Greenery CITY: - Government as well as all civil societies must put maximum efforts for tree plantation in and around the city, at least one family one tree to keep the city green and good & healthy environment.

21) Rate list and computerized cash memo/receipt: - All shops at least in city market area should display rate list of their selling goods and computerized cash receipt should be issued to all customer. Any defaulter should not be permitted to open their shop. Computerized/ digital billing system should be a basic requirement to open any shop in market area of Imphal city. No pan shop should be allowed to open in city market area and at least in 500 meters hospital periphery.

It is the responsibility of all citizens not only government for successful execution and implementation of any master plan to develop/convert smart city. Here it requires the high quality execution of all construction and development works. Without having any quality control and systematic check how big/great it may be the plan the outcome will not be an appropriate. We all citizens must start focusing how to make convenient/ comfort to the public while executing any work taking all the sense of self responsibility of making smart city. Unless we have sense of responsibility the smart city will become senseless city.

Concluded....