India's rapid population growth and the economic boom over the past two decades have propelled the phenomenon of urbanization, hitherto a rather slow process in India, into one of the foremost concerns of policymakers, economists, activists, and ordinary citizens. The government of India estimates that within 20 to 25 years, an additional 300 million Indians will be added to the nation's urban population, and the total population is expected to reach 1.5 billion in that period. This population explosion is unprecedented in our nation's history – these new urban citizens will have to be accommodated in cities that even today fail to provide basic infrastructure and services to their residents, with spiraling real estate costs and unplanned, rampant construction of housing and commercial projects.
Coping with urbanization
Policymakers have sought to address and manage the problems of urbanization through investment in urban infrastructure and civic services. However, before we undertake these grand initiatives, we must seek to deconstruct and understand the specific challenges that urbanization presents, and solutions that have been proposed or implemented.
Urban infrastructure and investment
One of the foremost problems of urbanization is building sustainable urban infrastructure, which includes urban streets, water supply infrastructure, sewerage and drainage systems, waste management systems, and urban lighting systems, among many others. The Planning Commission states that India spends only $17 per capita on urban infrastructure, whereas we should be spending $100 per capita. The Commission also estimated that the total investment required over 20 years to build urban infrastructure would be $1 trillion, a truly staggering sum!
Transportation and connectivity
Ensuring efficient transportation and connectivity is vital for modern urban life. Transportation infrastructure needs to keep up not only with the growth of new cities, but also existing regions that currently suffer from poor connectivity. India's railway network, though one of the largest in the world has grown by only 19% since the British departed for their rain-soaked land. Many cities in the northeast do not have railheads and must instead depend on a road network that is susceptible to frequent closures due to landslides and inclement weather. With respect to air traffic, new airports are necessary to facilitate the free movement of people, goods, and commerce.
New cities being developed must ensure that they provide excellent connectivity to other parts of the country and indeed to the rest of the world. For example, the upcoming Gujarat International Financial Tec (GIFT) City is located only 18 km from Ahmedabad airport and is well-connected by road to other cities in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Power and water supply
Power generation is yet another challenge that must be met head-on – India had a peak power deficit of 15% in 2008, which is estimated to worsen to over 20% in 2017. Given the extent of load-shedding, new satellite towns and cities must not rely entirely on the electricity grid, but instead supplement this with electricity from renewable sources like windmills, solar panels, hydroelectric dams, and others. For instance, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has identified 48 cities to be developed as "Solar Cities". Tamil Nadu has made great strides in bringing clean energy to its cities, while Lavasa is trying to generate 10–15% of its energy needs through renewable means. These are admirable initiatives, but a lot more needs to be done.
The problem of water supply is similarly staggering in scale. The World Bank predicts that India will face severe water crisis by 2050, while the government's figures show that even today, 22 out of India's 32 largest cities face near-daily water cuts caused by burgeoning demand. In Mumbai and Delhi, the gap between demand and supply of municipal water can be as much as 25%. How could this problem be resolved? "Smart" technology can play a role in reducing wastage and streamlining water usage – "smart" water meters are now being installed in cities like Mumbai, Navi, Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Similarly, some cities are mandating that new construction projects install innovative technologies like low-flow plumbing and wastewater reuse, and also require them to augment municipal water supply with alternative sources like rainwater harvesting.
Environment and sustainability
Energy and environment are going to be one of the most critical factors which citizens will weigh the livability factor of a city. A healthy environment that is good and congenial for the life and work, is one of the prime necessities of any individual. Any discrepancy on that front can be detrimental not only for the people living in it, but also to the city as a whole. Take the case of Beijing, the capital of China. It is one of the most modern of cities with sky-touching towers, and expressways. Yet, the smog that envelopes the city spoils the image of the city as a whole. In fact, during the Beijing Olympics in 2008, one of the prime concerns for all the athletes and attendees was the environment of the city. A city that is smart is also a city that is environmentally sustainable.
Meanwhile, keeping in mind the rises prices of electricity, energy efficiency is no more a fancy term but a necessity. With the use of automated metering, households can schedule their workload based on the time when the electricity usage is minimum. Meanwhile, with energy-efficient housing, that makes use of renewable energy like solar, and so on, the energy bills can be drastically cut. Modern smart cities are the ones that are not only energy-efficient but also to a great meet their own power requirements.
In the end, there are up teem challenges that lie on the path to smart city. For instance, one of the biggest questions is whether smart cities should be built ground up or existing cities should be systematically converted in a well-thought out manner. Considering the huge costs involved required in land acquisition, displacement of existing population, and a new build-up, reworking an existing city and fine-tuning it makes a much greater sense.
In the end, becoming a smart city improves efficiency, creates a positive environmental impact, enhances security, improves health, and simplifies construction permitting. These results lead to a more livable, appealing, and economically viable city that is attractive to new citizens and businesses.
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