ER. MOHAMMAD ASHRAF FAZILI
It is said that the word SMART stands for:
Specific: The objective should be clear so that anyone can understand what will be done ans who will do it.
Measurable: There should be evidence that can be tracked to monitor progress.
Achievable: The goal should be realistic and possible to complete or maintain within the set time frame.
Relevant: The goal should align with values and long-term goals and objectives.
Time-bound: The goal should be set within an appropriate time frame.
The SMART framework is commonly used in various fields including project management, employee performance management, and personal development.
SMART can be an acronym for Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology, a technology used in computer hard drives.
It has been said that The SMART City Mission was launched by Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) GOI in which 100 cities were to be selected for Urban Renewal and retrofitting with the objective to promote cities that provide core infrastructure, give a decent quality of life to their citizens and apply smart solutions to improve services and infrastructure. It is also stated that the Srinagar Smart City project was approved in Round 3 challenge held in April 2017. Smart city project comprises of two parts: (a) Area Based Development with an estimated cost of Rs. 2869.24 crore and (b) Pan city Solutions with an estimated cost of Rs. 765.03 crores.
It was observed that on September, 08, 2017 the Srinagar Smart City Limited was incorporated as (SPV) under the Companies Act, 2013 and the company limited by shares. SSCL is governed by the Board of Directors with its Chairman, Administrative Secretary, J&K H&UDD, and in case of State Level High Powered Steering Committee (HPSC) for Smart City, Srinagar, it is headed by Chief Secretary, Govt. of J&K.
It was said that SSCL Mission envisions transforming Srinagar into an eco-friendly, resilient and socioeconomically vibrant city, celebrating its natural cultural heritage creating harmony and opportunities for all. It also aspires to leverage its Natural & Cultural Heritage/ tourism, through innovative and inclusive solutions, thereby enhance the quality of life for its citizens.
A Smart City is supposed to be an urban region that is highly advanced in terms of overall infrastructure, sustainable real estate, communications and market viability. It is supposed to be a city where information technology is the principal infrastructure and the basis for providing essential services to the residents. Many technological platforms are involved, like automated sensor networks and data centers, etc. This is likely to become a reality as the “Smart Cities” movement is unfolding in India.
It was in 2008 that IBM, when the world was facing one of the worst economic crises, IBM started to work on the ‘Smarter Cities’ concept. This concept crept into the imagination of various nations around the globe. This resulted into the heavy investment by the countries such as UAE, South Korea and China. We observe today that a number of excellent precedents like those in Viena, Aarthus, Amsterdam, Maltas, the Songdo International Business District near Seoul, Verona, GIFT city etc.
So far as India’s Smart City Mission is concerned, we are given to understand that it is an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the GOI with a mission to develop 100 cities. The responsibility of implementing the mission rests with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (GOI) The stated objective is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure, give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment, application of ‘Smart’ solutions.
The J&K UT has been fortunate to have twin cities of Srinagar & Jammu selected for the purpose. But its proper implementation has become questionable.
Some typical features of comprehensive development in Smart Cities are as under:
TARGETS:
To promote mixed land use in area based developments-planning for unplanned areas containing a range of compatible activities and land uses close to one another so as to make land use more efficient. The States will enable some flexibility in land use and building bye-laws to adapt to change.
To expand housing opportunities for all. Create walk able localities, reduce congestion, air pollution and resource depletion, boost local economy, promote interactions and ensure security. The road network is created or refurbished not only for vehicles and public transport, but also for pedestrians and cyclists, and necessary administrative services are offered within walking or cycling distance.
To preserve and develop open spaces – parks, playgrounds and recreational spaces to enhance the quality of life of citizens, reduce the urban heat effects in Areas and generally promote echo-balance
To promote Transit Oriented Development (TOD), public transport and last mile .
To make governance citizen-friendly and cost effective – increasingly rely on online services to bring about accountability and transparency, especially using mobiles to reduce cost of services and providing services without having to go to municipal offices. Forming e-groups to listen to people and obtain feedback and use online monitoring of programs and activities with the aid of cyber tour of work sites.
To give an identity to the city – based on main economic activity, such as local cuisine, health, education, arts and craft, culture, sports goods, furniture, hosiery, textile, dairy, etc.
To apply Smart Solutions in infrastructure and services in area-based development in order to make them better. For example, making Areas less vulnerable to disasters, using fewer resources, and providing cheaper services.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
The media reports describe that Jammu & Kashmir has completed 90% of its Smart Cities Mission (SCM) projects, with 288 projects worth Rs. 6,597 crore sanctioned for the Union Territory under the initiative, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha. The data reveals that127 projects worth Rs. 2,969 crore were sanctioned for Jammu Smart City, while 161 projects worth Rs. 3,627 crore were allocated for Srinagar Smart City. The Central Government has provided Rs. 856 crore in financial assistance for both cities, with Jammu receiving Rs. 440 crore and Srinagar Rs 416 crore. The fund utilization percentage for J&K under the mission stands at 90.1%.
Various infrastructure and urban development projects have been undertaken under the Smart Cities Mission in Jammu & Srinagar, with focus on road and traffic management improvements, upgradation of public transport systems, development of pedestrian-friendly spaces and walkways, smart surveillance and security infrastructure and waste management and sanitation initiatives.
It is said that the implementation of Smart City projects in J&K have faced challenges, including land acquisition issues, delays in obtaining clearances, and limited availability of vendors and resources in some areas.
It is reported that the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has established a multi-level review system to monitor progress and address delays in project execution.
According to the RTI reply, accessed by KNO 131 projects have been completed so far with work currently underway on 10 additional projects. These initiatives aim to enhance public infrastructure, urban services and the overall environment of Srinagar. However it has been clarified by SSCL that there is no separate category dedicated solely to beautification. Instead, all projects are integrated , with beautification and urban enhancements incorporated into broader development goals.
The response by SSLC regarding the employment generation stated that it does not maintain a specific records of jobs created under the mission, as most of the work is executed through third-party contractors. While some contractual employment data may exist, it is not maintained in a format recognized under the RTI Act.
Regarding the revenue generated from Smart City projects across Jammu & Kashmir, SSLC stated that the data is under preparation by the Accounts Officer. Regarding employee accountability SSLC stated that none of the current employees have any pending cases with the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Crime Branch or any police authority. It said that two cases are pending against former employees who have since resigned. There have been no suspensions from 2019 to 2025, and staffing gaps have been managed through deputations or additional responsibilities assigned to existing staff.
Regarding the inquiries about unutilized funds, SSLC said, “NIL”, confirming that all allocated funds have been used within the stipulated timelines. The reply underscores ongoing progress under the Smart City mission and highlights efforts towards improving governance, infrastrcture and service delivery in Srinagar.
The data reveals that 127 projects worth Rs 2,969 crore were sanctioned for Jammu Smart City, while 161 projects worth Rs. 3,627 crore were allocated for Srinagar Smart City.
The Central Government has provided Rs. 856 Crore in
financial assistance for both the Cities, with Jammu receiving Rs. 440 crore and Srinagar Rs 416 crore. The fund utilization percentage for J&K under the mission stands at 90.1%.
Under the Smart Cities Mission, various infrastructure and urban development projects have been undertaken in Jammu and Srinagar, focusing on road and traffic management improvements, upgradation of public transport systems, development of pedestrian-friendly spaces and walkways, smart surveillance and security infrastructure and waste management and sanitation initiatives.
It was also reported that the implementation of Smart City projects in J&K has faced challenges, including land acquisition issues, delays in obtaining clearances, and limited availability of vendors and resources in some areas.
It was also stated that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has established a multi-level review system to monitor progress and address delays in project execution (KNO)
Public Response:
In a panel discussion held recently by a media channel where in the representatives from different walks of life participated to comment on the pros and cons of the Smart City Project of Srinagar City. The questions raised were:
What was the hurry, why was not public consulted before launching the project?
The public opinion should have been invited within a time frame as happens in the case of Srinagar Master Plan.
The city of Srinagar does not comprise of Moulana Azad Road, Residency Road and Boulevard only, it is spread over an area of 294 sq. Kms with vital roads like KZP road, Alijan Road, 90 ft. Corridor, Nallah Mar Road and other internal roads connecting all the bridges on River Jhelum etc.
There are either no foot paths and wherever these exist are in violation of IRC Specifications more than 9inches high touching even 2 ft. And many people broke their ankles while jumping down from these. Besides the connection near opening of gates on roadsides too is not provided as a smooth slope from the footpath. Those who violate the IRC Specifications should be taken to task and the cost involved in redoing these sore spots should be recovered from the defaulters to serve as a deterrent for others.
They say that they have focused on road and traffic management improvements, upgradation of public transport systems, development of pedestrian-friendly spaces and walkways, smart surveillance and security infrastructure and waste management and sanitation initiatives in various infrastructure and urban development projects. Barring a few roads all the roads in the interior city including some vital roads have not been touched. It seems that the SSLC has been programmed for a restricted area only and not for the whole city. The widening of several roads taken up earlier under Urban Renewal Program (Circular Road System) is still pending and many bottlenecks remain not removed.
For road management we need to ensure full width of roads for the entire alignment besides well designed intersection points having roundabouts for smooth movement of the vehicular traffic. Proper bus-bays need to be provided on all roads to avoid the stoppage of buses in the middle of road for passengers causing traffic jams. For this after identifying the proposed fixed bus stops, the piece of land needed may be acquired in the public interest and bus-bays laid with passenger sheds to wait for the buses. The timing of buses need to be displayed on a board for information of the public. All the walkways/footpaths built in violation of the IRC specifications need to be dismantled and rebuilt accordingly to avoid accidents and inconvenience to the pedestrians. At present the roads are not pedestrian- as no signal system is installed allowing the pedestrians to cross the roads. We find at times the pedestrians performing Bharat- natyam dance when caught in the moving traffic.
The present transporters feel that they are sidelined by the introduction of smart buses as most of the passengers prefer to travel through the Smart buses although they too are not as punctual as expected.
The shopkeepers of Polo view are angry as the floor level of their shops which was higher than the footpath level has gone down by two feet resulting in to the damage of their valuable goods on the very first rainfall and snowfall, They state that their voice of protest was neither heard by the concerned authorities/ engineers/contractors depicting their arrogance.
As regards waste management we have utterly failed. In violation of the recommendations of the world famous consultants in the original DPR phase 1 & 2, instead of erection of Mechanical Compost Plants at Landfill site and Noorbagh the SMC has put to waste about 500 Kanals of wetland at Achan Syedpora with insanitary landfill generating mountains of solid wastes causing unbearable stench around all its surroundings including the critical area of SKIMS and has been the cause of many diseases which are being monitored now.
Similarly the tourist city does not have a world class sanitary facility. Even the famous Mughal gardens present a dismal picture though the Tourism earns a good sum as entry fee from the visitors. Even the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, and other highways lack the facility of the clean and well maintained toilets.
In the media there was a report that the DIvri kerb stones dismantled from the existing roads have mysteriously vanished in the night hours. The matter needs to be probed and the culprits brought to book. Divri stone is considered to be best workable lime stone for construction purposes, hence we could have avoided import of the costly corbel stone from Rajasthan which is used as a mineral in the manufacture of cement.
Most important is to establish a BIS licensed Material Testing Laboratory to test the building material before the use and the end product as warranted under BIS Code of Practice (a copy of which is a Bible for each engineer hence a dire necessity to possess) At present BIS licensed Labs are at Roorky & Delhi in the North India.
The topmost priority in the Smart City should have been given to the drainage and sewerage projects as all development works are of no used when the areas of the city get flooded with a small downpour. Besides the Sewerage & Drainage projects framed in eighties by UEED need to be upgraded and executed after allocating funds for the same, till then the flooding problem of the city will continue.
While macadamizing a road, we do not scrap the surface and reuse a part of the old material to mix with the new one as recommended in BIS Code of practice. Instead our road levels go on rising thus lowering the levels of our compounds and entrances which is not the practice outside J&K UT.
An area of about 21 square kilometers is covered by Dal Lake and other shrinking wet-lands. The SSLC seems to have ignored the development of these water bodies and treatment to their pollution and ongoing encroachments.
Little attention seems to have been paid towards the development of heritage sites and cultural activities as envisioned in the agenda of the SSLC.
The politicians seem to pass on the blame and counter blame of inaction in the past from one party to other which is not however going to solve the grim situation that we are facing.
The public also complain about the poor quality of workmanship by the SSLC due to the haste in completion of the works on the 3rd G20 Tourism working group meeting scheduled to be held from 22nd to 24th May 2023.
The public need to be apprised about the details of expenditure made item wise as they feel that the figures are exaggerated.
Hence the multi-level review system established by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to monitor progress and address delays in project execution need to be very effective otherwise the conception of a Smart City of Srinagar shall continue to remain a dream.
Er. Mohammad Ashraf Fazili is a Former Chief Engineer.
