Open House: Do you see any changes around you that show Jalandhar is becoming a Smart City?

Six years on, nothing has changed on ground

A quote by Plato goes, ‘The city is what it is because our citizens are what they are.’ ‘Smart’ is not just a word, it is an attitude. The first and foremost step in transforming a city to a smart city is to make the citizens ‘smart’ by changing their attitude. The Smart City Mission was launched on June 25, 2015. Jalandhar was added to the list 2016. Six long years have elapsed, but there’s hardly any visible change that can show that the city is on its way to becoming a ‘Smart City’. It continues to grapple with same old problems. Even the attitude of city residents, too, hasn’t changed. Does anyone see the city transforming in a way that improves the quality of life for the citizens? Jalandhar Tribune regularly carries news stories that reveal the real status of the city. The encroachment is rampant. Overflowing sewers are not at all in sync with the very concept of a smart city. Playgrounds and parks are rarely maintained. Garbage is dumped in the open. There is no end to menace of stray cattle and dogs. There is widespread corruption too. And there is lack of opportunities for entrepreneurs. What we need is a change in the attitude of the masses.

Col VK Sharma (Retd)

QUESTION

Several persons were injured when a high-rise spinning swing broke down at 50 ft and fell on the ground at a fair in Mohali district recently. With so many fairs and carnivals happening across the state, do you think authorities take appropriate safety measures to avoid such mishaps?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (September 15)

Smart city projects moving at snail’s pace

In 2016, Jalandhar was included on the list of Smart City Mission. Since then, the required pace of development of the city and progress of several projects have been tardy. For instance, the city has a sufficient number of tubewells for regular supply of hygienic potable water, besides the water from the Bist Doaba Canal. But the work on laying the network of water pipes is moving at a snail’s pace. While PAP flyover has been beautified, most roundabouts are still awaiting development. Many parks in the city need immediate attention. The work is also currently underway to increase the width of footpaths to 3-5 feet. However, at most places the sidewalks are encroached upon by vendors and vehicles, forcing the people to walk on road. Also, there are no zebra crossings at traffic signals. There’s an urgent need for increasing the parking areas. LEDs are being installed to lighten up streets. Surprisingly, on some roads and streets, LEDs are more than the required number, showing little planning. Jalandhar can become a Smart City only when authorities complete the projects.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Development slow, city lagging behind

Poor administration and a lack of will to implement the guidelines have resulted in the extremely slow development of the city. We are still lagging behind. The widespread encroachment is among the biggest factors hampering the project. Even though the Municipal Corporation spends a lot of the taxpayers’ money for the maintenance of various civic facilities, it has clearly failed to tackle the issue of rampant encroachment. Jalandhar cannot become a smart city unless the government authorities take measures to deal with the perennial problem of encroachments, among various other issues that are being faced by the residents in the city.

TR Bajaj

Living standards are going down

We as a nation have failed on many fronts. In the last 75 years, all governments failed to provide clean drinking water, solution to proper disposal of garbage, hygienic environment and some check on growth of population. I have known Jalandhar city for the past several years. The living standard of city residents has not improved. The city has become only more polluted and overcrowded. We miserably lack civic sense and responsible behviour. Local administrative machinery has also totally failed to implement the Swachch Bharat drive. Unless corruption is driven out from our system, nothing will improve. We have to learn to obey the law of the land, besides being self-disciplined and responsible to make Jalandhar truly a Smart City.

Col GS Bhullar (Retd)

Bad roads reflection of work done so far

I am a denizen of two cities. I had spent the first half of my life in Jalandhar and am now living in Kapurthala. Though Jalandhar should have become an evolved city when it was included in the Smart City Mission in 2016, nothing seems to have changed on the ground, all these years. From the Kapurthala Chowk in Jalandhar to Wariana village, the roads are in a totally dilapidated condition. The waste dump in Wariana village just outside the city is getting larger and larger and nothing is being done to clear it. Most roads across the city are in a shambles and are a nightmare for those who ply their vehicles on them. Only a few colonies are properly managed and gated. The builders are exploiting customers without proper roads and sanitation facilities. Though the Jalandhar Improvement Trust has been taken to task by the consumer court, still it fails to mend its ways. Even people living around Damoria bridge have protested many a time for better facilities, but it hardly bothers the civic body officials. Residents are now pinning their hopes on the new dispensation that it might do something better than all previous governments. Till then, the God save Jalandhar and its residents.

Dr JS Wadhwa

Officials have failed to ensure basic facilities

It was a matter of celebration when Jalandhar was shortlisted to be developed as a smart city under the Central scheme. However, six years down the line, there is no sign of smartness. The first and foremost requirement for a smart city is a modern and efficient system of waste collection and disposal management. But the situation in this regard has deteriorated to the extent that one can see heaps of garbage everywhere in the city. Secondly, there is traffic chaos on roads and the crossings with violations galore. The infrastructure for traffic management hasn’t been able to keep pace with the increased number of vehicles. Thirdly, the city is still in the grip of encroachment and illegal occupation of public places. Besides, general cleanliness, maintenance of public places and law and order, too, leave a lot to be desired in the city.

Jagdish Chander

Involve RWAs, NGOs in smart city projects

Jalandhar was added to the list of cities to be developed Under the Smart City Mission in 2016. Since then, several development projects have been initiated with a focus on cleanliness, development of parks, better public utility services, solution to traffic issues and proper waste management. While there has been some improvement, a lot more needs to be done to make the mission wholly transformative. Waste management continues to be a problem. Garbage often lies scattered around residential areas. The unauthorised parking of vehicles and unabated encroachment in bazaars, roads and even in green belt areas are a source inconvenience for others. The drainage channels meant for the smooth discharge of rainwater to prevent stagnation in localities are not properly maintained, which leads to a surge in dengue and malaria cases. Industrial pollution is another issue, which calls for appropriate action. The civic administration should adopt a well-defined strategy to monitor the tasks undertaken for the effective implementation of the Smart City Mission. The involvement of RWAs and NGOs in various projects and periodic dialogue with their representatives to review the progress can be of great help to achieve the desired goals.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Security & privacy concerns remain

The creation of smart cities is a western concept to cope with the inflow of more people and make urban areas truly sustainable by reconciling technical innovations with the socio-economic and ecological challenges in the future. With the same goal in mind, the Smart City Mission in India is meant to drive economic growth, develop sustainable and inclusive cities, and provide core infrastructure and a decent quality of life. Jalandhar and Amritsar are among 100 cities selected countrywide. Six years on, the mission has not yielded the desired results as a majority of proposed projects have yet to see the light of day. There are challenges like an expensive infrastructure, security and privacy concerns, the risk of cyber attacks, the constantly increasing population of the poor and slum dwellers, and so on. The city has failed to achieve sustainable urbanisation. There are issues like an erratic power supply, contaminated water, leaking sewage, piles of garbage, and so on. The authorities should rise to the occasion and make concerted efforts to develop the city. What we need is careful planning, proper implementation, continuous monitoring and unstinted public support and cooperation. It is important to focus on local governance.

DS Kang

Poor governance major roadblock

In 2016, Jalandhar was included in the list of 100 cities under the National Smart Cities Mission initiative. The authorities were expected to provide infrastructure to improve the living standard of people, to provide a sustainable environment through the application of smart solutions such as data-driven traffic management, intelligent lighting systems, and so on. Going by these established parameters, Jalandhar is far from being a ‘smart city’, thanks to improper planning, tardy implementation of policies, and a lack of good governance.

Tajpreet S Kang