Pune: Pimpri Chinchwad Secures 2nd Spot In Governance At India Smart Cities Project Award

New Delhi, 25th August 2023: Pimpri Chinchwad’s Smart Sarathi app has won it the second spot in the governance category at the India Smart Cities Project Award by the Government of India.

Launched on June 25, 2015, the Smart Cities Mission strives to revolutionize urban development practices by delivering essential infrastructure, a clean and sustainable environment, and an improved quality of life to residents through innovative “smart solutions”. With the goal of achieving a paradigm shift in urban development, the mission has achieved significant milestones.

To date, 76% of the proposed projects under the Smart Cities Mission, totaling 6,041 projects valued at ₹1,10,635 crore, have been successfully completed. The remaining 1,894 projects, worth ₹60,095 crore, are on track for completion by June 30, 2024.

A remarkable achievement within this mission is the implementation of Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCC) across all 100 Smart Cities. These centers serve as the nerve center for urban operations, utilizing technology for efficient city management. This has led to notable improvements in various urban services, including crime monitoring, citizen safety, transportation management, waste disposal, water supply, and disaster response.

The 100 Smart Cities have undertaken a wide array of projects spanning mobility, energy, sanitation, waste management, public spaces, social infrastructure, and smart governance. For instance, in the realm of smart mobility, 1,174 projects worth ₹24,047 crore have been successfully completed, with an additional 434 projects valued at ₹15,940 crore currently underway. In the domain of smart energy, 573 projects have been completed, and 94 projects are ongoing.

The Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector has witnessed the completion of over 1,162 projects valued at ₹34,751 crore, while 333 ongoing projects are worth ₹18,716 crore. Over 1,063 public spaces have been developed, enhancing city aesthetics and functionality, with 260 projects valued at ₹5,470 crore in progress. Furthermore, a total of 180 Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects, worth ₹8,228 crore, have been completed, and 27 more are ongoing. The efforts extend to economic infrastructure, with 652 projects completed in areas like market redevelopment and start-up incubation centers, and 267 ongoing projects. In the social infrastructure sector encompassing health, education, and housing, 679 projects have been completed, while 153 projects are in progress.

Under the aegis of the Smart Cities Mission, the India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC) recognizes and honors city strategies, projects, and ideas that drive sustainable development across these 100 smart cities. This initiative promotes peer-to-peer learning, disseminates best practices, and celebrates outstanding achievements. The ISAC has held three editions in 2018, 2019, and 2020, with the fourth edition launched in April 2022 during the ‘Smart Cities-Smart Urbanization’ event in Surat.

ISAC 2022 featured a two-stage submission process: the ‘Qualifying Stage’, involving an overall assessment of city performance, and the ‘Proposal Stage’, requiring nominations for six award categories. These categories include Project Awards with 10 themes, Innovation Awards with 2 themes, National/Zonal City Awards, State Awards, UT Award, and Partner Awards with 3 themes.

From 80 qualifying smart cities, ISAC 2022 received a total of 845 nominations. Through five evaluation stages, 66 winners emerged in various award categories. These winners, including 35 in Project Award, 6 in Innovation Award, 13 in National/Zonal City Award, 5 in State/UT Award, and 7 in Partner Award categories, will be felicitated by the President of India on September 27, 2023, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Annexure – I: List of winning Smart Cities under ISAC 2022