Rs 5493 crore investment in Area Development and Pan city approach in Thane Smart City: Thane Municipal Corporation

DIGI Thane initiative to be launched soon : TMC official

Emphasis should be to make smart cities into green cities: Former HUDCO CMD

Thane Smart City is creating new benchmark for other smart cities

‘Smart City means linking growth with development. When we talk about population in Maharashtra, it is 11 crore plus and 45 % of this population is in cities. Increasing urbanization is the reason Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi emphasized the need for smart cities. The investment outlay is Rs. 5,493 crores in Thane Smart City mainly in area development and pan city approach’ said Mr Sunil Chavan, Additional Municipal Commissioner, Thane Municipal Corporation at CII Conference on Smart Cities and City Connect : Ushering an Era of Smart Living Spaces in Mumbai.

Mr Chavan also said that the Corporation undertook a citizen survey on a monumental scale. Over 6 lakh citizens were asked to give their wish list. Very clearly people of Thane have voted for development of Thane Railway station area as they commute to Mumbai for jobs. About pan city approach they want safety and security of women and 24×7 water supply, waterfront development among other services. The Corporation implemented development plans including roads, encouraging non-motorized transport eg: footpaths and bicycle tracks and making the city more liveable and citizen friendly. To ease the increasing pressure of existing thane railway station, alternative railway station is planned between Thane and Mulund with an investment of 300 crores – 120 crores for station and rest for development of area around the station. This railway station will be called New Thane station to be built on 15 acres of land. This is the most pressing need of the citizens. It will reduce load on the existing station and is also part of station area traffic improvement scheme. The facilities will include, Rs 70 crore for solar roof top project, best quality rest rooms with a special emphasis for women with feeding rooms etc.

Mr V Suresh, Chairman, CII-IGBC Policy and Advocacy & Former CMD, HUDCO emphasized the need to make the smart cities into green cities in covering facets of integrated water management, waste management, energy management and efficient utilization of resources for improving the overall quality of life of cities and citizens. He also highlighted the important features of the IGBC Green Cities Rating applicable to existing cities which are brownfield cities. He further indicated that IGBC has covered a green footprint with 4.83 billion sq feet and aspires to make it 10 billion sq feet by 2022 covering all categories of buildings and the built environment. Blue print for making Smart Cities into Green cities are drawn, identified and launched.

‘Major Challenges being faced by Smart Cities are, Financing, PPP Projects & skilled Manpower’ said Mr Sunil Khanna, Chairman, CII WR Smart City and City Connect Sub-Committee & President and Managing Director, Vertiv Energy Pvt Ltd. He also said that there needs to be a holistic view to make the Smart City Mission successful. Importance is to be given to sewage systems, waste management and use of ICT for making information available to citizens in real time.