CIOInsider India Magazine

Year on Year, a new project to catapult the Smart City Mission gets added to India’s union budget. Definitions of a smart city can vary, what's constant is the idea of bringing enhancements in innovation, networks, and the environment together, to simplify the way people carry out their day-to-day activities and functions with the backing of technology.

The elements that pave the road to a sustainable city are social, cultural and economical. This is because they can be attributed for their contributions to building a foundation. Though there isn’t a universal definition for green infrastructure, the concept has gained notable recognition across firms that deliver smart

city solutions. Solving the basic urban network issues of energy, transportation, water treatment and distribution, a more systematic and eco-friendly infrastructure has become essential. We cannot always demand for a radical change with the green infrastructure to make a huge difference, but the progress can always be matched with the eco-friendly development it produces in the course of a long period.

Existing smart city projects across the country is solely based on improving the lifestyle and creating a hub of networked, all inclusive space for living. However, in a country like India where environment disasters and climate change have a direct effect on daily lives, demand for eco-friendly smart cities could be sine qua non. Experts observe that green infrastructure could bring a large impact on water management, and enable improvements in public spaces in terms of the air quality and reduction in heat.

In India, acute initiatives for creating smart cities have already begun. Bhopal Smart City Development Corporation Limited has embarked on a project in the previous year for solar power generation and a Biomethenation plant for converting waste to energy. Such green projects could also ignite efforts to reuse electricity for powering street lights in areas. Environment planning always comes with the concern on health and well being of the people in that particular area and the public spaces that constitute the open green areas where conservation and preservation is maintained. This enables smart cities to have an efficient utilization of human, natural and economic resources that promote saving of cost. Of course, a green infra alone does not promote the idea of sustainability, but the support of ICT could also allow zero waste systems to live the idea of reuse, recycle, and reduce to the fullest. Smart cities for a self-dependent, sufficient and sustainable future starts there.