India’s Smart Cities project has been an ambitious undertaking for the country. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government launched it as part of its larger vision to transform India into a prosperous urban nation. Moreover, with rapid urbanization and new technologies revolutionizing the way people live, work, and interact with one another, it was no surprise that the need for smart cities came about sooner rather than later.
However, this initiative is not just applied to Indian cities alone. Many other countries are working on similar projects to uplift their urban centers and make them more sustainable in the long run. And while many of these projects have gotten off to a rocky start, there is also much.
We can learn from them. In this article, we take a look at India’s Dholera Smart City: A Case Study.
What is Dholera Smart City?
Dholera is a city in the state of Gujarat, India. As per the project, it will be transformed into a smart city. The city is about 35 km south of the state’s biggest, Ahmedabad. Dholera is one city that falls under the Dholera SIR (Special Investment Region) area.
The SIR area is spread across 6,000 square kilometres and comprises five major cities – Dholera, Viramgam, Utran, Bilimora, and Vadodara. The Dholera Smart City project is still under construction. The city and the surrounding SIR area will have a completely eco-friendly and sustainable infrastructure. It will be powered by solar energy, have a water supply system that reuses wastewater, and have efficient transport systems.
Why is India building smart cities?
Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. By 2050, this number is expected to rise to 66%. The sheer number of people migrating to cities and towns by that year is estimated to be 4-5 billion. And many of these people will come from India. This massive population shift is a consequence of rapid urbanization and economic development.
As people migrate to cities and towns for better economic opportunities and health care, housing and infrastructure development often lag. This causes many problems, including pollution and poor living conditions, which need to be fixed urgently. So, when the Modi government launched its Smart Cities project, it hoped these new urban centers would be more sustainable.
Problems with the current infrastructure
A city’s infrastructure refers to the systems and networks that manage the different resources and utilities required for effective city management. Some of the most important elements of a city’s infrastructure include water supply, sewage and waste management, power supply, transportation networks, and communication networks. Now, most Indian cities have aging and inadequate infrastructure systems that were built decades ago.
These systems, which were built for a much smaller population, are proving insufficient in today’s times. There are also significant issues with the way these systems are managed. They are often inefficient, unreliable, and costly to maintain. When you factor in the challenges associated with urbanization, such as climate change, pollution, and population growth, it becomes evident that these issues need to be addressed and solved.
Dholera Smart City Plan: An Overview
The Dholera Smart City project is expected to be completed by 2029. It is estimated to cost approximately $2.5 billion. The city will have a total area of 6,000 hectares, including 5,000 hectares of the special investment region and the rest will be used for implementation of the project. The Dholera SIR will have a population of 2 million by 2040. There will be a well-planned and efficient infrastructure to cater to such a large population. The city will be powered by solar energy, have a water supply system that reuses waste water, and have efficient transport systems.
Conclusion
The Dholera Smart City project is expected to be completed by 2029. It is estimated to cost approximately $2.5 billion. The city will have a total area of 6,000 hectares, including 5,000 hectares of the special investment region. The rest will be used for the project implementation. The Dholera SIR will have a population of 2 million by 2040. There will be a well-planned and efficient infrastructure to cater to such a large population. The city will be powered by solar energy, have a water supply system that reuses waste water, and have efficient transport systems.
The Dholera Smart City project is one of the many India-based initiatives to build better urban centers. It is expected to be completed by 2029, and is expected to cost approximately $2.5 billion. It is one of the largest urban development projects in the world, covering an area of 6,000 hectares, including 5,000 hectares of the unique investment region. The rest will be used for the project implementation.
