Broken Pipelines, Potholed Roads & etc.: Would You Call Udaipur “Smart” Yet? 

Udaipur ranks fifth in the country and first in the state when we speak of smart city work. But the dissatisfied citizens of the city and the respective councilors of the wards give rise to irony. Despite the ranks given, we still lag in the race of becoming a smarter city soon.

It has been months since we are waiting for the smart city works to pace up and get done. The slow work of the project has infuriated both the ward members and councilors. The time taken to make things right has not reached expectations.
In recent days, pipelines broke during the work which led to no supply of water in the area. Living without a proper supply of water is unimaginable. Seeing the agitated people, the concerned officials called for water tankers.
Even though the actions were taken by the heads, the problem couldn’t be solved completely before the evening. That is where we can look for problems. Finding solutions after days of distress leads to discontent.
There is so much that is covered in the smart city project. The redevelopment, retrofitting, and introduction of smart infrastructure pan city. But instead, the work is taking a long time and the existing facilities are also deteriorating.
The deadline for the completion of the 99 smart city projects was extended twice already. Still, 21 projects stay unattended. The aspects covered under the smart city include

• CC roads
• Underground cabling
• Sewerage-drainage system
• Water supply

The tasks have been majorly completed. The work from Rangniwas to Jagdish Chowk is supposed to be completed by March 31 this year. The ACEO of Smart City, Pradeep Sangawat claims that the citizens would not have to face the problem for long.
Being a citizen of the city, we understand that the smart city work takes time. But, the swirling dust and dirt have taken tolls over the patience of the people here. Potholed roads are a thing these days.
People, when asked, do not remember how it was like driving on a road without digs. From the locals to councilors and ministers, all are frustrated from the slow-paced work. Even though the move was towards the development of “smart” cities, people are convinced that it was not smart enough.
It has been six long years; there is improvement too. But the changes are not visible. That makes us question the officials about the very decision that was targeted towards only growth and development in the near future.
Had it been the other way round, it would have been different. On the ending note, it is important for the officials to focus on management and time that has been taken to accomplish the project. Even now, if they keep a track of this stuff, there could be chances of finishing the work by deadline

Article by: Paridhi Mehta