By: Brotin Banerjee, MD & CEO, Tata Housing
Track2Realty Exclusive: Urban Planning, experts suggest, is based on the three-tier concept of engineering, architecture and social concerns. Each is incomplete without the other. While a city needs its share of road networks, it also needs space for, say drainage and it needs hospitals and schools and blood banks et al. although each city has separate agencies to deal with these needs, a central agency is needed to provide a holistic approach to crisis management and to contain chaos.
Technology can be a great leveler, if used correctly. It can provide a one-stop solution to traffic management by providing regular and correct updates to citizens about public transport; it can help better manage water and waste management; channelize power and energy sans any wastage.
Citizens can avail a host of services at the touch of a button and the authorities too can reduce their work load by integrating the use of technological platforms with traditional methods, and gradually upgrade completely.
The biggest challenge lies in changing the mindset of millions, who are used to traditional modes of operation, to switch to electronic modes.
By providing for and advertising it properly, if gas connections or refill, utility bill payments are all hosted electronically, it saves the citizens and the authority time and money.
Villages or small towns in western parts of the world, compared to our metros, are better equipped to handle emergencies because of their dependence on technology.
One of the foremost objectives of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission was to introduce e-governance in all municipalities to bring transparency and to increase accountability. In fact, financial assistance is provided for the redevelopment of old cities, water supply, waste management, drainage, transportation amongst others.
…to be continued
