GUWAHATI: Guwahati was selected as one of the first 20 smart cities in the country, a part of the ambitious Smart City initiative launched by the government to uplift the living standards in 100 cities and towns across the nation. However, recent reports from Niti Aayog indicate that Guwahati is among the worst-performing smart cities in the country, with only nine out of 185 projects worth a total of ₹2,256 crore completed.
According to the Niti Aayog report, Guwahati's poor performance is not an isolated case. Several other cities in the Northeast region, including Shillong, Aizawl, and Imphal, have also struggled to make significant progress on their respective smart city projects. Additionally, cities like Amaravati, Diu, Greater Warangal, Kavaratti, Port Blair, and Puducherry also find themselves on the list of worst-performing cities.
The report highlighted that there are 32 smart cities that have completed more projects than initially planned, some even exceeding their targets by four times. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, political and regional considerations, and local land and labour issues, projects worth a staggering ₹39,085 crore were completed across the nation in the last 12 months.
The financial progress of the Smart Cities Mission has shown positive signs as well. The funds released by the Centre increased from ₹28,315 crore to ₹34,887 crore by the end of 2022, indicating renewed efforts to expedite the development of smart cities.
In the case of Guwahati, the city received a grant of ₹396 crore from the Ministry of Urban Development, which remained unutilized until 2022. The total budget for the five-year Guwahati Smart City plan was ₹2,256 crore, with expectations that the Centre and the state would contribute ₹500 crore each. The remaining amount was meant to be generated from urban local bodies through various means, including user fees, beneficiary charges, land monetization, debt, and loans.
Speaking to G Plus, an official from the GSCL said, "The momentum of work in all smart City projects actually started after 2021. Therefore, important projects are not yet completed. But, very soon the city will witness a huge change."
Key projects under the Guwahati Smart City initiative include the Brahmaputra River Front Development, Streetscape in Kalashetra, Light and Sound Show in Gandhi Mandap, Integrated Traffic Management System, Light and Sound Show in Kalashetra, Gandhi Mandap Museum Renovation, and procurement of electric buses (EVs) and compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. Despite slow progress, officials from the Guwahati Smart City Limited (GSCL) remain optimistic that the momentum of work has picked up since 2021, and significant changes will be witnessed in the city soon.
Presently, there are 16 ongoing projects in Guwahati, with a total budget estimated at ₹814.29 crore but, the Guwahati Smart City Projects have failed to meet its targets miserably.
