Varanasi ready with 6-pillar plan to enter smart city race

NEW DELHI: Suramya (Picturesque), Nirmal (Pure), Surakshit (Safe), Smmunat (Improved), Ekatrit (Integrated) and Sanyojit (Planned) Varanasi – these are the six pillars of an elaborate ‘Smart-Kashi’ plan of the Prime Minister’s constituency now submitted to the Centre.

The city has assured strategic partnerships with numerous companies like Uber, Philips, Schneider Electric, IBM and Ericsson to deliver its vision of a “confluence of ancient tradition and modern innovation”. Varanasi missed the bus in the first shortlist of 20 cities selected as Smart Cities and 13 more this May by the Centre. The PM’s seat is now competing to be a part of another 40 cities to be selected this August.

While the recent movie Masaan was centered on Varanasi’s cremation sites along the Ganga, the city is proposing electric crematoriums in its plan. To “restore the yesteryear glory of Kashi’, pedestrian and ‘Divyang’ friendly streets, rejuvenated temples and ghats, a Night Bazaar at Assi Ghat for promoting local cuisine and local handicrafts and light and sound shows, including one in Ganga, are being proposed in the plan.

A single access card has been proposed for integrated online payments for multiple modal transport, like the proposed Varanasi metro, utilities and entry fees to heritage sites. All historical and popular sites will get interactive panels and digital signage with interactive maps. The ambitious plan also involves a public bicycle sharing service, traffic sensors and smart street lights with LED lighting and panic buttons.

Green rooftops on all schools and government buildings, assured water supply to all citizens, rejuvenation of sacred water bodies, a women and elderly helpline and a women police station are proposed too. New smart technologies have also been suggested to enhance the lives of local boatmen and e-rickshaw drivers. The city consulted domain experts from Department for International Development, Government of United Kingdom and IIT, BHU while drawing up its ‘Smart Kashi’ plan.

As per a SWOT analysis of Varanasi’s initial plan vetted by an expert panel, the “ageing and old school profile of Varanasi reluctant to changes” was cited as a major problem to it not making it to the first Smart City list. It fared a poor 96th among the 98 cities that participated in a first round, scoring just 40 out of 100 marks on various parameters.