On Friday, June 24, Union Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) issued the latest list of 30 smart cities. Unfortunately, Gurgaon wasn’t on it. As a result, it will not receive the Rs 500 crore funding allotted to every city on the list.
There have been 90 cities on the list so far, with 30 more being added yesterday. From Haryana, only Karnal made the list.
However, Gurgaon will be one of 13 cities to receive technical assistance from the Centre to be able to achieve smart city status.
MCG commissioner V Umashankar said, “We will remain in the Smart City project. We will receive technical support from MoUD, if not funds.”
To meet the smart city criteria, a city should be self-sustained in water and power supply, should have well-organised public transport and solid waste management systems, and enough educational institutions. Gurgaon lacks on all these counts.
The Smart Grid project aimed to provide 24-hour power supply, where the city failed completely; the Bandwari plant, the city’s only waste management system, lies defunct since 2013; and Gurgaon’s first construction and demolition plant was inaugurated only a week ago.
As far as transportation goes, Metro stations cover areas only along the New Delhi border; people living in the interiors of the city largely depend on private cabs, autos and rickshaws. As many as 500 public buses remain awaited.
In the education department, Gurgaon may pride itself on a number of high-profile private schools, but in the way of colleges – either public or private - it has little to show. The city’s students either have to travel to Delhi for higher education or opt for hostels outside the city.