Smart City development projects set to be completed by March 2022

Times of India: Pimpri Chinchwad: Thursday, October 25, 2018.

The civic body will start construction and installation work for several development projects, which are estimated to be completed between March 2020-2022, under its smart city development scheme.

The resolution for the smart city development was approved by the state government in January 2017. The works will be undertaken by the Pimpri Chinchwad Smart City Development Corporation Ltd. The information regarding the scheme was procured through an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

As per the reply to the RTI application, one of the major construction works includes laying 750km of optical fibre network under the city’s backbone network to connect all municipal offices and government institutions.

The corporation also plans to install 270 Wi-Fi spots, along with 50 smart city kiosks, at public places, which will help citizens pay utility bills for government services and recharge PMPML's MI card and purchase tickets for events around the city on the go. The kiosks will also have a panic button, cameras, touchscreen, and a biometric scanner.

As many as 60 variable message display systems (VMD’s) will provide the citizens with real-time updates about city-centric information, traffic status, and emergency services while CCTV surveillance at police stations and civic offices in the municipal limits will ensure public safety, prevention of crimes, and the maintenance of law and order.

Further, solar power panels will be installed at the rooftops of the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial hospital, Nilu Phule auditorium, Bhosari new hospital, Talera hospital, Acharya Atre auditorium, Jeejamata hospital and Thergaon hospital. A private agency Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions Pvt Ltd has been appointed for the purpose. The panels are estimated to save about Rs23.49 crores in power bills, the information note stated.

Meanwhile, work on traffic law enforcement through detection of violations like jumping red lights, speeding, wrong side driving and parking along with an automatic number plate recognition system will also begin under the smart traffic project.

The corporation will also start work on the implementation of an integrated sewer system and integrating data acquired from smart water meters with existing water bills.