Cities in India need smart infrastructure

Source: https://www.xenius.in/cities-in-india-need-smart-infrastructure/

Since the objective of building a smart city is to improve the quality of life of its citizens by using informatics and technology, the same can be achieved in our existing cities also by the usage of such devices to make an already-built infrastructure smart. And that is what need to be done in a country of our size and population where crating new cities is well-nigh impossible.

With a population of more than 1.33 billion, about 17.7 per cent of the total world population, India finds its economy constantly under pressure. Agriculture forms the mainstay of a large chunk with about 47 per cent of the working population engaged in farming. With global warming affecting the crop patterns and yields during the past few decades, the income of farmers has taken a major hit forcing a large number of rural dwellers to move towards cities in search of employment. This, in turn, has significantly increased the pressure on urban areas making the need for smart cities paramount.

A smart city essentially means the use of infrastructure and facilities in a city in a smarter way. It is basically a vision to integrate multiple Internet of Things (IoT) solutions in a secure manner to manage the assets of a city. The assets include, but are not limited to, local departments’ information systems, schools, libraries, transportation systems, hospitals, power plants, water supply networks, waste management, law enforcement, and other services offered in a city. To handle the exponential urbanisation, we need new and smarter ways to manage complexities, increase efficiency, reduce expenses, and improve the quality of life.

• With global warming affecting crop patterns and yields during the past few decades, the income of farmers has taken a major hit forcing a large number them to move towards cities.
• A smart city essentially means the use of infrastructure and facilities in a city in a smarter way. It is basically a vision to integrate multiple IoT solutions in a secure manner to manage the assets of a city.
• To handle the exponential urbanisation, we need new and smarter ways to manage complexities, increase efficiency, reduce expenses, and improve the quality of life.
• Municipal bodies also require a smart water management system to distribute water efficiently within the city limits. Smart pumps with high efficiency are required to decrease the operational cost.

Along with the multifarious needs of other facilities, the electricity distribution companies (DISCOMS) in a city require smart grids to manage electricity in a smarter, and more efficient, way. Smart grids identify all the faults and leakages in the grid on a real-time basis and help rectify the various issues immediately, saving loss of time and electricity. Municipal bodies across cities also require a smart water management system to distribute water efficiently within the city limits. Smart pumps with high efficiency are required to be installed to decrease the operational cost of the water departments.

The goal of building a smart city remains to improve quality of life by using urban informatics and technology to improve the efficiency of services and meet the various needs of its people. Since re-developing the vast number of cities in a country of our size is  virtually impossible with operational difficulties and budget constraints involved, the usage of devices that make an already-built infrastructure smart is the new, and only, way to transform India.