The Making of a Smart India

F R I D A Y , D E C E M B E R 1 9 , 2 0 1 4

NINEDECADES

OF CHANGE

•THE POWER OF GETTING LINKED > By Dinesh Malkani•DESIGNING FOR THE FUTURE > By Sunita Narain•STEPPING UP TO A NEW AGE > By Madhav Chavan•ENRICHING ANICONIC RIVER > By Onno Ruhl•GRAPHIC: WHAT MAKES A CITY SMART•SEEKING ANSWERS WITHIN > By Harish Hande•INTERVIEW: Nitin Gadkari•MAKING EVERY DROPCOUNT > By Naina Lal Kidwai•INTERVIEW: Venkaiah Naidu•BUILDING A BACKBONE > By Anil Sardana•INTERVIEW: Hafeez Contractor•INTERVIEW: RK Pachauri•SITTINGATOP THE PYRAMID > By Raghu Raman

•Issue editor > Sitaraman Shankar•Editorial/coordination > Gaurav Choudhury, Chetan Chauhan, Vineet Sharma, Manan Rathore, Sugita Katyal, Rituparna Kakoty, Pathikrit Sen Gupta and Kaushik Kashyap

•Group Creative Director > Anup Gupta •Graphic > Malay Karmakar•Design > Ashutosh Sapru, Prijit Sashidharan•Illustrations > Jayanto Bannerjee, D. Dutta

There’snolookingpastthefactthatIndia’sproblemshere’s no looking past the fact that India’s problemsare massive. Our cities pulsate with life but are aare massive. Our cities pulsate with life but are a chaoticshambles;ourriversaresteepedintraditionchaotic shambles; our rivers are steeped in traditionbutchokedwithfilth;wearelefthopingoureducationbut choked with fi lth; we are left hoping our educationsystem doesn’t dull sharp minds; and millionssystem doesn’t dull sharp minds; and millions

struggle forclean waterandreliablepower.struggle for clean water and reliable power.

IIttmaymay bebeclichédtosaythatinadversityliesopportunity,clichéd to say that in adversity lies opportunity,but that doesn’t make it any less true. Equally, there’s nobut that doesn’t make it any less true. Equally, there’s nodenyingthefactthatthere’sacolossalamountofworkand denying the fact that there’s a colossal amount of work and investment needed to make a smart, digitally connected,investment needed to make a smart, digitally connected,self-sustaining India; what is beyond dispute is that theself-sustaining India; what is beyond dispute is that thedividendswillmorethanpayourway.dividends will more than pay our way.

TTechnology, coupled with a mature assessment ofechnology, coupled with a mature assessment ofthebenefitsofsustainable living,willprovidethe benefi ts of sustainable living, will provide usus answeranswerss. . Smart cities are a sign of our soaring ambition; a projectSmart cities are a sign of our soaring ambition; a projecttocleantheGangacould leadtosmart livingonitsbanks;to clean the Ganga could lead to smart living on its banks;smart grids could help address our power hunger and smart grids could help address our power hunger andusing the internet to connect citizens with things will alterusing the internet to connect citizens with things will alterlifebeyondrecognition.life beyond recognition.

WWe’re on the cusp of something special. Creating a e’re on the cusp of something special. Creating a Smart India makes sense economically, politically andSmart India makes sense economically, politically and socially. Let’snot lose this opportunity.socially. Let’s not lose this opportunity.

THE MAKING OF

A SMART INDIA

GOING DIGITAL DINESH MALKANI

AN AGENDA

FOR CHANGEht@90 THE MAKING OF A SMART INDIA

The World Wide Web marked its 25th anniversary onMarch 11, an important milestone when we considerhow technology has impacted our lives and how it willshape our future.

How fast the world has changed. According to Pew Research, 42% of adults in the United States had never heard of the internet in 1995, and an additional 21%were vague on the concept.

Compare that to now. The InternationalTelecommunication Union recently observed that threebillion people will be online by the end of 2014. This year alone, more people joined the internet than the entire population ofthe United States.

However, we believe that as much as theinternet has changed our world, it is the nextphase of the Web that will truly transform ourlives — the Internet of Everything.

The Internet of Everything is the intelligentconnection of people, processes, data and things. Citizens, companies and governments around theworld are embracing it and turning to digitisationfor more efficiency.

Today, 81% of India’s population has access tomobile phones, while 10% use smartphones. Everymonth, for the next three years, India will add onaverage five million internet users and over eightmillion networked devices.

Our networked world will include far more than just computers, tablets and phones. We will see the digitisation of street lights, parking spaces, beacons, kiosks, sensor-based water defences, physical infrastructure monitoring and controls, and smart ener-gy grid services.

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon described the21st century as the century of cities. Nowhere will that statementbe more relevant than in India. By 2050, India will add 404 millionpeople to its cities, according to the UN. Also, at 857 million people, India has the largest rural population in the world.

The government understands the need to address both urbanand rural India.

The Digital India programme focuses on digitally empoweringcitizens by enabling broadband in villages, universal phone con-nectivity, public internet access points, wi-fi in schools and uni-versities, digital inclusion, electronic delivery of governance andservices, and job creation.

The future of competition is between cities. Citizens, and especially young people, will want to live in citiesthat are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. IHS Technology estimates that in the next11 years, the total number of smart cities worldwidewill grow to 88 from 21 now.

In 2013, CII & Cisco released a report titled ‘Smart Cityin Indian Context’, which described how the countryneeded to embrace information and communicationstechnology as part of its urban planning to create a bet-ter and sustainable India. The government understandstechnology is as essential as three utilities — water, gas,and electricity — and has made it clear that broadbandhighways are as important as national highways.

Cities face budgetary challenges, including rising costs andshrinking resources. The world’s cities account for 70% of green-house-gas emissions and energy-related costs are one of the big-gest municipal budget items, according to UN-Habitat.

Innovative platforms, open data and apps can reduce traffic, parking congestion, pollution, energy consumption and crime, and also generate revenue and reduce costs for residentsand visitors.

Consider street lighting, which today accounts for 1.5% oftotal electricity consumption in India, according to McKinsey. A Navigant Research study shows worldwide street lighting canaccount for up to 40% of a municipality’s electricity bill. Cities

that use networked motion-detection lights cansave 70%–80% of electricity and costs, accordingto an independent trial of LED technology.

Smart street-lighting initiatives can also reducecrime in an area by 7% because of better visibilityand a more content citizenry, says a Cisco estimate.

Another example to consider is buildings. Asthe ‘Smart City in Indian Context’ report noted,buildings account for nearly 40% of total energy consumption in India and that will go up to 50%by 2030. McKinsey estimated India would need tobuild 700-900 million square metres of new resi-dential and commercial space from 2010 to 2020every year. Buildings outfitted with intelligentsensors and networked management systems can

collect and analyse energy-use data.Traffic congestion costs the country $10 billion a year in wasted

time and fuel. Drivers looking for parking space cause 30% ofurban congestion, not to mention pollution. Imagine if citiesembedded networked sensors in parking spaces that relay todrivers real-time information about — and directions to — avail-able spots.

Cisco believes digitisation of a country will depend onfive key areas — visionary leadership, global open standards, smart regulation, public-private partnerships and a new eco-system — and India can play a powerful role in the Internet ofEverything worldwide.

In October 2014, the government’s Department of Electronicsand Information Technology released the draft Internet of Things(IoT) Policy for India with the intention to create a $15-billion IoTindustry by 2020.

The government shared its plans to grow connecteddevices to 2.7 billion in 2020 from 200 million today. In a report on the evolution of the IoT ecosystem in India,Convergence Catalyst said there are now more than two million app developers and estimated that by 2017, thenumber would go up to three million. According to thereport, 60 start-ups are already working on dedicatedIoT solutions and 14 smart grid pilot projects.

The year 2014 signals a major inflection point for theInternet of Everything, which will have a much bigger impact on the world than the internet did in its first 20years. We have the opportunity to live in a Digital Indiawhere everything — and everyone — can be connected.

Streets will be safer, homes will be smarter and citi-zens will be healthier.

THE POWER OF GETTING LINKED

DINESH MALKANIPresident, Cisco India & Saarc

TODAY, 81% OF INDIA’S POPULATION HAS ACCESS TO MOBILE PHONES, WHILE 10% USE SMARTPHONES. EVERY MONTH, FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, INDIA WILL ADD ON AVERAGE FIVE MILLION INTERNET USERS

02 | HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHIFRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

STREAMLINED SERVICES SUNITA NARAIN


AN AGENDA


Smart cities will work only if they can reinvent thevery idea of urban growth in a country like India.Smart thinking will require the government notonly copy the model cities of the already developedWestern world, but also find a new measure of live-ability that will work for the Indian situation, where the cost of growth is unaffordable for most. But allthis will not happen, unless we can find the rightfit for service providers in our cities. We need serv-

ices — everything from water to the management and clean-upof sewage, waste and public transport — so that we can livehealthy lives. The question is, who will provide these services?What is the nature of the public service utilitythat India needs?

We know that our current municipal serviceproviders are hampered by lack of technicalcapacity and crippled with poor governance. In the past few years, there has been a pushtowards privatisation as the solution for provi-sioning of city services. But this is not as easyan answer as it would seem.

This is because we have a large population ofpoor and relatively poor middle-class, and sopublic infrastructure has to be affordable tobuild and run. In most cases, the private player isunable to run the public asset — be it water sup-ply, public transport or a swanky airport — with-out substantial recurring funds. So the private sector’s interest is to make profit by building theinfrastructure and then stay clear of the responsibility ofproviding services.

Take buses. The city of Delhi (and all others) desperately needs a revamped, modern public transport system, which can provide for the requirements of its exploding population.Without a viable and convenient transport system, the growthof private vehicles will choke city roads and poison our lungs. But the question, is what will be the shape and organisation ofthis system of the future?

The model of city bus transport in the country is largely pub-licly managed. Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad andDelhi — all have city corporations to run this key commuterservice.

Some do a better job than others in efficiency and service but the accounts of all agencies show that they are bleed-ing because of higher costs of operations and priceof tickets.

The fact is that the price of a ticket in a bus has a market competitor — it has to be lower than the costof running a two-wheeler.

The price of a bus ticket can only increase if there are adequate barriers for its substitute. For instance, if there are high rates for parking private vehiclesand there is enforcement against unauthorised park-ing, then there is an incentive to move to the publictransport mode and pay higher costs.

Take garbage. We know that our cities are drown-ing in garbage — plastic is surely the curse of themodern landscape. The current approach is to invest

in collecting this garbage, transport it and bury it in landfills. It is built on the premise that there will be land for urban Indiato bury its waste. It then assumes that if we can finance infra-structure, we will be able to pay for urban services that canefficiently collect and dispose our waste. The vision is to hire corporate sweepers to clean our cities.

But the facts are different. Firstly, we do not have land to dis-pose of the current waste we generate, let alone the new wastewe will generate. Finding a dumpyard — elsewhere — is alwaysthe cheapest and laziest option rich cities in many parts of theworld have used. But we cannot.

Secondly, all city plans do not account for the fact that there will be increasing quantities of plastic, non-dis-posal waste and toxic waste in our households, which will require new and much more expen-sive ways of disposal.

Thirdly, the waste plan does not understandthat it is the rich in the cities that do not pay for their waste disposal. Not the poor.

Urban services today are stretched becausethey are in the service of the people who gener-ate the waste but do not pay for it. In this sce-nario, cities cannot under any circumstancesextend these services to all.

So, this is the same when it comes to watersupply, sewage or garbage management in ourcities. We need to redesign systems for providingservices and then redesign the utility to supply

most efficiently and to all.The question then is, what is the kind of contract that is

signed between the private entity interested in profits and thepublic entity incapable of raising profits?

The municipality or local government will either see the pri-vate sector as the instrument to recover money from subsidisedconsumers, or simply see it as a way to provide some efficiency even as the government continues to subsidise its consumersand also pay the private sector its pound of flesh.

Given all this, we need a different definition of efficiency andcertainly a different model of service providers in our cities.

The first principle is that whereas the private sector cannotsolve the water, garbage or transport problems of our world, itcannot be excluded from playing a role in providing theseservices.

The second key is to accept that the private sectorcan only work within the terms society sets for it. Itcannot own the resource. It certainly cannot be itscustodian.

The private sector may also be asked to set the priceand recover dues.

But setting the tariff must be fully transparentabout the full costs of treating and delivering waterand waste or providing other services.

Therefore, the decision of governments to subsi-dise their middle-class electorate must not be hiddenbehind socialist rhetoric.

The most efficient utility for our smart cities willbe about smart design. Let us not lose sight of this. Not even for an instant.

DESIGNING FOR THE FUTURE

SUNITA NARAINDirector General, Centre for Science & Environment

SMART THINKING WILL REQUIRE THE GOVERNMENT NOT ONLY COPY THE MODEL CITIES OF THE ALREADY DEVELOPED WESTERN WORLD, BUT ALSO FIND A NEW MEASURE OF LIVEABILITY THAT WILL WORK FOR THE INDIAN SITUATION

REDESIGNING EDUCATION MADHAV CHAVAN


AN AGENDA


The talk of a demographic dividend began gainingmomentum around the turn of the millennium as lead-ers of Indian politics and industry started sensing that India could become an economic power.

Problems of over-population seemed to recede in thebackground as high GDP growth became a reality, but the lack of an educated and skilled workforce is prob-ably not considered a threat to growth at the same level.

India has historically undermined the importance ofcreating a foundation of universal good quality education and wecould be committing the same mistake even now. The 1986 NationalEducation Policy warned us that a linear extension of the prevailingeducation system will not help, but it also failed toforesee the changes that would unfold in the future.

The problems of basic education remained on thebackburner. The Supreme Court declared educa-tion as a fundamental right in the early 1990s but itwas not for almost a decade that we amended theConstitution to make it so.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) was created bythe NDA government to assist states in trying tosolve the problems of education. When the UPA I government imposed a 2% cess, funds for the SSAbecame available. However, all that was done was a linear expansion of the existing system.

The All India School Education Survey of 2003estimated that an additional one million classroomswere needed for government schools. Later, the number of school-teachers needed was also computed based on population projection.Between 2005 and 2011, enrollment in all schools, government andprivate, up to class 8 in India rose from 168 million to 199 million asthe government spent money on infrastructure.

As Pratham’s Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) noted,96% children in the 6-14 age group said they were enrolled in schoolby 2009 when the Right to Education Act was passed in Parliament.

There is a twist in the tale. The governments went aboutexpanding their school system but enrollment in private schoolsfor Class 1 to 8 went up from 51 million to 77 million between 2007and 2011. At the same time, enrollment in government schoolswent down from 134 million to 121 million even as more rooms andteachers were made available.

Though overall national enrollment in government schoolswent down, in Bihar, where education had been neglected for long,enrollment went from 13 million in 2005 to 22 million in2013. Most of this increase was in government schools. However, in other northern states such as Uttar Pradesh,Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, private school enroll-ment jumped from just around 20% to nearly 50%. TamilNadu and Kerala were already high in private schoolenrollment. Today, Tamil Nadu has 60% children in pri-vate schools while Kerala has 70%.

Between 2009 and 2013, the poor levels of reading andmaths declined dramatically. The result: more childrenwent to private schools and fewer children in governmentschools learned to read or solve sums even as big moneywas spent on public education. Indian children are now divided right down the middle between private and publiceducation. We could be happy that now we have univer-

sal enrollment either through public or private services and wemay say that problems of learning could be solved through teachertraining and so on. But is our system designed to meet the needs oflearning in the modern world? It is too restrictive and too slow for a fast-moving world with families that have huge aspirations.

Only two decades ago or less, we started talking about the digitaldivide — seen as the result of access to and knowledge of comput-ers. Today, the divide needs a relook because more than 75% ruralhouseholds and almost all urban households have cellphones, smartphones and mobile Internet connectivity. The gap may beclosing faster than we think. Children everywhere are more aware of the technology now than ever before.

As computers became cheaper, the idea of plac-ing computers in schools became popular. However, the best use of computers, when they are used, hasonly been to teach a linear and restricted syllabus by making it a bit more interesting. This has sup-pressed the true potential of information technologythat allows random and non-linear access to infor-mation and can open the whole world to a child.

To use the power of information technology, the old mindset of a linear curriculum has to bechanged. The ideas of domination, regimentation,and indoctrination through education have no placein the modern world. A child has to be allowed andencouraged to learn, and not just “taught”.

The other day a child in an informal English classshocked the teacher by asking what “hangover” meant. Luckily, theyoung teacher knew the Salman Khan song, but found it difficult toexplain a word that will not appear in the child’s textbook althoughliquor flows around him. The word “rape” is similarly a matter ofincreasing familiarity through TV but never discussed in school.

ISRO does a marvellous job of landing on Mars in the firstattempt but no one talks of the beauty of planning for the land-ing to children. Newton and his laws have no freedom to enter a child’s imagination. Schools, especially private schools, are toobusy “completing the syllabus”. The power of info-tech to help a child know the world remains locked in the grip of the syllabus.

If we continue to think along the lines of just expanding or incre-mentally improving the system of education, it is unlikely that wewill meet the challenges the nation, society, and families are going toface in future. The public education system is in crisis and the exodusto private schools will worsen the problems. Skills and knowledge of

teachers, with some exceptions in both government andprivate schools, are inadequate to teach what is needed for the 21st century.

Our examinations still promote the culture of reproduc-ing what books or teachers say without a thought. Oursystem, geared only to select students for higher learning,continues to discard a large majority as dropouts withno further avenues for learning. We do not recognise any skill or knowledge that is not in our syllabi or textbooks.

If we do not think ahead and anticipate correctly, we will only pour more money into sustaining a system that is poorly productive and broken. Let us not take the -demo-graphic dividend for granted. You don’t get dividend with-out smart investments. The cost of not educating all ourchildren well will be very high.

STEPPING UP TO A NEW AGE

MADHAV CHAVAN CEO, PrathamEducation Foundation

TO USE THE POWER OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, THE OLD MINDSET OF LINEAR CURRICULUM HAS TO BE CHANGED. IDEAS OF DOMINATION AND INDOCTRINATION THROUGH EDUCATION ARE IRRELEVANT

The Ganga is India’s most important river. The sprawl-ing basin covers more than 860,000 square kilometres inIndia alone and is home to around 600 million Indians, close to half the national population. The basin gener-ates approximately 40% of the country’s GDP and isa valuable environmental and economic resource for India. The Ganga flows from its glacial sources inthe Himalayas and courses through five major statesbefore draining through the Sundarbans — the largest

mangrove system in the world — into the swirling waters of theBay of Bengal.

Along its 2,500-km journey, the river enriches huge swathesof agricultural land and sustains 50 major Indiancities and hundreds of smaller towns. Fast-flowingtributaries in its elevated upper reaches have thepotential to ease India’s power shortages, and inthe plains, the river has the potential to becomean arterial waterway ferrying goods and peopleacross long distances.

But the Ganga — long an icon of India’s ancientcivilisation and a centrepiece in its prosperity — is flailing. Heavy pollution loads, over-abstractionin the lean season, competing water demands anddiversions and obstructions on the main stem andtributaries have wreaked havoc on the health ofthe river and its ability to nourish the millions ofpeople who live and work in the basin.

Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal are not just part of theGanga basin but also the heartland of India’s most pressing socio-economic and developmental challenges. Today, despite its great potential to be an engine of economic growth, the Ganga is a sym-bol of many of India’s modern problems. India needs to developsolutions in ways that do not compromise river health. Thisincludes improving the manner in which critical economic deci-sions and activities in the basin are undertaken — from improvedirrigation and on-farm practices to careful site selection and envi-ronment management for hydropower development, and sustain-able inland navigation.

The recent focus on the river and the inclusion of Ganga rejuve-nation as an explicit mandate of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation bodes well. So doesthe explicit multi-sectoral approach taken to support implemen-tation of the newly formulated Namami Gange Programme. Reconstitution of the National Ganga River BasinAuthority (NGRBA) in September to enable the minis-ter to call more frequent decision meetings and many inter-ministerial working groups created to examineissues is noteworthy.

River rejuvenation should depend in part on urbanrenewal, as cities and major towns generate close tothree billion litres of sewage and 14,000 metric tonnesof solid waste every day, with most reaching the river untreated. Patna, for instance, is a city the size of Romewith three million people and no fully functioning sew-age treatment plant (STP). And yet, new pollution-man-agement infrastructure alone will not help. Past clean-upefforts have shown that urban local bodies that holdstewardship of these assets should be strengthened with

skills and resources to maintain modern infrastructure.STPs lie inactive because financially-constrained urban local bod-

ies are unable to pay for the electricity needed to run them, and sew-age networks carry only a fraction of the design load because last-mile connections to individual households have not been made. The sustainability of investments depends as much on innovative modelsof financing and implementation as on programmes of urban localbody capacity-building. If these can be combined, the cities of theGanga basin could well become India’s first smart cities.

However, the key is ensuring that strategic basin planning, notjust investment and projects, is at the heart of the overall rejuve-nation agenda. A global experience with mighty rivers such as

Danube, Rhine, Elbe and Nile is that strong plan-ning organisations capable of generating basin-scale knowledge, identifying hotspots, prioritisinginvestments and advising on policy are central torejuvenating rivers.

The creation of a vibrant apex-level NGRBA andits associated operational-level National Missionfor Clean Ganga, which the World Bank has beensupporting through its long-standing engagementon the Ganga, is an important step in this direc-tion. Going forward, under the oversight of an empowered NGRBA, it will be important to estab-lish a well-resourced, evidence-based and partici-patory strategic basin planning process that canguide and balance both river rejuvenation and

economic development.Such a strategic basin planning process requires several elements.First, the government should establish an ongoing process

of engagement with key stakeholders. Second, a partnershipapproach should be adopted to support Indian technical organisa-tions in accessing the wide international experience with strate-gic basin planning. Third, a comprehensive audit of all pollutionsources and pollution loads should be done, in order to determinerealistic and time-bound pollution reduction targets.

Fourth, clear river health objectives, linked to water qualitytargets and environmental flow targets, should be established sogovernments and stakeholders can track progress and analysescenarios for alternative options for water allocation, pollutioncontrol and environmental flows.

Fifth, a centralised — and publicly accessible — basin informationsystem should be established that combines data from monitoring, sce-

nario modelling and other activities. Finally, a commitmentto public annual reporting of river health needs to be madeto ensure accountability and inform public debate.

This process will enable India to arrive at a shared def-inition of the pollution problem and its multiple sources, and facilitate agreement on what a clean and healthy Ganga would look like. For instance, what levels of pol-lution, sediment and flow are acceptable, and by whenshould these be achieved? What quantum of derived ben-efits (such as human health, industrial production andoff-farm employment) is possible and by when?

The adoption of a strategic basin planning approach would enable India to answer these questions, reverse theenvironmental degradation of the Ganga and promote theeconomic prosperity of the basin and her inhabitants.

A CLEANER GANGA ONNO RUHL

ENRICHING AN ICONIC RIVER

ONNO RUHLCountry Director,World Bank India


AN AGENDA


HEAVY POLLUTION, OVER-ABSTRACTION IN THE LEAN SEASON, COMPETING WATER DEMANDS AND OBSTRUCTIONS HAVE WREAKED HAVOC ON THE GANGA AND ITS ABILITY TO NOURISH MILLIONS OF PEOPLE

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KYC] There is no need to fill up multiple Know Your Customer (KYC) forms for multiple pur-poses. The centralised system can be accessedby public service agencies such as municipalbodies, banks and financial institutions

CENTRALISED] It is not only about utilities.A cloud-based identification system comes inhandy to carry out recovery operations duringdisasters

DAY BEGINS] Italways helps to wake upeverymorning listening to your favourite music.That’s what you canexpect in a smart city. The next generation ofcloud-based fuzzy logictech will play yourfavourite numbers to help you hum back to lifeevery morning. The roomtemperature will be setto deal with seasonalextremes, and even keepthe water boiled for yourday’s first hot cuppa

ADDING UP] No need to worryabout gas, power and telephonew con-nections if you are moving houses. Acentralised server will maintain allrecords based on citizens’ biometricinformation such as fingerprints, col-lating data of all family members

LIFE IN A SMART CITYCAN BE VERY DIFFERENT FROMPRESENT-DAYLIFESTYLES. TECHNOLOGY WILLPLAY MORE THAN ANENABLER, MAKINGMANY THINGS SEMI- OR FULLY AUTOMATED

ENERGY] A fully ‘intelligent’and ‘networked’ home implies thatelectrical systems are linked withelectronic gadgets such as TVs andrefrigerators. The solar-basedelectrical system ‘knows’ when to put the TV on standby mode as itmaintains a log of your timingsthat you are at home

LOW COSTS]As technologyacquisition costscollapse, and qualityis standardised, thefocus will shift primarilytowards output. An encrypted informa-tion highway ensures that the networkis fully secure. The virtual meetings,

conducted through these secure networks, enable output tar-

gets far higher than currentnorms. Overhead costs

will plummet as cafesand homes become

office spaces

NETWORKED]In a smart city, entrepreneurship eco-system, particularly forstart-ups, will be very friend-ly. Setting up a business will notrequire going through the rigmaroleof multiple procedures. Besides, scala-ble cloud computing will ensure that youuse and get only that much IT hardware infrastructure, software, database, serv-ers and other resources as you exactlyrequire

SECURE] In a smartcity set up, most of the

services and the informa-tion technology infrastructure

that a business needs is availableon the network. The critical bit is

that the network services are flexible. Cyber-security, therefore,

assumes a very important role. Theeco-system gives rise to a whole new

set of super-specialists in the fields ofanalytics and related areas

ON-TIME DELIVERY] Cloud computing is muchmore than data storage or scalability of network.Efficient technologies will also dramatically bringdown acquisition costs of software and applica-tions. For instance, if a conference is hurriedly con-vened with a partner at a faraway area, the virtualmeeting service can be easily organised regardless of the location in a secure network

ANYTIME ANYWHERE] A modern office ina smart city requires very little space. Everything is

on the cloud, literally. Database, servers, networks.Setting up an office is almost as simple as assemblinga makeshift canopy. With focus on mobility, the peoplethemselves use virtual offices as the need for infra-structure disappears

CUTTING WASTE] Factories that use large amounts of water take avariety of steps to save energy and improve efficiency. In a smart factoryoperation, using a turbine to generate power from the water used at afactory for things like cooling or air conditioning, or generating power at afood processing factory from biogas produced from organic waste. Forexample factory energy management systems (FEMSs) are used to iden-tify all the different forms of power consumption within the factory andperform centralised management in conjunction with the factory’s produc-tion plans to ensure that electric power is used efficiently

WHAT YOU SEE INSCI-FI MOVIES ISACTUALLY HAPPENING.VIRTUAL OFFICES HAVE BECOME THEORDER OF THE DAYAND BUSINESSES CAN

BE REGISTERED AT THE CLICK OF A

BUTTON

NO SILOS] In the fast evolving education sys-tem, it will be normal to take a break from college,become an apprentice,acquire skills and experi-ence, and then rejoin col-lege a few years later to finish an updated course.It will be possible to com-bine seemingly unrelatedcourses such as nuclearphysics and liberal arts

QUITE OFTEN WE HEAR STUDENTS AND PARENTS COMPLAINING OF LIMITED CHOICE INCOLLEGE COURSES. IN A SMART EDUCATION SYSTEM, THAT WILL BEADDRESSED WITH STUDENTS ALLOWED TO MIX STREAMS

SEAMLESS] One of the primary reasons that people hesi-tate to move cities is that it upsets children’s educationalprogress. Mid-session movement of schools is almost ano-no because of the lack of a consistent syllabi across thesystem. In a connected network of systems schools and col-leges follow fully standardised and identical curricula. Stu-dents’ information is available online in an integrated net-work. So, thanks to cloud computing, if a student is movingcities mid-session, the teacher in the new school is fullyaware about the strengths and weaknesses in both academ-ic and non-academic areas even before the actual enrolmenttakes place. Tablets, TVs, storage devices and cameras are must-haves in classrooms

VET] Vocational education and trainingor VET institutes will be realistic alter-natives to conventional universities. Amajor roadblock for youth enrolling invocational schools is the perceived lackof prestige and respectability. In a smarteducation system, vocational graduateswill emerge as the new role models

ON THE JOB] Students will spend upto half of their time working and earn-ing wages at companies; this will ruleout worries about a debt burden orabout having to remain unemployed fora long period of time after graduation.For the company this is a sure-fire wayto recruit and train skilled labour

ECO-FRIENDLY] Sustainability will bethe by-word in smart cities. The more fuelefficient the car is, the more it will fit intothe smart city system. With focus onstrict enforcement, violation of trafficrules and laws will attract hefty penalties.CO2 will be a dirty word on the roads ofsmart cities. Keeping the ignition on intraffic signals will not be allowed. Electricvehicle charging stations, similar to currentday petrol pumps will dot city roads withpollution control a dominant theme

NO JAMS] Time management isa big element in the smart city eco-system. Queuing up to tank upfuel while on way to work will rare-ly be seen as the eco-friendly elec-tric vehicle will probably be themost dominant mode of transport.

These cars rechargewhen people sleep.Equipped with powerfulnavigation units, thesevehicles also perform as

real time mobile kiosks giving info about office andhome. These cars relay alerts about vehicle move-ments and traffic congestion, although jams in asmart city will be few and far between

MULTI MODAL] In a smart citythe multiple modes of transportcomplement each other. The likeli-hood of a jam is anyway remote.Public and school buses, private cars,metro trains, and electric tramsoperate in tandem as part of a grandtransport network. Besides, a largenumber of pedestrian walkways andcycling lanes snake through everypart of the city.

Among other benefits, such a net-work also makes the transportationsystem more or less wether neutral.For instance, one may take the sub-way and hop on to the metro to reach school instead of taking thebus if it is raining to avoid gettinglate because of a likely congestion.On return from school, however, thestudent may opt to take the bus backhome. Digitally powered road signag-es that give information related to weather, congestions and parking space availability will also play a bigrole in integrated trafficmanagement

ONE OF THEBIGGEST DRAWBACKS OF CITY LIFE IS THEEXPLODING VEHICLE POPULATIONLEADING TO DELAYED MEETINGS ANDLATE ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOLS ANDCOLLEGES. A SMART CITY WILL PROBABLY BEABLE TO DEAL WITH IT WITH A PLANNED NETWORK OF VARIOUS MODES OF TRANSPORT

WHAT MAKES A CITY SMARTThema

rvels oftechnolo

gywill betwinnedwit

h strict adherence to rules tomake 21st-century urban living simpler andmore rewarding. HT takes a peep into the future

THE DIARY]Flipping throughdiary pages willbe passé. The‘intelligent’ TV, besides news, will also read out your per-sonal agenda: Your medical check-upappointment (if any), weather updates broken down to minute-level“now-casting”, and so on

10 |AN AGENDA


>>>>Life

styles t

hatbala

ncethe

needs of

the indiv

idualand o

f society

Lifestyl

es that

balance

theneed

s ofthe i

ndividual

and of soc

iety

>>>> Freedomto work w

hen and where you want

Freedomto work w

hen and where you want

>>>> Study options that suit individual needsStudy options that suit individual needs

>>>> Trouble-free transportation choices that suit the pattern of activity

Trouble-free transportation choices that suit the pattern of activity

+ -

HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHIFRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

India lives in its villages or, as Mahatma Gandhi said, India’s soul lives in its villages. In 2014, I believe we are questioningthat soul.

Today, India is caught somewhere between an overdevel-oped country and an underdeveloped one. On the one hand,we talk about high growth, while, on the other, millions stilldo not have access to basic facilities like electricity, cleanwater and sanitation.

If resolved, most issues can become the bricks of ahealthy society that is conducive for individuals to excel and live aproductive life.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked each Member ofParliament to adopt three villages and make themsmart by 2019. The aim is to make sure these vil-lages are connected to the Internet and have all thebasic necessities of a healthy life most of us take for granted. However, the aim should be to make much more than just smart villages.

India’s problems are not homogeneous innature. That is because its residents are scatteredacross numerous geographies and varied ecosys-tems. Issues can vary widely across different con-texts. For instance, urban populations would findit difficult to relate to the problems plaguing tribalpeople. Therefore, solutions will also vary depend-ing on the culture of the targeted segment, incomestreams and existing (or lack of) ecosystems.

One needs to be careful when defining a smart village to avoidcompartmentalising the concept in narrow confines. A village in itself cannot be self-sustaining and needs to be connected to itsecosystem, which, in turn, is defined by its connection to othervillages and external stakeholders. Knowing and understandingall connections is critical if one wants to create a holistic develop-ment model or a smart village.

Smart villages are where innovative, sustainable and replicable solutions for problems are conceived at the local level itself keep-ing in mind the existing ecosystem and stakeholders.

A village comprises multiple ecosystems. One set is individualswith different needs, varied skill sets and income streams. The other set is the local environment — dry, wet, tropical, etc. The third set could be connections to the outside world — from trans-portation to the Internet. The problems and solutions would varyfrom each stakeholder’s perspective and the connection one has tothe core village itself.

We need to create each village as a potential knowl-edge hub — an innovation centre. The key drivers ofthese solutions are the youth who should be providedwith the platform to be inventors, innovators, entrepre-neurs, implementers and thinkers.

For the youth to become disruptive change-makers, we have to provide necessary tools. There needs to bea paradigm shift in the rural education system andaccompanying ecosystem. The present ecosystemencourages rote-based learning with little margin for failure and encourages migration.

The following points outline a fundamental step for creating “smart youths”, the foundation stone for smart villages.

• Discover: When the need-assessment begins, there is a mecha-nism whereby stakeholder perspectives are taken into consid-eration to identify issues relevant to the community and to each target student group. Critical concerns affecting the communitycome to the fore.

• Understand: This will include estimating motivation andcomprehension levels of the target student group. Based on this, the knowledge delivery mechanism and relevant activities to sup-plement content will be determined. Simplification of knowledge processes and their relevance to context is the key to this part ofthe process.

• Local-global analogies: As is the case with any intervention,equipping students with additional informationis a must. This would include drawing analogiesof problems from other parts of the world as wellas ways in which they have been addressed. Byproviding evidence of similarities and differences, there is greater awareness and understanding ofhow the problems manifest in different parts ofthe world.

• Plan: Once motivation is built and exposure provided, the ideation process to plan possiblesolutions is undertaken. This ideation will beginwith discussions among student groups, where peer-to-peer interaction and brainstorming ses-sions allow them to explore various possibilitiesand options. The newly acquired knowledge, tech-

niques and discussions will spark innovation.• Build: Here, students are encouraged once again to engage

with stakeholders and village practitioners to determine the feasi-bility of their plan. While working on solutions, they take note ofvarious factors affecting the issues and attempt to address themin an integrated manner. Relevant experts within the village andoutside will mentor student groups to bring out more innovative solutions. Here, there will be a certain extent of inventiontaking place.

• Connect: Solutions coming out of the invention phase willhave the potential to be implemented on the ground. A sustain-ability lab or society created within the learning institute wouldbe an ideal space to incubate these solutions and see them throughto the next step. This lab will also serve as a live demonstrationspace and knowledge reservoir in the engagement and awarenessphases for the next batch of students with whom the intervention

is undertaken.The village can become self-reliant in finding solu-

tions if we provide avenues for the youth to becomeempowered to find solutions.

Many villages in India have a human developmentindex similar to some African, Latin American andSouth East Asian countries. Many problems that are prevalent in those geographies exist in different forms in our own country. By the same logic, many of thesolutions that come out from our smart villages andcommunities can become role model solutions for otherimprovised areas of the world, making India the knowl-edge or solution capital globally.

In the end, this is what smart villages should aimto become.

VIBRANT VILLAGES HARISH HANDE

SEEKING ANSWERS WITHIN

HARISH HANDEMD, SELCO India


AN AGENDA


FOR THE YOUTH TO BECOME DISRUPTIVE CHANGE-MAKERS, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE NECESSARY TOOLS. THERE NEEDS TO BE A PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND THE ACCOMPANYING ECOSYSTEM

Union road transport, highways and shippingminister Nitin Gadkari wants to turn around a flailing sector and make it a driver of econom-ic growth. Quoting former US president John F Kennedy, who said: “American roads are goodnot because American economy is good, but American economy is good because Americanroads are good”, the minister tells MoushumiDas Gupta how good transport infrastructure

and quick decision-making can put India on the fast laneto development. Edited excerpts from the interview:

Experts say India needs a more integrated approach to the transport sec-tor. Do you think there is a need for a more coherent policy involving the integration of the highways, railways and waterways sector?Yes, we need a paradigm shift. An integrated approach for overall infrastructure development, particularly transport infrastructure, including roads, railways and shipping,is required and we have already started doing that. Allinfrastructure ministries are meeting at regular intervalsunder my chairmanship for better coordination in intra-ministerial issues. This has resulted in faster clearancesand better coordination.

The government has estimated an investment of `60 lakh crore in the infrastructure sector during the 12th Five Year Plan, a major chunk of which will have to come from private players. What is it doing to ensureprivate investment?Investment in sectors like highways will have to increaseexponentially if we are to realise the true potential of theinfrastructure sector. The government alone cannot bringin all this investment. The private sector will have to play a major role. Unfortunately, in the past 10 years, private investors lost confidence in the highways sector because ofdelayed decision-making, problems in land acquisition andother regulatory clearances. When I took charge, more than180 projects worth more than `2.5 lakh crore were under dis-

pute. We gave the highest priority to resolving these disputesby bringing in dispute resolution mechanisms and fast-track-ing the decision-making process. We are also exploring thepossibility of cheaper finances available globally.

What is the government doing to address regulatory hurdles that are keeping investors away?We have decided we will not begin a project until mini-mum 80% of the land is acquired and all clearances are in place. We are also fast-tracking clearances stuck withministries like railways. Besides, we are developing a shelf of projects that can be undertaken atthe earliest. In this shelf, we are preparingmore than 500 projects for which detailedproject reports are being readied, and landacquisition and various other clearancesare being obtained.

You have said that your target is to ensure the highways and shipping sectors contribute 2% of India’s GDP two years from now. How do you plan to achieve this? Infrastructure is a driving force for eco-nomic development. Construction ofroads gives impetus to economic activity, which in turn, drives growth. We have anambitious target of building 30 km of roads per day in thehighways sector. Besides, we are planning to double thecapacity of our ports. We are giving emphasis to inlandwaterways, multi-model transport, connecting districtheadquarters with national highways and tourist circuits.

Building 30 km of highways per day is a tough ask. How will you achievethis ambitious target when there is such a tepid response from private developers?Delays and litigations have affected private sectorconfidence, but we are making all efforts to bring that

confidence back with specific policy interventions andfast decisions. Private developers are already showingrenewed interest and this confidence will grow. Thoughour target of building 30 km of roads per day is ambitious, I am sure we will be able to achieve it within two years.

Only 0.5% of India’s traffic moves through waterways compared to 20% in China. How does the government plan to harness the potential of our waterways?Waterways are the cheapest, safest and greenest ways oftransport. The cost of transport is only `0.50 per tonne/

km, whereas by road the cost of transport is `1.5 per tonne/km and by trains, it is`1 per tonne/km. We have already startedwork on National water way-1 betweenHaldia and Varanasi. A detailed plan ofover `4,500 crore is in the works for devel-oping the river Ganga for passengers andgoods transportation. We are also develop-ing terminals and river ports on the Ganga and Yamuna. Passenger terminals are being built at existing ports for cruise andferry operations. National Thermal Power Corporation is already using the Ganga for transporting coal from Haldiato Farakka.

India loses 1.5 lakh people to road accidents every year. What is the government doing about it? India has a total road length of 48 lakh km of which approximately one lakh km is national highways and 40%of the accidents take place on this stretch. We are makinga list of all accident-prone spots on each particular stretch and have so far identified 258 such stretches. We are alsocoming up with stringent norms that will bar people who do not have the required training and experience from get-ting driving licences.

ANAGENDA


DELAYS AND LITIGATIONS HAVE AFFECTED PRIVATE SECTOR CONFIDENCE, BUT WE ARE MAKING ALL EFFORTS TO BRING THAT CONFIDENCE BACK WITH SPECIFIC POLICY INTERVENTIONS AND FAST DECISIONS

NITIN GADKARI Transport minister

‘OUR TARGET IS TO BUILD 30 KM OF ROADS PER DAY’

13| HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHIFRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

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Water has defined the survival and growth of civi-lisations. Availability of water is and will con-tinue to be a major driving force for meeting thegrowth imperatives of any nation. At the sametime, for households, it would mean fulfilling thebasic needs of life.

India is facing a serious and persistent waterresource crisis due to the simultaneous effectsof agricultural growth, industrialisation and

urbanisation, coupled with declining surface and groundwaterquantity, intra and interstate water disputes, and inefficienciesin water-use practices.

The per capita availability of water fell to 1,545cubic metres in 2011 from 1,820 cubic metres in2001. Trends indicate by 2050, India will moveinto the category of a water-stressed economy. Astudy by the Water Resources Group predicts that in 2030, the gap between demand and availabil-ity of water in India will be 50%, with demandtouching 1,498 billion cubic metres and availabil-ity at a mere 744 billion cubic metres.

Most water sources are contaminated by sewageor industrial effluent discharge. A study by theCentral Pollution Control Board says about 38,000million litre of sewage is generated per day (inTier 1 and Tier 2 cities), although treatment capac-ity exists for only about 12,000 million litres.

Only 20% of domestic and 60% of industrial wastewater istreated; the rest is discharged without treatment. Groundwaterresources in vast tracts of India are contaminated with fluorideand arsenic. Fluoride problems exist in 150 districts in 17 statesin the country, with Odisha and Rajasthan being the most severe-ly affected. The presence of arsenic in the groundwater of theGangetic delta causes health risks to 35-70 million people in WestBengal, Bihar and Bangladesh.

The increase in water pollution has resulted in an increasein water-borne diseases that leads to loss of man days, in turn,affecting production. An Infrastructure Development FinanceCompany (IDFC) report states India loses 90 million days a yeardue to water-borne diseases with production losses and treat-ment costs of `6 billion.

Although the provision of water and sanitation has improvedin the past few years, it is still not satisfactory. As per the 2011census, around 31% of rural households and 71%of urban households in the country get tap water. However, this access to tap water does not ensure adequacy and equitable distribution. In India, around18% of households still have to fetch drinking waterfrom a source located more than half a kilometre awayin rural areas and 100 metres away in urban areas. The lack of municipal water supply has resulted in over-exploitation of groundwater through tube wells.

Providing safe drinking water to all in rural Indiais a challenging task. The Ministry of DrinkingWater and Sanitation has tried to meet this chal-lenge through the National Rural Drinking WaterProgramme that aims to provide every rural house-hold access to 70 litres of water per day within its

premises or at a horizontal or vertical distance of not more than50 metres by 2022.

The Ministry of Urban Development has also implemented theAccelerated Urban Water Supply Programme for small towns inIndia. However, one of the major challenges is to make peopleaware of the need to consume safe water.

There is renewed interest in building toilets as we look at thewater and sanitation programme announced by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi on Independence Day. The shame of being thehighest open defecating society in the world does not help ourimage. Worse still, the health hazards posed by this are wellknown as it contaminates water and adds to the risk of water-

borne diseases and diarrhoea.We need to ensure the government, NGOs and

corporates work together. The government needsto support civil society organisations involvedin increasing awareness and ensuring effectiveimplementation. An integrated campaign canresult in widespread information disseminationon the ways and means of preventing contamina-tion of water sources.

As an example, HSBC has partnered with threeglobally admired NGOs — Earthwatch, WaterAidand WWF — with a $100 million commitment todeliver water provision, protection, informationand education across the world during 2012-2017.All three NGOs have a significant presence in

India and are implementing large-scale programmes acrossseven states.

Earthwatch has commissioned long-term freshwater researchprojects at ecologically important urban water bodies that needto be conserved in the face of increasing pressure. HSBC employ-ees have been trained as Citizen Science Leaders (CSLs) andengaged in freshwater quality monitoring in these key urbanwater bodies across the country. CSLs are collecting data to helpscientists with research that will inform policy-making andurban water resource planning.

WaterAid is working with partner organisations to make commu-nities aware of their fundamental human right to safe water andsanitation. A total of 634 schools will benefit from the NGO’s workunder the HSBC Water Programme in India with potential propaga-tion of the programme values from schools to communities.

WWF India is doing exemplary work in Uttar Pradesh towardsconservation of the river Ganga. River conservation iscomplex and requires a multi-disciplinary, multi-stake-holder approach. WWF India’s Rivers for Life, Life for Rivers initiative envisions the Ganga and Ramganga as healthy river systems rich in bio-diversity, and aimsto provide long-term water security to communities, businesses and nature. It has effectively brought onboard government officials and citizens to make theprogramme a success.

The city of Moradabad has seen people taking oathas friends of the rivers Ganga and Ramganga. Notably, the city’s top public officials have led the programmewith WWF to set an example.

We need to create many more such partnerships if we want clean and pure water to become a reality for all.

SECURING WATER NAINA LAL KIDWAI

MAKING EVERY DROP COUNT

NAINA LAL KIDWAI Chair, FICCI WaterMission; ChairmanHSBC India

AN AGENDA


THE GOVERNMENT, NGOSAND CORPORATES MUST WORK TOGETHER. THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO SUPPORT CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED IN INCREASING AWARENESS AND ENSURING EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION


With 40% of India’s population expected tolive in cities by 2030, the country’s urbanlandscape is in need of major trans-formation. The Modi government hasannounced an ambitious programme todevelop 100 smart cities across India that will not only give world-class facilities toresidents but will also become the hub ofeconomic growth. But giving a makeover

to India’s cities will not be an easy task for M VenkaiahNaidu, India’s urban development and housing minister. Naidu shares his vision on transforming Indian citieswith Moushumi Das Gupta. Excerpts from the interview:

What will a typical smart city have? And how will it help improve the quality of life for city residents?To put it simply, a typical smart city should enable betterquality of urban life. It should enable a life experience that is much superior to what most of us have at the moment.What is the present experience in urban areas? Notenough water or electricity supply, garbage dumped allacross, filthy public conveniences, traffic jams after a driz-zle, no public places for recreation, poor drainage and sew-erage systems, growing slums and aspirations of migrantsnot being met are the hallmarks of urban life today. Asmart city should take life beyond these deficiencies. At a basic level, a smart city should provide 24x7 quality waterand power supply, easy mobility, quality and affordable health care and education, total sanitation and scope for renewal of the creative faculties of residents. Alongside, such cities should offer employment opportunities to theaspiring, including migrants.

What are the major challenges you foresee in making smart cities a reality?Major issues are men, minds and money. Present day urban governance in India is marked by some seriousdeficiencies. From maintaining land records to planning

for growing urbanisation and delivery of public goods andservices, there is a deficit of capacities and governance. So, we need quality manpower for planning and manage-ment of urban growth. There is a need for an entirely dif-ferent mindset among the urban leadership at the politicaland bureaucratic level. Money will come if we create theproper climate for it to flow. What is most important iscapacity-building and smart governance.

A concept note prepared by your ministry estimates that an annual investment of `35,000 crore will be required to develop the proposed smart cities. Where will this money come from? These figures are a conservative estimate. The actual investment needs would bemuch more in my view. This is certainly a challenge. We need to unleash the invest-ment potential available with individuals, institutions and international agen-cies. We need to take the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to a new level ofactualisation, learning from recent andpast experiences. The PPP mode shouldbe the first and preferred option for assetcreation, operation and maintenance ofurban utilities. State governments andurban local bodies need to gear up by lev-eraging various available means. Land is one huge assetin urban areas and this should be properly leveraged.

What role will information technology play in the making of smart cities?A smart city should deliver public and civic services tocitizens and businesses in an integrated and resource-efficient way while enabling innovative collaborations toimprove quality of life. This is where the role of IT comesin. It can be effectively used to reduce travel by providingonline platforms for making various payments, market-ing, information access etc. Technology can also be used

to know the status of traffic movement and managementthrough Intelligent Transport Systems, out-patient rushat any hospital etc.

The government has been studying smart city models across the world. Do you think they can be replicated in the Indian context?Broadly, urbanisation as a process has a similar path curve in all contexts. Various studies show that until the 30% level,the urbanisation rate is slow and picks up momentum there-after. With an about 31% urban population in India at themoment, we are at an inflection point. This is the moment

to be seized and prepare ourselves for anexponential growth in urbanisation. Wecan draw from the experiences of othersand leapfrog in properly addressing thechallenge of urbanisation. Since we have the benefit of various models like that ofSingapore, Barcelona, Seoul and Yokohama,we can evolve an India-specific model basedon the present challenges and desired goals.

Have cities been identified for the project? How many of them are going to be greenfield cities?The vision of Prime Minister NarendraModi is to develop 100 smart cities as satel-lite towns of larger cities by modernising

existing mid-sized cities. Experience shows that buildingentirely new cities is time-consuming and costly. Also, there is a need to convert emerging cities into smart cities, which is relatively easier and more practical. In the end,it has to be a mix of both greenfield and brownfieldprojects. No cities have so far been identified underthe smart cities initiative; but, broadly, we want to take up development of satellites to mega cities like Delhi,Mumbai and Chennai, some cities with a population of1-4 million and cities that are important from the point ofview of tourism and economic potential.

ANAGENDA


STUDIES SHOW THAT UNTIL THE 30% LEVEL, THE URBANISATION RATE IS SLOW AND PICKS UP MOMENTUM THEREAFTER.WITH AN ABOUT 31% URBAN POPULATION IN INDIA AT THE MOMENT, WE ARE AT AN INFLECTION POINT

VENKAIAH NAIDU Urban development minister

‘A SMART CITY SHOULD ENABLE BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE’

15| HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHIFRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

Imagine a blackout that stretches three consecutive days,stopping everything in its tracks from essential services like hospitals, to transport lifelines like Delhi Metro, to routineactivities like warming homes or heating water. Not to men-tion factories and industries.

Power packs a powerful punch in our lives and it is thedriving force that can propel our nation into a truly modern,smart India because this sector contributes 1.8% to GDP andfacilitates development across the spectrum — manufactur-

ing, agriculture, commercial enterprises and railways.But to make power the pillar on which India’s development push

can stand, the country needs to start from scratch: expand its elec-tricity-generation capacity, build smart grids toreduce the demand-supply gap to zero and pursuemuch-needed reforms in right earnest.

For the country’s GDP to grow at 8-9%, thepower sector needs to grow at 12-13% becausethere is a direct link between development andaccess to electricity.

It is heartening to see the urgency with which the current government is working towardsaddressing challenges faced by this crucial sector.

The country’s development story can be writtenonly if there is reliable 24x7 power supply — notan unachievable target if the government is will-ing to make large investments. InternationalEnergy Agency (IEA) projections say about $1,631billion cumulative investment will be required in the power sectorvalue chain from 2011-2035.

The power sector is poised at a crucial stage as it is expectedto meet the growing challenges of the future. But for every pen-nyworth of power produced in India, the country loses many pennies to an outdated supply grid — the weakest in the world.Coupled with flaws such as a poorly planned distribution network,overloading of system components, lack of reactive power sup-port and regulation services, and low metering efficiency and billcollection, the supply chain is on the brink of a massive collapse. Increasing share of renewable power is making the grid more unstable.

To avoid that happening, maintaining grid stability is crucial.Herein are opportunities to build smart grids that can support overall development of the sector. The benefits from smart gridsare not just better meter readings but reduction in equipment fail-ure, superior supply quality and greater use of renew-able energy.

It takes societal cost-benefit analysis, beyond return of investment calculations, to justify the use of a smart grid. The government has come up with a roadmap,constituted by the India Smart Grid Task Force (ISGTF)in alignment with the Restructured-Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP).This acts as the basic building block for smart grids inurban areas across the country and it can be effectivelyleveraged to transform into smarter grids with low incremental costs.

The programme will help utilise R-APDRP assets in a better way. At present, 14 pilot projects have been identi-fied that are in various stages of implementation and

more are in the pipeline — lined up for the coming years.To accelerate development and satiate people’s power needs,

smart grids are going to be the new energy vision because any increase in per capita electricity consumption has a 90% correla-tion with increasing per capita GDP.

Uninterrupted and affordable power can be backbone for all-inclusive growth since it will help uplift every section of society, especially low-income households who spend a chunk of theirenergy and resources on fuel sourcing.

Once this burden is removed from citizens belonging to econom-ically weaker sections, they can focus more on income-generatingopportunities.

The all-encompassing power of power is bestillustrated by a UNDP report which says access toelectricity increases maternal and child lifespanby over 60%. Again, not to mention power’s power to boost the literacy rate, skill-development, manu-facturing and agriculture!

Access to dependable and reliable power supply is essential to ensure digital connectivity — some-thing that a nation striving to be smart cannot dowithout.

All said and done, a smart grid will leadnowhere if electricity generation is not rampedup. Energy and demand trends indicate India willremain heavily dependent on coal-fired power plants, which doesn’t augur well for a country

facing a slowdown in domestic coal production. The country hasalso become more reliant on coal imports, a commodity that hasrecently experienced unprecedented price rise.

To take growth plans out of the confines of a boardroom, theneed of the hour is to attract substantial private investment inthe power sector. Announcements made in the Union budget onenergy security offer hope that holistic measures will be takenup to make power plants sustainable, including those running onexpensive imported coal.

The challenge is to solve the crisis over shortage of fuelrequired to turn the turbines. There are problems of archaic min-ing technology, undeveloped mines, pending approval for new mines, litigation over forest destruction by open-cast mining andinadequate number of coal washeries. More than these, India’s coal and natural gas reserves are depleting. Given the scenario, it will be prudent to adopt procedures to augment mechanical

efficiency in tandem with judicious use of available resources.

The government was aware of the ticking power bomb and tried to reverse the back count by proposing a network of ultra mega power projects (UMPPs) to boostelectricity generation. But, of the 16 UMPPs planned,only one in Mundra run by Tata Power is generating4,000MW with coal imported from Indonesia.

It is the most energy-efficient, coal-based thermalpower plant in the country.

Unfortunately, that’s the only one we have despite thefocus on smart initiatives. The key, then, lies in retiringplants that have completed more than 30 years of serv-ice, build UMPPs and link them to a smart grid. “Light”the nation and see it grow.

PROMISE OF POWER ANIL SARDANA

BUILDING A BACKBONE

ANIL SARDANAMD & CEO, Tata Power


AN AGENDA


INCREASING ELECTRICITYCONSUMPTION HAS A90% CORRELATION WITHINCREASING GDP. ONCETHE BURDEN OF FUELSOURCING IS REMOVED, LOW INCOME GROUPCITIZENS CAN FOCUS ONINCOME-GENERATINGOPPORTUNITIES

ANAGENDA


Hafeez Contractor is one of modern India’s mostaccomplished and well-known architects. Hespoke to Hindustan Times on a range of issueson the government’s new smart cities project.Excerpts:

What are your views about the government’s plans todevelop 100 smart cities in India?First of all, this is the first time at the level of

the Prime Minister that the political system has shownthe will that it wants to do something for the cities. It isan extremely important initiative and shows that the gov-ernment is trying to understand the need to prepare for rapid urbanisation. There is ample evidence in world his-tory to show that under-prepared urbanisation can hurt economies badly. Currently, 30% of India’s populationlives in cities and towns. This will go up to 60% in thenext 10-15 years. History has shown that in every countryit takes years for the proportion of urban population toreach 30% of the total, but the jump from 30% to 60% isvery rapid.

Will it be possible to create new cities like Chandigarh or New Delhi?I don’t think it will be possible create another set ofnew cities similar to Chandigarh or New Delhi. There has to be a new typology of construction. The new typology has to think in terms of lakhs of square feetwithin a small plot of land. This is very different fromthe typology of a `ground plus two floor’ concept. Each building has to be a new town. The days of a 10,000-acre town or cities are as good as over for the simple reasonthat there is no land available for it. For the sake of build-ing cities, we cannot indiscriminately keep on gobblingfarmland. Such an approach will destroy the environ-ment because it will eventually lead to gobbling up offorest land. We have to find places to build new cities that will not face any acquisition problems. Importantly, cit-ies will have to come up in areas where there is amplewater. There is no need to create a ring road across 30,000hectares of land encircling a city. For building new cities, it is about time to set the tone on what we see in sciencefiction movies.

What should be the structure of these smart cities?The Prime Minister talking about building 100 smart cit-ies is a great move. Having said that, we need to keep onething in mind: cities anyway would have been flooded bytransitional population for employment, better incomeand a better standard of living. So, the government andpolicy-makers first need to decide whether these 100 smart cities will be separate cities or appendages to existing cit-ies. In my view, making these cities as appendages to exist-ing large cities will be more easily implementable, andalso liveable and palatable.

What are the fundamental issues that need to be addressed in buildingthese smart cities?As I said, to begin with, the smart citiesshould be appendages to existing cities, and not absolutely new cities that are located far away from existing large cities. A smart city, or any city for that matter, should be environmentally-friendly, offeremployment opportunities, be attractivefor living, have palatable housing prices, and should be are powered with properinfrastructure such as roads, waterand power.

Can our cities take this influx?That is the core question. Are our citiesequipped to take the flood of people? Clearly not, if thecurrent situation persists. First and foremost, our urbanbylaws need a complete overhaul. Most cities in India, for instance, do not have density laws that clearly define thenumber of dwelling units that can be built within a par-ticular area. The biggest fallacy in our approach to townplanning is that people who are moving from villages tocities will be able to stay in a house of about 300-350 sq ft.

What are your views about the industrial corridors such as the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor? Do you think the smart cities will locatearound these corridors?I don’t think the industrial corridors can turn out to bethe main hubs for creating new cities. At the cost of rep-

etition, let me again say that completely new cities willnot be like ‘cities’. We have seen from experience, both inIndia and overseas, that industrial townships take decadesto stabilise and become well-functioning cities. Building a city is just not about building residential blocks and dwell-ing units. A well-functioning city should offer sustain-able and growth-oriented job and career opportunities. Itshould have appropriate infrastructure such as schoolsand colleges that also offer higher educational opportuni-ties. Besides, there are other social infrastructure issuesthat need to be taken care of. For instance, a city shouldhave sufficient infrastructure for funerals and cremations. There should be hospitals and other healthcare facilitiesthat are of a certain standard. There should be sports,

recreational and entertainment facilities. Most of these services are private indus-try-led initiatives. Unless the corridorsare located within a 10-30 km radius of an existing city, such infrastructure will bedifficult to build in the new towns in a sus-tainable manner.

What are the kinds of urban pricing pressures that you foresee in our cities?The biggest problem is the kind of pric-ing that everyone is talking about. Given the current pricing trends, the people who move in from villages to cities will not

be able to afford these prices. How many of these hous-ing units will be affordable for people, is a question that town-planners and policy makers will have to address on a priority basis. The rising price of land clearly is one of themajor constraints in development of new cities. When I goto a village, I can start building a house with even bricksand mud. To build a house in a village is relatively veryeasy and cheap. The cost of infrastructure is virtually zero. For instance, unlike cities building civic infrastruc-ture such as drainage and sewers in villages do not involve high capital costs. However, creating new houses, which are far smaller in size, in cities will cost manifold becauseof a variety of reasons such as land cost and the cost ofbuilding infrastructure.

SMART CITIES SHOULD BE APPENDAGES TO EXISTING CITIES, AND NOT ABSOLUTELY NEW CITIES THAT ARE LOCATED FAR AWAY FROM EXISTING LARGE CITIES

HAFEEZ CONTRACTOR Architect

‘IT’LL NOT BE POSSIBLE TO CREATE ANOTHER DELHI’

RK PACHAURI Chairperson, IPCC

Dr RK Pachauri, co-chair of the 2007 Nobelwinning Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC), is a votary for adopting cleantechnologies and renewable energy for low-carbon growth. The director general of TheEnergy and Resources Institute tells ChetanChauhan what making a smart city entails, how cleaning the Ganga could set the tonefor cleaning other rivers in

the country and how renewable energy could grow exponentially in India. Editedexcerpts from the interview:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has outlined a series of initiatives to bring change in the country from smart cities to Clean Ganga to Swachh Bharat. Will these initiatives help in making a new India? All these are important elements to devel-op the country. However, it is also impor-tant to fully understand the concept andcontent of what a smart city should be. I think a programme towards creatingsmart cities would give us unique oppor-tunities to make our cities sustainable, resilient to climatechange and sensitive to the needs of those who are at thebottom end of the income and wealth ladder. The cleaningof the Ganga could be an important forerunner of clean-ing up other rivers in the country. As for Swachh Bharat,India has really become a disgrace even compared to coun-tries with lower income levels. We need to bring about a total change in mindsets.

What should the government do to introduce smart public transport in

cities reeling under increasing air pollution?I believe smart public transport options would require creation of appropriate capacity in our local governmentbodies, because even if they enter into public-private partnerships they have to be capable of selecting themost appropriate public transport systems in our townsand cities. Quite apart from the harmful levels of airpollution in almost all our cities, traffic congestion,

shortage of road space and high levels ofaccidents require a change in the mode ofurban transportation and a level of disci-pline that is currently missing. Perhapsthe Prime Minister could launch a trafficdiscipline campaign throughout the coun-try because here again much poorer coun-tries are far better off than our country.

What steps should the government take to make our cities smarter and more liveable?All stakeholders, including businesses andindustry as well as civil society, shouldget involved in such an effort. Cities canbecome smarter and more liveable only if

the public has a sense of pride and feels responsible for their development.

As co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), you have been a proponent of renewable energy. How can India har-ness the benefits in this sector?As IPCC chair, I am not expected to be a proponent ofany form of energy. However, as its recently concludedFifth Assessment Report clearly shows, if we are to limitrise in temperatures by the end of this century to 20

degrees centigrade, then by 2050 we would have to bringabout a 40%-70% reduction of greenhouse gas emissionsrelative to 2010 levels. If we wish to do that, renewable energy would certainly be a major option. India has a large potential for development of renewable energy, andwith a responsive policy framework, it could grow signifi-cantly.

How will Prime Minister Modi’s initiatives help in mitigating the ill effects of climate change?Prime Minister Modi, when he was chief minister ofGujarat, showed appreciation of the need to develop cleanand renewable sources of energy. He has also authored a book on climate change. Also, the new government hasexpanded the role of the earlier ministry of environmentand forests by explicitly adding “climate change” to definethe portfolio of the new ministry.

What would you advise the Prime Minister to do to redefine the Indian growth and environment-sustainability story? My advice to the Prime Minister would be to look at theoverwhelming scientific reality of climate change. Indiais clearly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and if we need to adapt to them, we should embrace a low-carbon growth strategy. That way, we would also beharnessing the benefits of higher levels of energy secu-rity, lower levels of air pollution at the local level, higheragricultural productivity, protection of ecosystems andpossibly higher levels of employment.

The Supreme Court recently said the government’s Clean Ganga plan will take 200 years to implement. Your take on it? In the 1960s, a large number of rivers in the developedworld were terribly polluted and toxicity levels were seri-ously high. All of these were cleaned up within 15-20 years.

Why can we not clean up the Ganga in this country? This would require a huge amount of dedication and an approach that goes beyond government action, which should ensure the involvement of communities, industri-al units and all stakeholders in the vicinity of the river.I believe we are capable of cleaning up the Ganga, and it would be tragic if we do not achieve this in 10 years.

MY ADVICE TO THE PMWOULD BE TO LOOK AT THE SCIENTIFIC REALITYOF CLIMATE CHANGE. INDIA IS CLEARLY VULNERABLE TO THEIMPACTS OF CLIMATECHANGE AND WE SHOULD EMBRACE A LOW-CARBONGROWTH STRATEGY

‘CITIES CAN BE SMARTER ONLY IFPUBLIC HAS A SENSE OF PRIDE’

17|HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHIFRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014

About a decade ago, a buzzword started appearingamongst city planners, bureaucrats, and politicians — the promise of a utopia called smart cities. A decadelater, the promise has remained largely that. Cities stillgroan under grossly inadequate infrastructure. Ourmetros swallow millions of man-years, fuel and qualityof life each year. Increasing crime, pollution, disparityamongst classes and, quite simply, the levels of brutal-ity in our cities prompt the question whether our cities

are getting smarter or stupider? Countless committees and citizenbodies extol the virtues of smart cities and lament the inability ofour governments to deliver — largely to no avail.

The establishment, on its part, continues to dowhat it does best — announce schemes, executescattered development projects, dig up more square feet than it builds and, even in this cen-tury, somehow manage to be a country that sendsspacecraft to Mars but cannot build roads that lasteven one monsoon. And while usual excuses like corruption, political agendas, apathy, etc, can beparaded, perhaps it’s time to go back to the basicsto discern how cities were built in the first place.

Every major civilisation emerged on the banksof rivers — stands to logic as the fundamentals nec-essary to support any community had to includewater, drainage, sunlight and ventilation. But italso had another pre-requisite — the ability of thecommunity to agree on some basic synergies to enable the city togrow and flourish. At a fundamental level, such synergy wouldnot permit upstream homes’ drainage to flow into drinking watersources of houses downstream. Similar synergies were determinedfor design even within the house. Some portions had to be brightly lit to promote hygiene and prevent diseases while others had to bedark and cool to store food. These rules, often laced with doses ofdivinity to ensure compliance, were the earliest forms of city syner-gies or, as we now know it, Nagar Vaastu or simply Vaastu.

Those tenets offer inspiration while designing the smart citiesof the future — finding a core purpose and developing synergiesaround it. And rather than talking about this in abstract terms, let’s take the concrete opportunity staring us in the face.

Indian defence requirements are pegged to cross $80 billion overthe next decade or so. This makes India one of the largest buyersof defence hardware, software and intellectual property in theforeseeable future. Defence procurement regulationsmandate an offset policy, which, simply put, requiresan overseas seller to procure or manufacture up to 50%of the equipment indigenously. This means that Indianindustries have an opportunity to absorb up to $40 bil-lion of defence and allied manufacturing dollars and, ofcourse, the services that accompany such quantum ofinvestments.

The story gets better because of four reasons.Defence manufacturing is at the top of the pyramid

when it comes to technological prowess. Most high-end technologies we use in our daily lives were eitherinvented or mass-produced for defence purposes. X-ray,sonar, telegraph, aviation, navigation, flight-control sys-tems, computers and, yes, even the ubiquitous Internet,

owe their invention and maturity to defence.So, if Indian manufacturing industries climb the pinnacle of

this pyramid, its downstream applications in areas of electron-ics, metallurgy, high-precision engineering, and a host of otherhigh-end manufacturing will leapfrog India’s IP, skill-building andcompetency journey by decades. For instance, any industry that can produce a fighter aircraft can easily branch off into civilianaircraft manufacturing or their servicing. We can achieve ouraspirations of becoming a global superpower not just by militaryself-reliance, but by also building a super-strong economy in theprocess. And that’s where the second reason kicks in.

One of India’s strengths is the plenitude of relatively cheaperintellectual calibre of blue and white collar jobs. With ample coastlines, located on oceanic high-ways and plenty of natural resources, Indianmanufacturing costs can be lower by up to half of its Western counterparts. This means that any for-eign company bidding for an Indian weapons plat-form becomes globally competitive in its pricing ifit bases its manufacturing lines in India.

Thirdly, our existing industrial and defencemanufacturing capabilities are strung along themid-India belt. Starting from the west coast ofGujarat, the swathe encompassing Maharashtra,Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal to theeastern coast is home to over half of our indus-trial and defence production units. So, if India

could plan and stud its future defence industries along this belt, itwill leverage existing synergies, pool its talent, create educationalinstitutions, lower logistics costs and exploit natural movementcorridors, thus becoming efficient and cost-effective.

The last and most pressing reason for considering this strategi-cally purposeful plan is a looming security crisis that hasn’t beenaddressed meaningfully so far. One of India’s major demographicstrengths is also its Achilles’ heel. We have one of the youngestpopulations in the world. Our societies disgorge over a millionyoung aspirants every month, most of them grossly ill-equipped tofind employment matching their aspirations.

That is where defence manufacturing can become a gamechanger. Almost as if by design, the mid-India belt is also a majorcatchment area for India’s largest security threat — the Maoists. Asthe defence and allied industries begin to kick-start, they will start a suction effect that will soak out unutilised and idle capacity —

which is what the Maoists bank on for their cadres.But, to achieve this, our nation’s planners must start

thinking strategically. Smart cities are not simply citiesthat have high-bandwidth Internet, CCTV surveillanceor broader roads. Instead, they are potential enginesto jump-start India’s quest for her rightful place on theglobal stage.

Therefore, if this $40-billion opportunity is to beleveraged, all key stakeholders — the central and stategovernments, respective ministries, policymakers, industries, industry bodies and concerned PSUs — must have the vision to craft and leverage the synergiesof our core purpose. Else, despite having all the build-ing blocks, our bad Vaastu will fritter away a paradigm-shift opportunity.

DEFENCE DIVIDEND RAGHU RAMAN

SITTING ATOP THE PYRAMID

RAGHU RAMANFormer CEO ofthe NationalIntelligence Grid


AN AGENDA


WITH AMPLE COASTLINES, LOCATED ON OCEANIC HIGHWAYS AND PLENTY OF NATURAL RESOURCES, INDIAN MANUFACTURING COSTS CAN BE LOWER BY UP TO HALF OF ITS WESTERN COUNTERPARTS

Documents

The Making of a Smart India