My views/opinion of a Smart City
- Part 1 -

Dr L Rajen Singh *

Bird eye view of Imphal Valley as seen from top of Cheiraoching in August 2014 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

It is the responsibility of all citizens of our society to make Imphal a smart city. Since the suggestions are sought from citizens here are my views/opinion of a smart city.

1) Expansion of city: - The making of smart city should not be limited to only at the heart of Imphal. The development/construction should reach to all periphery, hills and hillocks of nearby /surrounding Imphal. Authority should make a composite plan to accommodate all surrounding hills such as Langol hill and Nongmaijing hill.

2) Cultivable land: - Areas of agricultural land specially paddy field should not be utilized for any Govt. construction purpose. Since the valleys are the main source of agriculture products and maximum efforts should be put to preserve all cultivable land. The efforts should be made to extent smart city to surrounding hills of Imphal. As we all realized the increase of population and overcrowding at valley day by day, the area/size of land is not increasing and if not taken proper steps to preserve all cultivable land it is quite surescarcities will increase day by day which finally make the emaciation of the people. We all must put best efforts to utilize our available cultivable land to maximum for cultivation. The society which is not self-sufficient cannot be a smart.

3) Road connectivity and condition of road:-The present road connectivity and its condition cannot be graded as good. Roads are the arteries of the city/place. As we all know if any artery is block in heart, the consequence is heart attack simply death of heart muscle and if the road connectivity are not properly planned and not in good condition the city will be shrunken city instead of smart city. There is requirement of making a ring road which can connect maximum localities of city. Since the responsibility of making smart city lies to all citizens apart from government and the mantainence of quality control of any development works (especially road, bridge and building construction) are very much essential and the responsibility lies to allthe citizens of our society.

4) Foot path:- Proper and good foot path should be made available to public. No encroachment of foot path neither on ground nor in space by displaying of sell items/ making foot steps should be allowed in Imphal city at any cost. The foot paths exclusively belong to public. As we all noticed in Imphal city almost all the shops are displaying their items on foot-path or making their shop foot-steps on foot-path which is causing inconvenience to public life. The making of proper and broad foot path and its well maintenance is one of the good steps to make smart city. The making of convenient and comfort to other is a self comfort.

5) Cleanliness of road and city areas:- Good thinking, well behave and cleanliness is essential qualities of human being as such maintenance of cleanliness of city area and city roads are one of most important part of making a smart city. It is responsible for all the citizens to keep the city area and roads neat and clean. Proper removable dustbins should be kept at proper places and proper utilization and timely cleaning/ changing of dustbin by authority should be adhered. No shopkeeper/ residents should be allowed to throw their garbage at road side and fix responsibility to any defaulter.

6) Traffic System: -Without good and disciplined traffic system in the city, the city cannot be a smart city. All citizens are required to have good knowledge of traffic rules and self discipline. At the same time all the traffic police personnel should be given proper training. To have a better traffic system the following points are required to function in excellent manner.

a) There is requirement of well planned and proper traffic light control system and it should function round the clock.

b) Marking of proper zebra crossing to all turnings/ crossings to facilitate crossing the road by pedestrians. All vehicles should stop well ahead of zebra crossing when red light is on that specific road and green light is on for Zebra crossing and the strict application is required to be implemented and fine penalty to any defaulter.

c) No vehicle should allow stopping at and around the turning/ crossing and mantainence of bus stand away from the turning/ crossing.

7) Systematic plan of fly over at all important turning/ crossing: - To manage/ control traffic congestion/ jammed there is requirement of well plan fly over at all important turnings so that all vehicles coming towards turning should ply on one way to their destination.

8) Discipline and good policing:- All police cadre should have proper training from time to time as they have the major responsibility to maintain law and order. They have to be a strict, discipline, sincere and good mannered person. The public quite often have been noticing/ facing rough attitude of police personnel due to lack of proper training. Hence the concern authority must consider in priority to train police personnel for betterment of our society and making a smart city.

9) Placing of CC camera: - There are requirement of fixing CC camera at selected locations in city area to check any unlawful activity and it should be monitored by both police and civil societies.

10) Parking site: - Well plan and proper parking site should be designed and make available to public. It should not be allowed parking at unauthorized site and parking in haphazard manner. Any defaulter should be fined penalty and pay to government judiciously. At the same time it is also suggested that all private nursing home/ hospital and private shopping complexes should have parking site inside their premier for their customer and staffs to prevent any inconvenient cause to public. Authority should strictly prohibit opening such business centre without having parking site in their premier.

To be continued...