TODAY -

My idea of Imphal as a Smart City

Rajendra Kshetri *

 Bird eye view of Imphal Valley as seen from top of Cheiraoching :: August 29 2014
Bird eye view of Imphal Valley as seen from top of Cheiraoching in August 2014 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam



Prelude:

The idea of developing and/or upgrading the existing cities as smart cities is the talk of the country, not excepting Manipur. Indeed, much has been said, suggested and written and will continue in the days ahead vis-a-vis development/up gradation of Imphal city into a smart city.

As someone born and brought up in Imphal ( who loves Imphal as much as you do) coupled with some little exposures to other cities (national and international), I would like to share with my fellow-Manipuris, particularly the town/city planners, some of my random thoughts concerning issues involved in making Imphal city a smart city.

My premise:

The essence of an ideal and attractive city is not about tall buildings, fly-over's and multi- lane- streets, desirable though they are.

My basic premise(s) for a model city(read smart) is therefore to treat the five letter word SMART as acronym for Sanitation, maintenance, amenities, recreation and traffic. These five elementary elements namely sanitation, maintenance, amenities, recreation and traffic (SMART) are, to me, at the core of transforming a city into a smart city. A sine qua non. A few words about each one of them will drive home my points.

Sanitation:

In the literal sense of the term, it means measures which are necessary for improving, promoting and protecting health and well being of the people. When we talk about sanitation, we are referring to those conditions relating to public health, especially the provision of clean drinking portable water and adequate sewage disposal. In other words, sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of wastes as well as the treatment and proper disposal of sewage or wastewater.

Health hazards can be either physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agents of disease. It is this notional understanding of sanitation that leads me to come up with more than a couple of questions regarding the sanitary conditions of Imphal city. Firstly, do Imphalites have access to clean drinking potable water?

Secondly, do we have adequate measures for sewage disposal? Thirdly, and more importantly, how hygienic is our Imphal city? How many sanitation trucks do we have? And how many of them are functional and put into tasks? How many sanitation workers are employed? More importantly, how many of them are made to perform their assigned duties?

A random visit to any place/area in and around the city anytime of the month let alone a survey, is all that one needs to do.

Maintenance:

"Buying a car is easy but maintaining it is not". So goes the popular saying and it holds true in the case of city maintenance too. It is not that Imphal city does not have minimum infrastructures required for a city. It is not that the city does not have parks, swimming pools, gymnasium, monuments of historical importance, stadia, museums, archives, theatres, educational and commercial institutes, hospitals, clinics and laboratories.

What Imphal lacks is proper maintenance of the existing structures. Imphal city may perhaps be one of the worst capital cities of the country in terms of maintenance record.

No doubt, managing a city's maintenance operation can be complicated and challenging. But it should not mean that the town planners and the policy makers shy away from giving the much needed attention to maintenance services. The creation of Maintenance Service Division in the Imphal Municipal Council could be a starter.

Amenities:

Imphal is one city in the country that provides very poor quality in terms of basic and other urban amenities. Whether it is 'good urban parks', 'access to nature',' clean air', 'good roads', 'drinking water', 'good traffic', 'diverse population',' public toilets', Imphal lags far behind other cities of the country. Take any one of these amenities and you will notice how terribly Imphal have failed.

Unless and until these amenities are taken care of and considerably improved and improvised, the very idea of transforming Imphal into a smart city will be nothing short of far-fetched idea. It will be akin to putting the cart before the horse.

Recreation:

City dwellers need 'leisure-life' in the form of taking part in activities for pleasure, relaxation, fun, enjoyments, entertainment, amusement when they are not working. 'Leisure-life' is important because it reflects the values and character of a city. Leisure in fact is considered a human right under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This is where the importance of recreation centred in the making of a city comes in the picture.

Imphal is not without recreation centres and therefore not totally devoid of leisure life. But most of the recreation centres in and around Imphal are outdated and archaic in nature and style. They naturally failed to attract city customers. There is therefore an urgent need to not only improve and provide state of the art facilities to the existing centres but to create more public spaces such as parks, reading centres, rock-climbing walls.

They are essential avenues for many recreational activities. Of late, tourism has recognised that many visitors are specifically attracted by recreational offerings. The state government should take active role in the creation, maintenance, organisation of recreational related business centres as they are important factors in the economy.

Traffic:

As more people move to the edge of towns and cities coupled with the increasing number of vehicle users, traffic congestion is bound to take place. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. The traffic congestion in the heart of Imphal city during peak hours presents a dismal scenario of traffic movement.

Vehicles of all sizes, heavy, medium and light including bicycles, rickshaws and auto rickshaws cut in, drive in, move in to any available space showing scant respect to traffic rules and regulations. The increasing instances of traffic violations by VIP vehicles make a mess of traffic flow in the city. This has caused serious problems and inconveniences to the pedestrians as the city hardly have any pedestrian-only streets or lanes.

A case in point is the ever-increasing traffic congestion in and around Khwairamband bazaar. A living nightmare. Town planners and city fathers of Imphal city must initiate some concerted plan/efforts to ease out the traffic jam, to disperse crowd so as to bring well-regulated traffic flow with a long term perspective ( as against the existing trial and error piece-meal measures).

Making cognisable offense with heavy fines for parking on footpaths; no parking zone/space in the market area; demarcation of bicycles tracks/lanes; creation of more bypass routes could be considered as kick-starters for Imphal Decongestion Plan.

End-note:

This random thoughts of a sociologists is not to be construed as opposition to transforming Imphal into a smart city. My humble submission here is that the basic requirements and amenities of a city in terms of sanitation, maintenance, amenities, recreation and traffic (SMART)should be provided first before digitising , e-servicing and e-governing the city. A smart city without SMART would only remain as a moribund city. I don't want my Imphal city to lie in a moribund state. Do you?

I may as well and my submission with a line from Italo Calvino, the Cuban born Italian journalist/writer: "you take delight not in a city's seven or seventy wonders, but in the answer it gives to a question of yours".


* Rajendra Kshetri wrote this article for The Sangai Express
The writer is Professor of Sociology, Manipur University and can be reached at aardhikshetri(AT)gmail(doT)com
This article was posted on December 29, 2015.


* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.




LATEST IN E-PAO.NET
  • Scientist of Manipur: R K Brojen Singh
  • Violence in Manipur 2023-2024 : Timeline
  • Brief sketch on General Balaram Sougaijamba
  • Non-violent for peaceful, mutual co-existence
  • Homeless person ..alcoholism & defeated TB
  • Cancer on rise among young adults
  • Defending, fighting for Idea of Manipur
  • From partiality to complicity
  • Bike Rally - Sekmai to Kangla : Gallery
  • 'Modi must announce finality of Naga pacts'
  • Gliding over Brahmaputra
  • Question leaks cause stress among student
  • Home remedies for prickly heat
  • After IIT, AIIMS it is now IIM
  • Stealing spotlight from Manipur crisis
  • Tarpon chaklen katpa @ Andro #2 : Gallery
  • Strongly condemns violence in Jiribam
  • Lessons from outcome of LS election
  • Tumcho releases "Goodness of God"
  • Right diagnostic for antimicrobial resistance
  • 12th June is World Day against Child Labour
  • Hands of geo-politics ?
  • The row over NEET-2014
  • 2nd Annual Art Exhibition #1 : Gallery
  • Chilli Chicken: Film Spotlighting NE in B'lore
  • Committee of Narcotics Anonymous - Imphal
  • The Power of Meditation
  • Oceans as a career choice
  • Getting more and more audacious
  • A test of leadership
  • Education Fair @Imphal #2 : Gallery
  • Gifting two seats to Cong
  • Voters empowered democracy
  • Postcards from Meghalaya premieres
  • Milk : Essential nutrient for a healthy body
  • Failing in competitive exam not end of world
  • Delhi : A mere spectator
  • Abandoning Jiribam
  • Birth Centenary of Jananeta Irabat, 1996 : #5
  • Ima Keithel flood- May 30 #2 : Gallery
  • Mainstream in Shoes of Alternative
  • Protect the medicines that protect us
  • Lets take action for our land & our future
  • Democracy and independent media
  • Agenda at work to shut Western Gate
  • Keeping Manipur on the boil
  • Descent of Radha-Krishna #34: Download
  • The Enigmatic Journey of 'Laikhutshangbi'
  • Individual and the Social
  • An Ardent Appeal to All Concerns
  • Condemnation of Attack & Govt Inaction
  • The Power of Poppy - 34 :: Poem
  • Scientist of Manipur: Laishram Shanta
  • Alien fishes spotted in Manipur's rivers
  • Training on mushroom at Langthabal
  • Digital avatars or deepfakes ?
  • 7th June is the World Food Safety Day
  • How to prepare for UPSC after 10th ?
  • The Jiri violence
  • Beginning of a new vote culture ?
  • Bimol Akoijam (Cong) wins Inner PC : Gallery
  • BJP, NPF & other NDA pay heavy price
  • Nature is one of greatest blessings of God
  • Plantation drive in Tripura, Assam & Manipur
  • Summer beauty
  • Environment conservation & over-exploitation
  • Is Modi cut out for leading a coalition ?
  • 'Ishanou' Selection @ Cannes #2: Gallery
  • Scholarship for Johnstone Hr Sec students
  • 1st foundation day of Interfaith Forum
  • World Environment Day: Our land, our future
  • Indonesia stronger anti-tobacco measures
  • Navigating a fragile Myanmar: India's policy
  • New breed entering electoral politics
  • The road to formation of new govt
  • International Dance Day #1 : Gallery
  • Matchbox marketing mantra
  • Stop harming nature :: Poem
  • Saving for oneself & the Nation
  • Model United Nations (MUN) conducted
  • Tobacco: Threat to health & environment
  • Candidate from ruling party biting the dust
  • The verdict
  • Birth Centenary of Jananeta Irabat, 1996 : #4
  • Imphal valley districts flooded #3 : Gallery
  • Navigating Remal amidst Manipur conflict
  • We are #GenerationRestoration
  • Intl Day of Innocent Children Victims
  • Apparel Industry Skills & Innovation CoE
  • What's in a cyclone's name ?
  • Ongoing clash, the floods, the losses
  • Exit poll predictions
  • Descent of Radha-Krishna #33: Download
  • Evading flood & rethinking urbanization
  • Manipur Flood: Health Advisory
  • Onus on civil bodies to ensure NNPG unity
  • Rats also cause flood
  • Benefits of JEE Main mock tests
  • People have spoken, now the results
  • The fury of Remal
  • Ima Keithel flood- May 30 #1 : Gallery
  • The flood in our Stars
  • The Power of Poppy - 33 :: Poem
  • 'Group of people misrepresented themselves'
  • EV industry and career options
  • Scientist of Manipur: Chandrakant Aribam
  • Candy flavoured traps to hook next Gen
  • Commemorate Naga Plesbicite Day 1951 #2
  • Tobacco affects health & environment too
  • Jio extend validity for Customer in Manipur
  • Students must learn about AI irrespective
  • As vote count day approaches : Floods
  • Imphal valley districts flooded #2 : Gallery
  • Flooded : Sacrifice of Yairipok's Maiden
  • World No Tobacco Day 2024
  • Chandam Rishikanta wins NPC Nat'l C'ship
  • Flood: Helpline numbers for emergency
  • Battling body odour ?
  • Floods : Not entirely natural phenomena
  • PM Modi's purpose
  • Imphal valley districts flooded #1 : Gallery
  • June Calendar for Year 2024 : Tools
  • Flood: Control Rooms & Helpline numbers
  • Economic impact of ongoing conflict
  • Army Recruitment Rally for Manipur
  • Cut deficit, boom likely
  • Are Gods angry ? Wake up call for Manipur
  • Beating of the Retreat #2 : Gallery
  • We did Overcome: Mayhem of Month of May
  • Training on mushroom at Potshagbam
  • Famous female Mathematicians in India
  • Disinformation campaign thengnare
  • Human trafficking puts humanity to shame
  • Sky opens up in all its fury
  • Licypriya meets Italy PM & Pope Francis
  • HSLC (Class X) 2024 : Full Result
  • HSLC 2024 : Important Info & Grading System
  • HSLC 2024 : Pass % : Private Schools
  • HSLC 2024 : Pass % : Aided Schools
  • HSLC 2024 : Pass % : Govt Schools
  • HSLC 2024 : Statistical Abstract
  • HSLC 2024 : Comparative Statement
  • Combined Defence Services Exam 2024
  • Good show in Class X exams
  • Downplaying the crisis
  • Birth Centenary of Jananeta Irabat, 1996 : #3
  • Reviving Lamphelpat : Conservation : Gallery
  • Commemorate Naga Plesbicite Day 1951 #1
  • "ST status for Meetei" at Hojai
  • The Power of Poppy - 32 :: Poem
  • Insights from CUET-UG Counselling
  • International Day for Biological Diversity
  • Unseen force at work: Time to unravel it
  • Sheikh Hasina's revelation
  • The Vanishing Meitei Tribe
  • Building career in defence & strategic study
  • Why example of model code of conduct ?
  • Ownership of responsibility
  • Will pressure mount on key players in NE
  • How to save your foot after an accident
  • Children Camp @JNMDA Imphal #3 : Gallery
  • Education Fair @Imphal #1 : Gallery
  • Project Associate @ CSE, Assam Univ
  • Understanding schizophrenia
  • Advancement in Multi Objective Optimization
  • When will women in voter list increase ?
  • Making 2 plus 2 is equal to 5
  • Changing face of drug menace
  • Scientist of Manipur: Jayanta Manoharmayum
  • 25 yrs since Atal Vajpayee visit to RIMS
  • 4 Lakhs donated to support (L) Maipak Family
  • Clarification: Guwahati Meet on Humanitarian
  • Start UPSC prep after 12th for success
  • Tips to avoid melting makeup in summer
  • Giving a big solid push to ST demand
  • Time to come clean
  • Sajibu Cheiraoba: 1 occasion, 2 narratives #3
  • Khongjom Day @Khebaching #2 : Gallery
  • A year of hostilities
  • Licypriya Kangujam to travel to Italy
  • Declining moral standards in public life
  • Healthy democracy with independent media
  • Why endangered species matter to us
  • Significant Guwahati meeting : 1st visible step
  • The Pallel story
  • Aftermath of ferocious hailstorm #2 : Gallery
  • Ukhrul: Climate change grip on water supply
  • Commemoration of World Eld's Deer Day
  • Indo-Naga Talks (From 2012) :: Timeline
  • "ST status for Meetei" at Hiyanglam
  • Dance of democracy, a miracle in making !
  • Learn to look 10/20/30 years hence
  • The zero FIR, zero lesson
  • 'Ishanou' Selection @ Cannes #1: Gallery
  • MOU signed: MTI-HUB & KIIT-TBI & SAbF
  • Lament of the Mourning Choir :: Poem
  • "ST status for Meetei" at Wabagai
  • RSS-BJP fracas
  • Trials for Canoe Slalom World Cup
  • Poser from a villager says it all Kamjong
  • The cover-up effort
  • Birth Centenary of Jananeta Irabat, 1996 : #2
  • Manipuri women in the arena of politics
  • "ST status for Meetei" at Assam
  • Aimee Baruah at red carpet of Cannes
  • National Defence Academy Exam 2024
  • How digital media changed communications
  • Manipur stands scandalised
  • All eyes on UP battle
  • Descent of Radha-Krishna #32: Download
  • Riots to a shrine- Ram Mandir of Ayodhya
  • Handle with care. F.R.I.E.N.D.S inside!
  • The Power of Poppy - 31 :: Poem
  • Celebrate the journey !
  • Career counselling : A life guidance tool
  • Scientist of Manipur: Amom Ruhikanta
  • Preserving Thang-Ta :: Rare Photos
  • Regarding Human Rights Situation in Manipur
  • Malemnganbi Laishram : Science Topper
  • Featured Front Page Photo 2024 #2: Gallery
  • Thokchom Sheityajit : Arts Topper
  • Aiena Naorem : Commerce Topper
  • AISSE 2024 Exam Result- RKM Imphal
  • Gold, new world currency !
  • Milk for hair and skin
  • Of illegal immigrants & the larger picture
  • The missive from Kamjong
  • Hr Secondary Exam 2024 : Science Topper
  • HSE 2024 : Subject Pass Percentage
  • HSE 2024 : District Pass Percentage
  • HSE 2024 : Candidates with Highest Marks
  • Hr Secondary Exam 2024: Science Full Result
  • Hr Secondary Exam 2024: Arts Full Result
  • Hr Secondary Exam 2024: Commerce Result
  • Hr Secondary Exam 2024 : Arts Topper
  • Hr Secondary Exam 2024 : Commerce Topper
  • World Bamboo Congress @Taiwan : Gallery
  • Aftermath of ferocious hailstorm #1 : Gallery
  • Radio E-pao: Manipuri Film OST (130+ song)
  • Cheirao-chingkaba @ Chinga : Gallery
  • Nupi Landa Thaunaphabishing : Full Book
  • A ferocious hailstorm @Imphal : Gallery
  • '365 Days of Chin-Kuki Aggression' : Gallery
  • Athoubasingi Numit #2 : Gallery
  • National Science Teacher workshop
  • Sajibu Cheiraoba Chak Katpa #2 : Gallery
  • Scientists of Manipur : Ngangkham Nimai
  • Kenedy Khuman (Singer) : Gallery
  • GHOST of PEACE :: Download Booklet
  • List of Kings of Manipur: 33 - 1984 AD