NEW DELHI/SHIMLA: The Smart Cities Mission (SCM), launched in 2015, aims to modernize India's urban spaces.

Over 91% of projects have been completed, with ₹1.47 lakh crore invested in the mission across India.  This was revealed today  in Parliament

The government portrays it as a transformative initiative for sustainable and inclusive urban development. It is indeed a great achievement as it has improved urban infrastructure in the cities under mission.

Cities That Are Excelling Under the Smart Cities Mission.

Some cities have set benchmarks with innovative approaches and efficient governance.

Indore, for instance, has become a model city for solid waste management, introducing 24/7 waste segregation and integrating informal waste pickers into its system.

Surat stands out for its Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), which uses real-time data to address urban challenges like traffic management and disaster response.

Similarly, Pune has excelled in public transport, water supply, and citizen engagement, ensuring timely and transparent implementation of projects.

Bhubaneswar, known for its inclusive urban planning, has created sustainable public spaces that cater to diverse communities.

These cities reflect how strong local governance and active citizen participation can transform urban living.

Cities Falling Behind in the Smart Cities Mission

On the other hand, several cities have struggled to implement the mission effectively.

Shimla is grappling with unregulated construction on fragile slopes, causing landslides and water shortages. 

RERA Authority in Shimla has become a property dealer rather than a regulatory body allowing mushrooming of 8 to 19 stories concrete monsters in places like Nal Dehra,  rapping hillscape like never before in connivance with politicians. They have given a free run to an influential property dealer from Punjab, based  in Shimla, with his skyscrapers dwarfing and strangulating the two storied houses of  poor villagers.

The city elites mainly bureaucrats have turned Sarog near Mashobra in Shimla into their fiefdom. 

In Shimla Narrow roads, with no alternative transport and parking  solutions, have worsened congestion compounded by lakh of tourists  

Dehradun faces similar issues, with poor waste management and shrinking green cover, highlighting weak administrative capacity.

Agra has been plagued by delays in project execution and low citizen participation, while Patna struggles with inadequate public transport and poor inter-departmental coordination.

These cities illustrate how inefficient local governance and lack of accountability can undermine the mission's goals, leaving residents with unfulfilled promises of better urban living.

However, in ecologically sensitive Himalayan cities like Shimla and Dehradun, the reality is more complex.

Himalayan Cities: From Smart to Concrete Clusters

The mission's implementation in cities like Shimla and Dehradun often contradicts its sustainability goals. These regions have unique topographies and fragile ecosystems that demand tailored solutions.

Instead, rapid urbanization has turned these cities into dense concrete zones. Narrow roads, already overburdened with traffic, remain the only transport lifeline.

Projects like Intelligent Transport Management Systems (ITMS) improve monitoring but fail to address physical infrastructure limitations.

Concretization has also increased landslide risks, destabilizing already fragile hillsides.

Environmental Costs of Urban Growth

The SCM emphasizes retrofitting and greenfield projects for development. However, cities like Shimla and Dehradun face significant environmental costs. Natural water bodies have been altered or replaced by artificial reservoirs. This has disrupted ecosystems and water availability.

While RFID-enabled waste management systems are operational, they fail to address rising waste generation from unplanned urban sprawl.

In Shimla, for example, garbage piling up in tourist seasons highlights gaps in sustainable waste management. No exact data on waste is available in most hill cities. 

Inclusivity: An Uneven Picture

Projects like smart classrooms and digital libraries show progress.

In Shimla, smart classrooms have enhanced learning, while Dehradun benefits from improved public safety systems, yet traffic mess and plastic crisis in monsoons expose it all. 

However, access to these facilities is often limited to urban hubs, leaving growing urban  rural sprawls excluded.

In Himalayan regions with poor internet connectivity, digital initiatives often fail to reach marginalized populations. Many areas/ wards  remain untouched by the mission’s benefits.

Surveillance vs. Privacy

Over 84,000 CCTV cameras have been installed across India’s smart cities. Shimla and Dehradun are no exception, where surveillance has helped improve safety.

However, it raises concerns about privacy and data misuse. Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs) monitor activities, but their data handling lacks transparency. Second most cameras don't work. 

Development Disparity

The Area-Based Development (ABD) model focuses investments on selected city pockets.

In cities like Dehradun, this has created development islands, leaving many urban and peri-urban areas neglected. This approach contradicts the mission's promise of inclusivity and balanced growth.

Himalayan Challenges and Limited Success

The mission’s response to challenges like COVID-19 has been innovative. Campaigns like ‘Cycles4Change’ and ‘Streets4People’ promote active living in many smartcities in India.

However, in cities like Shimla, these initiatives remain as good as  non starter. A lack of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and alternative transport options continues to hinder broader implementation.

Solutions for Himalayan Smart Cities

The Smart Cities Mission must adopt region-specific solutions for Himalayan cities:

1. Customized Urban Planning: Cities like Shimla and Dehradun need disaster-resilient and eco-friendly infrastructure.

Alternatives like cable cars or ropeways can reduce reliance on narrow roads. These are in pipeline over the years, but states have yet to start work.

2. Balanced Growth: Development must extend beyond the ABD model to benefit underserved areas in both cities.

3. Environmental Focus: Projects should prioritize restoring ecosystems and reducing concretization. Shimla’s water supply and traffic mess  issues and Dehradun’s green cover loss and traffic mess  need urgent attention.

4. Community Engagement: Citizen participation should be more than consultations. Residents of Shimla and Dehradun must have a stronger voice in project planning and execution.

5. Privacy Safeguards: Surveillance measures need clear data protection policies to ensure citizen privacy.

Smart Cities or Mismanaged Urbanization?

The Smart Cities Mission paints a rosy picture of progress. However, its execution in Himalayan cities like Shimla and Dehradun often falls short of its promises. 

While technology-driven solutions have improved some aspects, the lack of ecological sensitivity, balanced growth, and inclusivity remains a concern.

To truly transform cities, the mission must address these gaps. Smart cities should balance development with environmental protection and social equity.

The municipalities must learn from the cities which have done well.

They must conduct exposure visits of councilors to these cities. But the hill cities have its physical and ecological limits and need to strike the right balance. 

Without this balance, cities risk becoming "smart" in name but unsustainable in practice.