Bhubaneswar, Nov. 7: The city has got yet another feather to add to its already embellished cap. It has been selected as one of the finalists to compete for an award at the World Smart City Expo to be held in Barcelona from November 15 to 17.
Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL), the special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed to execute the coveted project, had been asked by the Union urban development ministry in September to submit a proposal highlighting the initiatives it proposed to achieve. On the basis of this, the city was shortlisted for participation in the Barcelona expo.
In Barcelona, BSCL executives will make a presentation based on their proposal before the jury who will adjudicate the participants. The jury will consider the presentations before naming the winner on November 16.
Municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar told The Telegraph that they had submitted the proposal to participate in the world expo as asked by the ministry of urban development. "We have submitted the proposal and are now among the finalists vying for an award at the expo, " said Kumar.
The proposal contains components such as transforming Bhubaneswar into a transit-oriented city with a compact urban form that promotes active, connected and sustainable mobility choices, into a liveable city providing a diverse range of housing, educational and recreational opportunities while enhancing its heritage, arts and traditional communities.
It further aims to convert the city into a child-friendly one providing accessible, safe, inclusive and vibrant public places. Another important aspect of the proposal is to make the city eco-friendly by nurturing a resilient, clean, green, and healthy environment.
One of the major components of the Bhubaneswar smart city project is the Bhubaneswar Town Centre District, which will be developed over 786 acres of land from Bapuji Nagar to Satya Nagar. The administration's plan includes developing four housing complexes and a multi-modal railway station hub.
"The proposal was more or less the same as the one we had submitted during the smart city challenge in the country in which we got the top slot. However, we have made it more attractive by making a brief presentation of our plans to convert Bhubaneswar into a smart city with involvement of all sections of the society. We are optimistic about the results," said an official of the BSCL.
The Barcelona City Council, which has been organising the smart city expo since 2011, will present awards in three categories - City Award, Project Award and Innovative Global South Award. Chief executive of the BSCL Vineel Krishna said Bhubaneswarhas been selected as a finalist in the Innovative Global South category at World Smart City Expo in Barcelona.
The jury for the Global South Award will consider the innovative ideas of the participating cities regarding pressing global challenges. "Any city should consider the basic needs of all categories of people. The city administration here had taken inputs from everyone while preparing the proposal last year. I think this makes the city's ideas different. I wish them all the best for the competition," said environmentalist Sailabala Padhi.
Saheed Nagar resident Uday Sahoo said it was indeed a proud matter for the city and its people to be selected to participate in such a big international expo.
"Bhubaneswar is transforming rapidly. The people are getting smart and making demands that need to be addressed," said Uday, an IT engineer.
