Just over 70 years ago, we had a dream. The dream of nation which we could call our own primarily because it was quite literally our own. Over the years since, the dream has filled down into a reality that we have learnt to accept and adapt to. Truth is quite far from what our dream was but being as tolerant and resilient as we are and have always been, we chose to or rather just had to move on.
Just over a couple of years ago, we were encouraged to dream again. We were officially handed down the dream of a SMART BELAGAVI. It was a moment of great pride for the citizens in the region since our city had made it to the first list of places that were officially destined to undergo a transformation. There were signature campaigns and online polls collecting information about what we thought would we smart and all of us assumed that it was a smart thing to happen to us.
Just a couple of years down the line and were are still stuck in figuring out what smartness is. The rainfall this year has been deficient to say the least but it has been good enough to serve as a litmus test for the concept of ‘SMART’.
The potholes on the roads are back to their ancient glory, the auto meters are still down, the filth in certain areas is assuming mammoth proportions, the traffic woes continue with a reckless flaunting of rules by every person involved and the infrastructural work continues at snail pace, drainage water seeping into the water supply, increasing cases of violence and crime, especially the drug menace, the epidemic of mosquito borne diseases which is back with a vengeance; everything seems to be just getting back to what it always used to be if not worse.
This piece is not just for the blame game but then actually, I guess none of us know what it is for. If it reaches the authorities, it will be brushed aside as another series of complaints by an insignificant individual.
SMART CITY, what concept is this? Will it ever see the light of the day. Is it fact or just another piece of Fiction that keeps us hopeful amidst hopelessness for a while longer.
Smart city concept neither embraces improvement in quality of life of citizens nor burning issues like facilitating parking areas, smooth traffic movement, autos running as per meters, motorable roads and health and higine of people. Without achieving these important parameters, smart concept has no meaning.