The response to the Chennai Corporation’s invitation to offer suggestions on smartening up Chennai has not been smart enough; with the respondents offering solutions to mundane civic issues and missing the point of this online exercise altogether.
With the deadline for the Smart City Challenge, which seeks to involve residents in the creation of smart urban solutions for Chennai, close at hand — October 15 — only 862 residents have responded online. What is disappointing is that many of them have not offered the right suggestions.
On Monday, one resident posted: “Let the Corporation do garbage collection between 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. This will avoid pungent smell. Garbage vehicles obstructing traffic could be avoided. Easy pick up and disposal of garbage saves time.”
Another posted: “Digging of road is another big issue. Corporation lays very good roads and immediately after that, the road is dug for some reason or the other. Is there any way to stop this? I don’t see such thing happening in other countries. If we avoid this happening, roads will become much better.”
With just three days left for the smart city challenge, Chennai Corporation officials have intervened to get the exercise back on track. They have requested residents to offer suggestions that are in keeping with the subject.
“Young IT professionals, students and experienced professionals do not seem to have responded. They should find some time to visit the Chennai Corporation website to post suggestions for the smart city,” said an official.
Residents may post their opinion and ideas on civic services such as transport, parking, water supply, sanitation, energy, housing, IT solutions, health, education, safety and security.
Residents’ views, opinion and solutions on urban issues would increase Chennai’s chances of making it to the shortlist of the first 20 cities in the country to implement smart city solutions in the first phase.
October 15 is the last date for submission of comments online atwww.chennaicorproation.
gov.in.
Respondents are offering solutions to mundane civic issues and missing the point of this online exercise
