The road connecting the Delhi airport to Connaught Place could soon become the first ‘smart road’ of the Capital if the suggestions made by the Urban Development Ministry is implemented.
Apart from making the airport-Connaught Place road a ‘world-class experience’, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has also asked the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to make Connaught Place and Khan Market ‘no-vehicle’ zones through necessary planning for traffic management, parking and last-mile connectivity.
He also suggested setting up of digital screens at all major locations in the New Delhi area to continuously display information on weather, traffic flow and pollution among others.
Mr. Naidu on Wednesday asked the NDMC to implement these suggestions after reviewing the progress of the Smart City Plan being implemented by the municipal agency. He gave a set of directions for making a radical difference to the look and feel of the NDMC area so that it could act as an example for other smart cities in the making, a Ministry spokesperson said.
Going smart
Expressing concern over the poor maintenance, look and feel of the route from airport to Connaught Place, Mr. Naidu directed the NDMC and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to undertake necessary interventions to make this section a smart road with all necessary features like pathways and landscaping all along the road. He stressed the need for provision of quality pedestrian pathways and non-motorised transport infrastructure.
He also said that all roads in the NDMC areas should be made smart with smart poles, smart bus stops, smart parking, pedestrian crossings, pedestrian and cycle pathways, CCTV cameras, LED lighting, 3D Zebra crossings and steel furniture. He also suggested introduction of electric vehicles for the benefit of children, elderly and differently-abled persons, the spokesperson said.
Information on traffic flow, including jams, suggested traffic diversions, weather, pollution and other public information needs to be disseminated on a continuous basis through FM and Community Radio, he said, adding that whole NDMC area should be provided with Wi-Fi support.
The Minister also said that NDMC shall ensure a visible impact of smart city development by June next year and the whole smart city plan, approved with an estimated investment of Rs.1,900 crore, should be implemented by June 2018.
NDMC Chairman Naresh Kumar said in the meeting that smart city projects worth Rs.650 crore are already under implementation and work on the remaining would start in the next few months, the spokesperson said. He further said that a few projects have already been completed and about 25 projects would be completed by June next year.
Road connecting IGI to Connaught Place could soon become the first ‘smart road’ of the Capital
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