In a bid to improve Smart City Mission services in Chennai, residents have been requested to start giving feedback on Smart City projects across the city. Over the past few months, the Chennai Corporation and other line agencies have implemented smart city projects such as the Pedestrian Plaza in T. Nagar, the bicycle-sharing system and a parking management system.
On Monday, the Chennai Corporation is organising its first meeting of the City-Level Advisory Forum for Smart City projects. Representatives of residents’ associations and other stakeholders will participate in the meeting to discuss all aspects of the smart projects and will also compile a list of civic issues caused by such projects.
Representatives are also planning to suggest a portal to receive feedback from residents who have faced challenges in smart city projects implemented across the city. Residents who called the Corporation helpline 1913 complained that they are not able to get information on services relating to Smart City projects, as the personnel said the helpline would receive only complaints. This response violates the original idea of the Corporation to make 1913 provide all civic information to the public.
Even after the implementation of the Pedestrian Plaza project, the civic agencies are yet to put in place a system to organise events that attract visitors, strengthening the ‘commercial theme’ of the Pedestrian Plaza in T. Nagar. Similarly, residents who want to know about the benefits of smart poles in their neighbourhood are also unable to get information on such smart city facilities.
