Following the recent visit of architectural and technical experts from Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) for the joint technical session to review the key projects identified under the Smart City proposal, Puducherry Smart City Corporation Development Ltd. (PSCDL) has started preparing a Working Week Report for three key projects aimed at their implementation. The three projects are Grand Canal Rejuvenation Project, Water Front Development and a dedicated Public Transport Corridor.
The French team comprising Raphael Gastebois, an architect specialising in urban development; Sebastien Rolland, urban planner from Urbalyon (Lyon Metropolitan Area Urban Planning Department) specialising in territorial strategy; Claire Boisset, urban planner; Coralie Marti, urban development expert specialising in tourism development and heritage conservation; and Adrien Faugere, project management specialist from Espelia, visited Dubraypet and Solai Nagar and the Grand Canal to understand the context and objectives of the Smart City proposal.
Last month, the team held discussions with Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and officials from the PSCDL.
Quick implementation
According to P. Jawahar, Secretary to Local Administration department, “The team held discussions with officials from PSCDL and other stakeholders on the scope of the Smart City projects, with a consistent structure. The brainstorming sessions included identification of stakeholders and how they would be influencing implementation of the projects, risk matrix and mitigation measures and identification of key implementation phases and milestones.”
The team would be preparing a Working Week Report for the three projects to move towards implementing them. A participatory approach with citizen consultation as a key mechanism was envisaged by the AFD experts. The Working Week Report would be readied in 10 days, Mr. Jawahar added.
PSCDL along with other stakeholders would define the projects as a whole, identify its components and to understand how the components in the projects interact to synergise them.The Smart City proposal comprises a number of projects that combine components of pan city (non-motorised transportation, integrated command and development centre) and area-based development such as tourism, housing, water supply, sewerage, sanitation, solid waste, electrical, IT connectivity, and transportation.
