India names 20 locations in $7.5bn ‘smart city’ drive
The capital New Delhi is one to be given a makeover
India has named 20 urban locations that are to be given a ‘smart city’ makeover as part of a $7.5 billion infrastructure improvement drive.
The cities, which include the capital New Delhi, will see better power, water, sanitation and transport services, Reuters reported.
The other cities are: Bhubaneswar, Pune, Jaipur, Surat, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Jabalpur, Visakhapatnam, Solapur, Davanagere, Indore, Coimbatore, Kakinada, Belgaum, Udaipur, Guwahati, Chennai, Ludhiana and Bhopal.
The ‘smart’ aspects include better internet connectivity, online government services, and more efficient management of urban operations.
India plans to create 100 smart cities by 2022, in a bid to improve its creaking urban infrastructure. Many of India’s cities lack basic amenities and are among the most polluted in the world, according to the World Health Organisation.
