Smart Planner

Now there is one more reason to visit the pink city of Jaipur. The tourist hot-spot is being primed to become a ´smart city,´ much to the delight of its residents and the 40 million tourists it attracts annually. The man behind the ambitious smart city project is Shikhar Agarwal, Commissioner, Jaipur Development Authority (JDA). For the citywide project, eight zones have been selected to deploy and pilot four applications of smart cities in tourist locations, metro stations, bus stands, hospitals, parks and government hospitals. To turn this dream project into a reality, JDA along with Cisco, is drawing up a blueprint that is expected to complete soon. The first phase of the project is set to start from the 25 hectare Central Park, which is located in the heart of the city. Plans are afoot to set up a digital infrastructure that would offer citizens amenities, including connected transport, interactive kiosks, wireless broadband, safety and security services, traffic management and environmental updates. Taking over the reins at JDA last year from the previous position he held as Director General (employment and training), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Agarwal has put immense effort to turn around the fortunes of the debt ridden JDA. When the plans turn fruitful, it would be an interesting melange of erstwhile Rajput charm juxtaposed with cutting edge technological innovation. With an eye on the prize, Jaipur - a smart city, Agarwal is ready to broaden the city´s horizons.