The city of Silvassa has set its vision for a smart city as “a vibrant growth centre that offers an optimal balance between industrial prosperity and quality of life, while promoting its rich tribal heritage”. Charmie Parekh, CEO, Silvassa Smart City, shares an update on its progress.

Pace of progress

Silvassa is a round-four city. So, unlike other cities, it started quite late. But we have had the benefit of learning from other cities. In that regard, we have moved quite fast but the pandemic definitely slowed us down a little. It has set back projects that were to start two years ago.

Upcoming tenders and projects

The big-ticket projects would be the Integrated Command and Control Centre(ICCC) and the integrated project of the road, sewerage and water supply for the entire 67 km within the Silvassa Municipal Council. Apart from that, we are also looking at the bioremediation of a couple of rivers and nalas that pass through Silvassa.

Dream project

My dream project would be to bring land records on blockchain. As such, blockchain is a very nascent technology. Thus, we are still looking for someone who can develop a pilot for this project.

Biggest achievement and challenge in the Smart Cities Mission

The biggest achievement is not just the civil infrastructure but the change in the mindset, bringing about sustainable and healthy solutions along with smart mobility. The challenges have been in implementing the brownfield projects because people have higher expectations when it comes to roads, water supply and sewerage. That is where we, as administrators, face difficulty in listening to the needs of the citizens and delivering projects in a timely manner.