HUA Ministry Focussed On Metro Expansion, Safety, Affordable Housing

03 Jan 2025 CW Team

The expansion of the metro rail network, installation of 84,000 CCTV cameras, development of over 700 km of cycle tracks, and construction of 88 lakh houses in cities were key focus areas for the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry in 2024. Besides, the ministry launched several initiatives under the Smart Cities Mission (SCS), Swachh Bharat Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) -- flagship programs of the Narendra Modi government. As of November 15, 13 out of 100 smart cities have successfully completed all their projects, while 48 cities have achieved over 90 per cent completion. Over 84,000 CCTV surveillance cameras have been installed, and 713 km of cycle tracks have been developed across the 100 smart cities so far. According to the ministry, 23 smart cities have completed more than 75 per cent of their projects, and 714 ongoing projects, totalling Rs 173.03 billion, are currently in the implementation phase. The ministry also said that 17,026 km of the water supply systems are being monitored through the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Additionally, over 66 cities are utilising technology to enhance their solid waste management operations. Furthermore, more than 9,433 smart classrooms and 41 digital libraries have been established. The ministry also developed 172 e-health centres and clinics, and installed 152 health ATMs, an official in the ministry said. He said that SCM has created replicable models in the 100 smart cities which can act as "lighthouses" for other aspiring cities of the country including "area- based development" smart cities solution (pan city features) projects. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, another flagship program of the government, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) has remediated two major dumpsites in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, addressing approximately 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste since June 9, 2024. Additionally, a waste-to-energy plant with a capacity of 1,000 metric tonnes per day and 15 megawatts, valued at Rs 3.75 billion, was inaugurated in Gujarat's Piplaj on November 1.

The expansion of the metro rail network, installation of 84,000 CCTV cameras, development of over 700 km of cycle tracks, and construction of 88 lakh houses in cities were key focus areas for the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry in 2024. Besides, the ministry launched several initiatives under the Smart Cities Mission (SCS), Swachh Bharat Mission and the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) -- flagship programs of the Narendra Modi government. As of November 15, 13 out of 100 smart cities have successfully completed all their projects, while 48 cities have achieved over 90 per cent completion. Over 84,000 CCTV surveillance cameras have been installed, and 713 km of cycle tracks have been developed across the 100 smart cities so far. According to the ministry, 23 smart cities have completed more than 75 per cent of their projects, and 714 ongoing projects, totalling Rs 173.03 billion, are currently in the implementation phase. The ministry also said that 17,026 km of the water supply systems are being monitored through the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Additionally, over 66 cities are utilising technology to enhance their solid waste management operations. Furthermore, more than 9,433 smart classrooms and 41 digital libraries have been established. The ministry also developed 172 e-health centres and clinics, and installed 152 health ATMs, an official in the ministry said. He said that SCM has created replicable models in the 100 smart cities which can act as lighthouses for other aspiring cities of the country including area- based development smart cities solution (pan city features) projects. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, another flagship program of the government, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) has remediated two major dumpsites in Ahmedabad and Hyderabad, addressing approximately 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste since June 9, 2024. Additionally, a waste-to-energy plant with a capacity of 1,000 metric tonnes per day and 15 megawatts, valued at Rs 3.75 billion, was inaugurated in Gujarat's Piplaj on November 1.

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