Gujarat CM lauds Smart Cities Mission, renewable energy
SMART CITIES

Gujarat CM lauds Smart Cities Mission, renewable energy

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Smart City Mission, saying that the implementation of key developmental projects would greatly benefit the people of the state. Surat, Gujarat, is getting a facelift as part of the Smart City Mission, with key projects like the GD Goenka Canal Road, the ICCC Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC), and DREAM City. 

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organized a three-day tour of several development projects in Surat, the city that has been ranked first in the implementation of Smart Cities Projects for three consecutive years, from April 16 to 18.

The delegates, who reviewed several development projects, stated that the Gujarat governance model is replicable and that the country should learn from it. "In the state, there is a high demand for electricity and water." We are converting to renewable energy and hope to keep it that way. Our attention is also drawn to the water facility, which is critical for both the general public and businesses. 

"We are attempting to maximize the benefits through AMRUT Sarovar as well," said CM Bhupendra Patel. "Right now, renewable energy accounts for 33% of total energy requirements, and by 2029, we hope to increase that to 50%," he said.

The CM also stated that the state is moving toward organic farming. "We are heading towards organic farming. Soil health is also important which is being degraded due to the use of excessive fertilisers. It will initially yield more but eventually, with the loss of carbon in the soil the production will be reduced," said Patel.

In response to crop losses caused by unseasonal rain, he stated, "Opposition parties' agenda is to raise questions about it, but here in Gujarat, there are no such complaints from farmers." The purpose of the delegates' tour was to review development projects and the implementation of flagship government schemes in Surat, the "to be smart city."

The three-day tour focused on development projects such as GD Goenka Canal Road, a 3.5-kilometer stretch built at a cost of more than Rs 54 lakh that will include a gym, playground, and cafeteria, as well as an Integrated Command Control Centre that will monitor the city; Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City, a new city for diamantaires with world-class facilities; and Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City, a new city for diamantaires; Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), which provided 1 BHK houses to 23,000 families, and Bamroli Tertiary Treatment Plant, a water treatment plant. 

The delegates also visited the Surat Diamond Bourse and the Khajod waste dumping site remediation project. The team personally experienced the bicycle-sharing project and went cycling to Dumas.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Smart City Mission, saying that the implementation of key developmental projects would greatly benefit the people of the state. Surat, Gujarat, is getting a facelift as part of the Smart City Mission, with key projects like the GD Goenka Canal Road, the ICCC Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC), and DREAM City. The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organized a three-day tour of several development projects in Surat, the city that has been ranked first in the implementation of Smart Cities Projects for three consecutive years, from April 16 to 18.The delegates, who reviewed several development projects, stated that the Gujarat governance model is replicable and that the country should learn from it. In the state, there is a high demand for electricity and water. We are converting to renewable energy and hope to keep it that way. Our attention is also drawn to the water facility, which is critical for both the general public and businesses. We are attempting to maximize the benefits through AMRUT Sarovar as well, said CM Bhupendra Patel. Right now, renewable energy accounts for 33% of total energy requirements, and by 2029, we hope to increase that to 50%, he said.The CM also stated that the state is moving toward organic farming. We are heading towards organic farming. Soil health is also important which is being degraded due to the use of excessive fertilisers. It will initially yield more but eventually, with the loss of carbon in the soil the production will be reduced, said Patel.In response to crop losses caused by unseasonal rain, he stated, Opposition parties' agenda is to raise questions about it, but here in Gujarat, there are no such complaints from farmers. The purpose of the delegates' tour was to review development projects and the implementation of flagship government schemes in Surat, the to be smart city.The three-day tour focused on development projects such as GD Goenka Canal Road, a 3.5-kilometer stretch built at a cost of more than Rs 54 lakh that will include a gym, playground, and cafeteria, as well as an Integrated Command Control Centre that will monitor the city; Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City, a new city for diamantaires with world-class facilities; and Diamond Research and Mercantile (DREAM) City, a new city for diamantaires; Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), which provided 1 BHK houses to 23,000 families, and Bamroli Tertiary Treatment Plant, a water treatment plant. The delegates also visited the Surat Diamond Bourse and the Khajod waste dumping site remediation project. The team personally experienced the bicycle-sharing project and went cycling to Dumas.

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement