Only seven smart city projects impact vulnerable sections in Chennai

04 Aug 2021 CW Team

Based on the information available at the Smart Cities Mission web portal, the report examined the expenditure and impact of the Smart Cities Mission in Tamil Nadu as of June 2021.

Among the seven projects having a direct impact on vulnerable sections, four projects directly benefit persons with disabilities Public Work Department (PwDs). While One reaches out to resettled slum dwellers in Kannagi Nagar, one serves children studying in corporation schools, and another to set up a tele-counseling center for Covid, as per the report.

As per the report, only Rs 3.89 crore has benefited vulnerable sections directly, out of the Rs 184.21 crore expenditure. Only Rs 77 lakh is spent for a low-income settlement directly, of the total Rs 3.89 crore project benefiting the vulnerable sections.

According to the report, the projects mostly benefit the middle class and upper-class urban residents and do not concentrate on regions like North Chennai.

The report further added that the analysis also shows that projects like Smart Bikes were introduced in the most prosperous areas of the city serving the rich groups. Most parts in the non-motorised transport and walkability sector served only T-Nagar people.

Of the four programs for PwDs, three were located in T-Nagar. Therefore, PwDs across the city were not included in such projects.

Corporation officials said that Area Based Development (ABD) was a common idea in Smart Cities where an area is determined, and a large portion of projects take place in the region.

Under the area-development project of the Smart Cities Mission for holistic development, the IRCDUC suggests that the Slum Clearance Board’s plans on housing for the urban poor include, public or public-private or public-community-private or public-community models to be connected.

Image Source

Also read: Thiruvananthapuram Smart City projects near completion

Also read: Smart Cities Mission: Projects in Visakhapatnam nears completion

According to a report released by the Information and Resource Center for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) of the 37 projects that have so far been completed, only seven have a direct impact on vulnerable sections, under the Smart Cities Mission in Chennai. Based on the information available at the Smart Cities Mission web portal, the report examined the expenditure and impact of the Smart Cities Mission in Tamil Nadu as of June 2021. Among the seven projects having a direct impact on vulnerable sections, four projects directly benefit persons with disabilities Public Work Department (PwDs). While One reaches out to resettled slum dwellers in Kannagi Nagar, one serves children studying in corporation schools, and another to set up a tele-counseling center for Covid, as per the report. As per the report, only Rs 3.89 crore has benefited vulnerable sections directly, out of the Rs 184.21 crore expenditure. Only Rs 77 lakh is spent for a low-income settlement directly, of the total Rs 3.89 crore project benefiting the vulnerable sections. According to the report, the projects mostly benefit the middle class and upper-class urban residents and do not concentrate on regions like North Chennai. The report further added that the analysis also shows that projects like Smart Bikes were introduced in the most prosperous areas of the city serving the rich groups. Most parts in the non-motorised transport and walkability sector served only T-Nagar people. Of the four programs for PwDs, three were located in T-Nagar. Therefore, PwDs across the city were not included in such projects. Corporation officials said that Area Based Development (ABD) was a common idea in Smart Cities where an area is determined, and a large portion of projects take place in the region. Under the area-development project of the Smart Cities Mission for holistic development, the IRCDUC suggests that the Slum Clearance Board’s plans on housing for the urban poor include, public or public-private or public-community-private or public-community models to be connected. Image Source Also read: Thiruvananthapuram Smart City projects near completion Also read: Smart Cities Mission: Projects in Visakhapatnam nears completion

Infrastructure Urban

17 Sep 2025

DCPC Prepares for Special Campaign 5.0 with Focus on E-Waste

The Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals (DCPC), Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, is gearing up for Special Campaign 5.0, to be held from 2nd to 31st October 2025. The initiative will focus on e-waste disposal as per MoEFCC’s E-Waste Management Rules 2022, space optimisation, and enhancing workplace efficiency across field offices.Special Campaign 4.0, conducted between October 2023 and October 2024, delivered notable results in record management, grievance redressal, scrap disposal, and cleanliness drives.Key outcomes of Special Campaign 4.0Records management: 2,443 physical fil..

Real Estate

17 Sep 2025

BlackRock India Leases 1.4 Lakh Sq Ft in Bengaluru

BlackRock Services India, the domestic arm of global asset manager BlackRock, has leased 1.4 lakh sq ft of office space at IndiQube Symphony in Bengaluru, according to Propstack data. The 10-year deal is valued at around Rs 4.10 billion.The lease, among the largest transactions in India’s co-working sector, highlights the growing preference of global institutions for flexible office providers. The agreement, commencing October 1, 2025, covers ground plus five floors in KNG Tower 1 at Ashoknagar, MG Road — one of Bengaluru’s prime commercial hubs.As per the lease document, BlackRock will ..

Infrastructure Transport

17 Sep 2025

L&T Bags Rs 25–50 Bn Order for Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Track Works

Larsen & Toubro’s (L&T) Transportation Infrastructure business has secured an order valued between Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 billion from the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.The contract, Package T1, involves the design, supply, construction, testing, and commissioning of 156 route km of high-speed ballastless track on a Design-Build Lump Sum Price basis. The stretch runs from Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex to Zaroli village in Gujarat and includes 21 km of underground track and 135 km of elevated viaduct.Se..