Kohima and Namchi win Best Zonal Smart Cities award

Kohima, the capital of Nagaland has won the MoHUA India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC) best zonal smart city award, said an official statement on August 25. 

Besides Kohima, Namchi city in Sikkim also won the best zonal smart city award.

Smart Cities Mission launched on 25 June 2015, is aimed at providing core infrastructure, a clean and sustainable environment, and a decent quality of life to their citizens through the application of ‘smart solutions’.

''It is a transformational mission aimed to bring about a paradigm shift in the practice of urban development in the country. Of the total proposed projects under SCM, 6,041(76 per cent) projects worth Rs 1,10,635 crore have been completed and the remaining 1,894 projects worth Rs 60,095 crore will be completed by 30 June 2024,'' the statement added.

It further said that the most notable milestone achieved in the Mission has been, the Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCC) which is operational in all 100 smart cities. 

''These ICCCs work as the brain and nervous system for city operations, using technology for urban management. The urban services have significantly improved in diverse fields like crime tracking, safety & security of citizens, transport management, solid waste management, water supply, disaster management etc.,'' it added.

100 Smart Cities have taken up projects across diverse sectors related to mobility, energy, water, sanitation, solid waste management, vibrant public spaces, social infrastructure, smart governance, etc. For instance, in smart mobility, 1,174 projects have been completed worth Rs 24,047 crore and another 434 projects are ongoing worth RS 15,940 crore. 

ISAC is organized under the Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. This is one of the important activities initiated under the Mission, where pioneering city strategies, projects, and ideas are recognized to award exemplary performance, enable peer-to-peer learning, and disseminate best practices. The ISAC recognizes and rewards the cities, projects, and innovative ideas that are promoting sustainable development across the 100 smart cities, as well as stimulating inclusive, equitable, safe, healthy, and collaborative cities, thus enhancing the quality of life for all.