Prelim Bits 21-06-2018

Smart Cities

• The objective is to promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions.
• The focus is on creating a replicable model which are meant to set examples that can be replicated both within and outside the Smart City.
• Core infrastructure elements

1. Water Supply
2. Assured electricity supply
3. Sanitation, including solid waste management
4. Efficient urban mobility and public transport
5. Affordable housing, especially for the poor
6. Robust IT connectivity and digitalization
7. Good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation
8. Sustainable environment
9. Safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly
10. Health and education.

• Components of Smart Cities Mission -

1. City improvement (Retrofitting),
2. City renewal (Redevelopment),
3. City extension plus a Pan-city initiative in which Smart Solutions are applied covering larger parts of the city.

• Approach - Area-based development.
• Selection Process–Each state will get at least one smart city.
• Each aspiring city competes for selection as a smart city in what is called a ‘City Challenge’. There are two stages in the selection process.
• The State/UT begins with shortlisting the potential smart cities.
•  The first stage of the competition will be intra-state based on the criteria specified and the highest scoring potential smart cities will be recommended to Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs.
• The 100 such potential smart cities nominated by all the States and UTs will prepare Smart City Plans which will be rigorously evaluated in the Stage-2 of the competition for prioritizing cities for financing.
• The chosen ones will get Central fund of Rs 500 crore during 5 years.
• Implementation -By Special Purpose Vehicles which will be promoted by the State/UT and the Urban Local Body (ULB) jointly both having 50:50 equity shareholding.

Smart City Tag

• The Centre has finally announced Shillong (Meghalaya) as the 100th and the last city under the “Smart City Project”.
• Every city gets five years to complete its projects and the end date for Shillong is 2023.
• Each selected city is required to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle which will carry out the mission.

India Smart Cities Award

• The “India Smart Cities Award” was constituted last year to give awards in 3 categories with an objective to reward cities, projects and innovative ideas, promoting sustainable development in cities.
• The categories are “Project Award, Innovative Idea Award and City Award”.
• Eligible Participants were Smart Cities only, where respective ULBs / Smart City SPVs were to submit proposals.
• This year, the city award is being given to Surat.
• It is for showing great momentum in implementation of projects especially in the categories of urban environment, transport and mobility and sustainable integrated development.
• The Innovative Idea award is being given to a project/idea particularly remarkable for its innovative, bottom-up and transformative approach.
• Bhopal for their Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) and Ahmedabad for Safe and Secure Ahmedabad (SASA) Project were awarded this year.
• The Project awards are being given to most innovative and successful projects in several categories.
• Some of the categories are Governance, Built Environment, Social Aspects, Culture and Economy, Urban environment, Transport and Mobility, Water and Sanitation.

Pattiseema Lift Irrigation Scheme

• Pattiseema lift irrigation project interlinked the Godavari river and the Krishna river in Andhra's West Godavari district.
• It was designed to lift 120 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) water from Godavari and release it into the Krishna.
• It sought to meet the irrigation and drinking water needs of drought-prone Rayalaseema region in the state.
• It was declared as the first and fastest such irrigation project in the country to be completed on time, without any budget enhancements.
• It is claimed to be the first-ever river interlinking in south India.
• Lift Irrigation project - Pumps are used to lift the water from canals or rivers at lower level to the area at higher level for irrigation purpose.

Country in news - Suriname

• Recently, Indian President visited Suriname. This is the first ever visit of an Indian President to Suriname.
• Suriname is located on the northern coast of South America.
• Its capital, Paramaribo located on the Suriname River.
• It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, by French Guiana to the east, by Brazil to the south, and by Guyana to the west.
• The narrow coastal zone consists of sandbanks and mudbanks.
• It is deposited by the southern equatorial currents from the area surrounding the mouth of the Amazon River (located to the east of Suriname, in Brazil).

Transfer of Tiger

• Tigers are being translocated from one state to another for the first time in the country.
• The process is initiated to transfer from Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh to Satkosia Tiger Reserve (STR) in Odisha.
• Wildlife Wing of the State Government will have to work with Wildlife Institute of India (WII) for translocation of the tigers.

Source: The Hindu, PIB.