Smart City: Jabalpur - Madhya Pradesh. A new sense of purpose for a ‘neglected’ city

A sense of victimhood rests heavily on the Mahakoshal area of Madhya Pradesh, of which Jabalpur is the capital. The refrain most often heard is that the region has for far too long been “neglected”, which has spurred demands for statehood.

Given that context, the news that Jabalpur has been picked for development as a smart city –– and that too, ahead of Bhopal and Indore, considered relative heavyweights –– has been received with borderline exhilaration by the civic authorities of the city named after the mythological character Jabali.

It is seen as an acknowledgement of the merits of Jabalpur’s case, and a sense of determination is palpable about wanting to make this “honour” count for its 12 lakh residents.

The Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC), the implementing agency for the city’s Smart City Project, plans to redevelop this old industrial hub in a “people-friendly” manner –– without excessive demolitions or evictions. It will instead invoke the “retrofit-cum-redevelopment” model.

The central focus of the smart city project will be on transforming Wright Town, Napier Town, Gol Bazar, the Civic Center and Ranital areas of the city by harnessing modern ideas of urban planning and construction.

The vision

“The vision is to transform Jabalpur into a vibrant regional economic and cultural hub through inclusive urban regeneration and to act as a magnet for investment and new opportunities for the youth,” says Hitendra Mehta, the consultant for the JMC’s makeover proposal before the Union Urban Development Ministry.

According to civic authorities, tourism and industrial development will be the focus of the plan, along with advancing other infrastructure development. Strikingly, the project will be cross-subsidised in large part through real estate development.

Even so, the JMD authorities have a challenge on their hands when it comes to mobilising funds, and in ensuring the people’s support.

Also read:The makeover mission

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In addition to Central and State government grants, and funds garnered through convergence of various schemes, the special purpose vehicle (SPV), which will implement the project, will look to raise Rs. 4,321.5 crore by monetising government land and by developing land parcels. Premium on additional Floor Area Ratio from Transit-Oriented Development and redevelopment on private land should also bring in revenues, the civic authorities estimate.

The city is famous for its defence manufacturing units, agriculture products (particularly green peas), tourist attractions such as Bhedaghat marble rocks (in picture at right) and garment factories.

Vast potential

“Jabalpur has vast potential for industrial development,” notes Jabalpur Chamber of Commerce president Ravi Gupta. “Even the British could sense it, which was why they established four defence production establishments in the area. As industrialists, we are ready to add value; we hope the governments provide us better coordination and infrastructure.”

The authorities plan to take up three projects — for solid waste management, surplus water and power supply management, and development of tourist areas in and around the city.

“Our city has a 1,500-acre forest area, which is rare,” notes Aditya Shukla, the city’s garden officer. “We are developing it as an eco-friendly tourist destination. An international-quality cycling track is being developed around the park.”

The Ram Nagara water treatment plant has the capacity to produce 120 million litres a day (mld). The city needs just 80 mld. “We are ready to provide water for any infrastructural or industrial projects,” says Sandeep Jaiswal, a JMC engineer. “Thanks to the rivers around the city, we have plenty of water.” Work has gotten under way to increase the capacity of various storage and filtering units in the city.

Waste to energy

Another major initiative is the waste treatment plan in association with Essel, using Hitachi Zosen technology. “This plant will help generate about 9.5 MW of power from about 600 tonnes of waste every hour,” says executive engineer Kamlesh Srivastav. “The byproduct is fly ash which can be used for industrial purposes.”

The city and the surrounding areas are famous for their green peas. The JMC plans to launch PPP projects to help farmers find processing centres near the city.

“During the peak season, the local market sends 2.5 lakh tonnes of green peas to various processing centres. A factory in the city premises will definitely help the farmer,” says Sitaram Sahu, a trader in the Krishi Upaj Mandi in the city.

The JMC has already built a dedicated area for garment manufacturing units. By incorporating agriculture, tourism and traditional industries into the smart city concept, the JMC believes it can change the lives of the people of the city and the surrounding villages.

The main Opposition party, the Congress, has welcomed the smart city proposal. “We are happy that finally the governments are turning their attention to the Mahakoshal area. But we are yet to see the fine print of the projects,” says Congress leader Vivek Krishna Tankha.

The BJP, which has a strong base in the city, says development should not be politicised. “If the Congress opposes these projects, it will get further isolated from the people,” said BJP leader Sadanand Godbole.

The mood on the street is one of cautious optimism. “Any new development is welcome,” says Raju, an Adivasi boy who runs an electric rickshaw. in the city. He is upbeat about the smart city announcement and hopes that young people in the locality will get jobs when more industries come to the area.

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