Smart urbanisation strategy is the key to accelerate smart city solutions in Bengaluru: TERI

To address the issues pertaining to rapid urban sprawl, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), an independent, not-for-profit research institute, brought together multiple stakeholder groups to deliberate on the challenges to sustainable urban infrastructure, the required policy change and the need for effective implementation through public-private partnerships. The dialogue was attended by senior representatives of urban planning bodies, bureaucrats and top Indian conglomerates. With a total population of 11.5 million, Bengaluru is the third most populous city in India. The ‘Garden City’ encounters a vast number of issues like high migration, urban transport, water supply, air pollution, waste management and socio-economic inequity. Addressing the audience at the session, Prof. S.L. Rao, Distinguished Fellow Emeritus, TERI mentioned that Bangalore is the home of research and technology, which should be channelized to solve its urban issues. While public participation plays a key role, there is a need to look at governance and management in his view. Highlighting her association with TERI’s flagship event since its inception in 2001, Dr. Annapurna Vancheswaran, Sr. Director, TERI, stated that the aim of the Summit is to make Sustainable Development a ‘globally shared goal’ and that the Regional Dialogues that are being organised as pre-events ahead of the global summit is an effort to bring voices from the states and cities of India on to the global platform. Under the theme “Urbanization, Innovation and Climate Resilience” the Bengaluru Regional Dialogue witnessed a summation of assessments and recommendations, both provocative and pragmatic on several aspects of existing programmes, including financing mechanisms for sustainable infrastructure, building capacities to potential PPP model to implement projects, policy and institutional coherence through the Smart City Mission or AMRUT and efficient and innovative partnership models to reduce the limitations of this framework, she added