SMART CITY - Kalyan-Dombivli make it to list

CM promises Metro for Kalyan-Bhiwandi-Dombivli will sign agreement with software giant Oracle to make Kalyan-Bhiwandi-Dombivli smart cities

Five cities from Maharashtra have made it to the list of 27 smart cities announced on Tuesday.
Manisha Mhaiskar, principal secretary, urban development (UD) II, said the state government has selected ten cities to compete for the Centre's Smart City Project. In the first round, held this January, Pune and Solapur were selected. In the second, whose results were announced on Tuesday, five cities, including Aurangabad, Kalyan-Dombivli, Nagpur, Nashik and Thane, were selected.

Mhaiskar said, "Maharashtra is the only state where seven cities have been selected for this project. The state government had announced that while the cities will compete for central funding, the state will fund their projects through MMRDA and Cidco till they are selected by the Centre."

Mhaiskar further said in the current budget, the state government has made a provision of Rs 1,000 crore for the project. While the Centre will provide Rs 100 crore per year for five years, the state government is required to provide Rs 50 crore and the urban local body another Rs 50 crore annually.
The areas proposed for smart city development by municipal bodies would have facilities such as assured water, power supply, proper sanitation and solid waste management systems, efficient urban mobility, public transportation, IT connectivity and e-governance.

The selected cities have already formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) mandatory for receiving funding.

“The State Government will definitely bring Metro to Kalyan-Bhiwandi-Dombivli. The DPR is in progress and a decision will soon be taken once technical formalities are completed”, promised Honorable Chief Minister Mr. Devendra Fadnavis after laying the foundation stone for the two 6-lane bridges to be constructed over Ulhas Creek at Motagaon and near Durgadi fort. He also communicated that the purpose of his America visit is to “sign an agreement with software giant Oracle to make Kalyan-Bhiwandi-Dombivli smart cities”, to a rousing response.

The Chief Minister further promised to take up more infrastructure projects to ensure total development of the metropolitan region. The Honourable Guardian Minister for Thane District Mr.Eknath Shinde; the Honourable State Minister for IT and Medical Education Mr.Ravindra Chavan and Honourable MP Mr.Kapil Patil thanked the State Government for showing keen interest in the development of the area and metropolitan region in general. It was only a few months back the CM had laid foundation stone for a 3-km long flyover at Vanjarpatti on Bhiwandi-Kalyan road running from Rajiv Gandhi chowk to Saibaba Mandir.

“Today we have one two-lane creek bridge and when the new bridge is completed the motorists will have eight lanes to experience congestion free drive”, elaborated Mr.UPS Madan, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA. Mr.Sanjay Khandare, Additional Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, offered vote of thanks.

At the Executive Committee of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), committee gave administrative approval to the appointment of contractors to construct two bridges over Ulhas River. The two 3+3-lane bridges will be constructed on the Bhiwandi-Kalyan-Adilabad NH-222 one near Durgadi Fort and the other on the Mankoli-Motagaon Road.

The bridge near the Fort is 25-meter wide and 380-meter long with approaches of 170 and 270 meters long. The Bridge on the Mankoli-Motagaon Road is 1225-meter long and 27.5-meter wide. M/s.Supreme Infrastructure India Ltd. and M/s.J.Kumar Infrastructure Ltd. will construct both the bridges. The estimated costs for the bridges are Rs.76/- crore and Rs.223/- crore respectively.

“While the upcoming bridge near Durgadi Fort will help clear the traffic congestion the bridge on the Mankoli-Motagaon Road will save at least one hour of Dombivlikars who wish to travel towards Mumbai, Nasik and Ahmedabad as they approach the Nasik Highway, notwithstanding reduction in fuel consumption and pollution. The Metropolitan Region is growing speedily and needs attention”, said Mr.UPS Madan, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA.