Smart phones have changed the way we live. From a tool for just voice and text communication, they have become the centre of one’s life. A similar sea-change can be expected from the 100 smart cities that the government plans to build in the country. These state-of-the art cities will use technology to make life of its citizens more organized and less stressful while being friendly to the environment.
In a smart city, infrastructure and amenities such as water, sanitation, energy, transport, public safety, education and health care are integrated and managed through technology.
The Geographical Information System (GIS) can be used to improve urban land management and make it more transparent, as is being done for efficient governance and delivery in some cities. Similarly, Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) is being used successfully for better water management in cities such as Hyderabad, Bangalore, Tirupur, and Nagpur. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is being employed to track and monitor bus services in Surat and Indore. More recently, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has started combining the use of mobile phones with Global Packet Radio Services (GPRS) for off-site real time monitoring of the delivery of services such as solid waste management and street lighting, and ensuring compliance with building laws.