Government Of Assam Guwahati Development Department Guwahati Smart City Limited

The Smart city plan envisions to establish itself as a Regional Hub for the North East India and a World Class Guwahati City by anchoring and reorienting the city towards its natural assets. The varied topographical features like the Brahmaputra River, the hills, the water streams and internationally acclaimed Ramsar Wetland site of “Deepar Beel” will be utilized as an anchor for development in the city, which will further strengthen city’s vision of being the- economic, education, health & IT- capital of North East region of India.

In order to accomplish the vision the city will embark on achieving following goals: 

• Become a Flood Resilient City

The city presently has invested in sluice gates and pumping arrangement to address its flooding situation.  As a long-term sustainable measure, the city needs to invest in city-wide eco-system based approach focusing on watershed management, de-centralized basin specific stormwater management plan in close coordination.

• De-congested city

Improved walking, cycling facilities, along re-purposed public spaces, revitalized riverfront and greenways will help create a new set of car-free pedestrian trail network for the city. As a result, small vehicular trips (average trip lengths is 5.8 km) will get converted into NMT trips. These new eco-mobility corridors will help reduce many vehicular trips and further decongest and reduce pollution in the city.

• Improved public realm of the city

The new improved public realm will help reconnect the city back with its riverine ecosystem at the same time, shape new ways for people to engage and socialize. The Riverfront development along with re-sectioning of the stormwater streams will display how waterways can be integrated with municipal eco-infrastructure and a wide range of recreation and tourism sites & activities. Open spaces will be networked to improve connectivity & NMT Infrastructure. Commercial and cultural activities introduced & overlaid with eco-infrastructure, will lay a foundation for establishing strategic relationships between larger social, natural, civic and economic ecologies, henceforth help in achieving the larger vision of the city.

• Strengthened Eco-tourism in city

A redesigned Riverfront along the Brahmaputra will become the new image of the city. This will encourage water sports activities, river cruises, festivals etc. to make it an international class waterfront tourist destination. Apart from the forests sanctuary and the ecological wetlands, new parkway trail system will also transform the city’s linear drains into vibrant eco-corridors, and also showcase the regions rich cultural heritage in terms of arts and crafts, local cuisine and music to enhance tourism potential further.

• Introduce ICT based applications as per an action plan to monitor and manage the city and improve its efficiency, by providing better maintenance and public delivery services.  The intelligent maintenance and monitoring systems will be responsible for the computerized Management of various information and integration.
• Introduce Sustainable Planning Practices and containing development

Introducing planning practices like TOD and mixed-use compact development will ensure smart urban form which will not only catalyze the city’s economic growth. This will ensure compact development to cater to meet the rapid urbanisation demand without making the city sprawl. SCP will also restrict development on ecologically sensitive areas like floodplains, watershed areas of wetlands, on hills to ensure flood mitigation and sustainable growth of the city. 

• The Solar city Guwahati mission will be extended to public open spaces and stand-alone high capacity electricity generation will be targeted.
• Skill development centres will be developed along the greenways to train the workforce and showcase the local handicrafts and culture for tourism. This will also assist the informal sector to be become part of an organized mainstream or semi-formal sector by giving them designated vendor zones.
• Introduce strategies to strengthen business, commercial, IT and trading activities in the region
• A smart city cannot be envisaged without the city being clean. The smart city proposal will accomplish the goal of 'Clean Guwahati', by cleaning and transforming the stormwater drains, which are currently used as a dump yard and for defecating openly by providing proper sanitation and solid waste treatment infrastructure.