Allahabad to witness a ‘Smart’ Confluence
Similar to the myth about the confluence of Rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati at the ‘sangam’, Allahabad city is a melting pot of cultural values from different periods of time- early civilization, Mughal rule and British rule. The historical city is set to acquire a new identity as India and the US have decided to set up three task forces to jointly develop Visakhapatnam, Ajmer and Allahabad as smart cities. Experts feel there is a need to ‘smarten up’ all facets and character traits of Allahabad and develop it from merely a tourism destination into the cultural capital of the country.
Growth Drivers
Allahabad carries a lot of religious importance because of Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers and it’s also site for historic Kumbh Mela organised every 12 years. The pilgrimage centre is a huge draw for tourists across the world drawing millions of devotees at the time of the Kumbh Mela.
Benefiting from immense geographical advantage and good connectivity to other major cities such as Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad is strategically located. From realty to infrastructure to educational facilities to culture, the city is has immense potential in various development segments.
In a presentation made to the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), officials from Allahabad have stressed on how an ageing Allahabad can be developed into a modern city with focus on economic growth and employment generation.
Academicians and residents have been lobbying to turn Allahabad into an educational hub. Allahabad University, that was once regarded as Oxford of the East is in need of revamp and modernization. The presentation made to USTDA has demanded development of a world-class law college in Allahabad that is home to the state’s High Court. Besides, it asked for revival and growth of various engineering colleges, Allahabad University, Motilal Nehru Medical College and IIT.
Development corridors
Allahabad has a unique topography and is surrounded by water bodies on three sides. Recent infrastructural projects such as New Yamuna Bridge, Shastri Bridge and Naini Bridge have given a fresh lease to new areas. The upcoming localities of Jhusi and Naini have witnessed maximum real estate development.
While apartments in these upcoming areas are in the range of Rs 3000 –Rs 4000 per sq ft, traditional favourites like Civil Lines command a higher price than even Noida. According to brokers, the price points for apartments in Civil Lines are upwards of Rs 5000 while plots command a price of Rs one lakh per sq yard.
Allahabad has witnessed a number of project launches promising a wide array of amenities. A smart city project worth Rs 600 crore and spanning 15 acres was recently launched by New Modern Buildwell Ltd. The project envisages social infrastructure, services network, regular power supply and modern communication system with optical fibre connection. Another such development Omaxe Water Front coming up on over 1500 acres is a self-sustained township. It has been developed under the Hi-tech Township Policy initiative of Uttar Pradesh government, to establish self-sustained hi-tech settlements within the state for harnessing the rapid growth of its economy for a balanced development of its hinterland.
Future Outlook
The choice of Allahabad as a future smart city is a matter of pride for its denizens but it could be several years before that becomes a reality. The officiating vice-chancellor of Allahabad University Prof NR Farooqi said, “Allahabad had been an important city throughout the civilization and once again it is all set to hog the limelight, and this time internationally. We all are proud today and feel contented that like Varanasi, which would be developed on the pattern of Kyoto, Allahabad too will not be lesser than any of the international city”.
Naini, the twin city of Allahabad which was once industrial centre for telecom companies, FCI, SAIL and TATA also needs fresh impetus. To turn Allahabad into a smart city, a lot needs to be done on strengthening civic infrastructures in Allahabad like sewerage system, water-supply, drainage, roads and electricity.
