49% of over 5,000 projects for smart cities unfinished as deadline nears

Smart cities were envisioned to be a solution to waste management, air pollution, traffic congestion, scarce resources and more.

Imagine clean air all-year round in currently pollution-racked New Delhi, with sensors monitoring its air quality 24x7. Think of parched Chennai receiving 24x7 water supply through a smart metering system that conserves water. Or Bengaluru's traffic chaos disciplined via digital devices.

These scenarios sound almost impossible in India's metros that have been struggling for years with urban issues such as pollution, water shortage, traffic congestion and waste management crisis. However, had the government plan for smart cities mooted in 2016 been anywhere close to meeting its first deadline, these could have been a reality today. A smart city, as per