Miles to go before Guwahati becomes a smart city

Initial euphoria over the city's inclusion has been followed by lack of funds to realise the dream

When Guwahati, the most cosmopolitan city in the Northeast with a population of one million, was selected in the initial draw of the Smart Cities Mission, its residents were delighted.

The mission envisages 24X7 electricity supply with a minimum 10 per cent of the requirement met by solar energy, smart metering, energy-efficient street lighting, 24X7 water supply, rainwater harvesting, solid waste management, robust information technology connectivity and digitalisation.

Residents of the city expected the state administration to either upgrade existing facilities or set up new ones to meet the smart city qualification.

But two years after the roll-out of the