In addition to Vinayak Chaterjee's definition of a "smart city" in his column "What is a smart city?" (Infratalk, December 16), I would say, a well-planned drainage system should not be cast into oblivion. Despite the rains wreaking havoc during the monsoons in many of our major cities (leave alone the smaller ones) - causing them to become breeding grounds for diseases and heavy traffic jams making the lives of people miserable - authorities hardly bat an eyelid, let alone swing into action.
Another suggestion would be to make the city self-sufficient in terms of agricultural produce, so that in times of crisis it is capable of taking care of the basic requirements of the residents of the city. Of course, it seems to much to ask for in the current scenario but with advanced technological know-how it's not impossible.
Namrata Singh Ahmedabad
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