Management of civic amenities system in Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

A smart city uses digital technologies or information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance quality and performance of urban services, to reduce costs and resource consumption and to engage more effectively and actively with its citizens. Sectors that have been developing smart city technology include government services, transport and traffic management, energy, health care, water and waste. Smart city applications are developed with the goal of improving the management of urban flows and allowing for real-time responses to challenges. A smart city may therefore be more prepared to respond to challenges than one with a simple ‘transactional’ relationship with its citizens. The urban settlements of today, present the best possible portraits of unchecked continuous human interference in the physical environment. It has now been amply demonstrated that besides ever rising human numbers, the industrial march (overwhelmingly concentrated in cities) and the highly changed rather eco-non-friendly style of living are primarily responsible for worst type of environmental debasement and highly imbalanced ecological mosaic. It is also evidently clear that the humanity can be bailed out of this complex web only when the over ambitious man living in these over crowded and congested settlements, puts brake on his greed-based socioeconomic activities. Thus, it is imperative that critical evaluation and continuous assessment of the urban scenario is pursued by academicians, planners, policy makers and statesmen. In that context the present paper is a modest attempt at diagnosing the urban ills of Jammu, a town currently bursting with human population and traffic congestion, as also is suggesting some corrective measures and curative devices. The India Smart Cities Challenge is a competition designed to inspire and support municipal officials as they develop smart proposals to improve residents’ lives. Cities will compete in the first round—with the best proposals receiving funding from the Ministry of Urban Development. These are some challenges faced by Jammu and Kashmir, especially Jammu city in order to come into the Domain of Smart City.