The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has announced the India Smart Cities Awards for 2022, with the award ceremony scheduled for September 27 in Indore. President Droupadi Murmu will confer the awards upon the winners.

From among the 66 awardees spanning various categories, Madhya Pradesh has secured the top spot for the ‘State Award,’ while Tamil Nadu clinched the second position. Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh shared the third position jointly.

National Smart City Awards: Chandigarh On Top

Chandigarh secured the leading position in the Union Territory Category and also triumphed in the best governance category due to its outstanding e-governance services, as per the ministry.

Among the cities targeted for development under the Smart Cities Mission initiated by the Modi government, Indore achieved the highest rank, followed by Surat in Gujarat at the second position and Agra at the third.

Notably, in the ‘built environment’ category, Coimbatore earned recognition as the premier city for its exemplary model roads and successful restoration and rejuvenation of lakes. Indore secured the second position, and New Town Kolkata and Kanpur shared the third spot.

The ‘Economy’ category saw Jabalpur emerge as the winner, primarily attributed to its successful establishment of an incubation center. Indore and Lucknow followed, respectively, in the second and third positions.

The ministry also highlighted Chandigarh’s accomplishment as the best city in the ‘mobility’ category for its commendable efforts in “Public Bike Sharing (PPP) along with cycle tracks.” This achievement was followed by New Town Kolkata and Sagar.

Indore further distinguished itself by securing the top award in the ‘urban environment’ category for its accomplishments in air quality enhancement and the creation of Ahilya Van and vertical gardens. Additionally, Shivamogga and Jammu were acknowledged for their initiatives in “development of conservancies” and introducing e-auto services in the old city.

The ministry emphasized that the Smart Cities Mission, launched on June 25, 2015, aims to enhance citizens’ quality of life by implementing “smart solutions” to provide essential infrastructure, a sustainable environment, and an improved living standard. This transformative mission is designed to revolutionize urban development practices across the nation.

Of the total proposed projects under the Smart Cities Mission, 6,041 projects worth Rs 1,10,635 crore (76 percent) have been completed, with the remaining 1,894 projects worth Rs 60,095 crore projected to conclude by June 30, 2024.

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