‘Remix’ is the new buzzword in Rajasthan today! Rajasthan government, an ardent patron of ‘development,’ served a cocktail of carefully crafted schemes and projects to put Rajasthan on the global tourism map. With the term of Rajasthan BJP ending in December, next year, the party is planning its return to power in the desert state. Staying in tune with this goal, the government focused on infrastructural, connectivity and agricultural projects. To speed up development, they had appointed young and energetic bureaucrats to materialize the ‘Smart City Mission.’
Rajasthan Government’s Smart City Mission assisted by engineers, JMC officers and private players aims at polishing the cities, to uplift the standard of living in urban areas. Both the Center and the state came together to launch high-value projects for the urban populace. Resultantly, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Ajmer got a share of the ‘development’ pie! Nevertheless, the initiatives implemented by Ajmer and Udaipur are noteworthy.
This is how they achieved the impossible, in just four years!
-
Smart Sewerage Planning in Udaipur Adds to the Beauty of City Lakes.
Udaipur, the ‘City of Lakes’ is heavily dependent on the mesmerizing castles and water bodies for tourism economy. Realizing how important these lakes are for tourism, the city administration rejuvenates its water to maintain the ‘natural freshness.’ During Monsoons, the lakes fill up to the brim with fresh rain water. Excess water is routed via Gumaniyan Nallah channel to Ayad River. During summers, when the water level starts declining, the water is channeled back to the lakes. All this while, the UMC (Udaipur Municipal Corporation) makes it a point to eliminate sewerage from the water.
Consequently, Govardhan and Fateh Sagar lakes are ‘sewer-free.’ Swaroop Sagar and Pichola Lake are next targets! The new de-weeding machine, sewage treatment plants and lake patrolling squad have made it possible! Even the residents are possessive when it comes to their city. They’ve voluntarily contributed their efforts at several instances.
The city administration adopted a couple of practices like door-to-door garbage collection, regular sewerage facilities, and 24×7 water supply, to make it possible.
-
Ajmer is Set for Big Infrastructural Changes in the Coming Years.
Ajmer is one of the 12 ‘lucky’ cities selected by the Centre under ‘Prasad Scheme,’ consequently, the Ajmer district administration received the support of Central Tourism Department as well as a Trade and Development Agency based in the US.
For now, the district administration is focused on developing Ajmer-Pushkar as ‘twin cities.’ Both cities are hotspots for religious tourism. As a result, the city administration has introduced low-floor buses, new tunnels passing through the Aravallis, and several 10-storied commercial properties spread across the city. They’ve revamped the railway station and installed 800 CCTVs to consolidate security measures.
Decongesting the city, restoring Anasagar Lake and modernizing the age-old sewerage lines are major points on their agenda. The authorities are currently working on Anasagar promenade, Subhash Udyan, Cycle-sharing Scheme, and Ajmer Museum.
CM Vasundhara Raje and her cabinet, aim at reproducing similar results in other districts, as well.
CM Vasundhara Raje and her cabinet, aim at reproducing similar results in other districts, as well. No wonder, Rajasthan would surface as an example of ‘ground-breaking reform’ in the coming years.
