The Urban Future of Pondicherry

Smart City & Beyond

P. Jawahar

CEO, PSCDL

Throughout history, no country has ever achieved economic prosperity without urbanizing

- Joan Clos, Executive Director, UN-Habitat

Urban Challenges of Pondicherry

WASH –Water

Supply, Sanitation & Hygiene

Poor Urban

Mobility

Slums & Un-

authorised Layouts

- Quantity & Quality of Water (24x7 System ?)

- Unviable Water Tariff Structure

- Open Defecation- Lack of Scientific

SWM System - Fast filling

Dumpyard- Open Sewers (Dengue Outbreak?)

- Lack of Last Mile Connectivity

- Public Transport Experience?

- Congestion - Adherence to

Traffic Regulation - Discontinuous

Pedestrian Path- Haphazard

Parking- Problem of

Perception

- Urban Poverty & Inequality

- Livelihood Issues- Urban Planning

Nightmare- Inadequate

Public Investments

- The Plan is ‘there is no plan’

Urban Gov. Issues

- Lack of City Level Leadership & Autonomy

- Devolution of Powers – 3Fs

- Poor Urban Finances

- Poor Enforceability of Municipal Laws

- Rebellious Citizenry?

- Grievance Redressal

The Urban Challenge Framework for Pondicherry

Hey.…Don’t Worry! All the urban chaos that happens in

Pondicherry is normal…we will be alright soon!

Are we suffering from Boiling Frog Syndrome?

Image Courtesy: Google Images

Image Courtesy: Google Images

• Good Urban Gov.

• Law Abiding – Tax Collections, etc

• Well Planned – adherence to TCP Norms

Formal City• Laxity in Urban

Governance

• Free Riders

• Poor Implementation of Rules & Regulations

Informal City

Is Pondicherry a Formal City or an Informal City?

Government Interventions & Creation of a Pro-active Urban Citizenry

What is our Urban Future?

“Transforming Pondicherry into a global tourism

destination by leveraging its heritage, cultural, spiritual

and educational advantages. Enhance the quality of

life of the citizens by providing efficient urban mobility,

smart civic infrastructure, smart service delivery and

participative decision making.”

The Vision Statement

Transformation Global

Tourism

Destination heritage

culturalspiritual

educational

enhance QoLmobility

smart

service delivery

infra

Participative Decision Making

SCP of Pondicherry –Sectoral Breakup

Total Cost

₹ 1828 Crore

Tourism & Heritage

₹ 425 Crore

Urban Planning &

Design

₹402 Crore

ICT & e-Gov

₹ 112 Crore

Public Utilities

₹ 254 Crore

Traffic & Transport Planning

₹ 293 Crore

Energy & Power

₹342 Crore

Impactful Smart City Projects

• Grand Canal Rejuvenation

• Sea Front Development (group

of projects)

• Integrated City Command

Centre

• NMT Projects (group of

projects)

Impactful Projects (Not Exhaustive)

Southern Reef Construction Project – beach restoration

O&MProject

Implementation

Preparation of DPR & Tendering

ProjectsEngaging PMC

Incorporation of PSCDL

The Journey Ahead

2017 2017-18 2017-18 2017-19/202018/19/20-

2025

Administrative Structure of Smart City Mission

Chairman-PSCDL

Board of Directors

Chief Engineer, PSCDL

Technical Head

Company SecretaryCompany Affairs

Chief Financial Officer

Financial Affairs

CEO

Office of CEO

City Level Advisory Forum

Advisory Role

Is Smart City Mission Pondicherry a Panacea for all the Urban Problems of Pondicherry?

₹ 1,828,00,00,000

Yes & No & If

Yes

Principle of Replicability

An Integrated Approach to Urban Planning

Time Bound –3 Years

Assured Funding from

GoI

Dedicated Team – PSCDL

No

Dependent on Municipal Reforms

Populism?

Sustainability of SC Projects (b/o Revenues earned?)

If

Image Courtesy: kannanranjiv.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/the-smart-city/

Effective Implementation of all MoHUA and Other CSS schemes in the urban sector will makes Smart City Projects sustainable due to Complementarity

• SBM• AMRUT

• SCM

• PMAY• NULM

Urban Poverty, Livelihood

Housing/ Security of

Tenure

Urban Sanitation

Urban Transformation

& Municipal Reforms

Need for City Level Leadership – need for Puducherry specific solution. Local Body Elections?

Merger of municipalities (Pondicherry + Oulgaret) to create a Municipal Corporation

Strengthen the Municipal Corporations – Executive Magistrate Powers to Municipal Commissioners?

Effecting the devolution of powers to Municipalities in letter & spirit (Poor City Governance Structure - status of 3F’s)

Creation of a Department for Urban Development

Functions

FundFunctionaries

Addressing issues in Urban Governance

3F’s

Coordination

Municipality

Police Dept

PWD

Nurture Civil Society Groups/RWAs – Govt to facilitate Participatory Decision Making

Image Courtesy: LinkedIn

Adopting New Municipal Financing Mechanisms for Undertaking Urban Infrastructure Projects

Credit Rating &

Municipal Bonds

Pondicherry Municipality – BB

Oulgaret & KaraikalMunicipality – BB-

User Charges for Municipal Services

Tax Incremental

Financing

Potential Tool for Financing Future Smart City Projects & recover

O&M Costs

India Infrastructure

Project Development

Fund

Value Capture

Financing (VCF)

Differential Property Tax (already in vogue)

Innovative Financing

Mechanisms

Tourist Tax?

Congestion Tax?

An opportunity to build our PPP base

SWM Charges are already levied

PWM Charges in the anvil

The Power of Nudge!

To Address Issues of Rebellious Citizenry – We may use ‘Nudge’ as a conscious government policy to bring out better public behaviour

End