Visakhapatnam: Vizag think tank is getting ready with a concept document on how the proposed smart city should be.
Experts in various fields expressed their views that the smartness should not only be in technology, but also on the lines of liveable with green environment with no scope for concrete jungle.
Virtue Centre, a city based organisation, conducted round-table discussion on Sunday on ‘Visakhapatnam – Smart City of the Future’. Dr C. Radhakanth, director of the organisation, explained that a smart city is both an intelligent city and a digital one that requires strategic intelligent platform with an innovation economy.
Dr Lakshmi Mudunuru, Professor, School of Law, Gitam University, opined that city branding of Visakhapatnam should be to an international audience like Brisbane and it should host Asia Pacific region conferences and also plan improving brand Vizag even for the film industry.
A. Revathi Devi, Dept. of Architecture, Andhra University, explained the smartness should include trees, scientific pruning of trees, and walkable city which is built for people and not for cars.
Prof. R. Ramachandra Naik, Director, IIAM, suggested alternative energies like solar, wind, etc can be used for both domestic use and also for uploading to grid and proper biogas plants to reduce burden cooking gas needs.
Prof E.U.B. Reddy, Dept of environmental sciences, Andhra University, wished for an eco city with green vision at the urban planner level. He said Mean Sea Level should be put up on boards in various areas of Vizag so that Tsunami and other warnings can help people to move quickly to safe areas besides controlling pollution levels.
Dr K.S.R. Murthy, former emeritus scientist of NIO, warned solar and wind powers are better than thermal power because urban heat islands attract cyclones.
The sea is rising 3 mm every year in Vizag due to global warming. He said coastal erosion, cyclones, tsunami, minor instances of coastal seismicity, marine pollution due to coastal industries, domestic sewage, ship traffic, and increased urbanization of the coastal stretch are the main constraints to be addressed.
Ashirwad Luke of St Luke’s Audio and Video studios emphasised the importance of culture, film and music. Organisers said they would submit the document to the government and other agencies for further action.
