Shimla-A safe city or a smart city?

  Today a Chinese company presented the idea of a smart alternative transport system for Shimla. A presentation was made by FDDC and Bureau Group Company Ltd. It is a Chinese company. The presentation was made before the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur here today. This was regarding providing a smart alternative transport system for  Shimla . The Company detailed about providing smart transport such as monorail, ropeway, lifts and escalators etc for the town. Has the slogan ’make in India’ changed to ’ come and rebuild India’?The designs of the commanding government are touching the skies without checking the home ground. The ropeways are the finest substitute for tenacious hill terrain of Himachal Pradesh. They are environment-friendly, economical, has a lesser maintenance cost and will reduce the fatality rate by cutting on the road traffic. This is being advocated by a known environmentalist Kulbhushan Upmanyu for decades now. ”The primary resources should be concentrated on the maintenance of national highways. The connecting roads which are in bad shape should be recouped with the ropeways. The supporting structure of a ropeway can be created in calculated time and they are much safer, ”Upmanyu has always stressed. Shimla is a tight-walled city. The recent let down was the acute water crises in the peak tourist season. The hill station is handcuffed with its finite resources. The Chief Minister has expressed his concern in case of a disaster. He suggested the need of the territorial army in case of an unfortunate incidence. In a hill station which is already choking and struggling to meet the need and greed of the human civilization, is the idea to make way for its cosmetic surgery, a welcome step?]]>