'I have a six-point agenda to make Bhopal a smart city'

Bhopal's new mayor Alok Sharma listed out six of his priorities to make the state capital a "smart, clean and digital city". His six-point agenda would include efforts to protect the lakes, check corruption in BMC and improve the traffic and parking management in the city.

Updated on: Feb 5, 2015, 18:31:01 IST

Hindustan Times | By Neeraj Santoshi, Bhopal

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City's new mayor Alok Sharma listed out six of his priorities to make Bhopal a "smart, clean and digital city" in the coming times. In his first interview after winning the mayoral election, Sharma told Hindustan Times that his six-point agenda would also include efforts to protect the lakes, check corruption in Bhopal Municipal Corporation and improve the traffic and parking management in the city. Excerpts:

City-s-new-mayor-Alok-Sharma-listed-out-six-of-his-priorities-to-make-Bhopal-a-smart-clean-and-digital-city-Praveen-Bajpai-HT-photo

As Bhopal's new mayor what will be your priorities?
I have earmarked six priority areas to begin with. Firstly, we will thrive to making Bhopal a smart, clean, digital and global city. We will make efforts to protect our lakes, check corruption in Bhopal Municipal Corporation and improve the traffic and parking management in the city.

Something new you want to try?
It is the dream of our chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and mine to make this historic city a smart, clean, digital and a global city. I will work hard to fulfill these dreams and they will be the central to my six-point agenda.

How will plan to make Bhopal a clean and smart city?
We will develop a solid waste management system on the lines of Bangalore. There will be a disposal plant in each one of the wards where waste will be scientifically disposed off. On how he plans to protect the water bodies in the city of lakes Conservation and protection of over a dozen ponds and lakes in the Bhopal would be one of my main priorities. Bhopal is known as the city of lakes.

Lakes are the soul of our city. And by protecting their environment and pristine beauty, we can protect the very spirit of our city. We will ensure that there is a proper 'no construction zone' around Upper Lake so that there is no encroachment of the lakefront.

There have been regular allegations of corruption in BMC? How will deal with that?
I want the functioning of the Corporation to be transparent and efficient. There will be zero tolerance towards corruption.

Can you elaborate how you plan to improve traffic and parking in Bhopal?
I have plans to improve the traffic in the city by using advances technology. I will ensure that a high-tech system in put in place through which people can check or get information about traffic jams on different routes in advance. Moreover, parking lots too will be built to cater to increasing demand for parking space.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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