Dholera SIR India’s Largest City Development Project
Dholera SIR is a new smart city project in India, which is set to become the country’s largest city development.
It will span a total area of 2,937 sq km and accommodate a population of 1.1 million people.
The entire project is estimated to cost Rs 1 lakh crore ($14 billion) Dholera Smart City will be developed by the Gujarat State Government in partnership with companies from other countries.
Once it is completed, the city will have world-class municipal infrastructure and smart services.
Why Dholera?
Dholera is India’s first smart city project that will be developed on Greenfield land rather than on agricultural or forested land that already exists.
The city will have the capacity to absorb a maximum number of the urban population.
It will have comprehensive civic amenities and technological infrastructure.
Dholera is the first city in India to have an industrial park.
The city will have industrial zones and special economic zones and others.
There will be four special economic zones at first which will come up with special economic zones and manufacturing units.
What makes Dholera different from other cities in India?
Dholera SIR is planned around water, with 55 percent of the city going towards the development of the area surrounding the Dholera canal. This in turn will mean that the water supply in city will be reliable, safe, and clean.
Dholera will be connected to Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Vadodara and Surat via the Dholera Harbour, the first waterway of India to be dredged at sea level. The area will also have electric and motorways that connect to Ahmedabad.
Dholera Smart City is developed for the needs of the present day as opposed to futuristic developments. Dholera is also planned for the conditions of the locals, not just visitors.
How will it be developed?
Dholera Smart City will have 12,400 hectares of Greenfield land, and development is going to be done according to a “build, operate, transfer” model.
It will be holding the concession for implementing various activities.
Key Projects in Dholera Smart City:
· Development of a world-class International airport
· Development of a high-speed rail link
· Development of a multi-modal transportation system
· Development of an intelligent traffic management system
· Development of a smart grid
· Development of a sustainable water management system
· Development of a waste management system
· Development of a smart buildings and homes
· Development of a smart education system
· Development of a smart healthcare system
The Scope of the Development:
The city is planned to have all the essential requirements for daily life, like hospitals, schools, malls, hotels, and commercial areas.
It will have an international standard airport, multiple ports, railway connectivity, road connectivity and industrial clusters.
It will also have a world-class metro and mass rapid transit system to provide seamless connectivity to all areas of the city.
Dholera will also have the most advanced public transportation system in the country.
Smarter City Services:
The Gujarat government has partnered with giant companies to make Dholera the most advanced smart city in the world.
The government is investing in all aspects of the project, from infrastructure development to urban planning, data management, and the implementation of smart city services.
The government is also exploring the use high-tech technology to create a transparent and reliable ecosystem.
The development of smart cities will also help to increase the standard of living and provide better services to the people who are migrating to cities in large numbers.
A Greener, Safer Place To Live:
In addition to being a smart city, Dholera will be a green city as well.
The Gujarat government is creating a special agency called the Dholera Development Authority to implement the green city initiative.
Since the project is taking place on such a massive scale, the developers are using technology like artificial intelligence to help them monitor and manage water usage across the city.
The city will also be equipped with storm water drains that collect rainwater and divert it to water bodies, thereby reducing the amount of untreated water being wasted.
Another component of the green city initiative is the planting of trees in the city.
The planting of trees has always been a part of smart city initiatives, and Dholera is taking it to another level by planting a variety of trees in the city.
A Smart, Integrated City Development Project:
Dholera will have an integrated approach to development, which will include a sustainable city master plan.
The master plan will be divided into five zones: Residential Zone, Industrial Zone, Tourism Zone, Knowledge-IT Zone, Green Zone, Etc.
Each of these zones will have a different development plan and a different set of residents.
The government is planning to use IoT sensors across Dholera City to collect a wide range of data for better decision-making.
This data will be stored in decentralized ledger technology and made available to stakeholders via APIs.
Should you invest in Smart City Development?
The demand for smart cities will rise significantly with the development of the country. The demand for smart cities is expected to rise by 37% between 2021 and 2026. This will lead to a growth in investment in this space as well. It is definitely a good time to invest in this space as the demand is rising and the return is also expected to be good. However, you must do thorough research to find out the best project to invest in this space.
