After conveying the key initiatives previously undertaken and currently ongoing under the Coimbatore Smart City project, Rajkumar, CEO of Coimbatore Smart City Ltd welcomed the private Industries in Coimbatore to participate in Smart City Project under available Public Private Partnership models.
He was speaking at the Annual Day of CII Coimbatore that was held recently. The CEO urged CII members and those from the industries to participate and engage in the smart city projects under the PPP models and the new business models, as they (the projects) have more scope for participation from the private sector industries, institutions, entrepreneurs and innovators, a press-release conveyed.
Several senior members of the CII Coimbatore were present on the occasion. Earlier, he deliberated on the key initiatives undertook and being undertaken under Coimbatore Smart City and highlighted on the transformation the city is undergoing, the way forward, unique features of Coimbatore especially in terms of the lakes and capabilities of such transformation.
R.Srinivasan, Executive Vice President & Head – Smart World and Communication, Larsen & Toubro Ltd and Shankar Arumugham, Head – Strategic Consulting and Valuation Advisory – India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal, addressed the gathering by joining virtually and highlighted various advanced scope of city developments in terms of technology, innovation and landscaping.
As the migration of people from rural to urban areas is phenomenally increasing year after year, there is a huge challenge lying ahead of cities and its stakeholders. CII cited United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs’s 2018 report in its press release.
It reported that 55% of the world’s population was living in urban areas and estimated that the figure will reach 68% by 2050. This relentless rural-to-urban shift will add 2.5 billion people to cities, coming in search of a better life, new opportunities, and excitement.
As a result, cities will face massive challenges: insufficient decent and cheap housing, expanding waste management needs, growing demand for access to clean water and employment, and worsening traffic congestion. Never have cities been tested as they have by the COVID-19 pandemic, which unfolded with unprecedented rapidity and severity. Clearly, only through the collective efforts of governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and the public – and through the harnessing of transformative technologies and enlightened policies, we will be able to protect and realize the true potential of cities