Swedish minister for housing, urban development and IT Mehmet Kaplan met Maharashtra chief secretary Swadheen Kshtriya on Saturday in a bid to expand the partnership and implement the smart city concept.
The government of Sweden has decided to be India's knowledge partner and also help Maharashtra develop smart cities with sustainable development. The state has short-listed 10 smart cities.
Swedish minister for housing, urban development and IT Mehmet Kaplan met Maharashtra chief secretary Swadheen Kshtriya on Saturday in a bid to expand the partnership and implement the smart city concept.
Kaplan said their focus is on sustainable development, core issues of which are digitisation of land records, effective implementation of public transport, and scientific disposal and reuse of solid waste.
"We have been processing almost 2.8 million tons of solid waste. Most countries in Europe send their waste to Sweden, which we use to generate bio-fuel. We have been running 250 public transport buses on this waste-generated bio-fuel in Stockholm. A similar model can be worked out in Maharashtra," he added. Mumbai itself generates over 6,000 metric tons waste daily.
Kaplan said the Maharashtra government is more interested in the solid waste scientific disposition plan. "We have made a group of which the Mumbai and Pune civic commissioners are a part," he said, adding that he will be visiting Mumbai municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta soon.
"We have also invited chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and his ministers to visit Sweden and its firms, which are working in many interesting areas, as that information will be useful in developing smart cities."
He said there are many firms in Sweden having expertise in solid waste processing, and these firms can contribute in India by developing 100 smart cities. "In a bid to give a boost to the 'Make in India' initiative, the India and Sweden governments have signed a memorandum of understanding on sustainable urban development. This agreement means that the two countries can cooperate on developing solutions in the field of sustainable urban development for the well being of present and future generations," Kaplan said.
"Sweden and India have always had good relations, visible through the number of exchanges on a political level, as well as student exchanges and company collaborations. For a country like Sweden, striving to be an open innovation-driven economy, India is a natural partner and, in India, Maharashtra is of particular importance. My visit to Mumbai is to further this partnership with a focus on smart cities."
He also said that involvement locals is vital in any project. "Besides the participation of architects, town planners and environmentalists, people too must be involved; they must decide what they want. They are the backbone for any development. A smart city is one that has proper footpaths, adequate space for bicycle riders, efficient public transport, clean and adequate water, and rainwater harvesting among other things. I am very confident that both countries will benefit from the mutual understanding. We are ready to invest in India," Kaplan said.
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