NDMC to imbibe the concept of ‘resilient cities’ with budget 2020-21

NEW DELHI: New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) budget proposal for the year 2020-21, estimated at Rs 4234.59 crore, was presented on Friday, January 3, by Dharmendra, Chairperson, NDMC. It includes provisions for the installation of panic buttons, CCTV cameras in all the NDMC schools, library and museum on Mahatma Gandhi, smart bins, and ‘pink’ smart toilets. Speaking on the occasion, Dharmendra said that the smart city intends to imbibe the concept of ‘resilient cities’ by inculcating the “ability to absorb, recover and prepare for future shocks inclusive of socio-economic, environmental and institutional concerns.”

The council is also preparing to reinforce the educational infrastructure by incorporating WiFi-enabled classrooms, tinkering labs and cycle clubs in its schools. The authorities will also be adopting a zero tolerance policy for any incidents that could compromise student safety in school campuses by introducing panic buttons. Smart Bus shelters, e-scooter systems, and open gyms in schools are also part of the plan.

NDMC has also identified 10 spots to install ‘pink’ smart toilets for women. These would be equipped with LEDs, sensor taps and solar panels.

The council will also be planting 5000 trees and 5 lakh shrubs in the coming year to curb air and dust pollution. They will also continue to QR code based tree information system this year.