Jaipur: Smart City for Eco Tourists

Making it Happen

There is more to experience in Jaipur than historical monuments. Heritage and Hospitality in a clean city with clean air. That could get tourists staying longer, helping the local economy and people.

Smart City means Smart people. Studies have shown that air pollution makes people “dumber”. It affects their cognitive abilities, and reduces life expectancy by more than a year and a half. Air pollution is a bigger killer than tobacco and cancer. And traffic congestion and traditional transport are the most important causes.

Electric bikes (e-bikes) and entrepreneurs can help position the city, as the Eco-Tourism destination of choice. Put simply, adding 100 e-bikes to start with today, going to 500 by December 2018, which is the peak tourist season, could add Rs. 70 lakh of extra spend by the tourist in Jaipur every month, everything else being the same. (Refer my earlier blog on Amritsar Smart City)

With Electric bikes and Eco-tourism

I have lived in Jaipur for over a year now, and try visiting its various monuments and eateries, at the first opportunity.

Believe the scope for visitors to experience heritage and hospitality – together at their convenience, is a business opportunity to take Jaipur to the next level. With help from e-bikes and eco-tourism. And it is well positioned to do so. With an eco-friendly vision and plans that are being implemented.

Jaipur is part of the golden triangle, which has two of the most visited monuments in the country – Taj Mahal and Amber Fort on its circuit. Most of the tourists come during winter months, starting with the festival season of Dusshera and Diwali. The New Year weekend leads to a new peak, in terms of visitor numbers.

One of the main challenges is air pollution impacting not only tourists, but also city residents. E- bikes being environment friendly could be used, and Jaipur could brand itself as promoting Eco-tourism.

A tourist in Jaipur visits Amber Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Bazaars of the Walled City. Hawa Mahal is the central point, and Amber Fort is about 9 kms away. During the tourist rush, traffic jams on the road leading to the fort are common. Use of e-bikes would help, and save the tourist’s time, thereby providing a better experience.

All other tourist attractions, apart from the two forts are small distances away. With electric charging stations at the railway station, Ajmeri Gate and near Amber Fort to start with, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) could promote Eco-Tourism, and people would be happy to pay 2- 3% more on admission tickets. The city needs to study Nike’s vision in going green.

Smart City and Smarter Citizens

The state government has been focused on making the city clean and smart. Two news reports stand out –one is the River Rejuvenation Project and other is the Bhamashah Data Center.

Dravyavati River Rejuvenation Project

The Project, executed by Tata Projects Limited was inaugurated by the Chief Minister on 2nd October 2018. It is a 47.5km, (rain fed) riverfront, that had degenerated into an untreated sewage nallah, which was restored as a perennial river – fed by treated clean water.

It aims to reduce pollution, treat 170 million litres of sewage a day, and create green spaces, social spaces, cycle and jogging tracks along its banks.

To beautify, more than 17,000 trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants have been planted along the banks of the river. A pathway and cycling track of nearly 38 kms on both sides of the river has been provisioned to serve as a means of healthier living through exercise and clean air.

The river front has become another destination for tourists to experience.

Citizen e-Services

The Bhamashah State Data Centre is driving a host of citizen e-services.

Does one realize that today when one is stopped for any traffic violation here, you do not need to show the driving license or vehicle registration in original, rather if they have it on their government’s sponsored Mobile App and the documents stored in the Digilocker that would do. One needs an Aadhar card linked to a mobile phone to open a Digilocker. It helps consolidate all important documents for an individual at one place. It is representative of the push towards e-governance. Jaipur has also become one of the first cities in the country to start with e-challans. Bringing more transparency into the system and reducing paper work.

MUJ: Helping Build Awareness

The State Government has provided a number of e-services, something that people are not aware of. It is important to build citizen awareness. Maybe we at Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) can help, by educating people of the different government online services like e-Mitra, and how their use would benefit them.

MUJ has been a leader in being an environmentally friendly campus. And has been repeatedly awarded for its green design. It is a center of gravity attracting researchers and students. It has a role to play in catalyzing Eco-Tourism, as well as characterizing its impact to make the city “smarter”.

We at MUJ Entrepreneurship Cell could offer to conduct seminars and workshops evangelizing Eco-Tourism and Smart City initiatives with the community at large. This would help people engage, and identify potential business opportunities.

Refer to my previous blog on Amritsar Smart City.

The link is as follows - https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/e-bikes-entrepreneurship-shivang-ranjan/

SHIVANG RANJAN