What is 'Smart City Mission' Discuss the main characteristics of cities of Eastern Uttar Pradesh selected under this scheme

The Smart Cities Mission is a national programme launched by the Government of India in June 2015. Its basic idea is simple: make selected Indian cities better places to live by improving core services (like water, roads, drains, public transport), using technology, and planning smartly so growth is clean and fair. Rather than changing a whole city at once, the mission usually focuses on specific areas (called area-based development) so that improvements can be seen quickly and then copied elsewhere. The mission also supports things such as better waste management, safer streets, digital services for citizens, and projects that help jobs and local businesses.

Why was the Mission started? (in plain words)

Cities are where most people live and work. If city services are slow or weak — for example, irregular water supply, bad roads, traffic jams or polluted rivers — people's lives and livelihoods suffer. The Smart Cities Mission aims to fix these problems with:

· Good basic services (clean water, reliable electricity, waste collection).

· Better urban planning so cities grow in an organised way.

· Use of technology to make services faster and more transparent (for example, apps to lodge complaints).

· Sustainable practices like solar street lights, green spaces, or improved public transport.

How the Mission works (short and simple)

1.Cities compete to be selected by showing a plan for improvement.

2.Once selected, each city creates a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) — a small organisation that manages projects, budgets and implementation.

3.Projects are funded by a mix of central funds, state funds, city funds, and private partnerships.

4.The emphasis is on visible, replicable projects — that is, changes people can actually use and that can be copied in other areas. Smart Cities in Uttar Pradesh — quick overview

Uttar Pradesh (UP) has been an active participant in the Smart Cities Mission. Initially, 10 cities in UP were selected by the Centre under the central Smart Cities rounds (Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Prayagraj, Saharanpur and Varanasi). Later, the state added more cities under a state-level extension of the programme, bringing additional urban centres into the smart city fold. UP now has a larger group of cities implementing smart-city projects under both central and state programmes.

The state government has also been giving additional funds and pushing further development in several UP cities, extending support and timelines where needed to finish projects and add new ones. This continued push shows the importance the state places on improving urban services.

Eastern Uttar Pradesh and the Smart Cities Mission

“Eastern Uttar Pradesh” generally refers to the part of UP east of Lucknow and includes cities such as Varanasi, Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Gorakhpur and, depending on definitions, nearby urban centres like Bareilly (which sits a bit to the north) and Ayodhya (added later under state initiatives). Several of these cities were selected under the Smart Cities Mission (either in the central 10 or later state additions), and each city’s projects reflect its own history, economy and local needs.

Below I describe the main characteristics of the Eastern UP cities that have been part of the Smart Cities programme, and how the Mission shapes each city’s development. I use easy language and focus on features people notice in daily life.

1. Varanasi — culture, riverfront and local tourism

What Varanasi is like: Varanasi is one of India’s oldest cities and a major centre for religion, culture and tourism. The Ganges riverfront (ghats), crowded narrow lanes, temples, small shops and traditional crafts are Varanasi’s defining features.

Smart-city focus and characteristics:

· Riverfront redevelopment: Projects around the Ganges improve ghats, walkways, drainage and facilities for pilgrims and tourists. This makes the riverfront cleaner, safer and more accessible.

· Tourism-friendly public spaces: Better lighting, clear signboards, toilets and cleanliness projects that help both locals and visitors.

· Heritage-sensitive upgrades: Because Varanasi is ancient, projects aim to improve infrastructure without harming heritage — for example, underground utilities or careful beautification of older areas.

· Digital services and waste management: Apps and systems for solid-waste collection, sanitation and traffic information to manage the daily crowds.
These improvements try to balance heritage conservation with modern services so residents and pilgrims both benefit.

2. Prayagraj (Allahabad) — confluence city with festivals and civic needs

What Prayagraj is like: Prayagraj is famous for the Triveni Sangam (meeting of three rivers) and large religious gatherings such as the Kumbh Mela. The city has big public events, historic buildings, and busy riverbanks.

Smart-city focus and characteristics:

· Event and crowd management: Upgrades to open spaces, roads and riverfronts to manage huge crowds during festivals.

· Public safety and sanitation: Better public toilets, temporary infrastructure for events, improved emergency services and traffic management.

· Transport and connectivity: Road improvements, smart traffic signals and better signage to reduce jams when festivals draw people from across India.

· Urban renewal: Rehabilitating old city pockets and improving drainage to reduce flood and waterlogging risks.
Projects in Prayagraj often plan for both everyday city life and the massive, temporary spikes in population during religious events.

3. Gorakhpur — regional hub, improving connectivity and services

What Gorakhpur is like: Gorakhpur is a major city in eastern UP, serving as an educational, medical and transport hub for the region. It has an important railway junction and a growing airport.

Smart-city focus and characteristics:

· Transport upgrades: Improvements to bus terminals, better traffic planning and last-mile connectivity to make it easier to move within the city and to nearby towns.

· Health and sanitation links: With big hospitals and medical colleges, projects often link sanitation, waste management and emergency response to support health infrastructure.

· Parks and public spaces: New or upgraded public spaces for recreation, which are important in cities that are expanding quickly.

· Economic support: Infrastructure that helps local trade, small industries and markets — for example, better roads, cold storage or market beautification.
Gorakhpur’s smart-city work is therefore a mix of connectivity, health-related services and public-space improvements to support its role as a regional centre.

4. Bareilly — markets, trade and civic upgrades

What Bareilly is like: Bareilly is an important trade and market town with textile, retail and small-scale industries. It sits in the north-central part of UP and serves surrounding rural areas.

Smart-city focus and characteristics:

· Market-area improvements: Better drainage, street lighting, pedestrian paths and market redevelopment to support traders and shoppers.

· Solid waste and sanitation: Systems to manage market and household waste more efficiently.

· Local transport solutions: Improved bus stands, safer pedestrian crossings and parking solutions to reduce congestion around busy markets.
Bareilly’s projects often aim to make everyday commerce easier while also bringing city services to neighbourhoods that were previously underserved.

5. Ayodhya (added under state-level push) — pilgrimage-led urban renewal

What Ayodhya is like: Ayodhya is a major religious destination with historical and cultural significance. In recent years it has seen focused investments because of its national religious importance.

Smart-city focus and characteristics:

· Pilgrim infrastructure: Cleanliness drives, better pathways, waiting areas, public toilets and traffic systems to handle visitor flows.

· Beautification and accessibility: Streets, lighting and public spaces are made to be more welcoming for visitors and residents.

· Coordination with tourism plans: Projects are planned to support longer-term tourism without harming local life.
Ayodhya’s smart-city activities illustrate how pilgrimage towns use this programme to balance visitor needs and local quality of life.

Common themes across Eastern UP smart-city projects

Across these Eastern UP cities, several common characteristics of Smart Cities work appear:

1.Heritage + Modernity balance: Many projects must keep cultural heritage (temples, ghats, old markets) while upgrading services. This requires careful design and community consultation.

2.Riverfront and public-space development: Cities on the Ganges or other rivers focus on making riverfronts usable, safe and clean for residents and pilgrims.

3.Event and crowd management: Cities that host big religious events (Varanasi, Prayagraj, Ayodhya) design projects for temporary crowds as well as permanent improvements.

4.Improved urban services: Common upgrades include better road surfaces, drainage to prevent waterlogging, street lighting, solid-waste systems, and public toilets.

5.Use of technology: Digital dashboards, citizen apps, smart traffic signals and sensors are used to improve governance and make services easier to access.

6.Focus on livelihoods and markets: Where cities depend on trade and tourism, projects support market areas, stalls, storage and connectivity to help the local economy. Challenges that these cities face (and how Smart City work helps)

Even with good plans, Eastern UP cities face real problems:

· Crowding and narrow lanes: Old city cores have narrow lanes that are hard to modernise. Smart solutions often include pedestrianisation, micro-zoning, and improving services without large-scale demolition.

· Heritage protection: Upgrading infrastructure without damaging temples, ghats or heritage buildings is tricky and needs experts.

· Funding and coordination: Multiple agencies (city, state, central) need to work together smoothly; this sometimes slows projects. The State has provided extra funds for some cities to speed up work.

· Sustainability: Ensuring projects are green and climate-resilient (for example, managing river flooding) is an ongoing concern.

Smart City projects address these by planning area-based interventions, using SPVs to coordinate work, involving citizens through consultations, and prioritising projects that can be sustained long-term.

What this means for people living in Eastern UP cities

· Everyday life improves when water supply, toilets, street lighting, pavements and garbage collection work reliably.

· Tourism and local business get a boost when public spaces, signage and transport improve — bringing more customers and jobs.

· Safer, cleaner public places make festivals and daily life easier and more enjoyable.

· Digital access (for grievance redressal, payments, info) makes governments more responsive and saves time for citizens.

The Smart Cities Mission is about making cities work better for the people who live in them. In Eastern Uttar Pradesh, the mission focuses on things that matter locally: protecting and improving sacred riverfronts and heritage areas, handling big festivals safely, upgrading markets and transport, and using digital tools to run services better. These changes are not finished yet, and cities still face big challenges, but the projects aim to create visible improvements that help both residents and visitors. With continued funding, careful heritage protection, and citizen involvement, Smart City work can make Eastern UP towns cleaner, safer and more livable while keeping their special cultural character.