Smart city idea proposed for Lahore

Khawaja Hassan said under the proposed solution, the company would replace conventional utility meters with smart ones

LAHORE:

Lahore could save billions of rupees in energy and water once the metropolis was transformed into a smart city. This was disclosed in a meeting between the Adviser to Chief Minister Khawaja Ahmad Hassan and representatives of a Danish company, Starman Group, on Saturday.

Nadeem Elahi, a representative of the company, said that by using modern technology and finding optimal use of available resources, the province could save funds through conservation of electricity, gas and water.



Talking to The Express Tribune, Hassaan said he was very impressed with the presentation and amount of savings that the Danish company had claimed.

“I have asked them to come up with a detailed proposal along with supporting documents. The Punjab government is open to innovative ideas that can optimise use of available resources,” he said.

He said the company had offered a multifaceted solution that would electronically control the use of electricity, gas and water.

He said under the proposed solution, the company would replace conventional utility meters with smart ones. He said it could also automate street lights in the city to conserve energy. He said once such a system was installed in the city, one would monitor and manage the metropolis from a central control room.



Hassaan said the Danish company had vast experience of smart cities and had already completed similar projects in Abu Dhabi and some European states.

“The government wants to acquire such solutions in a transparent manner. Once the company submits its proposal, the government will call for tenders and award the project to the winning bidder.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2016.