PSCA plans ‘smart city’ pilot project in Lahore

Foreign firm will facilitate authority with technical support

LAHORE:

The Punjab Safe City Authority (PSCA) is conducting a pilot project on a main thoroughfare of Lahore to convince policymakers that technology can be used to deal with urban challenges.

A foreign firm will facilitate the authority for provision of technical support, installation and training. In this regard an MoU has been signed between the parties. Chief Operating Officer (CCO) of PSCA, Kamran Khan, told The Express Tribune that a team of the firm would be visiting Lahore soon to prepare a report.

Details would be discussed by the company’s higher authorities for evaluation, decision making and resource allocation, he said.

Khan said that safety and law and order were the components of the Smart City. The city management included ensuring provision of many other civic facilities like waste management, drainage, environment, traffic etc.

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In a Smart City, all the information is collected and integrated. Based on it, an analysis is conducted that helps in decision making. It is communicated to the quarters concerned for taking appropriate action.

He said that the PSCA had already developed significant technology. In Lahore, PSCA had fiber optics spread over 2000 kilometers, he said. Due to the privilege, PSCA will serve as a base for Smart City Pilot Project, he added.

In Smart Cities, after the availability of the infrastructure, PSCA had an experience of surveillence and monitoring (collection of information), data analysis and forwarding it.

For example, smart may help combat climate change, air pollution as well as waste management and sanitation through internet. In a part of city, heavy smog is observed. After data analysis, it is revealed that traffic congestion is causing it. So steps to reduce congestion will be taken.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2021.