DPR for four smart cities in valley within next year

Kathmandu, June 27

Kathmandu Valley Development Authority (KVDA) has set the target of completing the detailed project report (DPR) of four smart cities in Kathmandu Valley within next year.

For this, the KVDA says four consultant companies have already been selected.

“A Finland-based consultant company has already initiated works on the DPR of the biggest ever proposed smart city in the Valley, with the target to submit the report within nine months,” said Bhaikaji Tiwari, the development commissioner of KVDA.

The authority has designated four areas in the Valley’s north, east, south and west to develop the proposed satellite smart cities.

The smart cities will span over a total area of 130,000 ropanis, with the biggest smart city located in North-East of Kathmandu Valley covering 100,000 ropanis of land and other three cities spread over 10,000 ropanis each.

The biggest smart city will span from Nagarkot of Bhaktapur, Talkot road, Jorpati, Mulpani cricket ground in Shankhu, Bhaktapur Purano Bato, Nepal Army Training Academy and will be linked to Araniko Highway. Finnish consultant firm Helen and Co is preparing DPR at a total cost of Rs 120 million.

The second smart city will cover Gundu (located to the south of Araniko Highway) and Balkot area and will be located in east side of Kathmandu Valley. The third smart city will be located in the south side of Kathmandu Valley and cover Ranikot, Bhaisepati, Khokana, Bungmati and Chhimti. ERMC Nepal has bagged the contract to prepare the DPRs of the two aforementioned smart cities for Rs 20 million each.

The fourth smart city will be located at the northern side of the Valley and cover Samakhusi, Tokha and the areas of Balaju by-pass, Kavresthali, Greenland Chowk. While Fulbright Consultancy has been selected to conduct the DPR study for
Rs 20 million, the KVDA is yet to sign a pact with the company.

According to Tiwari, the names of the smart cities are yet to be finalised. The Finnish company and ERMC are expected to submit their initial reports by mid-July. “These smart cities will set an example for well-managed infrastructure in every sector and smart urbanisation,” he added.

The authority has set the target of developing the smart cities within five years of completing the DPR. The initial estimate of building the smart cities has been placed at Rs 500 billion, of which Rs 100 billion will be financed utilising local resources and the remaining through foreign loans.

KVDA plans to equip the smart cities with essentials of smart cities, like smart energy, governance, technology, healthcare, water,
education, waste management, green buildings, infrastructure, well-managed transportation, public safety, citizen service, stadium, large-size ponds, greenery, town centres, etcetera.

According to KVDA, the smart cities aim to manage the uncontrolled and haphazard urban migration in the Kathmandu Valley.