Hubbali-Dharwad Smart City's green mobility corridor project bags Rs 80cr funding

Hubballi: The Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City in Karnataka will get funding of Rs 80 crore for its proposed ‘Green Mobility Corridor’ project that has won the CITIIS challenge, according to the Urban Affairs Ministry.

In July 2018, the Centre had announced a new Cities Investment To Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) challenge to identify top projects in 15 of the 100 selected smart cities, which will then receive additional funding of Rs 80 crore each.

From Karnataka, Davanagere and Hubbali-Dharwad Smart Cities participated in the CITIIS challenge. However, the proposal on ‘Green Mobility Corridor’ submitted by the Hubbali-Dharwad Smart City was selected for the additional funding.

“I am happy to inform you that the following project (Green Mobility Corridor) has been selected from your state for funding under the CITIIS challenge,” the Urban Affairs Ministry said in a letter to the Karnataka government.

The proposed project got selected under the sustainable mobility category, said Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City Limited (HDSCL) Managing Director Hephsiba Rani Korlapati.

The project, estimated to cost total Rs 130 crore, aims to build a dedicated cycle corridor for over 18 km along the waterfront and on either sides of drainage.

“The project addresses the issues of public health, safe transportation, sanitation, rejuvenation of public spaces, waterfront development and most of all sustainable mobility through development of non-motorised transport,” the HDSCL MD said.

The new funding will be financed by a 100 million euro loan from the French government’s international development agency L’Agence Franaise de Dveloppement (AFD).

There are total seven cities in Karnataka which are part of Smart City Mission.

Smart cities is one of the biggest central government financed urban development schemes.