Dholera Special Investment Region, India's first smart city is located in the dynamic state of Gujarat and has been envisioned by the Prime Minister Mr. Modi as a city that is twice the size of Mumbai and six times that of Shanghai. It is spread over a massive area of 920 square kilometers and encompasses 22 villages. Located in the Ahmedabad district and surrounded by water bodies on three fronts, the region is a proposed global trading and manufacturing hub.
As per 2001 census, the population of Dholera smart city was 37,000. However with the turnaround of events, the city is expected to host 2 million people over the next three decades and support 2.5 million people through .80 million new employment opportunities that shall be created as a result of the upcoming economic spur. This shall lead to a manifold increase in the residential housing demand of the city which is expected to touch 5 lakh units in such time period. Land allocation for housing has thus been planned by the government in three phases considering the number of people that are expected to move in the region in each phase. The intent is to create compact housing societies with a gross urban density of 65 persons per hectare so that public transportation can become viable in the region.
The city's residential housing units shall be built in a structured manner such that it can accommodate all classes of the society. Such units shall also be attached to commercial, community and other supporting facilities to promote sustainable living. The idea is to develop a city that is affordable to work and live in.
Besides housing, land shall also be required in Gujarat Dholera smart city for development of other sectors such as industrial, commercial, education, research, sports, entertainment, recreation, etc. The following is the percentage allocation of land for development of different sectors in DSIR:
| Purpose | Land Area(In ha) | % of net developable area |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | 6785 | 12% |
| Commercial | 2165 | 4% |
| Industrial | 9337 | 16% |
| Education, community facilities, sports, recreation and open spaces | 6912 | 12% |
| Infrastructure development | 8645 | 15% |
Rs. 3,000 crore (Appx) has been sanctioned by the government for development of key infrastructure components in Dholera smart city, work for which has commenced on state government owned 22.5 square kilometer activation area. Additional funding shall be raised through alternative sources such as Public Private Partnership and foreign direct investments. The area shares closeness with the 1,483 kilometer long Delhi-Mumbai corridor making it an attractive place for manufacturing and industrial giants. Besides, the region's exemplary connectivity through railways, 6 lane expressway, metro rail and Dholera international airport shall be instrumental in making it a preferred global investment destination. These modes of transit shall contribute largely to the sustainability of Dholera Special Investment region by linking it seamlesslywith the influential areas of DMIC and DFC.
DSIR shall have prime sites that shall be allocated for development of key sectors such as education, research, tourism, sports & entertainment. Basic infrastructure needs such as water and electric supply, sanitation, transport, etc. shall be handled on priority to meet the business, industrial and residential needs of the city. Various initiatives shall be encouraged to ensure low carbon emissions in the city. Few of them include proper transport planning which would involve 70:30 usage of public: private transport, use of renewable energy, low usage of conventional energy in buildings, conservation and recycling of water and recovery and recycling of solid waste material.
Dholera, India's Biggest/Largest Greenfield Smart city of India, first ever of its kind to be developed in India, is being looked upon as the 'engine for economic resurgence' and is thus the development of it in an apt manner is capable of changing how future would perceive the country.
