FEATUREDSMART VILLAGE
Animation of a Smart Village Project in India - Rural Areas | India
This is a proposal for a smart village project based in Bela village, Nagpur district. On a site of 10 acres, the design includes a whole range of public and private rural amenities. Proper provision for vital public facilities for education, safety, and healthcare, finance, transport, etc. is made, like the ‘Anganwadi’, bus stop, police chowki, bank branch, shops, doctors clinics, veterinary clinics and so on. Along with 194 housing units, other internal amenities include temple complex, garden, village panchayat ground, and common cattle sheds. The smart village design strives to achieve social and environmental well-being. On the social front, the design introduces elements like a dedicated ‘women activity center’, as a step towards encouraging women empowerment in rural society. One of the objectives is to create opportunities for education and employment generation through conscious design decisions. Various efforts are made to build what could be called a ‘self-realized village’. The design promotes not only self-sufficient but also sustainable methods wherever possible. As regards the environmental aspect, numerous measures are taken, such as electricity generation at source by means of solar power and heat generation from biogas plants to serve the village. The design demonstrates attention to details by decisions like―orientation of the houses on an East-West axis for optimum use of natural daylight; the major streets being laid North-South to avoid direct sunlight for vehicular traffic; use of low-cost materials, etc. The use of wetlands for wastewater treatment, water supply from an elevated surface reservoir (ESR), and provision of a septic tank for sewage disposal are some of the essential elements of sustainable urban design that are also thoughtfully incorporated. Lastly, apart from socio-environmental factors, an implicit manifestation of culture and tradition is expressed in the planning, by adopting the symbol of ‘swastika’ which holds immense value and significance in many ancient cultures and civilizations including India.
