Smart District initiative in Tamil Nadu
THE QUESTION
Can IoT technology efficiently manage resources (water, air) and waste in real time?
LOCATION: India
SECTOR: Infrastructure, Governance
TECH: Internet of Things
TIMELINE: September 2023 - Present
PIONEER: Sam Kumar
PARTNERS: Neural Rays Ai with the Government of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency, and District of Madurai
The Challenge
Imagine you’re a public administrator tasked with managing precious resources like water, air quality, and waste. Whether it’s responding to crises like increasing water scarcity or fast urbanisation, or accounting for the consequences of air pollution like chronic breathing issues, you are facing an ever more complex undertaking. How and why you manage these resources defines outcomes for so many parts of society, from citizens, to companies, to the environment.
Conventional resource management methods are time-consuming and increasingly inefficient. In Tamil Nadu, a significant portion of the monitoring of these systems is done manually. These inefficiencies lead to a number of challenges, such as:
Insufficient reporting mechanism in case of water contamination;
Improper schedule of water supply depriving people of the required quantity of water for their needs;
Excessive clean-up costs due to overflowing waste bins;
Delay in detection and removal of blocks in sewerage systems leading to overflow of sewage;
No way to efficiently flag problems with waste management administration;
Unlawful activities in restricted areas.
Any and all of these issues have consequences on quality of life, thriving business, and a healthy environment for all. And the impacts are felt directly by citizens of Tamil Nadu, as their water sources become polluted, blocked drains cause overflow when it rains, and excessive air pollution creates chronic breathing and lung issues.
Real-time monitoring would help the government to better understand challenges with waste management and allocate resources in a timely manner.
The Idea
This pilot will test the use of IoT technology to efficiently manage resources (water, air) and waste. Sensors will be strategically deployed at designated points in the water supply chain, waste (solid and sewage) collection process, and public spaces to monitor air quality. The sensors will transmit real-time data to relevant authorities and trigger programmed alerts. The recorded data will form the basis of analytical work, empowering the government to make informed decisions about resource allocation and management. A dashboard will be created, providing real-time insights to understand what is needed to resolve issues, making the management process more efficient and optimising resource utilisation.
The objective is to integrate all of these several use cases (air, water, waste management) into one ‘Smart district’.
