Mangaluru : Around 400 acres of land in the vicinity of Kunjathbail, including the banks of the Phalguni (popularly called Gurupur river), in the city be developed as an integrated township under the proposed smart city project?

The suggestion came on the first day of the two-day conference on ‘sustainable smart cities of India’ here on Monday. Mangaluru City Corporation and Bengaluru-based Nispana Innovative Platforms Pvt. Ltd. are jointly hosting the conference. The suggestions emerged at the conference would help the MCC to give final shape to its smart city project proposal to be submitted to the Union government before this year end.

Mangaluru is among 98 cities short-listed under the project proposal. The MCC is making efforts to be listed among top 20 cities to get funds in the first phase itself.

Making his presentation Anup Naik, an architect, Space Matrix Architects and Planners said the 400 acre land could be used for promoting wellness (health) centres, Information Technology sector and green field.

He suggested that even open space in the land could be used for promoting harvestable crops.

Stating that there was a big buzz about smart cities, A. Ravindra, former Chief Secretary of the State government and presently Chairman, Smart Cities India Foundation said the smart cities mission has created awareness among people to make cities smart. There was competition among cities to make it to the top among the first list of 20 cities.

H.S. Ballal, Pro-Chancellor, Manipal University assured that the university would provide all logistical support to the city’s effort to make it to top in the first list. He said that there was unwieldy growth of cities without proper infrastructure in place.

The smart cities mission would ensure planned and orderly growth of the city.

Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim said that unlike other cities, Mangaluru was yet to be affected by influx of people from rural areas.