Kohima town launches cycle campaign as green, fitness, mobility alternative

Dimapur, July 27 (EMN): Kohima town is one of 95 cities to have registered for the India Cycles4Change Challenge, an initiative of Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

“Through this Challenge, the registered cities will implement quick interventions to create a safe and cycling-friendly city. To ensure this transformation, Kohima is committed to working with its citizens as it develops and implements the proposals. Community engagement is a key component of the initiative, and Kohima seeks your support in making this programme a success,” the Kohima Smart City Development Limited (KSCDL) stated in an update that was issued on July 17 to the media.  

Kohima will be participating in the challenge under the initiative of the Kohima Smart City Development Ltd. in partnership with various stakeholders, local champions, and citizens, the note stated.  

“KSCDL is proud to launch the Kohima Cycles4Change Campaign to encourage more people into cycling and head towards the path of fitness, balanced growth, personal transport, and a cultural shift towards the sport of cycling for a better and greener future.”

The India Cycles4Change Challenge was announced on June 25 by Hardeep Singh Puri, minister of state (independent charge), MoHUA, at the 5th anniversary celebrations of the Smart City Mission. It aims to inspire and support the cities to implement quick cycling-friendly initiatives in response to Covid-19, the updates stated.   

The Challenge will run in two stages. Stage-1 will run until October, where cities will pilot initiatives such as pop-up cycle lanes, host public consultations, conduct surveys, and hold campaigns to promote cycling, which will help develop a scale-up strategy.

‘Based on the pilots and city-wide proposals submitted, 11 cities will be shortlisted in October for stage-2. In this stage, they will be awarded Rs. 1 Crore and will be guided by national and international experts to scale-up the initiatives. This stage will extend till May 2021,’ the note stated.

“During the course of the challenge, cities will be guided through online workshops, technical knowledge material, and peer-to-peer learning discussions with fellow cities. This will help cities to strategize and implement pilots, while also developing their scale-up proposal,” the KSCDL stated.