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KOHIMA — In a big relief for the residents of Kohima, who have to endure traffic snarls every day, partly due to lack of parking spaces and narrow roads, two multi-level car parking (MLCP) lots that can accommodate up to 305 vehicles (combined) were opened to the public on Saturday.
Nagaland Governor La. Ganesan, who inaugurated the multi-level car parking at P.R. Hill on Saturday morning, said that the facilities are a step in the right direction towards becoming a smart city, for Kohima, which has been grappling with traffic and parking challenge for years.
These state-of-the-art facilities, equipped with modern amenities are a testament of the resolve to address pressing urban challenges effectively, he said, adding that it is an essential tool in the efforts to reinvigorate Kohima's downtown, boost local businesses, and ensure a better quality of life for the people.
Pointing out the need to teach parking ethics and traffic rules right from the school, he lamented lack of discipline among the people. He also called upon the people to shoulder the responsibility of shaping Kohima’s future and support all the government agencies in development projects.
Another landmark achieved — CM
Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said that Nagaland has achieved another landmark, terming the amenities as a long-awaited need for Kohima, with parking becoming particularly difficult amid growing number of vehicles. It takes about an hour to reach from one end of the town to the other, which is a waste of people's time, he added.
There are about 4.16 lakh car (four wheeler) in Nagaland, out of which 1.65 lakh cars are in Kohima, 1.20 lakh cars in Dimapur and over 52,000 in Mokokchung, he informed, adding that a time will come when people won’t be able to buy new cars without parking space certificates.
Pointing out that people don't follow the traffic rules and regulations, and park cars at their own convenience, he said the traffic police should be stricter in enforcing the rules.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]The CM also said that it is high time the Urban Development department comes up with building bye-laws, as areas like the New Secretariat in Kohima are growing.
Women-led development in offing, says Puri
Inaugurating the MLCP at NST Bus Station later in the day, Union minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, said that women-led development awaits with the implementation of Municipal Bill that provides 33 per cent reservation for women.
Expressed hope that women will join the political process not just because of the 33 per cent reservation, he urged women to take advantage of the provision once it becomes operational after the next census and delimitation.
Assuring central schemes for the state, Puri said that so far, 4378 eligible applications have been received from Nagaland for the PM SVANidhi scheme (for urban street vendors), out of which 2931 loans have been sanctioned and 2850 loans disbursed, amounting to INR 3.77 crore.
The Northeast and Nagaland occupy a special place in the heart of the prime minister, he said claiming that about 300 ministerial visits involving 76 ministers have been made to the region under the Modi government.
Details of MLCP at PR Hill
CEO of Kohima Smart City Development Limited K Theunuo, who presented the report of both the facilities, updated that the MLCP at P.R. Hill measures about 1,40,000 sq.ft in area with G+5 floors.
The facility has three floors (first to third) for car parking with a capacity to accommodate 180 vehicles. It also has 62 rooms for shops (six in ground floor, 28 in 4th and 28 rooms in 5th floor), public toilets, automatic boom barriers at entry and exit, CCTVs, and fire fighting and emergency response system in all the floors.
It has car deck epoxy flooring in all the parking areas and lift facility in all floors, while the food court on top floor, which is funded by the state, is under construction.
The project was initially sanctioned by the Ministry of Urban Development, GoI, under JNNURM Scheme in 2009 but was de-sanctioned 2015 due to fund constraints. After being abandoned for more than two years, it was handed over to the Kohima Smart City Development Ltd. and the project was revived under the Smart City Mission (SCM) in 2018 by sanctioning INR 31.22 crore.
The project, which was awarded to M/s Guolhoulie & Sons, was supposed to be completed in two years but was delayed by an equal number of years due to the COVID pandemic. It was finally completed in August 2023.
Details of MLCP at NST Bus Station
Theunuo informed that the MLCP at NST Bus Station was also initially sanctioned by the Centre in 2009 but was de-sanctioned due to fund constraint in 2015, after which it was revived in 2018 under the Smart City Mission by sanctioning INR 28.78 crore and the work commenced in October the same year.
Awarded to M/s Viu Angami & Sons, the completion period of the project was two years but it was completed only in July this year due to the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic, he added.
The facility, which has G+6 floors, measures about 95,000 sq.ft. It has six bus bays for NST buses on the ground floor, while five floors (first to fifth) are for car parking with a capacity of 125 cars and more than 50 two-wheelers.
It also has public toilets in all the floors, a washroom for PwDs on the ground floor and other amenities like CCTVs, commercial space etc., offered by the MLCP at P.R. Hill
The CEO also informed that the Kohima Smart City has taken up two more MLCPs -- at City Centre and Local Ground -- having a capacity of accommodating 120 cars each, which will push Kohima’s parking capacity to 545, once the projects are completed.