AI Led Digital Transformation of Cities

Prakash Kumar

India stands at the cusp of a major transformation, driven by rapid urbanization and the digital revolution. As cities burgeon, becoming denser and more complex, the challenges of urban governance grow exponentially. Traditional methods of managing urban environments are increasingly proving inadequate to address issues such as waste management, pollution, traffic congestion, and the delivery of essential services. This scenario calls for innovative solutions that can enhance the efficiency, responsiveness, and sustainability of urban governance. Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI), a technology with the potential to radically transform how cities are managed and governed. By harnessing the power of AI, Indian cities can leapfrog into a new era of smart governance, where decision-making is informed, services are citizen-centric, and urban challenges are addressed more effectively.

The relevance of AI in urban governance cannot be overstated. With its ability to analyze vast amounts of data in real time, AI offers unparalleled insights into urban operations, enabling cities to predict and respond to the needs of their citizens proactively. This technological transformation promises not only to enhance the quality of life for millions of urban residents but also to pave the way for sustainable urban development. As Indian cities continue to grow, the integration of AI into urban governance will be key to navigating the complexities of urbanization, ensuring that India's urban future is bright, inclusive, and resilient.

Municipal bodies shoulder a broad spectrum of responsibilities, encompassing both essential services and regulatory oversight, along with a variety of other civic duties. Within the ambit of public health and sanitation, their tasks are manifold, including the collection and disposal of solid waste, sewage system management, provision of potable water, and operation of healthcare facilities. Furthermore, they undertake vital preventive measures against communicable diseases, such as malaria and dengue, through strategies like fogging, anti-larval operations, and vaccination campaigns. In the realm of urban planning and development, municipalities play a pivotal role in executing master plans that guide the orderly growth of cities, enforcing zoning laws, building codes, and ensuring the safety and integrity of construction projects. They are tasked with the construction and upkeep of infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and culverts. Beyond these core functions, municipalities regulate a range of services, from issuing licenses and permits for local businesses and activities to the collection of property taxes, approval of building plans, and the maintenance of vital records, including the issuance of birth and death certificates.

Municipalities also extend a diverse array of services that significantly impact daily life and community well-being. These services include operating public transportation systems, such as buses, illuminating streets and public areas, and maintaining parks, gardens, and recreational facilities. Additionally, they administer primary education through their own schools. They also play an important role in preparing for and managing natural disasters and other emergencies. Encouraging active civic engagement in governance, exemplified by initiatives like Delhi's Bhagidari scheme, municipalities also establish mechanisms for residents to voice complaints and grievances. Furthermore, they are instrumental in fostering economic growth by creating a conducive environment for businesses and investments, promoting cultural activities and events, and enhancing tourism to invigorate the local economy.

Information technology (IT) is fundamental in the delivery and oversight of these municipal services. The substantial volumes of data getting generated underscore the significance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in elevating these services to a higher level, while also enriching the spheres of planning and policy formulation at the city level. Let us see how technology can help transform the way services are rendered.

Public Health and Sanitation

Overflowing bins and streets marred by waste are all too familiar in urban landscapes. The challenge of ensuring timely garbage collection, traditionally monitored through manual means, faces inherent limitations. Technology introduces a suite of solutions to address these issues, ranging from bins equipped with IoT sensors that gauge fill levels, alerting control centers to act promptly, to the deployment of AI-enabled cameras in certain cities. These cameras not only detect when bins overflow or streets become littered but also verify compliance with collection schedules. In a significant number of municipalities, garbage trucks fitted with RFID tags facilitate the monitoring of waste collection from public bins. By analysing data on garbage collection, addressing complaints about delays, and considering the population density of different areas, a more efficient planning for garbage collection and the establishment of additional public bins can be achieved, enhancing urban cleanliness and livability.

Water leakage from underground pipes, uneven distribution, contamination risks, and restricted supply durations are prevalent issues faced by urban residents, who demand a consistent, safe, and adequate water supply. Addressing these challenges, technology offers a comprehensive array of solutions. Acoustic emission technology is employed to pinpoint leaks within underground pipelines, while AI-driven supply management systems work to distribute water more evenly across different city areas. Further AI applications are also utilized to identify leakage points, alongside the deployment of smart meters to monitor usage. By creating detailed maps of water pipelines and analyzing consumption data, urban local bodies can significantly enhance water supply efficiency. It's estimated that addressing pipeline inefficiencies alone could save 30 to 40% of potable water that is currently lost, pointing towards a sustainable future for urban water management.

Aging and neglected sewer systems are increasingly strained by burgeoning urban populations. Compounding this challenge is the pollution of sewage systems by untreated industrial effluents and the intrusion of solid waste, which frequently leads to blockages. Citizens' primary demand is for an efficient sewer system devoid of hazardous open manholes. In response, technology offers a plethora of solutions, beginning with the mapping of sewer lines—a process yet to be initiated in numerous cities and towns. Innovations include smart sewer systems capable of monitoring their own condition, identifying leaks and blockages, and IoT-based systems for comprehensive data collection. Additionally, robots designed to navigate sewer interiors and transmit visual inspections are among the advanced solutions now available to tackle these urban infrastructure challenges.

The healthcare services offered by municipalities face several challenges, including insufficient medicine supplies and a scarcity of medical professionals in hospitals and dispensaries. Urban residents seek reliable healthcare services, encompassing accessible doctors and medication in healthcare facilities, alongside proactive measures to prevent epidemics through timely fogging and vaccination campaigns. In addressing these needs, technology plays a crucial role, offering solutions such as resource planning software to efficiently manage medicines, patient care, and healthcare staff. Telemedicine emerges as a transformative approach, connecting specialists with patients in remote dispensaries, eliminating the necessity for the ill to travel to hospitals. Moreover, advancements like street sweeping and dusting machines significantly contribute to urban cleanliness, thereby lowering disease incidence. Additionally, AI-equipped CCTV cameras are deployed to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of service agencies responsible for providing these essential healthcare services to the community.

Roads, Street Furniture and Transportation

Potholed roads and delays in their repair, leading to significant inconveniences and hazards for the public, alongside the traditional manual inspection for road maintenance, are common grievances among citizens who demand smooth, pothole-free roads. Addressing these concerns, technology offers several innovative solutions to assist municipal governments. Real-time data from dashboard cameras and mobile phones in Uber vehicles and taxis are now utilized to pinpoint the precise locations and dimensions of potholes. This timely information enables the rapid notification of maintenance staff or contractors for prompt repairs within specified time frames. Additionally, this data aids city governments in overseeing the service level agreements (SLAs) with contractors tasked with road maintenance, thereby enhancing citizen satisfaction through improved urban infrastructure management.

 A common concern among citizens is the inadequate management of street furniture, such as pedestrian guardrails, cycle stands, safety barriers, traffic signs (both illuminated and non-illuminated), milestones, and road signs. The advent of technology introduces an efficient solution through IoT-based systems, known as Intelligent Road Asset Management Systems. These systems offer enhanced management of street furniture, streamlining urban infrastructure and improving public spaces.

 Furthermore, the quest for dependable public bus systems and smart bus stops is a pressing issue, as the current lack of real-time bus arrival information leads to unnecessary waiting and time wastage. Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides a viable solution by delivering highly accurate predictions of bus arrival times. Utilizing machine learning algorithms to process bus location data, this innovative approach significantly boosts the efficiency and reliability of urban bus services.

 Additionally, the problem of non-functional streetlights, which compromises safety in urban areas, has prompted a demand for well-lit streets. To address this, many cities have adopted smart streetlight control systems. These systems not only automate the switching on and off of streetlights but also adjust their brightness, contributing to safer urban environments. Some cities have further innovated with the implementation of intelligent solar-powered streetlights, enhancing sustainability and safety in urban landscapes.

 Regulatory Services

In terms of automation of regulatory services, cities have done quite well in terms of enabling online function of property tax payment, building plan approvals, issue of birth and death certificates, application for licensing and permits etc. This has led to generation of huge amount of data which could be used by AI/ML applications for identifying property owners who are not paying due taxes by using data from water supply, electricity and telephone companies. Integrating building approval system with Property Tax system will ensure property tax computation is correctly done and its levy starts immediately after completion certificate is granted. In many cities long gaps are noticed between date of completion certificate (CC) and date when the levy of property tax starts.

Services like admission to primary school could be offered based on date of birth maintained by the municipalities avoiding parents to apply for the same and also ensuring every child gets admitted in school and no one is left out. Similarly, linking of death certificate system with benefits system will ensure that flow of benefits stop to such people.

In the realm of automating regulatory services, Indian cities have made significant strides, notably in the digitalization of essential functions such as online property tax payments, building plan approvals, birth and death certificate issuance, and applications for licenses and permits. This digital transformation has culminated in the accumulation of vast datasets, ripe for AI/ML application deployment. These technologies can identify property owners evading taxes by cross-referencing data from utilities like water, electricity, and telecommunication services. By synchronizing the building approval and property tax systems, cities can ensure accurate property tax self-assessments and initiate tax collection promptly upon the issuance of completion certificates, addressing the often-observed delays between the granting of completion certificates and the commencement of property tax levies.

 Furthermore, leveraging birth records maintained by municipalities, admissions to primary schools could be automated, sparing parents the application process and guaranteeing universal school enrolment, thus ensuring no child is overlooked. Similarly, integrating the death certificate system with the benefits distribution framework can automatically halt benefits to deceased individuals, streamlining administrative processes and enhancing the efficiency of public service delivery.

 Emerging technologies offer cities innovative strategies for enhancing workforce training, addressing the frequently observed apathy among municipal employees towards citizens. Online training programs and AI-driven behavior monitoring tools are now accessible to city administrators, presenting an opportunity to foster a more service-oriented attitude among staff.

Citizens often encounter significant challenges when attempting to report issues and track their grievances with city administrations. In many instances, cities lack dedicated call centers for grievance redressal, and those that exist are typically understaffed and operational only during official working hours. Generative AI (GenAI) based chatbots emerge as a solution, capable of operating around the clock. These chatbots can be scaled according to the volume of calls and are adept at engaging in conversations in multiple Indian languages, mimicking the responsiveness of human agents and significantly enhancing the accessibility and efficiency of city services for residents.