While a smart city may be a distant dream, Goa has gotits first ‘smart street’ in the coastal village of Calangute. The street has 30light poles with four-coloured theme lighting, CCTV cameras and WiFiconnection. The entire paved street is also lined up with solar blinkers thatcome alive at night and digital smart boards that are used to flashmessages. It is understood that the'smart street' has been done through CSR activity and that the government hasnot spent a single rupee to develop it. The 'smart street' was possible becauseof the nod given by the locals and was developed by a private party inassociation with the village panchayat. The street indeed looks veryimpressive. It is obvious that maintaining this street needs to be given toppriority in order to make the facilities, which are available, to last. Itwould be desirable for every city and village in the state to have a ‘smartstreet’ in its locality. The respective civic body and panchayat could earmarka particular street to convert it into a ‘smart street’. While becoming atourist attraction in the locality, the 'smart street' will also set abenchmark for other streets in the city and village as far as cleanliness andmaintenance of street lights and other work is concerned since every streetwill then be compared to the ‘smart street’ in the locality.
