Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, along with 40 corporators from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), visited Lucknow as part of a study tour. On Monday, they toured the Smart City office at Lal Bagh and observed the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Command Centre. This system ensures door-to-door waste collection by electric autos, monitored from a central control room. If an auto is not following its route, the system alerts the command centre, and the supervisor is contacted via walkie-talkie to resolve the issue. A private agency manages the electric autos for waste collection.
The group also visited the Safe City Command Centre, which focuses on women and child safety. This centre uses AI-based software to monitor CCTV cameras installed in various parts of the city, including schools and colleges. The system detects activities such as eve teasing, chain snatching, and other forms of abuse. When suspicious actions are identified, the information is sent directly to the police for immediate action.
Additionally, cameras and panic buttons are installed in public buses for passenger safety. During the visit, Mayor Vijayalakshmi noticed a bus driver using his phone while passengers were boarding. She reported it, and the command centre instantly contacted the driver, who was then instructed to stop using his phone. The Mayor’s team was impressed by the clarity of the camera footage, which even allowed them to read vehicle numbers clearly.
The team also explored the Integrated Traffic Management Command Centre, which monitors traffic at various junctions across the city using CCTV. This system helps manage traffic flow and ensures safety on the roads.
Later, the Mayor and her team visited UP Darshan Park, a waste-to-wonder park that features replicas of 16 famous monuments from Uttar Pradesh. These models were created using waste materials like iron scraps, old vehicle parts, and other discarded items. The park includes replicas of structures such as the Imambara, Lucknow Vidhan Sabha, Jhansi Fort, Banke Bihari and Vrindavan temples, Taj Mahal, and Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The Mayor and corporators admired the creativity and effort put into the park’s construction.
