News: Maharashtra Chief Minister has announced the setting up of India’s first “Smart and Intelligent Village” in Nagpur district.
About Smart Intelligent Village Project
- It is a pioneering rural development initiative in India that leverages advanced digital technologies to transform everyday life in villages.
- It will provide the requisite infrastructure, manpower, and basic facilities for installation, including the GP office, school, anganwadi, water-well, and village lake.
- Pilot project: The Project is starting with a pilot in Satnavri village, Nagpur district, Maharashtra.
- Smart Intelligent Village:
- A Smart Intelligent Village is envisaged as representing a model of rural development that uses digital technologies, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and seamless connectivity to improve everyday living in India’s villages.
- Proposed proposed by: The Project was proposed by the Voice of Indian Communication Technology Enterprises (VoICE), a consortium of major Indian players in the telecom sector.
- Implemented by: It will be implemented by the District Zilla Parishad and VoICE with the participation of Gram Panchayats and villagers.
- Working: A Central Network Management Control System (C-NOC) monitors all devices in the Smart Intelligent Village, tracks their uptime and availability, and instantly flags problems to the right vendors for quick fixes.
- This ensures smooth functioning of services and maximises their uptime.
- Estimated cost: It will cost around Rs. 50 lakh on average to build a smart, intelligent village.
- Some of the Smart Interventions in a Smart Intelligent Village
- Agriculture: Smart agriculture uses IoT sensors to monitor soil and crop conditions in real time, helping farmers save 25%-40% water, cut the costs of fertilisers by 30%, detect pests early, and increase yields by up to 25%.
- Fisheries: Sensors track the water quality in ponds, measuring oxygen, pH, temperature, etc., and alerts are sent to farmers in real time.
- Use of drones in farming: Drones equipped with GPS and sensors spray fertilisers based on soil mapping, ensuring precise application and reducing the use of chemicals by 20%-30%, and lowering the environmental impact.
- Safety & convenience: IoT-linked CCTV cameras and drones monitor farms, assets, and public spaces in real time, and AI is used to detect intrusions or crop damage.
- Drinking water: An AI-powered system monitors drinking water supply and quality in real time, ensuring the supply of the mandated volume of 55 litres of water per capita per day.
- Healthcare: Comprehensive rural healthcare in the village offers on-the-spot testing for more than 120 health parameters, from blood and cardiac checks to cancer and TB screening, with results available within minutes in certain cases.
- Education: Online education in the village uses e-learning platforms, Wi-Fi hotspots at the Gram Panchayat offer BharatNet connectivity with speeds up to 100 Mbps for free.
- Security: The village has a public protection and emergency system in which security staff can use handheld devices with push-to-talk communication.
- Waste management: A smart waste management system uses IoT-enabled bins and tracking tools to ensure the safe collection and disposal of garbage, and prevent harmful chemicals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium from polluting soil and water.
