Dholera Smart City to Begin Construction Soon, Business-Ready by 2018

A senior official associated with the Dholera Smart City project in Gujarat revealed during a session on Smart Cities at the 7th Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Gandhinagar that the long-anticipated development is finally taking shape.

“Just last month, we floated our first tender for roads and basic services in Dholera. We expect construction to begin within the next five months. The development phase will take three to five years, and by 2017 or 2018, Dholera should be operational,” the official stated.

While Dholera has been in the spotlight for years, actual on-ground progress was limited until now. Explaining the delay, the official said:
“The legal foundation was laid in 2009, but master planning takes time. It involves not only technical planning but also public consultations. This is followed by environmental clearances and design finalization, which alone takes 6–10 months. We now have all necessary environmental clearances, and tenders were floated just last month.”

The total proposed area of Dholera Smart City is 422 sq km, with the first phase covering 123 sq km. Developing even this initial phase will require an estimated $7–8 billion for basic infrastructure.

To optimize execution, authorities have adopted a phased development strategy, starting with an 'Activation Area' measuring 22.5 sq km, where tenders have already been floated for core infrastructure.

This milestone marks a significant step forward for one of India’s most ambitious smart city initiatives under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).
 

Source: https://deshgujarat.com/2015/01/13/by-2017-or-2018-dholera-should-be-in-business-construction-to-start-in-next-less-than-5-months/