International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056 Volume: 09 Issue: 02 | Feb 2022 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072 © 2022, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 7.529 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 427 Challenges for Self-Sustainable Smart Cities in India Vinay Vinod Philip 1 , Ved Prakash Nayak 2 , Shubham Yadav 3 1 Vinay Vinod Philip: Student, Master of Urban Planning, UTD, CSVTU Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India 2 Ved Prakash Nayak: Asst. Professor, Dept. of Master of Urban Planning, UTD, CSVTU Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India 3 Shubham Yadav: Head of department, Dept. of Master of Urban Planning, UTD, CSVTU Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, India ---------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------- Abstract - As the global urban population grows, so does the demand for resources. However, resources are limited to cater to the demand of the population growth. Cities must employ new approaches to address this demand gap in order to restore equilibrium to the system and ensure sustainable development. This study tries to emphasise the importance of regional approach towards Smart City Bilaspur development, where the importance of sustainability has been overshadowed by economic and infrastructure factors. Key Words: Smart city, Sustainability, Transboundary, Region, Resources 1. INTRODUCTION Around the world, 55 percent of the population live in cities, and it is expected to rise to 68 percent by 2050. Cities have long been regarded as magnets for better employment and new opportunities. Cities are densely packed and occupy a tiny area, yet they provide a significant portion of GDP. There are numerous advantages to living in a city, including improved employment opportunities, the excitement of city life, and other social and economic perks. Cities and towns are also catalysts for regional and national development. However, the very characteristics that make them attractive places to live and invest pose a number of obstacles to their long-term viability. Cities must compete for resources in order to meet their demands as their populations grow. Infrastructure and connection, such as roads, tanks, and pipelines, are used to meet this resource need. These demands are generally addressed by utilizing resources in the outskirts of urban areas. Cities are interconnected systems with other cities, regions, and villages. The extraction and exploitation of resources from these locations on the outskirts depletes the resources available to the periphery regions. This imbalance in the demand leads to over-exploitation of resources from the urban areas and creating scarcity for the rural peripheral areas. Cities account for over 67 percent of worldwide energy requirement while they produce around 70% of damaging greenhouse gas emissions. Cities are the primary sources of environmental pollutants and the primary hotspots of vulnerability to climate risks and related upheavals along with issues of social inequality, disparity, vulnerability, and insecurity. In the context of Bilaspur Smart City, this article examines the current smart city system and the opportunities and challenges that exist in the process of making these cities smart. It looks at how the city is connected to other networks such as water, energy, food networks with villages and other cities, and how these systems grow or deteriorate as a result of rapid development and demand, the creation of urban sprawls as Rurban and rural populations are either pulled or pushed out of their areas, and how this impacts the city and its sustainability. 2. ABOUT BILASPUR Bilaspur, the state's third largest city, is located 133 kilometres (83 miles) north of the state capital, Naya Raipur. The National Highway network connects the city to Mumbai and Kolkata. Bilaspur is a major tributary of the Mahanadi River and is located on the Deccan plateau in the Arpa River's watershed which is the lifeline of Bilaspur. Agaar and Maniyaar are the other rivers that surround Bilaspur District. It has a population of over 5.5 lakh people and is expanding at a rate of roughly 33%. The area is mineral-rich and well-developed industrially. Due to rapid urbanization, the city has grown at a haphazard manner. This has led to increased deforestation and the city has lost most of its green cover. The urban growth has impacted the demand for resources. Electricity is government regulated while the sewerage and drainage system is practically nonexistent. Various industries have been set up to extract resources such as Dolomite to the north and Coal mines of Hasdeo valley in the east. The main source of water supply is through ground water sources which are supplied through underground pipelines in the city. The capacity of underground water source is 44.85 MLD (Source- Bilaspur Nagar Nigam SLIBP). There is over-dependence on ground water and this is being mitigated by identifying surface water sources far away from the city for the consumption of the city dwellers. DEFINING SMART CITY ‘A smart city is one in which citizens are co-managers of the city along with public officials, thus highlighting the