Smart City Rourkela finds place among the leading 15 Cities of the world under the Bloomberg Global Mayors Challenge 2021. It makes the city qualified for an award of $1 Million from Bloomberg Philanthropies and technical assistance to conduct the innovation over the coming three years. Rourkela, one of the five Municipal Corporations and a top industrial town of Odisha, is the only Indian city to make the recognition. Under Global Mayors Challenge, Rourkela has built a sustainable model which augments the earnings of women and small-time traders of the city while encouraging the use of technology. As part of the project, Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) has built a cold storage plant at the local Veer Surendra Sai (VSS) Market in association with an NIT Rourkela based startup and handled by women self-help group members. With this solution, the local farmers and fruit traders have been able to improve their revenue by preserving their produce and stopping any wastage. Additionally, fresh vegetables and fruits are delivered to people’s doorsteps, especially in times of Covid-19. All of this is being handled by members of women self-help groups utilising mobile apps. While developing the ecosystem and supporting all the stakeholders, the model helps the women mainly in improving their livelihoods. Commissioner of Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC), Dr Subhankar Mohaptra, expressed his happiness after fulfilling the challenge. He admired the role of team RMC, Technical Partner Koel Fresh, research students and alumni of NIT Rourkela, who have displayed applaudable effort in the past six months. Image Source Also read: Rourkela smart projects worth Rs 800 crore to be completed in June