Smart City: Execution a challenge in Srinagar

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 3

After being selected for the coveted Smart City Mission, Srinagar now faces a major challenge in the terms of implementation of the project, given the tardy execution of earlier government programmes.

Since the Smart City status means that over 100 projects will be taken up, Srinagar has to adopt a dynamic approach for their implementation.

However, the present pace of work continues to be slow. The construction of the flyover from Jehangir Chowk to Rambagh, started in 2013, has already missed two deadlines so far and is now scheduled to be completed by the year-end.

“In the Smart City plan, over 100 projects will be taken up in Srinagar. The major challenge is the development of infrastructure and its implementation,” said Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Hirdesh Kumar.

Despite a major investment in various road, building, tourism, housing and cultural projects, the summer capital continues to be in a mess.

With a population of over 12 lakh, the city is facing bottlenecks in terms of roads, traffic and solid waste management. Srinagar has 750 heritage structures but lacks proper management for them.

For the summer capital, the Smart City status spells a relief from bad roads, blocked drainage and lack of basic civic amenities.

“The main focus of the Smart City project will be convergence. All departments undertaking different works in the city will converge and coordinate under a common leadership,” said Shafqat Khan, Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation.

“The usual multiplicity of executing and implementing agencies in Srinagar has resulted in lopsided planning and non-productive utilisation of resources so the focus will be on coordination of work,” said another official.

The official said the work undertaken for the Smart City Mission would also ensure planned development so that urbanisation takes place in a dispersed and uniform manner.

The Smart City projects in Jammu and Srinagar will be implemented at the cost of Rs 3,600 crore and Rs 3,800 crore, respectively, that will be provided by the Central government and different departments through private-public partnership.

There will be retrofitting at Lal Chowk, Batamaloo and old Srinagar, which are the main commercial areas in the city.

The Smart City Mission — aimed at improving the basic urban infrastructure in the cities — was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015. Srinagar and Jammu city made it to the third list which was made public on June 23.

The project aims to make nearly 100 cities citizen-friendly with an aim of sustainable development in the country.