After making it to the final list, the work on the Rs 3,500-crore Srinagar Smart City project is set to begin soon with the government promising to complete the project in a fixed time frame.
Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Commissioner Shafqat Khan said the government was committed to start the work soon and develop the overall infrastructure of the city which was home to over 11 lakh residents.
“There will be development of the overall infrastructure in Srinagar city with smart interventions in everything to make it people-friendly. The work will be started soon,” Shafqat Khan told Kashmir Post.
The SMC finalised the proposal in November last year after taking suggestions from more than 3 lakh residents, some of which were included in the final draft.
The selected proposal available on the website of the SMC shows that in the area-wise development, 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 cities — was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015. Srinagar and Jammu made it to the third selected list which was made public on June 23.
For the Valley, the implementation of Smart City project also means a relief from bad roads, blocked drainages and lack of basic civic amenities.
The highlights of the major areas to be developed include a robust IT connectivity and digitisation, innovative use of parks and open spaces and an intelligent traffic- management system.
With Srinagar producing solid waste of 450 metric tonnes every day, the smart solid waste management project will also be implemented. There will also be underground cabling, solar power usage and smart metering, Shafqat Khan said.
The selected cities throughout the country have started project preparations and their implementation. The Central government has given 2017- 2022 time frame for the implementation of the area development plan.
The vision of the project was to transform Srinagar into an eco-friendly and resilient city that celebrates its natural and cultural heritage and creates opportunities for residents, Shafqat Khan said
Though Srinagar has the challenge of frequent earthquakes, floods and fire incidents, Shafqat Khan said the overall project aim was to enhance the quality of life by the creation of resilient and sustainable urban infrastructure, based on a framework for urban disaster management.
If a city selected for the Smart City mission does not meet the timeline set by the Urban Development Ministry, it will lose the future financial support and a new city will replace it to be developed as a Smart City.
Residents to get basic amenities
The selected proposal available on the website of the SMC shows that in the area-wise development, there will be retrofitting at Lal Chowk, Batamaloo and old Srinagar, which are the main commercial areas in the city
For the Valley, the implementation of Smart City project also means a relief from bad roads, blocked drainages and lack of basic civic amenities
With Srinagar producing solid waste of 450 metric tonnes every day, the smart solid waste management project will also be implemented
Work on Smart City project to begin soon
