The ongoing Smart City project in Srinagar has raised serious concerns for CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who believes that key policy documents like the master plan and mobility plan have been ignored in its implementation, CPI(M) said in a press release.
Tarigami is particularly worried about the impact of ongoing works such as the development of Moulana Azad Road and the redevelopment of Lal Chowk Prescient, which he believes are destroying the existing character of the cityscape instead of contributing to its development.
Despite the Smart Cities Mission Strategy’s focus on Greenfield development and the preservation of open spaces, essential public services like public transport, electricity, water supply, and other public utilities are still out of reach.
The ongoing haphazard works have also increased the vulnerability of city dwellers, with excavation and shrinking roads reducing space for vehicular traffic and the city being defaced with construction and demolition waste.
Tarigami and the CPI(M) are calling for the Smart City Project to be implemented in accordance with the Master Plan 2035, a dynamic long-term statutory document that provides a conceptual layout for the city’s growth and development.
The plan is essential to ensuring that the project achieves its core aim of providing citizens with a clean and sustainable environment and smart solutions to public issues.