The Srinagar city will become a smart city by June 2024. A total of 125 projects worth Rs 930 crore have been sanctioned under the Smart City Mission under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Talking to ANI, Athar Amir Khan, CEO, of Srinagar Smart City Ltd (SSCL) and Srinagar Municipal Commissioner, said that out of the 125 projects, 56 projects worth Rs 320 crore have been completed, rest of the 69 projects are under execution. Some of the projects have progressed 80-90 per cent while some are at the initial stages. “Most of the projects will be completed by December end of this year. Around 16 projects which are under execution will be completed by June 2024,” Khan said.

Khan said, “Our sense is that we will see a major transformation in Srinagar city once the smart city projects are completed. We are developing ‘walking infrastructure’ of around 80 km in the city which is absolutely unprecedented.” There will be footpaths and pedestrian lanes crisscrossed all over the city.

Under the smart city mission, projects have eight themes such as Jhelum Water Front Development and Water Transport, Urban Mobility Street and Intersection Development, City Beautification and Urban Art, Heritage Conservation and Downtown Renewal, Central Business District Upgradation, Dal Lake Front Conservation, Shalimar Canal Project, Integrated Command and Control Centre HMT, 175 km Srinagar Fibre Optic Internet System, Intelligent Traffic Management System, Green Srinagar are the broad themes the SSCL are working upon. “All the projects are integrated and interconnected together so that we can transform the entire Srinagar city,” Khan said.

Khan said that the Polo View Market is Srinagar’s first completely pedestrian and wire-free market. The market has universal access, separate underground sewerage and drainage networks, underground electricity and communication lines, facade improvements of buildings, and public convenience facilities.