A meeting to review first draft proposal for Smart City Srinagar was convened today under the joint chairmanship of Commissioner/Secretary to Government Housing & Urban Development, Hirdesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan and District Development Commissioner, Dr Farooq Ahmad Lone.Commissioner Secretary stressed the need to provide accurate data and said the Smart City proposal should be in sync with the Master Plan. He directed the consultant to adhere to the deadline of 15 December 2016 and shortcomings, if any, need to be dealt with in the stipulated time.Divisional Commissioner directed the concerned officials to provide full cooperation to the consulting firm. He stressed the need to remove bottlenecks which are impediments for creation of brand identity on the uniqueness of Kashmir. He also pitched for incorporation of cycling tracks in Srinagar city.
Earlier consultants from “Voyants Partnering Vision” gave a detailed presentation on the city and said that the capital city performs well in sectors like inclusiveness, public open spaces, health and education. However, they observed that on the counts of underground electric wiring, water management, energy efficiency and sewerage, the city scores low and needs the maximum improvement.The meeting was informed that the Srinagar city has highest telephone density and highest internet penetration in the state. Additionally Srinagar offers 80 per cent public transport coverage and 22.5 percent non-motorized transport. The consultants said that Srinagar offers 97 per cent tap connections; however, 93 places in the city are prone to water logging. Further the city showcases 950 heritage structures.Describing the strategic components of Smart Cities, consultants said combination of retrofit and redevelopment which include innovative planning, optimum use of resources, and provisions of affordable housing would be included in the draft. It was informed that the essence for Smart City is to enhance quality of life by creation of resilient, sustainable, urban infrastructure based on a framework for urban disaster management.