New Lal Chowk clock tower to first cycle track, Srinagar’s facelift for G20 meet

At the centre of this renovation spree is Srinagar’s historic Lal Chowk and its clock tower. A witness to Srinagar’s turbulent history, Lal Chowk is all set to get upgraded roads, wide pavements and a treeline. The iconic clock tower, originally built by the Bajaj Group in 1978, is being rebuilt to “reflect the heritage and architecture” of Srinagar. Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu tweeted, “The clock tower (Ghanta Ghar) is being restored and rebuilt by SMC to reflect our heritage and architecture – down to the finest details. Shoddiness is not an alibi for preservation.”

At the centre of this renovation spree is Srinagar’s historic Lal Chowk and its clock tower. (Express/Shuaib Masoodi )

All major roads, including Residency Road, Maulana Azad Road and airport road, are being upgraded. In an effort to make Srinagar cleaner — and in a first for the state — cycle tracks are being made all over the city, save for the narrow Residency Road. In order to “decongest traffic”, the government will also promote a scheme to share bicycles.

There are plans to establish Wi-Fi zones in the city. Work is on to set up smart poles with Wi-Fi hubs at eight of 20 tentative locations through the public private partnership (PPP) mode. Security bunkers and pickets in parts of the city that are frequented by dignitaries and foreign delegates are being upgraded in consultation with the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The beautification project also envisages the development of the Jhelum riverfront, installation of speed cameras on traffic lights and upgradation of traffic islands.

The beautification project also envisages the development of the Jhelum riverfront, installation of speed cameras on traffic lights and upgradation of traffic islands. (Express/Shuaib Masoodi)

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) had recently urged residents to beautify the façades of their residential and commercial buildings. The notice, issued by SMC Commissioner Athar Aamir Khan, had appealed, “While the government is making necessary arrangements for the upliftment of the city, it is important that the citizens also play their part in sprucing up the city and making the event a grand success. The citizens of the city are accordingly requested to contribute towards the success of the event by sprucing up their premises, especially main road starting from IG (Indira Gandhi) Road onwards. The walls may be painted in white and peach, similar to the existing colour schemes.”

The government is also revamping roads leading to the famed Mughal Gardens, high-end hotels and Nehru Guest House, where dignitaries are likely to stay. Roads leading to Chashma Shahi, one of the Mughal Gardens that houses high-end government huts and overlooks the Dal Lake, and the Dachigam National Park, which is located around 20 km from the city centre, are also being spruced up. Huts at these two places are also being refurbished. The government is also giving a Rs 7.5-crore makeover — interior and exterior facelift, and digital infrastructure upgrade — to the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), the likely venue for the meet.

The government also plans to revamp footpaths and improve landscaping of medians by planting grass and flowers, and adding flowerpots. It has also asked the departments concerned to remove wooden electric poles, cables hanging overhead and unnecessary road dividers. Except for the renovation of SKICC and the huts at Chashma Shahi and Dachigam National Park, all other upgrades fall under the Smart City project.

The Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), the likely venue for the G20 meet, is likely to get a Rs 7.5-crore makeover, including interior and exterior facelift, and digital infrastructure upgrade. (Express/Shuaib Masoodi)

In the midst of this renovation drive, the simultaneous digging up of the city in a bid to meet the G20 deadline has inconvenienced people and kick-started a political slugfest, which includes allegations of minimal consultation before starting the project.

“What kind of smart city is this?” said Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Iqbal Trumboo. “This project imported by them (the Srinagar Smart City Limited) doesn’t reflect our culture. You can’t take a European model (of cycle tracks) and implement it in Kashmir. They have replaced the traditional devri stones in footpaths with cement tiles.”

Alleging that no consultations were held before the project was started, Trumboo said the city was being “developed on the whims of some bureaucrats, without any expert input”.

“They have set up street lights. Why not use solar lights? Tomorrow they will dig the city up again for the metro. This is a waste of money and resources. Less than 2 per cent of the population here uses cycles. They have made the roads narrower when they need to be widened. This government loves the word ‘squeeze’. They have squeezed political activity, civil liberties and are now squeezing roads as well.”