Sajidah Yousuf
Srinagar, Aug 11: In a strange development, authorities for Srinagar Metropolitan Region—the Master Plan-2035 has drafted that the previous master plans were a failure to give the city a safe direction, reveals a roadmap of new master plan.
The Master Plan-2035 public policy document, states that the master plan for Srinagar city of 1971-91 and 1991-2001 failed to pay a way out to the safe direction.
“There was a plan holiday kind of scenario from 1991-2001 and the Master Plan-1991 was illogically extended up to 2001, although an effort for the preparation of a second Master Plan was also made through National Institute of Urban Affairs in the mid-1980s,” it reads.
The documents read that the Master Plan 1971-91 was more succinct and elaborate in understanding the city of Srinagar in comparison to the Master Plan 2000-21.
“However both the Master Plans failed to give Srinagar a safe direction.”
The documents read that the failure may also be attributed to archaic institutional structure of urban local bodies including Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA), concerned departments etcetera entrusted with the implementation of the master plans.
According to the documents, the Master Plan Srinagar 1971-91—first master plan acknowledged the existence of flood absorption basins and water bodies in its east, west and south and the constraints of seismography in the southwest direction.
“The master plan covered an area of 236 square kilometers including 62 rural settlements with a projected population of 8.66 lakh’s,” it reads.
Similarly, the Master Plan-1991 recommended the creation of three number artificial lakes of 11, 22 and 12 acres each. Water of these lakes was proposed to be connected with the covered or open drains proposed to run parallel to right bank of flood supplementary channel up to Parimpora and it was provided either to be connected with the treatment plant or pumped into the Parimpora Nallah as may be economical. (KNO)
