Sagar asks admin to wake up to Srinagar City’s depleting heritage sites

Srinagar, Jan 20: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Thursday expressed concern over the failure of the administration on restoration and preservation of Srinagar city’s heritage sites, saying the administrative apathy and neglect is leading to decay of the city’s architectural heritage.
This was said by the Party General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar while expressing concern over the failure of the incumbent government to Srinagar city in preserving and protecting the heritage shrines in Srinagar city.
Voicing concern over the depleting condition of the prominent shrines in Srinagar, Sagar said, “The city’s heritage sites including prominent shrines like Khanqa-e-Moula, Dastagir Sahib Shrine, Maqdoom Sahib Shrine, Budshah’s tomb, Jamia Masjid, Pather Masjid, Aali Masjid, Hari Parbat fort, Mughal era edifices in Mughal gardens and Naagar Nagar (Qalai) are all deteriorating,” he said adding, “Traditional markets like Maharaj Gunj, Bohri Kadal, Gad Kocha,and Mahraj Bazar too are facing existential crisis.”
“Omar Abdullah led NC government had passed the J&K Heritage Conservation Act 2010 for conservation and preservation of such heritage including buildings, structures, monuments, precincts, artifacts, sculptures, paintings, handicrafts, manuscripts, music, dance, drama, performing acts, living traditions like crafts etc. But successive regimes ignored this and nothing was done to implement this law. Preservation and restorative works started by the NC government in all major shrines of Srinagar, Naagar Nagar Wall ( Qalai), Bud Shah tomb – Mahraj Gunj heritage markets were put into a cold storage by the successive regimes post 2015. Far from acting swiftly in safeguarding this fast depleting heritage of ours under various central sector schemes including Smart City development scheme, this government has chosen to remain silent to the fast losing glory of our architectural heritage in Srinagar,” he said.
Let alone preserving the traditional architecture and upgrading facilities at prominent shrines in Srinagar, Sagar said the government has failed to keep up with the changing times and come up with various Gen-next initiatives like Craft clusters, and exhibition centers for artisans of Srinagar to sell and display their art. “What little money is being allotted to Srinagar, is being brazenly misused on trivial window dressing and facelift.”
He also implored the incumbent administration to augment and upgrade the facilities for devotees at all major shrines in Srinagar. Calling for the safety audit of major shrines of Srinagar, Sagar impressed on the administration to endure sanitation around the city shrines, Tombs, graveyards, GuruDwaras, and Temples.