That’s the context behind the Government of India’s Smart Cities Mission, which launched in 2015. The goal was to turn a hundred cities into fresh engines of sustainable urban growth. Srinagar, famous for its lakes, gardens, history, and unique city vibe was picked in 2017. Naturally, people got their hopes up.
Over the time we have observed that whenever there is traffic jam, excessive rains, shortage of water, or a road accident, citizen often blame the smart city mission. It is mainly because urbanites of Srinagar had expectations that after the implementation of development proposals of smart city mission project, their city would turn truly smart in all respects and lessen the burden of urban problems which otherwise they have been reeling through in the city daily. All this has proved otherwise, people feel let down and city unkempt. During recent rains when the city along with smart city area was drowned intense furor was observed in the city about smart city mission with penetrating accusations to the extent an enquiry has been ordered to evaluate the mission success and failures.
We have to bear in mind that cities are more than just their buildings, roads, or infrastructure, these are living, breathing and functional systems. Their success isn’t just about looking good on paper; it’s about how well they work, how sustainably they grow, and how much they actually do for the people who call them home. In this century, the whole idea of a “smart city” has shifted. It’s no longer just about adding digital gadgets or touchscreens to everything. Now it’s about building cities that last, bounce back from setbacks, move people around efficiently, protect the environment, boost the economy, and make daily life better for everyone.
That’s the context behind the Government of India’s Smart Cities Mission, which launched in 2015. The goal was to turn a hundred cities into fresh engines of sustainable urban growth. Srinagar, famous for its lakes, gardens, history, and unique city vibe was picked in 2017. Naturally, people got their hopes up. Residents, city planners, and policymakers all expected big things: not just prettier streets but real solutions for Srinagar’s old headaches like traffic jams, flooding, bad sewage systems, run-down public areas, parking, employment opportunities, improvement in business and environmental decline. So how has it turned out nearly ten years later? There’s no question that Srinagar’s central business district looks dramatically different. Some streets have gotten total makeovers. Public spaces feel more alive, old heritage spots have been restored, and walking around is much safer and easier. The city center definitely shines in ways it never did before outwardly. But one has to ask has Srinagar genuinely transformed into “smart city” now, or did it just get better curb appeal? To answer that, one has got to look past fresh paint and new tile and see what’s changed when it comes to how the city functions, how green and livable it is, and how everyday life has shifted for its people.
Vision and Objectives of the Mission
The vision for Srinagar under the Smart City Mission was pretty ambitious: a city that’s easy to live in, environmentally sound, tech-savvy, and economically thriving. The main push (Area-Based Development or ABD) zeroed in on the city’s commercial and heritage heart, places like Lal Chowk, Polo View, Residency Road, and M.A. Road. At the same time, city-wide projects aimed at slicker governance through digital platforms, smarter traffic, better public transport, energy-efficient lighting, and upgraded basic infrastructure.
They also wanted to keep Srinagar’s unique identity intact, boost tourism, make public spaces better, and improve basic city services. Sounds about right, however, these goals are the sort of big-picture thinking you see in cities across the world. But here’s the thing and dreams don’t build cities instead what consistent planning, strong institutions, real action on the ground, and constant feedback do. And on this front, Srinagar’s results are a mixed bag.
Traffic Streamlining and Urban Mobility
Anyone who’s lived in or visited Srinagar knows traffic is a long-time sore spot. The reasons aren’t a mystery. Too many cars, roads that never seem to get wider, all sorts of traffic jumbled together, parked cars taking up lanes, and the city spilling out in every direction without much plan. The Smart City Mission brought serious upgrades with bigger sidewalks, streets that actually welcome pedestrians and cyclists, improved intersections, new traffic lights, some electric buses, and tidy underground ducts. Lal Chowk and Polo View have been transformed into lively, walkable, and safe, even at night. Locals and tourists both say the streets feel friendlier. This is a big shift from Srinagar’s old car-choked ways. The city’s biggest roads including M.A. Road, Residency Road, Boulevard, Nowgam, Hyderpora, Sanat Nagar, Bemina, and a bunch of bridges are still getting smashed with traffic. The real problems are deep-rooted. More and more people are buying private vehicles, but road space isn’t keeping up. Public transport is patchy and unreliable. There’s still nowhere decent to park. City streets are cluttered by unauthorized stalls and poor traffic management. Plus, most Smart City upgrades are limited in geography. Redesigning a handful of busy streets won’t do much if the rest of the city’s transport system stays stuck in the past. Srinagar needs a city-wide game plan: quality public transit, layered parking lots, park-and-ride stations, space for walking and bikes, ring roads, bypasses, and city design that encourages efficient movement. Without big systemic changes, congestion won’t go away anytime soon and that drags down productivity and quality of life for everyone. Cycle track built are vacant, cycles rarely used, most of the bus stops generate traffic bottlenecks, traffic conundrum at Jehangir chowk, Batamaloo intersection, Karanagar, and many other road intersections have remained unsolved and city continues to suffer. City’s public transport is messy smart traffic signals have fallen apart from automation to back to manual handling. All this reflects that city is still having a pathetic urban mobility system.
Drainage and Storm Water Management
Storm water management is an area where progress honestly feels modest. Yes, new roadside drains have popped up, but whenever it pours, the city’s weaknesses show. Waterlogging still regularly grinds whole neighborhoods to a halt more so slows down traffic, wrecking infrastructure, destroying business, frustrating residents and routine life. Why? The mission put most of its energy into spot-fixes, not broad drainage strategy. Over decades, natural drains have been choked, built over, or just neglected. A fast-growing city means there’s simply less land left for water to soak in, so heavy rain turns into flash floods. And with climate change bringing heavier downpours, the problem’s only getting worse. Old-fashioned concrete drains can’t handle the volume. To get serious about this, future projects need to include not just better drains, but things like rainwater harvesting, bio-swales, eco-friendly pavements, reviving natural waterways, more pump stations, and routine de-silting. It’s time to stop treating drainage as a basic engineering issue and think of it as a city-wide ecosystem that needs joined-up solutions. Under smart city mission large fiscal resources have expended on drainage and sewerage with much laudable results. At places pumps have been installed to directly pump the waste water without treatment into precious water bodies impacting their ecology and survival. All effort for improving the drainage and sewerage system have as been an exercise in futility.
Sewerage and Wastewater Management
Srinagar’s sewerage network is another tough challenge. Despite years of spending, big pieces of the city still aren’t hooked up to a proper underground system. Untreated waste keeps flowing straight into the Jhelum River, Dal Lake, Nigeen Lake, and nearby wetlands. That’s a disaster not just only for the environment, but for tourism, public health, and the delicate water life that make these places unique. One just can’t call a city “smart” if its lakes and water bodies are choked with sewage. The next phase has to bring modern sanitation up to world standards accordingly a universal sewer coverage, smart treatment plants, smaller-scale local recycling solutions where possible, and sharp monitoring so that nothing slips through the cracks. The Smart City Mission helped in a few important corridors, but frankly, there’s a long way to go before Srinagar can hold its head high for sanitation. So, has Srinagar really “arrived” as a smart city? The smart city mission area gleams, but the area just in its vicinity for example behind the D C Office raw sewage drains into river Jhelum and city’s deeper area also face similar problems, these trickier problems are still wrestling for attention. The real test lies not in how good things look, but in how much they actually work for everyone who calls Srinagar home. Overall, on sewerage front city is confronted with worst problems of destroying its own water resource and ecology.
Urban Infrastructure
There’s something everyone keeps noticing about the Smart City Mission: the stuff you see isn’t always the stuff that keeps a city running. Pedestrian plazas, fancy streetlights, polished roads, and tidy landscaping that prove the image and provide visual delight, and people love showing them off. But all those things under the surface hold key to amenity for the citizen and the city. The sewerage networks, drainage, utility lines, flood defenses are just as important, even more in urban life.
Business Environment and Urban Economy
A smart city needs a lively economy. In Srinagar, the Smart City Mission set out to breathe new life into the center city i.e. places around Lal Chowk, Polo View, Residency Road, and M.A. Road. You see wider walkways, pedestrian paths. Cycle tracks better lights, polished streets, and some really thoughtfully designed public spaces now. This has made a difference. Shoppers stick around longer, tourists are drawn in, and Srinagar’s reputation as a business and cultural hub has got a boost. In the long run, all these upgrades bring in more people and help local businesses. When people like walking around, they spend more time and money infuse growth momentum in retail shops, cafes, artisan stalls, hotels, all benefit from the increased buzz. But there’s another side that is while these big projects rolled out, business owners struggled. Road closures, dust, construction noise, blocked access has hit hard, especially the smaller businesses. Some are barely pulling through. Even if the outcome is worth it, people don’t forget the disruption. This shows how crucial it is to time projects wisely, phase them, and actually talk to those affected as stakeholders whose business is dying with every passing day. It is a big predicament that a smart city doesn’t make life harder for its businesses while building its future ,generally, it finds ways to help them along the way.
Street Vending and the Informal Sector
One thing people don’t talk about enough is how city upgrades affect the informal workers like the street vendors, hawkers, food stalls, flower sellers, cobblers, and all those who sell or fix whatever you need on the spot. These folks not only provide cheap goods and services, they’re a huge part of making the city’s public spaces lively and creating jobs. There’s no denying the redesigns cleaned things up and made streets look better. But a heavy focus on “uncluttered” sidewalks has meant vendors get pushed out, often with nowhere to go. For families relying on street sales, this isn’t just about moving spots but it threatens their livelihood also. A city isn’t smarter if it chases away people trying to make an honest living. The right approach is to blend informal activity into the planning is set up proper vending zones, nice kiosks, clean toilets, fair licensing, and decent waste management. Bring in rules that protect both the city’s order and the vendors’ rights. Don’t pretend informal trade marks a failed city ,it actually demonstrates, it’s resilient, and if you embrace it properly, the whole city works better and feels more inclusive. ( To Be Continued)
Original Source: Brighter Kashmir
