Knight Frank India Affordability Index last week put Srinagar as the 6th most affordable city in the country. As per the rating agency’s assessment criteria, this means that an average household in Srinagar would need to spend 32% of their income to repay the EMI on a home loan. While this ranking is really reassuring, it is important to note that other factors, mainly related to livability, such as the availability of housing, the cost of living, and the quality of life have not been considered in the ranking analysis.
Improving the livability of Srinagar – a city that in increasingly facing over-crowding, pressure on civic amenities and environmental stress – requires a multi-faceted approach from both the government and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation. Srinagar is on the cusp of becoming a major city of attraction again – with all its natural beauty, amazing weather and diversity. However, it needs a strategic development plan to make it a great city again.
On Srinagar, urban planning and development, the first thing that is needed now is to enforce sustainable urban planning and zoning regulations to control unregulated development of private colonies and their haphazard development. The pace at which Srinagar city and Kashmir valley as a whole are losing their green cover makes it imperative to introduce and enforce green building standards that focus on energy efficiency, water conservation, and eco-friendly construction practices. Most of the city’s new privately-developed colonies are deficient in proper roads, safe drinking water and other critical municipal facilities. The city now needs development plans so that the public services could be created in a sustainable manner. One of the ways to do that would be to promote mixed-use developments, which combine residential, commercial, business, government services and recreational spaces, to reduce commute times and congestion.
Importantly, Srinagar city needs a sort of a Marshall plan centered on public-private partnership to improve infrastructure, mainly on its roads, public transportation, water supply, and sanitation systems. While Srinagar is considered affordable, efforts should be made to further improve access to quality housing. The government and private sector would have to join hands to develop affordable housing projects, provide incentives to private developers for creating affordable housing options, and offer subsidies to low-income families. Also, the city needs to have more number of green spaces, parks, and recreational areas. These spaces could not only improve air quality but also enhance the overall quality of life for residents and its tourist visitors.
As Srinagar city is growing, there is now increasing shortage of safe drinking water in some of the areas, despite abundant fresh water sources in its peripheries. The city now needs to implement water conservation and management strategies more seriously to address water scarcity issues. Waste management is another big area of concern. Most of the domestic and commercial waste in the city gets dumped into pristine water and earth sources of the city. Develop efficient waste management systems, including segregation, recycling, and proper disposal of waste.
Despite years of efforts, the fact of the matter is that Srinagar city’s traffic management is far from perfect. A comprehensive traffic management strategy for Srinagar must focus on ease of mobility, easing congestion and effective law enforcement. That could include implementing intelligent traffic management systems, promoting carpooling, and expanding public transportation options.
However, given the past experiences, nothing of all this would work effectively unless there is community engagement and ownership of these initiatives. The grassroots democratic system has to involve citizens in decision-making processes meaningfully now, and must encourage community participation in local development initiatives. This can lead to a sense of ownership and responsibility for the city’s well-being. It’s important to note that the effectiveness of these measures will depend on proper planning, consistent implementation, and active involvement of both the government and local communities. Sustainable urban development requires a long-term commitment to create a healthier, more livable environment for the residents of Srinagar and its visitors.
