EPG seeks review of Sangarmal-Rajbagh project impact on Polo Ground

Ziraat Times News Desk

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 13: The Environmental Policy Group (EPG), an environmental and social think tank, has urged Youth Services and Sports Minister Satish Sharma to intervene to safeguard Srinagar’s Polo Ground, S.P. College Ground and other sporting facilities from diversion, encroachment and use for non-sports activities.

In a communication to the Minister, EPG Convenor Faiz Ahmad Bakshi expressed concern over the reported use of a portion of the heritage Polo Ground for the proposed Sangarmal-Rajbagh bridge/flyover project, arguing that any such intervention could reduce the ground’s functional area and undermine its sporting and recreational value.

The group said it supports infrastructure development and improved urban connectivity but maintained that such projects should be guided by sustainable urban planning and should minimise environmental and social impacts.

EPG said Polo Ground has served Srinagar for decades as an important sporting and recreational facility used by young people, sports enthusiasts and the wider community. It described the ground as one of the few remaining open and green spaces in central Srinagar.

According to the group, it has received representations from youth and sports enthusiasts who are concerned that the proposed connectivity project could involve use or encroachment of a significant portion of the Polo Ground, including areas containing sports facilities used for hockey, football, rugby, athletics and other activities.

The EPG said reducing the functional area of the ground could weaken its long-term sporting utility and adversely affect its environmental and heritage value.

The group linked the issue to the wider need for adequate sporting and recreational facilities for young people, particularly amid growing concerns over drug addiction and other social problems.

“Development should not result in the avoidable loss or fragmentation of established sporting and recreational spaces,” the group said, stressing that existing sporting facilities should be protected alongside the creation of new infrastructure.

EPG seeks independent assessment

EPG has sought a review of the proposed alignment of the Sangarmal-Rajbagh bridge/flyover, specifically with regard to its impact on Polo Ground.

It has also urged the Government to commission an expert assessment on whether the proposed connectivity project is necessary in view of the Dalgate-Parimpora flyover/bridge having been approved for Central funding.

The group has sought that the precise extent of land proposed to be used from Polo Ground—including the permanent and temporary construction footprint and heritage Polo view shops—be placed on record.

It has also called for an independent assessment of the project’s potential sporting, recreational, environmental and social impacts.

EPG urged the authorities to ensure that the functional integrity of Polo Ground is not compromised for an engineering alignment if technically viable alternatives are available.

It further sought consultations with sports bodies, urban-planning authorities, environmental experts and other stakeholders before any irreversible alteration of the ground.

Safeguards sought for open spaces

The group has also called for clear safeguards for sports grounds, playgrounds and public open spaces across Jammu & Kashmir to prevent their avoidable fragmentation or loss due to infrastructure projects.

It urged regular maintenance of sports complexes, playgrounds and open and green spaces, particularly in view of their importance to public and youth wellbeing.

EPG said Srinagar’s limited open spaces were facing increasing pressure from urbanisation, traffic requirements and infrastructure expansion, warning that once an established open or sporting space is permanently converted for built infrastructure, restoring it is generally difficult.

“The protection of existing public assets should therefore form an integral component of infrastructure planning,” the group said.

EPG clarified that it was not opposed to infrastructure development, saying connectivity improvements and environmental and social protection could be pursued simultaneously through better planning, alternative designs and transparent decision-making.

The group urged the Government to ensure that no irreversible intervention affecting the sporting utility of Polo Ground is permitted until available alternatives and the project’s wider environmental and social implications have been comprehensively examined.

“Protecting Polo Ground would send an important message that the Government’s commitment to sports and youth extends not only to the creation of new infrastructure but also to safeguarding the public sporting spaces that generations of young people have already relied upon,” EPG said.

Copies of the communication were also sent to the office of the Chief Minister, Education Minister Sakina Itoo and Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo.