Omar seeks public-friendly, environment-safe urban planning in J&K
SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 03: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday chaired separate meetings of the Boards of Directors of the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) to deliberate on proposed modifications to the Master Plans of Jammu and Srinagar, with emphasis on planned urban growth, ease of doing business and environmental protection.
The Chief Minister chaired the 91st meeting of the JDA Board of Directors and the 85th meeting of the SDA Board of Directors. Chairman SDA Shabir Hussain Bhat and Chairman JDA Rupesh Kumar made separate presentations on the proposed modifications.
The discussions examined the proposed amendments in light of public feedback, regulatory requirements and the need for sustainable urban development, with Omar stressing that urban planning must balance development requirements with environmental and public-interest concerns.
Srinagar Master Plan
For Srinagar, the meeting discussed the introduction of Town Planning Schemes, protection of Dal, Nigeen and other water bodies, and alignment of the Master Plan with the J&K Unified Building Bye-Laws-2021.
The meeting also considered reforms to simplify land-use zoning and building permission procedures, with the objective of making the planning framework more responsive and facilitating ease of doing business while retaining necessary regulatory safeguards.
Protection of Srinagar’s water bodies emerged as a key environmental consideration, particularly in the context of future urban expansion and development.
Jammu Master Plan
The meeting also reviewed the Revised Jammu Master Plan-2032, covering 15 planning zones. Discussions included rationalisation of land-use categories, geo-referenced mapping and incorporation of major infrastructure projects into the plan document.
The Board further deliberated on environmental and heritage safeguards, including measures to protect the Tawi riverbed and watercourses from unplanned development.
Focus on balanced urban growth
Omar Abdullah directed that the proposed modifications should adequately incorporate public concerns, development needs and environmental safeguards before finalisation.
He emphasised the need for a planning framework that enables planned urban growth and simplifies procedures for citizens and businesses without compromising environmental protection or the long-term sustainability of Jammu and Srinagar.
The meetings were attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, ACS Finance Shailendra Kumar, ACS PWD Anil Kumar Singh, Commissioner Secretary Planning, Monitoring & Development Department Alice Vaz, Commissioner Secretary Housing & Urban Development Mandeep Kaur, Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, Commissioner Secretary Law, Deputy Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar, and Commissioners of the Srinagar and Jammu Municipal Corporations, besides other senior officers.
Jammu-based officers participated in the meeting through video conferencing.
