First-look: PoloView Srinagar goes wire-free, ‘exclusively pedestrian’

SRINAGAR: From underground electricity and communication lines to public bicycle sharing facilities, the PoloView High Street is all set to welcome people in its brand new look.

The iconic street is being spruced up under the Srinagar Smart City Project ahead of the upcoming G-20 summit in the city.

As photographs of the decked up PoloView High Street are viral on social media, Commissioner of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Athar Aamir Khan said the passage will be ‘exclusively pedestrian’.

“PoloView High Street, our first completely pedestrian and wire free market in Srinagar city redeveloped under the Srinagar Smart City Project, is getting ready to welcome you. Universal access, separate underground sewerage and drainage networks, underground electricity and communication lines, conservation and heritage facade improvement of buildings, public conveniences, and public bicycle sharing facilities are all part of it. This street is now exclusively pedestrian,” said Khan, who is also the CEO, Srinagar Smart City Limited.

However, he said the traffic will ply on the rear side of the PoloView High Street and adequate parking facilities will also be available.

“For traffic, a new road has been built on the rear side of the market connecting MA Road and the Residency Road. Parking is available on the rear side of the market. Lot of on-street parking has been made available nearby on MA Road as well as Residency Road. Plus there is Smart City Surface parking around 30 mts on Residency Road. We are making more,” he said.

CEO, Srinagar Smart City Limited further assured that the area would not face water logging.

“The drainage network is underground. It’s very robust. That’s why you see no water logging (now after recent rainfall). There is underground sewerage also,” he said.

Meanwhile, the photographs of the new look PoloView High Street have impressed netizens.

“I am so delighted to see such projects being undertaken in Srinagar. I have been into sustainable transport research for some years now and always dreamt if we could ever see such things in Srinagar. Sustainable transport planning is not just important but critically required to save our city. People resisting such projects is also not something new. Everyone will eventually understand how important it is to sustain the mobility system,” said Ubaid Illahi on Facebook.