SRINAGAR, MARCH 12: J&K government is developing Jammu and Srinagar under Smart City Mission.
Smart City Mission (SCM) has been initiated to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life of people by enabling local area development and harnessing technology that leads to Smart outcomes.
Smart city mission mainly focuses on four things; Social Infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure, Institutional Infrastructure (including Governance), and Economic Infrastructure.
Cities are mainly the places of confluences of people; places where people live, come to meet, exchange ideas, earn livelihoods, access education, health, and other services, and enjoy a life of good quality. People are at the core of the city and in that sense cities should work for their people. Cities that work for their people will continuously become better versions of themselves with each passing day.
Some cities attract people for the opportunities that exist therein as markets and centers for manufacturing, some others due to the greatness of their cultures or their cosmopolitan vibes, and others for their ability to provide better education and health facilities or a combination of factors and so on.
In its endeavour to make cities modern infrastructural edifice to enhance the quality of life here has initially decided to develop Jammu and Srinagar cities under Smart City Mission.
The vision for Jammu city is “Transforming Jammu into a sustainable and economically vibrant city focusing on tourism, quality of life and trade by leveraging its heritage and location.” Promoting Jammu’s identity, sustainable and liveable Jammu, and promoting inclusion are the three main action areas that have been identified to make the vision implementable. Besides, city chowk multi-level parking, renovation of MA stadium, construction of musical fountain at Bagh e Bahu, improvement of street lighting by LED bulbs, multi-level parking at bus-stand, 100 bedded emergency block at GMC-Jammu, Jammu ropeway project are some notable projects completed under smart city mission in Jammu city, so far.
For Srinagar city, Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL), a Special Purpose Vehicle, has been created under Smart City Mission which envisions transforming Srinagar into an eco-friendly, resilient, and socio-economically vibrant city that celebrates its natural and cultural heritage creating harmony and opportunities for all.
Srinagar Smart City aspires to leverage its natural and cultural heritage/ tourism through innovative and inclusive solutions, enhance the quality of life for its citizens. EV charging stations, smart street lighting, multi-level parking, sports infrastructure (3 stadia and 5 schools), water transport system in Jhelum river, installation of ornamental LED lighting around Dal-lake, pedestrian walkways, and footpath, riverbank development have been started under smart city mission in Srinagar.
The main goal behind launching Smart City Mission is to create a city for its people. Not all people or sets of people desire the same things. To simplify the understanding of the diversity of needs expressed by a city’s diverse residents, it is useful to classify them under three broad pillars including livability, economic-ability, and sustainability. These three broad outcomes are the main things a city needs to target to work for its people.
In J&K, the Smart City Mission has brought remarkable transformation for both the capital cities. Some magnificent projects of economic importance, as well as those which will significantly improve the quality of life of people, are being executed at both the capital cities.
Notably, in the coming years, Jammu and Kashmir will see a new dawn of development that will transform the overall economic landscape here besides raising the living standards of people across the UT.
