With a population of 13.5 lakhs and a massive area of 294 square kilometres, Smart City Srinagar has always been known for its beautiful lakes, gardens, and houseboats. This gorgeous town is in the heart of Kashmir, near the Jhelum River, Dal Lake and Ladakh. Nine ancient bridges connect the two ends of the Jhelum River, dividing the town into two parts known as Vyath.
The city's picturesque landscape of the Himalayas in the background and wooden mosques suggest that the residents are still trying to preserve their cultural and religious heritage. In contrast, the young have decided to take the next step into the modern world and make Srinagar a world-class town with all the modern conveniences.
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Srinagar Smart City
Srinagar Smart City is a special project under the Indian Government’s Smart City Mission. This mission aims to transform Srinagar into a resilient, socio-economically vibrant, eco-friendly city while promoting its ancestors' cultural heritage. Through creative and well-planned solutions of the Srinagar Smart City Limited, the city will improve its infrastructure and enhance the quality of life for all its citizens.
The government approved this project in April 2017 in the Round 3 challenge of the mission. The project has two parts -
- Area-Based Development of Rs. 2869.24 crores
- Pan City Solutions, with a cost of Rs. 765.03 crores
Like the other 100 smart city projects of the Ministry of Urban Development, the mission will promote urban renewal and use smart solutions to improve the city's services. Srinagar Smart City Limited was incorporated in 2017 and is run by Shri Manoj Sinha, the honourable lieutenant of Jammu and Kashmir. The chairman, board of directors, and Urban Development Department govern Srinagar Smart City Limited.
Srinagar Smart City Objectives
The smart city Srinagar mission aims to renovate the urban area and promote sustainable growth through improved infrastructure and communication systems. The prime objective of this change is to provide well-planned infrastructure for Information Technology and other critical improvements for citizens. It also hopes to offer essential technological services, like data centres and sensors, at every city corner.
Some of the broad themes of development for the Srinagar Smart City mission are as follows:
- Urban Mobility, Intersection and Street Development
- Jhelum Front Development and Water Transport
- Solid Waste Management
- Information Technology
- Downtown Renewal and Heritage Conversation
- Central Business District Upgradation
- Green Srinagar
- City Beautification and Urban Art
Features of Smart City Srinagar
The following are some of the features of Smart City Srinagar, which are also shared by all the other smart cities of India, a total of 100, under the Ministry of Urban Development:
- Expanding housing opportunities and inclusiveness for all citizens
- Flexibility in land use and adapting to change in the bye-laws
- Planning for unused lands and promoting land usage for mixed purposes
- Developing new open spaces and recreational areas
- Promoting eco-balance and reducing pollution and congestion
- Boost the local economy and ensure the security of all citizens
- Improving road networks for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians
- Promoting and providing public transportation
- Improving businesses and economic development for local shops
- Cost-effective and community-oriented administration
- Providing online municipal services and forming e-groups
- Area-based developments to prevent damage
Smart City Srinagar Projects
Smart City Srinagar Limited has made many changes in the town in the past seven years. The organisation also needs the help of other partners and government agencies to fulfil its commitments. Currently, the company has 71 ongoing projects valued at Rs. 2,299.40 crores. In addition, the town has already seen 66 finished developments, costing the Indian government Rs. 1,334.60 crores.
The projects below are some of the smart city missions whose details are available on the official portal and can be verified -
Completed Projects of Srinagar Smart City
| State | City | Project Name | Sector | Impact | Implementing Agency | Project Cost |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Beautification along Jhelum Road | Jhelum Riverfront Development and Water Transport | Created a stone pathway for pedestrians, freeing up the local traffic and promoting the well-being of citizens | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 6.23 crores |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Revetment and Embankments along River Banks | Jhelum Riverfront Development and Water Transport | Devri stone pathways used to create pedestrian Path to enrich local tourism | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 6.23 crores |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Improvement of Ghats along Jhelum | Jhelum Riverfront Development and Water Transport | Laying PCC, doing earthwork and beautifying the waterfront area of Jhelum River Bank | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 4.50 crores |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Illumination of Bridges- City Beautification | City Beautification and Urban Art | Increasing Aesthetics and attracting tourist places | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 0.81 crores |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Upgradation of Historical Markets Phase 1 (Maharaj Gunj) | Downtown Renewal and Heritage Conversation | Facade improvement of the market and the market experience of customers | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 1 crore |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Upgradation of Historical Markets Phase I (Bohri Kadal Market) | Downtown Renewal and Heritage Conversation | Renovating footpaths and signage of the market, improving the market experience of customers | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 1 crore |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Conservation of Existing Shrines (Khanqahi Moula) | Downtown Renewal and Heritage Conversation | Preserving of Culture of Jammu and Kashmir, promoting tourist pilgrimage destinations | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 1 crore |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Pedestrian Walkways and Footpaths | Urban Mobility, Intersection and Street Development | Beautification of Boulevard Road along the Dal Lake to promote the tourism sector. | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 5 crores(Saving 1.23 crores) |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Smart Health Centres | Health Department | Greater Data Analysis, Taking care of the sick using Red Cross funds. | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 3 crores (saving 77 lakhs) |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Smart Classrooms (25 Schools) | District Administration | Improving student-teacher interaction, helping in real-time blend of teaching and learning. | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 0.49 crores |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | EV Charging Stations | Reducing pollution and providing access for charging electric cars and buses. | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 0.65 crores | |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Upgradation of Fire Service HQ, Gow Kadal Fire Station and Fire Proximity Suits | Fire and Emergency Services | Improving the response time of fire-fighting personnel, enhancing the skill of officials and taking care of firefighters’ safety concerns | Srinagar Smart City Limited | 6.55 crores |
source - srinagarsmartcity
Word-Order Stage Projects of Srinagar Smart City
| State | City | Project Name | Features | Implementing Agency |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Boardwalks, walkways and cycle tracks (Shivpora towards Batwara along Jhelum Bund) | Providing walking and cycling areas for nature lovers along the Jhelum Road | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Jhelum Cruise for Tourism and Passenger Transport | Developing water transport, enriching local tourism | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Urban Renewal Nallah-i-Mar and Brari Nambal | Constructing a food court and kiosks in the market, beautifying Brari Mumbal Road | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Beautification of Flyover, Grade Separators and other infrastructure | Green Space Development under flyovers and beautification of flyovers and grade separators | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Conservation of Existing Shrines (Gurdwara at Damdama Sahib) | Rebuilding Gurudwara at a new place | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Retrofitting and conservation of heritage network (Facade Improvement at Jamia Masjid) | Facade upgradation around Jama Masjid Markets, adding footfall | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Retrofitting and conservation of heritage network (Ablution blocks at Jamia Masjid) | New Ablution blocks were constructed to provide clean facilities for ablution | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Smart Water Meters | Automatically reading water consumption levels and providing real-time data | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Sports Infrastructure (7 Stadia) | Upgrading the Stadium for games to be played during the night | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
source - srinagarsmartcity
Tender Stage Projects of Srinagar Smart City
| State | City | Project Name | Features | Implementing Agency |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | City Upgradation and Beautification | Beautification of roadways Bemina to Dalgate, IG Road, Residency Road and Maulana Azas Road | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | City Signages | Providing signings across Srinagar City, DPR under preparation | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | City Upgradation and beautification (Shri Shiv Ji’s Temple at Jogi Lankar) | Facade improvement of a structure, improving the compound area and the ghat on the foot of the temple | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | City Upgradation and Beautification (Downtown Srinagar) | Developing footpaths and downtown area, creating a vibrant culture | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Smart Poles with Wi-Fi Hubs | Smart Poles installation in 20 tentative locations in the PPP mode | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Food Court and Sitting area at Hawkers Zone | Providing food and some resting space to people visiting the Hawkers area | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Children/Family Recreation Facility at Iqbal Park | Creating a recreational facility in the Iqbal Park meant for park and family | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Making Security Booths Aesthetically Appealing | The design and location to be selected after consulting the police department | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Redeveloping the FCI Godowns | FCI is currently using the project but will complete it in PPP mode. | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Water Transportation to Dal Lake | Enriching local tourism and promoting another use of public transportation. | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Srinagar | Gilsar Lake Rejuvenation | The project started with a consultation with SMC, LAWDA and I&FC. | Srinagar Smart City Limited |
source - srinagarsmartcity
Srinagar Smart City Map
Srinagar has been a smart city for the past seven years but is still undergoing multiple urban changes and developments. The following comprehensive map of the town will help you understand the basic infrastructure, which can change over time, and all the facilities provided by the administration. This includes public transportation and educational institutions. This map is suited for both residents and tourists.
source: mapsofindia
Smart City Srinagar App
To log onto the official app, follow the steps below -
Step 1 - On the website, click on the top right menu and click on mySrinagar Mobile Application. You can also download it by clicking on the links based on your mobile phone's operating system—Android or Apple.
Step 2—After downloading the application, go to My Dashboard and create an account if you don’t have one. If you already have an ID, you can log in with the right credentials.
Step 3 - The application will ask you basic questions and require proof of citizenship, which can be any official government ID.
Step 4 - After creating your account, log in to the application with your credentials and select the service you want to use.
Step 5 - The application also provides many payment links for services which are safe and secure.
Smart City Srinagar Citizen Services
The Smart City Srinagar Limited company has launched many civic services and online portals that make the lives of residents much easier and help tourists with various tasks. According to the smart city mission, most are available online and focus on improving the town's facilities while protecting the heritage places. Some of these services include -
- Check weather conditions for the day and future dates
- Know more about the culture of Srinagar
- Find tourist places and explore them with a guide
- Find nearby schools, grocery stores, hospitals and malls
- Book community halls in the area
- Check the ongoing city sanitation works
- Keep a tab on your water supply
- Check power cut timings
- File for birth and death certificates
- Apply for licenses
Citizens can also address their grievances on the portal for the following issues:
- Waste Management
- ICDS
- Estate
- Encroachment
- Street Lights
- Drainage
- Stray Animals
- Hospitals and Health centre
- Buildings
- Ongoing Construction
- Roads and traffic
In addition, citizens can cite their ideas on the portal for city developments and give feedback on the administration's social media profiles.
Conclusion
Smart City Srinagar's mission is one of the biggest projects in this town. The project promotes local businesses and the city's upgradation. The mission's board of directors also want to give citizens a decent quality of life by applying smart solutions to their problems and developing core infrastructure. This project will help change the entire infrastructure of Srinagar, truly making it a metro town.
FAQ's about Smart City Srinagar
Q1. Is Srinagar in the smart city list?
Yes, Srinagar is on the smart city list of the Ministry of Urban Development.
Q2. Why is Srinagar called a smart city?
In April 2017, the Indian government selected Srinagar as a smart city in the third round of challenges to develop the city’s infrastructure, develop smart solutions, and improve the quality of life.
Q3. Is Srinagar a metro city?
No. Srinagar is currently a Tier 2 (Y category) town and has not been classified as a Tier 1 (Metro City) by the Indian government.
Q4. What is the cost of living in Srinagar?
The average monthly cost of living in Srinagar is dependant on various factors such as the resident's lifestyle, housing options, market conditions and the resident's occupation.
