Pristine 5.1km Dal Lake front to open before winters: Officials
The development of the northern front of the Dal Lake was going on under the umbrella of Srinagar Smart City Project, which started early this year and is expected to be completed by November end
: The pristine 5.1km-long northern front of the Dal Lake will be thrown open to visitors before winters, giving them a hassle-free experience where they can walk, cycle and enjoy the serene surroundings, officials said.
The development of the northern front of the Dal Lake was going on under the umbrella of Srinagar Smart City Project, which started early this year and is expected to be completed by November end.
Chief executive officer, Smart City Project, and Srinagar municipal commissioner Athar Aamir Khan said that they expect the project to complete before the winter snowfall.
“Around 5.1km-long Lake Front from Nishat to Habbak is one of our most important projects under the Srinagar Smart City Project. The work is nearing completion and we hope to open it up in the next 40-50 days,” Khan said in a post on micro blogging site X.
He said that the project was one of their best projects in Srinagar city.
“You can walk, cycle, sit, sip a cup of coffee and enjoy the most pristine part of Dal Lake - the Hazratbal Basin,” he said.
“It will be complete well before that (winter). And in winters you can enjoy snow here,” he said in another post on X.
Srinagar, spread over 294 sq km with a population of 13.5 lakh, was one of the cities selected for the Smart City Mission launched by the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA).
Many projects were completed in the city before the G20 event in May this year. Airport road and flyover were spruced up and the city was also illuminated. Established in 1952, the Poloview market was revamped recently under the Smart City project and inaugurated in May, making it the first pedestrian and wire-free market with underground drainage, electricity and communication system in Srinagar. The Clock Tower was also given a fresh makeover. The MA road has also been completed besides the Jhelum river front development.
Smart electric buses equipped with air-conditioners (AC) and cameras were also introduced in summer capital Srinagar. The authorities have also completed the Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping and physical verification of households and commercial establishments and are now pasting unique digital door number plates with QR codes on the city’s houses and shops.
Of 137 projects, work on 66 projects was completed while 71 were ongoing projects, as per the Srinagar Smart City website. Some 16 projects will be completed from December 2023 to June 2024, which is the deadline set by the Government of India.
