Srinagar’s iconic Lal Chowk in for facelift as city readies for G20

The iconic Lal Chowk, the beating heart of the city’s business centre, wears a scruffy look with its historical charm taking a back seat to JCB machines, masons and hammer-wielding workers dotting the dusty and uneven roads leading up to the ganthaghar or clock tower.

The 24x7 bustle, however, augers well for the future as the city readies the impending G20 summit meetings likely to be held in the last week of May. As per officials, the administration has set a 10-day deadline to complete work under the Smart City project.

The G20 summit meetings are a big event for Kashmir and officials are working overtime to ensure preparedness, especially in the city where the delegates will hold important meetings — at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal lake.

The itinerary for the G20 delegates also includes visits to the ski resorts of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and the Dachigam National Park, which is home to endangered Hangul or Kashmiri stag.

A new look

A big billboard featuring the proposed design for the city centre was put in palace earlier. Even the clock tower, the main attraction of the area, is being redesigned to make it more attractive.

Kashmir divisional commissioner (DC) Vijay Kumar Bidhuri directed all officials and contractors to complete work within the deadlines during a high level meeting held to take review of works completed, and ongoing works under G-20 Summit on Tuesday. “The DC said the works are for the people and should be completed at an earliest for their convenience and sought feedback from the participants regarding the needs and requirements vis--a-vis meeting completion of deadlines.”

“A 10-day deadline has been set for most works including concrete works, footpaths, tiling works, drainage works, underground works, landscaping and turfing that are still going on including the Blacktopping works and installation of signages,” an official spokesperson said.

Thrown into disarray

With work underway, the heart of the city has been thrown into disarray with traffic diversions and pollution, both air and noise becoming the norm. People, however, remain hopeful of the city benefitting from the same.

“The city looks dusty especially the city centre Lal Chowk because hundreds of people are working for hours and once all works will be over, this city especially the Lal chowk will present a very different look which will be liked by locals, tourists and the visiting dignitaries,” a senior official associated with the Srinagar Smart City project, which was awarded in 2017, said.

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) spokesperson Omar Tibetbakal, meanwhile, said, “We need to appreciate the changes that the city is undergoing, but we need to widen roads rather than narrow them down further. Besides, we encourage cycling tracks, but not at the cost of markets losing business.”

Former KCCI president Sheikh Ashiq hoped that the city will wear a new, better look once all projects under Smart city are completed, adding, “It has taken a lot of time and I want to see the results now as it has crossed many deadlines. City is expected to look good as has been conveyed in various meetings and people are expecting that it should look better and serve the purpose.”

Even the banks of the serpentine Jhelum, which passes through the city, have been decked out under the new project. “The Smart city project comprises two parts area based development with an estimated amount of ₹2,869 crore and pan city solutions with an estimated cost of ₹765 crores and it started in 2017 when Srinagar city was awarded Smart city project in 2017 along with other cities of the country,” said an officer associated with the project.