PMO plans new infra for Srinagar

Concerned over incidents of flooding in the Kashmir Valley, particularly in Srinagar, the Prime Minister’s Office has decided to develop state- of- the- art modern infrastructure for the city.

A major part of the proposed plan will focus on proper drainage of excess water in the city as this was a major issue during flooding in September 2014 and the recent rains.

The PMO will coordinate with Central ministries as well as the state government on this ambitious project.

Sources said the PMO and the Centre have been constantly getting this feedback that the major reason for unprecedented flooding in Srinagar in 2014 and even this time around is that there is no proper drainage system or outlet for rain water. Even Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who was sent by PM Narendra Modi to take stock of the current floods in the state, has also mentioned in his report to the PMO the lack of proper civic infra- structure in the city and the need for a proper drainage system.

Now that the BJP is running a coalition government in the state along with PDP, the PM is determined to put the entire state and particularly the Valley on the road to development and converting Srinagar into a smart city is being seen as a major priority.

“The report submitted by the Central team which visited Srinagar and other flood- affected areas clearly states that the major reason for flooding was that the drainage system in the area has become too old and that there is no proper outlet for releasing the extra rain water. The drainage system also does not have the capacity to carry that excess water so it will have to be completely revamped and upgraded,” a senior government official said.

The PMO will soon start consultation process with the state government and the Central agencies to prepare a detailed roadmap for converting Srinagar into a modern city with state- of- the art infrastructure.