Between 2013 and 2019, the Indian government has completed various infrastructure projects, including a two-tube flyover from Jehangir Chowk to Rambagh to ease the lives of people living in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar.
The work on the Rs 300 crore flyover, which has eased the traffic woes of the people started in 2013.The project to construct a length of 2.40 kilometers (kms) in four-lane with total length of four kms including accesses within a total cost of Rs 300.00 crores, was started in 2013. Benefitting an estimated population of four lakh Srinagar citizens, apart from the floating population from other districts, the project was finally thrown open to the public in August 2019.
Similarly, the revetment along Jhelum riverfront, which was started in 2015, with a total cost of Rs 358 crores, has been instrumental in mitigating the flood proneness of Srinagar city which usually has witnessed floods because of overflow over embankments.
The government also completed a project for Rs 75.64 crores to solve the major issue of waterlogging in various areas of Srinagar. The project has been instrumental to provide relief to at least 21,000 households including commercial areas of Lal Chowk and Indra Nagar.
Meanwhile, for the development of sports infrastructure in the city, seven projects were undertaken with an estimated cost of Rs 10 crores. The infrastructure has been instrumental in the engagement of youth for sports activities.
In order to augment the higher education infrastructure, the government began 19 projects, with a cost of Rs 66.52 crores, in various degree colleges of Srinagar. Most of the projects have been completed.
The government also improved the connectivity network of Srinagar by completing the long-pending five bridges within the city. The project has been instrumental in addressing the connectivity problems of various areas.
Twenty-five schools were taken to develop as model schools in Srinagar district to compete with private schools in the primary sector and to enhance the learning outcome in government schools. The project was started, completed and commissioned in 2019-20. The concept behind the project was to enhance the learning outcomes, increase the enrollment and decrease the dropout rates.
The government has given priority to establish quarantine centers to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Presently, around 2,600 bed-capacity has been augmented at various locations such as Indoor Stadium, Hyderpora Warehouse, Sanat Nagar Marriage hall, IMPA Hostel, Hajj House, Srinagar and in eight hostels of the Government Degree College.
To augment the health infrastructure, major intervention such as increasing the bed capacity in various hospitals of Srinagar are among the projects worth Rs 281.27 crores which are going on.
In order to address the needs of students who come to Srinagar for studies from far-flung areas, a need was identified to establish libraries in various hostels of Degree colleges of Srinagar so that the students residing in hostels have 24×7 accessibility to books. Eight college hostels were provided along with PCs with National Book Library Software uploaded.
To strengthen power infrastructure in Srinagar city, projects namely Gas Turbine at Tengpora, Harwan, Khanyar, 132 KV transmission line, augmentation of 100 MVA Grid Station at Khanmoh and Cheshmashahi and augmentation/providing of sub-station at a cost of Rs 178.19 crores. The projects have been taken in hand with the concept to address the power deficit in winters and also in summers.
The projects will cover not only to Srinagar city but will also provide power supply to the adjoining districts.