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| Violations in SMC constructions due to lack of accountability: Govt | | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 2: There are violations in constructions of Srinagar Municipal Corporation due to lack of accountability in respective departments, an official report says.
As per the government's report, one of the key reasons for the violations in Srinagar local area is the lack of individual accountability of the planners, engineers and enforcement officers in the SMC, SDA and other ULBs.
"The institutions should create systems for not only fast tracking the processes but also shall be prompt in holding the officers and officials accountable for violations and dilatory tactics adopted in dealing with the citizens," the report suggests.
"One major intervention which can take the Municipal Corporation and the Development Authorities a long way towards planned development and restore its credibility is the outsourcing of the building permissions, initially the residential, by registering qualified architects and town planners after building their capacities to handle the permissions simultaneously eliminating the role of draftsmen in the process. Town Planning Organization shall be designated as the nodal agency for assisting the ULBs and local authority to set the systems in place initially till the process takes off," the report suggests.
It also says that most of the housing colonies have come up devoid of services and public amenities. "In nut shell, the city needs a complete overhaul and proper urban restructuring. It is as such strongly recommended that the formulation of Zonal Plans be fast-tracked to ensure the planned development of residential neighbourhood as envisaged in this master plan. The Master Plan also has a spotlight on the identification of blighted and grey areas in Zonal Plans for their redevelopment with active participation of locals," it reads.
The report states that more than 90% investment in housing is through informal (private) means as the sector is highly disorganised. "Srinagar is an environmentally and ecologically fragile city.
It is also a multi-hazard city with limited areas suitable for development. The city is growing in an amorphous and unplanned manner with most of the development coming up in low-lying and flood prone areas devouring prime agricultural lands, thereby increasing threshold costs and giving rise to stagnation of rainwater and drainage problems," it reads.
The report has also recommended slew of measures for conservation of the Dal Lake.
It has stated that "we may lose the water body" if measures are not taken to safeguard this famed lake in summer capital.
According to the report, "It is felt that we may permanently lose the water body (Dal Lake) if measures are not taken to firmly define the boundaries. Treatment within and outside the lake-to protect the Dal Lake from being depleted by inside/outside demands and to preserve this precious treasure of Kashmir valley."
It has recommended demarcation of the lake margin especially along its western side by way of some physical delineation as shown from Dalgate to Saidakadal as greenway. |
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