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| 90,000 souls live in slums in Srinagar: Survey | | | Shakeel A Khan
SRINAGAR, Mar 24: Despite the claims by state government that standard of living has improved in the state around one lakh people are living in slums here in the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir.
As per a survey conducted by M/S IPE Global Private Limited in 2012, it has been revealed that more than 18,000 households are living in slums or slum like conditions. The survey says that a population of 90,000 in Srinagar has to pass their days and nights in slums or slum like conditions.
"In other words, every 11th family in Srinagar lives in slum with primitive drinking and sanitary conditions. Srinagar city, which is also rated as the fourth dirtiest city in India, is not only turning out to be a choked city with space squeezing for its inhabitants but poses a grave threat to water bodies and heritage sites," said the survey.
It would be in place to mention here that Minister for Urban Local Bodies and Urban Development, Nawang Rigzin Jora while replying to a question by Bharat Bhushan in recently concluded budget session of state assembly said that more than two lakh people are living in slums in twin capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu.
"Srinagar city has undergone major changes in the land use pattern due to the unplanned expansion residential colonies illegal commercialization of important city arterials. The detailed inquiry report initiated in 2009 on Master plan violations/deviations/encroachments in Srinagar revealed that such violations have swollen in an unabated manner since no action against the identified violations," said the survey.
The survey report reveals that about 95% of the structures have violated the land use either by raising illegal constructions or by conversion of land use. The fringe areas are equally not good from the planning point of view. These are characterized by narrow lanes, without any public facilities. The houses are in dilapidated condition which will widen the demand supply gap of housing in near future.
"People are seen crying for the basic facilities day in day out. But the government has failed to address their problems. People are then left with no choice but to look for areas which have better facilities. This creates more problems in addition to the already existing problems," said an elderly man from Budgam, who has migrated to Srinagar.
The Srinagar city has already swollen up beyond municipal limits and started engulfing nearby urban fringe villages and three small towns of Pampore, Budgam and Ganderbal. Like other capital cities of India, Srinagar is bi-functional in nature with administrative services as the most predominant function. Absorption of potential service sector is very low.
Srinagar city is located in the heart of Kashmir on both banks of river Jhelum. Srinagar city is the fastest growing metropolis in Jammu and Kashmir. It is the largest urban settlement in the state. Srinagar city has become a hub of major administrative, political, economic and commercial activities.
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