WE THE PEOPLE
Failure of SDA to implement Master Plans has resulted in unplanned development of City of Srinagar
Hence people demand strict implementation of approved Plans to provide better amenities to City population
By: Uzair Khan
Srinagar: In order to promote and secure development of the local area of Srinagar city, the J&K Government established the Srinagar Development Authority in accordance with the approved Master Plans. The Authority was constituted in February 1971 in pursuance of Section 3(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act 1970. The Authority is vested with the powers to acquire, hold, manage and dispose off land and other property, carry out building and engineering operations and execute allied works. The first Master Plan (1971-91), with a twenty year perspective, was approved in the year 1976. The Government in January 2003 approved the second Master Plan (2000-2021), prepared in 1999, for implementation. The boundaries of the local, area were increased from 236 to 416 square kilometers for planning under the second Master Plan, covering a population of 23.50 lakh by 2021.
To achieve the objectives, the Authority stands vested with powers to acquire, hold, manage and dispose of land and other property and carry out building and engineering operations. But a review of the functioning of the Authority during 2003-08 has revealed that it has succeeded in generating substantial internal resources, while the main objectives have not been achieved fully due to non-implementation of Master Plans. Besides utilization of available resources has ranged between 34 and 48 per cent only. Hence failure to implement Master Plan of Srinagar City has resulted in its unplanned development and deprived the habitants of basic necessities of life.
It needs to be stated that the Authority is mandated to prepare Master Plans defining the zones into which the local area is to be divided and indicating the phased approach for development of all the zones.
But scrutiny of records has revealed that after a tardy implementation of the First Master Plan, the Government in January 2003 approved the second Master Plan (2000-21). The Plan envisaged development of Srinagar city in 15 planning divisions ‘A’ to ‘P’ except ‘O,’ divided further into 232 zones over 41625 hectares, Developed use: 23854 hectares and un-developed use: 17771 hectares covering a population of 23,50 lakh by the year 2021. However, the implementation of the Plan is yet to start in full swing due to the inability of the Authority to prepare Divisional/Zonal Plans. Despite the lapse of five years (2003-08), the Authority has not prepared a single Divisional/Zonal Plan and the development activities continued to be executed in an adhoc manner. Failure to implement the Master Plan has contributed to unplanned development of the city, resulting in increase in unplanned/illegal/unauthorized constructions, environmental degradation with pollution of water bodies, traffic and parking impediments, encroachment upon Government land, etc. Thus, the purpose of having a Master Plan for planned development of Srinagar has got defeated.
Hence people demand strict implementation of approved Plans to provide better amenities to City population. There has been migration from rural belts on large scale, which has brought tremendous pressure on urban resources. This has also resulted in utter violation of J&K Land Revenue Act as people have resorted to mass conversion of paddy-growing areas and raised structures on them. This has not only violated Master Plan norms but also even turned the Valley into a deficit zone.
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