Subhechcha Ganguly 
With public areas, pedestrian amenities, and tourist attractions being renovated as part of the Smart Cities Mission, Srinagar’s urban environment is getting better. Lal Chowk and Polo View Market in the city have been pedestrianised, and historic structures have been renovated. A public plaza that is accessible by foot has also been created along the Jhelum riverbank. Threats to security and societal issues caused delays in the projects, but the majority of the work was finished in the previous year. 56 of the 125 projects that the Srinagar Smart City Limited has undertaken are finished, with the remaining projects having an estimated completion date of June 2022 of 980 crore.
As you enter the city after landing at the Srinagar airport, it is clear that attempts to improve the urban environment have contributed to fostering a sense of normalcy.As Srinagar develops as a modern city, improved public spaces, enhanced pedestrian facilities, and renovated major tourist destinations such as the Dal lakeside, Jhelum riverbank, Polo View market, and the Central Business District (CBD) around Lal Chowk stand out.The renovation is a component of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ (MoHUA) Smart Cities Mission. Srinagar was chosen as the mission’s destination in 2016, and development on it got underway in early 2017. The initiatives were delayed by around two months as a result of battling security threats and municipal issues that made it impossible to obtain the appropriate vendors and contractors.
In 2020 and 2021, work was further hampered by the pandemic, according to representatives of the city redesign.
The majority of the work was completed in the previous year, the officials stated. Deadlines were pushed by the G20 tourism working group meeting in Srinagar. The Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) has undertaken 125 projects with a budget of Rs. 1,880 crore, 56 of which are finished and are anticipated to be finished by June 2019.
