Over ₹792 crore spent on Smart City: AIP seeks accountability

Srinagar, July 20: Awami Ittehad Party on Monday expressed grave concern over the widespread waterlogging witnessed across Srinagar following heavy rainfall, saying the recurring crisis has exposed glaring failures in urban planning despite huge public expenditure under the Srinagar Smart City Project.

In a statement, AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam Un Nabi said it is deeply unfortunate that over ₹792 crore has already been spent under the Srinagar Smart City Project since its inception, while the overall Smart City proposal for Srinagar envisaged projects worth more than ₹3,600 crore, yet large parts of the city continue to get submerged after every spell of heavy rain.

“After spending hundreds of crores of public money, if major roads, hospitals, residential areas, hotels, restaurants and business establishments are still inundated by a few hours of rainfall, then the people have every right to ask what exactly has been achieved,” Inam Un Nabi said.

Inam Un Nabi said the repeated flooding of Old City ( Shahar e Khass) Boulevard Road, Dalgate, Buchwara and several other vulnerable localities has caused immense hardship to residents, patients, commuters and traders, many of whom suffer heavy financial losses every monsoon.

The AIP spokesperson said the government must fix accountability instead of treating every rainfall as an emergency. “The people do not need temporary dewatering operations after every shower. They deserve a permanent engineering solution backed by scientific planning, modern stormwater drainage infrastructure, restoration of natural water channels, regular desilting and strict action against encroachments blocking drainage networks,” he said.

Inam Un Nabi further demanded an independent review of all drainage-related works executed under the Srinagar Smart City Project and by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), saying responsibility must be fixed wherever public funds have failed to deliver the intended results.

“The recurring waterlogging is not merely a natural phenomenon; it is a governance challenge. Every year, traders count their losses, residents remain stranded and patients suffer because of infrastructure failures. This cycle must end,” he said.

Inam Un Nabi urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government, Srinagar Smart City Limited and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation to prepare and implement a time-bound, city-wide drainage master plan so that Srinagar is not brought to a standstill every time it rains.