Srinagar:-Roads and buildings Department has begun process of widening the Boulevard from Dalgate to Nehru Park and buildings and structures on the north stretch are being demolished to widen the road in order to cater to the increasing traffic in the area.
As measuring of structures began this week, the business community of Dalgate area is aghast that Government has not formulated any time period for this activity.
We are confused what is happening. Officials come early in the mornings for last few days and start measuring our buildings. Nobody from the administration is saying anything to us. Our economic conditions are solely dependent on our shops. We have not been informed on this issue whether there is going to be any demolition or not and when it is taking place, rued the shopkeepers at Dalgate area.
Interestingly Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, (LAWDA) under whose jurisdiction fhe area alls, is unaware of the road widening project.
Mr. Sarmad Hafeez, Vice Chairman LAWDA says he is not aware of it. I dont know about any such proposal. If R&B department is having any such plan, they have to first seek NOC from us, Hafeez told the Kashmir Observer.
Javaid Bukhari, in-charge Executive Engineer of R&B Department for the project says, Yes we are planning to widen the road at Dalgate- Boulevard stretch to allow smooth flow of traffic in the area.
When asked about the adverse affects more traffic will cause to the environment of the area, he said traffic will not be increased. The main motive behind this plan is to decongest the road. He informed that demolition’s will begin after winters and there will be a proper prior notice given to the residents as well as traders to move out of this place. Regarding rehabilitation a proper time frame will be discussed and then people will be rehabilitated accordingly.
Experts however are dismayed at the prospect of road widening which they say will only divert more traffic to the area.
As the famed Boulevard, a high end tourist area, falls in the protected green belt, more traffic on the stretch along the lake means more pollution of both noise and toxins.
This is certainly going to be a turn off for high end foreign tourists, said Muhammad Yaqub Dunu, from House Boat Owners Association.
Govt should have declared the area traffic free as this is a tourist district of the city. Authorities should have taken cue from other major cities where they operate comfortable public transport on such sensitive stretches to ferry passengers instead of allowing more vehicles on it, said Syed Hamid Bukhari a journalist with a local newspaper.
Introducing horse carts, battery driven vehicles or even cable car along the boulevard would have been a better idea according to Auqib Javed, another journalist.
Director of Ecology Environment and Remote Sensing Mr. Om Prakash Vidyarthi says, I dont know about the plan of R&B department but one thing is certain the road widening will definitely add more traffic and the resultant pollution will only affect adversely to the fragile eco system of the area.
I remember while widening the road from TRC to Bijbehara most of the chinar trees were cut down and an argument was given that these trees can be grown again despite the fact most of these trees were 400 years old. Many environment commissions were set up to combat plans which have adverse affect on the environment but of little affect, he said.
When asked what his department was doing to safeguard environmentally sensitive areas, he said, We dont have powers where we can stop any department from taking out any developmental work. We just monitor the overall environment situation and just report it on the paper. Rest lies with the government to act.
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