As has already been mentioned, Srinagar’s drainage system has long been a problem. It is also no secret to anyone—especially the city planners—that the drainage system is old and hasn’t been upgraded in a while, which causes clogging of drains and flooding during rainy seasons. Additionally, there are several locations throughout the city where there isn’t even an interim drainage system in place. People are enduring the most there. The authorities only know one solution, and that is to send out their men with the dewatering equipment—a sight that is more common in the city centre, which is currently experiencing a major transformation—instead of working to implement the drainage system that the city requires.
Lack of maintenance has proven to be one of the major causes of the drainage system’s complete failure in the areas where it is present. Furthermore, the problem has been made worse by the fact that the relevant authorities in charge of maintaining the drainage system have not made any major efforts to upgrade and maintain it. The people in charge appear to be oblivious to the fact that the city’s population has grown over time, which has increased waste production and put more strain on the drainage system. However, the older system is still carrying the bulk of the load despite being a total failure, sending everything back to the surface and making moving in and around the city a nightmare. Over the years, there haven’t been any value adds, and who knows what the government is doing as part of the enormous Smart City Project—have they improved the drainage system or are they still only concerned with the aesthetics?
Understanding the severity of the situation is essential because the current system requires the necessary value additions and, more importantly, upgrades, connecting the excluded areas, and ensuring that the city receives relief by developing a plan for high-tech and reliable drainage throughout the city. The residents of Srinagar city cannot continue to deal with the same issue every year, so the government must take the required action to resolve it. It would be unfortunate to ignore the drainage issues at this time when Srinagar city is slowly moving in the direction of becoming wiser. We don’t want to see electric bicycles, electric rickshaws, or pedestrians navigating clogged city roads.
