Need for stormwater management

While Kashmir lacks the basic infrastructure with regard to the drainage system—as is visible during the rainy, winter season—it also is several steps behind in having the required infrastructure for ensuring stormwater management which holds pivotal importance in the urban areas where most of the surface remains impassable for the stormwater, which includes rainwater, snow to seep into the ground to replenish the groundwater resources. Srinagar city under the banner of Smart City must have such infrastructure in place as the city is swiftly witnessing development on various fronts and the surface is fast becoming impenetrable leading to deficiency in the groundwater table. Even though in Srinagar, the concerned department has a few such projects in hand, however, there hasn’t been any worthwhile development on that front. The concerned wing at the UEED in Kashmir, it has come to the fore, is aggressively pursuing the management of the stormwater, however, the same seems to be moving at a snail’s pace. To make the city smart and have the necessary elements well in place, there is a need for thorough town planning and with that, keen interest needs to be taken for putting in place the infrastructure for the management and processing of stormwater management. Even in rural areas, stormwater management has the potential of solving the irrigation problems which the farmers living in the far off areas are facing, and once that is done, there are all the chances that the farming sector will also witness sea changes.