The rapid urbanization of Srinagar has landed the city in a mess, resulting in heightened pollution levels, an increase in road accidents, congestion of housing colonies and the unavailability of vacant land in the semi-rural areas surrounding the city.
Interestingly, the official reports suggest that Srinagar ranks first in urbanization globally, with a substantial influx of rural residents migrating to the city in search of better living conditions and relatively improved infrastructure compared to their native places.
A report reveals that Srinagar has experienced a dramatic increase in its population over the decades. The population rose from 2.85 lakhs in 1961 to 4.57 lakhs in 1971, then to 6.06 lakhs in 1981, and further to 11.10 lakhs in 2001. According to the 2011 census, the population of the Srinagar Metropolitan Region had reached 20.84 lakhs. However, the habitation must have increased manifold since 2011.
Today, Srinagar district boasts an urban population rate of 98.6%, the highest in Jammu and Kashmir, contrary to Jammu city with an urban population of 50%.
Srinagar alone accounts for over one-third of the total population including migrants from other districts in the Union Territory (UT), with Jammu contributing an additional 22.28%. Collectively, these two districts represent approximately 57.80% of the urban population in the UT.
Srinagar’s built-up area has also expanded significantly, growing from 34.53 km² in 2000 to 60.63 km² in 2020. This expansion indicates that the built-up area increased from 13.35% to 23.44% of the total land, marking a substantial rise of 75.58%. Rapid urbanization, population growth, migration, and tourism have driven considerable land use and land cover changes over the past two decades. Key urban hotspots, including Lal Chowk, Natipora, Hyderpora, Rajbagh, Nowgam, Dangarpora, the Dargah area, Chhatabal, Batamalo, and Bemina, have seen the most significant levels of development.
The outskirts of Srinagar are experiencing continuous urban expansion, particularly in the rural areas bordering Budgam, Baramulla, Pulwama, and Ganderbal. This rapid urbanization has led to skyrocketing property prices in these regions. For instance, land in Ganderbal’s Rangil and Nagbal areas, as well as Mirgund in Baramulla, is now priced at least Rs 50 lakhs per kanal. Similarly, land values in Kralpora, Gopalpora, and Wathoora in the Chadoora area of Budgam have surged significantly over the past 5 to 10 years.
Notably, numerous studies have established a link between increased population density and heightened aggression. Some even argue that higher population density contributes to crime and anti-social behaviour.
As the population increases, so does the number of vehicles on the roads, leading to heavy traffic congestion which brings frustration to daily commuters in the city. A lady doctor Falak at SMHS Hospital said the influx of people from rural areas has significantly increased traffic in the city, especially during peak morning and evening hours. “This surge not only complicates commuting but also hinders emergency services, making it challenging for ambulances and medical personnel to navigate the congested roads,” she added.
Amina Gul, originally from Srinagar, now settled in Canada, who had come to her native here after a gap of seven years, said, “The most striking change I’ve noticed since coming back is the heavy traffic; the number of cars and vehicles of all kinds has increased significantly.”
The local administration is trying hard to keep pace with the changing circumstances and develop the city, like the initiative of the Smart City Mission, with an aim at upgrading infrastructure and fostering a more sustainable urban environment.
However, a major chunk of the population seems not happy with the efforts which, according to them, have unintentionally worsened traffic conditions, by narrowing roads to make space for wider sidewalks. This has hampered the traffic flow, resulting in frequent and severe jams on the roads. Another impediment of the Srinagar city is faced by the coming up of dozens of shopping malls without proper planning. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation, is fully equipped with strict laws in granting permission for such structures, but the owners later alter the shape and design of such Malls to suit their economic interests, says Firdous Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar.
These types of shopping malls are found in the Residency Road area etc. Some areas have responded to this challenge by building shopping centres of their own as is seen in
Rajbagh, Jawahar Nagar, Barzulla and Hyderpora. Besides these business centres are often detrimental to downtown shopping centres since the shopping malls act as a surrogate for the city.
Surprisingly, the mushroom growth of the coaching centre set up by various educational institutes or individual teachers, particularly on the airport road near Bhagat and Barzalla disturbs the traffic of the road. Besides, the students in groups, who stay-put on rental premises in the area, take up bad habits. A parent of Shopian, Gulzar Ahmad said: “I am always worried about the welfare of my daughter, who takes up classes in the coaching centre at Barzulla in Bhagat .Therefore, I visit her on weekends.”
Gulzar suggested that such educational facilities should be provided to the students at Shopian, near their homes to avoid their stay alone in the Srinagar city. This will make Srinagar city unsafe for residents and also for the safety of females in the near future.
(Author is a Freelancer)
