Jammed packed roads, piles of waste, no footpaths, choked water bodies, no free spaces, unmanaged housing, chaotic markets, and all government offices and education institutios crammed in a small area – that is our Srinagar we once knew as a beautiful city. If you don’t digest this description just take a drive around and see it for yourself. One thing is sure that if yoou have read about its past, or have lived here some 3 decades back, you heart is bound to break, your nerves are destines to flare up. The mess that this city has been reduced to is enough to exploded your brain. But why has this city come to this pass.
What are the reasons for this deterioration. In any part of the world the management of cities that have a cultural depth is entrusted to those who have a fine sense of cultural and historical legacy. They have an organic view of what constitutes the worth of a city. They are also trained to preserve the old, while making room for the new. This is an important ingredient of urban management. And if we think of cities; from conceiving the designs, chalking out the details, distributing the work, and finally executing the plans, it is all so immaculate. Each component is perfectly laid out. The management is so scientific that it sound like a mathematical enterprise. But in our city, apart from the name there is nothing that sounds like a city. Roads are full of potholes. Just a drizzle and and we have muddy puddles all around. Everything in this city adds to the sense of loss. This is our city that we all so proudly say is thousands of years old. We all say is a heritage city. We all say is a tourist attraction. We all say is a historic city. One simple thought strikes the mind; is it worth calling a city!