Srinagar, Dec 08: Jammu and Kashmir Hotel & Restaurant Association (JKHARA) Saturday called on Deputy Mayor Sheikh Mohammad Imran at his office to discuss the Srinagar Master Plan and the infrastructure development in the city.
JKHARA delegation was led by its President Showkat M Chowdhary along with its office bearers.
During the meeting, JKHARA voiced its concerns over master plan Srinagar 2035 relating to tourism infrastructure and commercial activity.
JKHARA said that the government had planned to construct common STPs for the hotel.
“The land for the common STPs was also identified but have not been built so far. Under Srinagar Master Plan, these common STPs should be built and the hoteliers can pay user charges. All the refuse and waste discharged from the hotels can be treated through common STPs,” said JKHARA President Showkat M Chowdhary.
JKHARA said under the master plan new hotels, guest houses etc. can be given permission for construction only if minimum of four kanals of land is available with the developer.
“However, it makes no clarification for existing structures. Earlier there being no restrictions, most of the hotels were constructed / converted in the busy commercial places/markets.”
JKHARA said in 2004, then the government under its SRO allowed residential houses to be converted into hotels, guest houses etc which Department of Tourism JK registered under Act
JKHARA also suggested that Shehar-e-Khas in Srinagar should be preserved and developed for heritage and cultural tourism without spoiling and making imbalance in fragile nature of the environment.
JKHARA further pointed out that Master Plan does not provide provision for parking spaces at such places where cluster of hotels, guest houses, home stays and other commercial activities are already in full swing as Khoni Khan, Dalgate, Raj Bagh, Jawahar Nagar etc.
“Both sides of the roads where commercial activities and trade- general, tourism etc- are going on since long, shall be declared as fully ‘commercial sites.”
JKHARA also sought measures to be taken for controlling air pollution, safeguarding and conserving water bodies and wetlands, decongesting of traffic at Jahangir Chowk, Maharaja Bazar, Qamawari Chowk, cleaning and beautification of the embankment of river Jhelum and promote water ways as alternate mode of transport and introduce cruise to attract tourists, façade painting at heritage corridors, wide and well lit roads, revival of closed and chocked canals, nallahs.
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