Extracts of the paper presented by Er Mohammad Ashraf Fazili, FIE, at the Workshop on Sewerage & Drainage issues of Srinagar City, held at IEI J&K SC.
At the outset let me say that the problem of draining the waters of the vast Karewa lake that makes the Kashmir valley has been there for centuries. Geologists say that the formation of the lake and its subsequent draining has been due to two earthquakes, Kashmir being a seismic zone. Various water bodies like Wular, Dal, Manasbal, Anchar, Khushal Sar, Gil Sar, and other wetlands of the valley are the remnants of this vast lake.
Due to its geographical structure, the Kashmir Valley including Srinagar City is highly prone to floods. Out of the total area of 15,120.3 sq km, more than 100 sq miles in the valley is underwater. The flood plain is often renewed by silt deposited after the water level recedes when there is a flood. The latest worst flood of the century was witnessed in September 2014 that left scars on our lives to be remembered for a long time to come.
Srinagar from the dawn of history has remained the capital of Kashmir and its growth through different periods of Kashmir history has been very interesting. The Venice of the East owed its importance to its compactness and its large population, its organised public opinion, and the superior culture of its inhabitants. Its commercial, political, and cultural importance explains why attempts made from time to time to remove the seat of government to some other place proved abortive.
In 250 BC, Srinagar was founded by King Asoka at the site of present Pandrethan (Purana Dishtina) on the right bank of river Jhelum. In 6th century AD, a new city was founded by Parvarsen II near Koh-i-Maran hill. This was called Parvarpora. Jaipida laid the city of Jayapura. Avantivarman founded the city of Avantipura. Samkarpura, Kaniskapura, Jusakapura and Hushkapura were some other ancient capitals of Kashmir. But all these capitals lost their importance and decayed, as seen by their ruins. It was the capital of Parvarsen alone which has survived various attempts to change it.
In 1344-56 AD, King Ala-ud-din founded Alauddinpora at Srinagar, which at present comprises the locality situated between Jamia Masjid and Alikadal. In 1420-70 AD, Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin (Budshah) found Nav-Shahar near Srinagar (not prone to floods), besides excavating the Mar Canal, the main artery of communication between Srinagar city and the villages near the Dal Lake.
The history of urban improvement in Srinagar dates back to 1886 when the first Municipality Act was passed. As a result of later extensions, Srinagar expanded rapidly. In 1940 Jawaharlal Nehru said, “I wish that some great architect would take charge of the planning and rebuilding of Srinagar. The riverfronts should be attacked, first of all, the slums and dilapidated houses should be removed and airy dwellings and avenues take their place, a proper drainage system introduced, and so much else done to convert Srinagar into a fairy city of dreamlike beauty, through which runs the Vitastha and the many canals sluggishly wind their way with the shikaras plying on them and the houseboats clinging to the banks. This is no fancy picture, for fairyland lies all around it; the magic is there already, but unfortunately human hands of human folly have tried to cover it here and there. Still, it peeps out through slum and dirt.”
Though earlier kings selected higher areas for building the capital of Srinagar, yet it was during Dogra rule that Residency, Presentation Convent, Mallinson School and Residency Road, Hari Singh High Street, etc, came up in a low-lying flood-prone area followed by local constructions.
The British tourist Younghusband visited the valley during a time of flood and recorded that he boarded the boat at Shalteng and entered the second story of Nedou’s Hotel as its ground floor was underwater. Later on, Maharaja Partap Singh built embankments on either side of River Jhelum passing through the city on the advice of British engineers, but Sir Walter Lawerence, the then Settlement Commissioner, commented that it was a great folly to restrict the width of the River Jhelum, as one day it will break through its banks in floods, which came true after about a century of his prediction in September 2014.
A comprehensive sewerage and drainage scheme for Greater Srinagar Area was prepared through a consulting firm of repute at a cost of Rs 118.00 crore in the year 1980 when I was posted as Executive Engineer UEED. The scheme was designed to cater to the requirements up to the year 2001, and was cleared by the CPHEEO, Ministry of Urban Development, GOI. The scheme was to be completed in two phases, the first phase costing Rs 52.52 crore by 1984-85 and the second phase costing Rs 65.48 crore by 1990-91.
In 1980, I prepared a Solid Waste Disposal Scheme for Greater Srinagar City through Universal Enviroscience, which was handed over to SMC for implementation by UEED. Another scheme of Low Cost Sanitation with UNICEF assistance was prepared by me and transferred to SMC. Another programme of Development of Small and Medium Towns with UNDP assistance was looked after by me in UEED.
For drainage, the proposals envisaged improvement of the drainage system, wherever existing, and providing of such facilities in the areas devoid of the same. The system could consist of main and secondary drains in each zone comprising identified drainage-basins so that stormwater was collected through roadside open drains and carried to the nearest water body. In low-lying areas where gravity flow was not possible, pumping stations had to be provided.
Similarly for sewerage, the proposals envisaged laying of sewer lines to collect the wastewater/ dry-weather flow of each zone, carry it to the treatment plant, reuse the treated effluent for irrigating nearby vegetable fields, and/or discharge into a nearby stream. In low-lying flat areas where gravity flow of sewer was not possible, a series of intermediate sewage lift stations have been proposed on main sewer lines to carry the wastewater to the Treatment Plant site.
Due to the appalling environmental problems, particularly in Srinagar, it was expected that the Sewerage and Drainage sector would be given priority in the development plans of the state and adequate funds would be earmarked in the annual plans. However, due to the paucity of funds, no headway could be made beyond taking up of pilot sewerage scheme for the area around Brari Numbal Lagoon and Khushalsar (two mini lakes within the city) for a population of about one-and-a-half lakh people with a view to providing:
A) Better sanitation around the lakes.
B) Arrest the pollution due to the flow of sewerage of adjacent population into these lagoons.
C) Arrest the pollution therefrom to Dal Lake with which the lagoons are connected.
The expenditure on the former pilot scheme ending December 2000 was Rs 13.00 crore and Rs 5.65 crore on Khushalsar sewerage scheme. Both these pilot schemes form part of Zone III. In other parts of the city, nothing has been practically possible to be done under sewerage.
Under stormwater drainage, much has been done towards solving the drainage problems of Srinagar city mainly because this activity did not attract priority compared to other civic services. At the close of the 7th plan, 34 drainage systems were functional in the city, providing for 15% to 20% of the total area. The beginning of the 8th five-year plan marked a modest but healthy start for initiating a number of drainage schemes relatively with higher outlays. During this plan, 30 ongoing and 46 new drainage schemes with a revised cost of Rs 64.49 crore for tackling sore spots were taken up in a phased manner within the paltry funds available.
Overall implementation of sewerage drainage schemes is going on at snail’s pace due to acute financial constraints. Due to changes in the overall physical pattern of the city as a result of the growth of population/ extension in the inhabited area, coupled with fast urban development which took place over the years, the overall scheme of sewerage and drainage was revised in 1995 which included the change in design period from the year 2001 to 2021.
Consequently, cost of sewerage/ sewage treatment and allied works together with stormwater drainage was worked out afresh with due regard to earlier estimates. The estimated cost of the project for the design year 2021 stood at Rs 1060.84 crore. The scheme was proposed to be completed in two phases, 1st phase costing Rs 670.07 crore including escalation over the time span of seven years (1995-2002) and the 2nd phase costing Rs 450.83 crore (at 1995 base price), which was proposed to be started somewhere in 2001 to 2002 and completed in 2009. The revised project was submitted and discussed with CPHEEO for technical clearance.
With almost a state of stalemate in the scheme implementation, the time set for its completion has gone without any tangible result achieved on the ground. On the other hand, the all-round growth/ urbanisation of the city is giving rise to ever-increasing insanitary conditions and environmental problems fraught with serious health hazards.
Within the meager allocations through the State Govt Plan for the sector and keeping in view other physical constraints, like lack of urban renewal programme in the old city, essential for laying a sewerage and drainage system, the department has adopted a different approach in the project implementation/ achievement of objectives thereof, which can be viewed in the Project Report of UEED (revised Dec 2000).
Here I take the opportunity to invite the attention of the worthy Divisional Commissioner that many more projects in Srinagar city and suburban areas have been suffering similarly due to one reason or another. Some of which are:
01) Inland Water Transport from Pampore to Chattabal framed by M/S Rites when I was its Project Director in SDA. The Project Report is gathering dust in the office of CE I&FC.
02) Charari-Sharif Development Project, where I was Project Officer and arranged a loan of Rs 25 crore to be returned after 15 years in easy installments with meager interest. The project came to a halt when a non-technical law officer was posted as its Project Officer.
03) New Ganderbal Hydro-electric Project, where I as Executive Engineer started its infrastructure works, which is so close to the city that it has minimum transmission losses. It has got stalled due to some tug of war between the interested elements, reportedly.
04) Skew Bridge on River Jhelum near Presentation Convent School. Rs 12 crore was spent for a motorable bridge sub-structure, and a decking was provided for the footbridge. In a PIL, the Hon’ble Chief Justice High Court was convinced to provide the decking for a motorable bridge, but no action has been taken.

—[email protected]

Er Mohammad Ashraf Fazili, FIE