City set to get two more multi-level parking lots

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 18

After its first multi-level parking facility in Srinagar, the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) is planning to come up with two more parking facilities at Lal Chowk.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO), ERA, Muhammad Azhar told The Tribune that they were going to build more multi-level parking spaces around the commercial hub of Lal Chowk to ease the parking mess.

“This is to bring an end to the congestion on roads due to roadside parking. One such parking will come at the place of the government press office at Lal Chowk. We are acquiring that property,” the official said. “This will be done in our next project as our current project is near completion,” he added.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, J&K, has already approved the two multi-level parking facilities at Sheikh Bagh and old state motor garages at Lal Chowk to be built at a total cost of Rs 55 crore.

These parking lots, to be surrounded by commercial complexes, would be constructed as a part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) — a Centrally sponsored scheme aimed at developing city infrastructure.

The parking slots are scheduled to be completed in the next three years, according to officials.

The first automatic car parking in Lal Chowk at the KMD bus stand was inaugurated by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in May this year. The facility is a first-of-its-kind in J&K, given the technology used in the project.

The PRO of the reconstruction agency said once two more facilities were created, they would accommodate around 900 vehicles and would ease the rush of vehicles which are parked on roads.

Srinagar city is facing a challenge due to lack of proper parking areas. Most of the times, the vehicles are parked on roads creating traffic mess.

Rs 55-crore project

• The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, J&K, has approved two multi-level parking facilities at Sheikh Bagh and old state motor garages at Lal Chowk to be built at a total cost of Rs 55 crore 
• These parking lots, to be surrounded by commercial complexes, will be constructed as a part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation — a Centrally sponsored scheme aimed at developing 
• city infrastructure
• The parking lots are scheduled to be completed in the next three years, according to officials