Unchecked commercial growth turns Srinagar’s Bemina into a chaotic hub, residents demand action

Ishtiyaq Kar

Srinagar, Dec 08 (KINS):Bemina in Srinagar, once known for its peaceful residential layout, is rapidly transforming into a busy commercial zone.

Despite being marked as a housing area in the city’s Master Plan, illegal commercial activities have taken over, worrying both residents and urban planners.

“Bemina was planned with separate residential blocks and only small commercial pockets. But now major roads and lanes are filled with unregulated businesses,”Zahoor Ahmad, a local resident, told news agency Kashmir Indpeth News Service (KINS).

Residents said that many new commercial buildings are being constructed in clear violation of building rules. “In the last few years, dozens of illegal shops and complexes have come up, turning our calm locality into a noisy market,” another resident told KINS.

People living in the area say they have repeatedly complained to the authorities, but little has changed on the ground. They allege that enforcement teams issue only symbolic notices without taking strict action.

“We have complained about houses being rented out for commercial use, but apart from a few notices, nothing serious has been done,” said a frustrated resident.

As per the Master Plan, each sector in Bemina is allowed only small markets to meet daily needs. However, the large-scale conversions into commercial spaces have gone far beyond these limits.

A senior SDA official admitted that while they issue notices and conduct crackdowns, many violators approach courts to get stay orders.

The growing commercialization is not only spoiling the area’s planned look but also putting pressure on infrastructure, causing traffic issues, and affecting overall quality of life.

Residents fear that if the authorities don’t step in quickly, Bemina’s original identity as a peaceful residential area may be lost forever.(KINS)