SRINAGAR: With an expenditure of nearly Rs 200 crore, 99 percent of the work on the iconic Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) has been completed. The project is scheduled to be inaugurated before the 77th Independence Day on August 15.
Iftikhar Kakroo, Chief Engineer of Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL), in conversation with the news agency KNO, stated that the work on the clock tower is close to completion. “Approximately 99 percent of the work has been finished, and it will take a few more days to be prepared for inauguration,” Kakroo mentioned.
He further added that the project, designed with a European flair, will be inaugurated before the 77th Independence Day on August 15.
Although the renovation of the clock tower, which began about nine months ago, led to chaotic scenes in traffic and caused distress to traders for some time, the iconic structure is now nearing its final form. As the structure takes shape, people are increasingly drawn to the location, and images of the tower have even gone viral on social media platforms.
Netizens have also expressed their satisfaction with the renovation of the iconic clock tower and have commended the administration for its commitment to progress.
Athar Aamir Khan, CEO of SSCL, recently commented that Lal Chowk is being transformed into a tourist hub. He noted that the clock tower is just one facet of the larger project, which also aims to revitalise the entire Residency Road, Jehangir Chowk, Karan Nagar, and Batamaloo areas as part of a central business upgrade.
Under the SSCL project, Jammu & Kashmir has introduced its first exclusively pedestrian and wire-free market; Polo View and the Jhelum River Front, both of which attract numerous people from different regions and tourists from outside the area.
The administration has confirmed that several more projects of this nature are in progress under the Smart City initiative and will be completed within the established deadlines.(KNO)
