NBCC’s Bemina Township: A vision waiting to be realised

The announcement of a satellite township at Bemina in August last year had created a wave of anticipation across Srinagar. With a memorandum of understanding signed between the Srinagar Development Authority and NBCC, it was portrayed as the dawn of a new chapter in Kashmir’s urban story. A project worth fifteen thousand crore rupees was promised to rise over more than four hundred acres of land at Rakh e Gund Akshah with a design that combined modernity, sustainability and affordability. The people were told to expect a township with high end villas and modest apartments, commercial complexes, five-star resort, sports arenas and above all over three thousand affordable housing units. For a city long burdened by haphazard expansion and housing shortages it was no less than a dream. One year has now gone by since that MoU yet the township has not moved beyond the pre-construction phase.

At the time of signing the deal NBCC was declared as both project management consultant and marketing consultant with the assurance that the township would be executed in phases over five years. The financial model was to be self-sustaining with revenue generated from sales of residential and commercial spaces. It was pitched as a rare instance of urban planning in a region where most growth has been unplanned and reactive. Yet a year later there is no sign of ground breaking, no tendering updates, no announcements of initial site works. The delay has raised eyebrows among people who have seen several big-ticket projects in the past turn into nothing more than newspaper clippings.

The idea of the Bemina township itself is ambitious. Srinagar is a city under pressure with its population growing, its spaces shrinking, and its infrastructure crumbling under seasonal stress. Every year the need for orderly expansion becomes more urgent and every year unplanned colonies mushroom in wetlands and floodplains making the city more fragile. A planned township with sustainable design affordable housing and proper amenities would provide much needed relief. It would also set an example of how urban growth can be guided rather than left to chance.

An equally pressing concern has been the choice of Bemina as the site. The area is notorious for water-logging during heavy rains. Residents of Srinagar know that when the Jhelum rises or when rainfall is prolonged Bemina is among the first localities to get inundated. The 2014, and now 2025 floods, left unforgettable images of water spreading through these very plains. Critics questioned whether it was wise to place a township of this scale in such a vulnerable zone. Officials, however, assured that the project would not fall into the same trap. They argued that modern drainage systems elevated platforms and flood mitigation infrastructure would make the township resistant to seasonal inundation. The promise was that the new township would stand strong against the very water that has historically disrupted life in Bemina. This assurance was necessary but it must also translate into engineering on the ground because words will not stop the rains from flooding Srinagar.

The reality is that nothing has yet moved to prove or disprove these assurances. For now, it is still a promise waiting to be tested. The silence of the past twelve months creates doubt about whether the design has been finalized whether feasibility studies have been conducted or whether the planners are even ready to deal with the hydrological complexities of Bemina. Without transparency on these fronts the township risks being dismissed by citizens as another tall claim.

What makes this project different from others is its potential to redefine urban planning in Kashmir. If executed well it could showcase how large-scale sustainable housing can be achieved in a region prone to floods, earthquakes and environmental stress. It could also prove that economic models based on self-sustaining revenues can work without burdening the state exchequer. But for that to happen construction has to begin and people have to see machines on the ground not just announcements in newspapers.

The authorities must also prioritize transparency. Citizens deserve regular updates on where the project stands, what designs are being considered, how flood mitigation is being integrated, and when actual construction will start. Silence only breeds suspicion and suspicion erodes public trust. Urban projects of this scale succeed only when they carry the confidence of the people whose lives they aim to transform.

The lessons of the 2014 floods cannot be ignored. Bemina was one of the worst hit areas. Any township built there must be future proof against a similar event. Ignoring this would mean repeating history at a cost that no one can afford. Modern planning offers solutions like artificial lakes retention basins green belts and smart drainage. These must form the backbone of the township, otherwise what is being promised as a dream city could easily turn into a future disaster zone.

For the youth of Srinagar, the township is also symbolic. It represents the possibility of jobs in construction and allied sectors and later in hospitality and services once the township is functional. It represents the possibility of affordable homes for families who cannot dream of buying property in the inflated markets of old Srinagar. It represents a vision where Srinagar expands with dignity instead of spilling into wetlands. But all of this will remain symbolic unless work actually begins.

One year has been lost and the clock is ticking. A project that was announced as transformative cannot afford to wither away in the files. The authorities owe it to the people of Srinagar to either push the project into implementation or clarify the reasons for delay. Leaving it in limbo helps no one.

Bemina township remains at a crossroads between promise and disappointment. Its fate will determine not just the skyline of Srinagar but also the faith of its people in developmental planning. The slogan that must guide its journey is simple. Promises on paper must become foundations on ground. Until that happens the people of Srinagar will continue to pass by the fields of Rakh e Gund Akshah and wonder whether those acres will ever rise into the city they were promised or remain forever an empty plain of unfulfilled dreams.

Peerzada Mohsin Shafi hails from Anantnag and is an infrastructure columnist.