SRINAGAR: Three locations in the smart city of Srinagar have emerged victorious in the State Level City (SLC) Beauty Competition-2024, organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, (MoHUA) Government of India (GoI), the results of which were announced on Friday.

The areas that secured the City Beauty Competition award are Jehlum River Front and Polo View High Street, recognized as a 'Beautiful Waterfront and Market Place in Union Territory of J&K. Additionally, in the Municipal Ward Category, Rajbagh Ward has been listed among the winners.

Dr. Owais Ahmed, Commissioner SMC/Chief Executive Officer, SSCL, expressed satisfaction with the quality of entries and stressed the need for more initiatives to encourage and recognize the transformative efforts in creating beautiful, innovative, and inclusive public spaces across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Commissioner congratulated the Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Srinagar Smart City Limited for their contributions to the beauty of Srinagar.

The 'City Beauty Competition' was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), for Municipal Corporations (MCs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country. The objective was to encourage and recognize the transformational efforts made by cities and wards to create beautiful, innovative, and inclusive public spaces.

In the recently concluded State Level City Beauty Competition, the Competition serves as a platform to showcase the unique features and attractions of urban areas, encouraging communities to take pride in their surroundings and work towards beautification and cleanliness.

The Housing and Urban Development Department also extends its warmest congratulations to Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Srinagar Smart City Ltd for their winning entries.

The Commissioner SMC/CEO, SSCL, stated that the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India, organized the State and National level City Beauty Competition, wherein all Municipal Corporations and Councils across UT of J&K participated.

The competition focused on judging wards and public spaces against five key pillars: Accessibility, Amenities, Activities, Aesthetics, and Ecology, thorough evaluation by a jury consisting of Town Planners, Heritage, Environment, and Fine Arts Experts, among the top 4 entries, SSCL bagged two entries for Beautiful Riverfront and Beautiful Market Place.

Moreover, in the Ward Category, SMC was listed among the winners. The winners of the City Beauty Competition were honored by the Government of UT of J&K, Commissioner SMC/CEO, SSCL, added.

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Srinagar Smart City Ltd have participated in National Level Competition through winning entries declared by the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.