Saima, 25, and Furqan, 17, are among the young people whose ideas have been accepted.
As Srinagar, like other parts of the Valley, was witnessing violence, shutdowns and curfews, a group of young people were hard at work, creating models, logos and thinking how to make the city a better place to live in. Their inputs have been clubbed by the government to finalise the Srinagar smart city proposal - the idea to develop Srinagar into a smart modern city while preserving its rich culture and heritage.
In August, the government had invited suggestions for drafting the smart Srinagar city proposal. Over four lakh people, mostly youth, gave their suggestions in two months mainly through social media despite the mobile internet blockage.
Most of the ideas given by them -- creation of biking lanes, walkways and digitization -- have been included but the prominent theme is the projection of downtown or the old Srinagar city as a hub of Kashmiri culture and civilization.
Saima, 25, and Furqan, 17, are among the young people whose ideas have been accepted.
"It is so unfortunate that we are known only for disturbance. There is a dire need for infrastructure so you can give employment opportunities to the youth and they can feel safe in the conditions they are living in," said Saima.
Furhan said young people can play an important role for the city. "It is the youth who play an important role in building anything in the whole world. We just have to be educated and work on it," he said.
The proposal has been finalised by the state government and will be presented to the center now. It will be known in a couple of months whether Srinagar will find a place in the list of smart cities.