Srinagar, Aug 14: The Environmental Policy Group (EPG) has urged Youth Services, Sports and Food & Supplies Minister Satish Sharma to intervene to protect Srinagar’s existing sports grounds, playgrounds and open/green spaces from encroachment, fragmentation, diversion and neglect.
In a communication to the Minister, EPG sought a comprehensive policy for conserving sports infrastructure and public open spaces across Jammu and Kashmir, with particular concern over the future of the historic Polo Ground and S.P. College Sports Ground.
The group said the issue has assumed greater urgency amid the growing challenge of drug addiction among young people. Accessible sports and recreational facilities, it said, are vital for keeping youth engaged in healthy, constructive and disciplined activities.
“While the Government and society are making concerted efforts to address the growing menace of drug addiction, it would be counterproductive to simultaneously allow the shrinking or diversion of spaces where young people can participate in sports and recreation,” EPG said.
The organisation stressed that sports grounds should not be viewed merely as government land available for infrastructure projects. They are important social infrastructure, providing opportunities for physical activity, discipline, community interaction and productive use of leisure time.
EPG expressed particular concern over the proposed Sangarmal–Rajbagh bridge/flyover project and its potential impact on the historic Polo Ground.
It said Polo Ground has served Srinagar for decades as a major sporting and recreational facility and remains one of the few significant open spaces in central Srinagar. The ground and its associated facilities support sports including hockey, football, rugby and athletics.
EPG warned that reducing or fragmenting the ground’s functional area could permanently damage its sporting, recreational, environmental and heritage value.
The group also cautioned that further loss of open space in an already congested part of Srinagar could contribute to deterioration of the urban environment and increased exposure to air pollution.
Seek Project Review
EPG has urged the authorities to undertake a comprehensive review of the proposed Sangarmal–Rajbagh alignment, particularly its impact on Polo Ground.
It also sought an expert assessment of whether the project is necessary in its present form, especially in view of the Dalgate–Parimpora flyover/bridge project, which the group said has been approved for funding by the Central Government.
The organisation has called for the Government to publicly disclose the precise extent of land proposed to be utilised from Polo Ground, including the permanent and temporary construction footprint and any impact on the heritage Polo View shops.
It further sought an independent assessment of the project’s sporting, recreational, environmental, heritage and social impacts before any irreversible intervention is undertaken.
EPG also urged the Government to consult sports bodies, urban planners, environmental experts and other stakeholders before altering the ground.
More Grounds, Not Fewer
The group called for clear safeguards for Polo Ground, S.P. College Ground and other sports grounds, playgrounds and public open spaces across Jammu and Kashmir. It also urged the Sports Department and other agencies to regularly maintain and upgrade existing sporting and recreational facilities.
“Every available sports and recreational space becomes more important when the youth of Jammu and Kashmir are facing the growing challenge of drug addiction. We need more grounds, more playgrounds and more accessible recreational spaces—not fewer,” EPG said.
The organisation clarified that it was not opposed to infrastructure development or improved connectivity. However, it stressed that such projects must follow sustainable urban-planning principles and explore alternative designs and alignments wherever existing sporting, environmental and heritage assets are at risk.
EPG urged the Minister to ensure that no irreversible intervention affecting the sporting utility, open character or heritage value of Polo Ground is permitted until all viable alternatives and the project’s wider environmental and social implications are comprehensively examined.
“Protecting Polo Ground and other existing sports facilities would demonstrate that the Government’s commitment to tackling drug addiction and promoting sports is backed not only by new projects and announcements, but also by protecting the spaces where young people can actually participate in sport and recreation,” the group said.