SRINAGAR: A substantial Rs 104.02 crore plug-and-play industrial park is slated for development on a 50-acre site in Nowgam, Srinagar, with a focus on bolstering Kashmir’s horticulture value chain, food processing, light manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and digital services sectors.
The Chenab Times has learned that this ambitious project, approved under the Central government’s Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana (BHAVYA), aims to redefine industrial infrastructure by offering a comprehensive, ready-to-use environment for investors. Unlike traditional industrial estates where businesses often bear the brunt of developing essential utilities, the Nowgam project is designed to provide serviced industrial plots, internal road networks, power, water supply, effluent treatment facilities, warehouses, cold storage, pre-constructed factory spaces, robust digital infrastructure, and amenities for workers even before industrial units are established.
An official breakdown of the projected costs indicates that Rs 66.63 crore will be allocated for core infrastructure development. Further investments include Rs 18.96 crore for value-added infrastructure, Rs 6.69 crore for social infrastructure, Rs 4.04 crore for external connectivity, and Rs 7.71 crore for soft costs, encompassing contingencies, supervision, administration, quality control, and safety measures.
The strategic location of the proposed park offers significant logistical advantages. It is situated just over 600 metres from National Highway-44, less than 2 kilometres from Nowgam Railway Station, and approximately 10 kilometres from Srinagar International Airport. Proximity to water bodies includes the Jhelum River at about four kilometres and the Padshahi Bagh Nallah drainage outlet around 250 metres away.
However, the site presents considerable engineering challenges. The area is largely marshy and lies approximately three metres below the main approach road. Extensive earth filling and ground stabilization work, estimated to cost Rs 14.52 crore, will be necessary to prepare the land for supporting industrial buildings, roads, and heavy vehicle movement.
The park’s master plan designates 39 parcels for various functions, including industrial, logistics, IT, commercial, residential, public, and utility purposes. The industrial component will occupy 30.5 acres, featuring 17 plots ranging from one to five acres and 11 micro and small enterprise (MSME) plots of up to one acre. Additionally, 3.55 acres are earmarked for logistics facilities and 1.15 acres for an IT tower.
The infrastructure will include controlled-atmosphere and cold storage facilities, designed to support operations like apple grading and packing, fruit juice and pulp production, and processing of jams and preserves. This initiative positions the park to become the third major horticulture-centric industrial hub in Kashmir, following the established centres at Lassipora in Pulwama and Shopian.
Further provisions for industrial activities include dedicated spaces for wood-based industries, joinery units, packaging and corrugated-box manufacturers, repair services, logistics and warehousing, weighbridge facilities, and IT-enabled services. The project also incorporates an elaborate water management system, with a capacity of 0.15 million gallons per day, and a parallel storm-water management system. A common effluent treatment plant (CETP) with a capacity of 0.5 million litres per day will also be established.
The storm-water design accounts for a discharge rate between 4.6 and 5.0 cubic metres per second and a rainfall intensity of 90 mm per hour, estimating an annual harvestable rainwater potential of 109,265 cubic metres, with all discharge directed towards Padshahi Bagh Nallah. A worker housing component, providing accommodation for approximately 120 workers within a 1,200 square metre built-up area, is also part of the plan.
Under the BHAVYA scheme, the project is eligible for central assistance of up to Rs 1 crore per acre. The remaining Rs 54 crore will be funded by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), covering costs beyond central funding limits or ineligible components. Officials noted that this development is expected to help accommodate a portion of the over 5,000 applications received from entrepreneurs in the region seeking land allocation.
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