Srinagar, Feb 8 (IANS): Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday laid the foundation stone for Jhelum Riverfront development to be developed on the lines of Sabarmati riverfront.

Costing Rs 75 crore, the riverfront project is being implemented by Jal Shakti Department under the Srinagar Smart City project. The phase-1 is envisaged with modern public utilities and state-of-the-art green space.

The Lt Governor also laid foundation stone for redevelopment of Polo View Road as pedestrian walkway at a cost of Rs 5.3 crores to provide better ambience and shopping experience to the citizens.

The Lt Governor said that "a systematic effort to improve our cities in J&K UT has been long overdue".

"We are working on this much-awaited transformation by improving urban services, creation of urban infrastructure and improved system of urban governance to make the cities ecologically sustainable, economically productive and socially equitable," added the Lt Governor.

"I believe through physical and economic regeneration of our cities and its infrastructure we can provide citizens an attractive environment to live and work and fulfill the needs of businesses," he said.

It is equally important that residents should proactively participate in the urban rejuvenation programs to improve the quality of life, said the Lt Governor.

Smart City is a people's movement to make the cities sustainable, efficient to provide improved services to the citizens. We need to come together and realize the dream of Smart City by working in cohesion, he further added.