Mission to save Dal Lake gains ground

Having shrunk from 72 sq km in the 13th century to 25 sq km in 1980s and now to only 13 sq km, saving the world famous Dal Lake has once again caught the imagination of all and sundry in Jammu and Kashmir.

Scores of houses, either built on the lake or its banks, have been demolished on the orders of Jammu and Kashmir High Court. Over 340 structures, including dozens of hotels, business establishments and houses are likely to be demolished as part of this directive to preserve the scenic Dal Lake.

School children, Dal dwellers, environmental campaigners and various NGOs took out a march in Lalchowk, the main business centre of Srinagar, on Wednesday displaying banners and placards reading "Save Dal", "Save Dal Dwellers", "Save Dal, Save Kashmir".

"This is a Herculean task. We understand that this lake can't be reclaimed in its entirety but we can at least save it from further encroachments and slow death," said Zareef Ahmed Zareef. A famous Kashmiri poet, Zareef has been writing poetry and organising seminars and debates on environmental issues, particularly on Dal Lake and the famous Kashmiri Chinar tree. Like Dal, Zareef has extensively been campaigning against the felling of Chinar trees.

Under National Lake Conservation Plan, Rs 298.76 crore have been sanctioned for the conservation of the lake in September last year. The sanction is part of central government's plan for 22 projects for conservation of 37 lakes in 10 states for an estimated cost of about Rs 486 crore. Conservation work for eight lakes have already been completed.

"I think the best method for saving Dal Lake is rehabilitating the Dal dwellers," Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz had said recently during a visit to Srinagar.

Dal Lake is fed by springs emerging from the surrounding hills of Pir Panjal range and thousands of people live on and around this lake for times immemorial. However, with Kashmir becoming a hot tourist destination in late 1950's dozens of hotels, houses and houseboats were constructed on and around the lake without a proper sanitation system in place.

"The effluents discharged from these hotels, houseboats, homes and other type of accommodations has not only resulted in the death of flora and fauna of the Lake but also has made its water unfit for drinking," said Zareef.

Officials of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LWDA) here say that the authority has served notices to the hoteliers. These officials say that the authority has to submit the report to High Court when it hears the case again on April 21.

Reclaiming this picturesque water body in its totality might not be possible, but stopping further damage is still in hands.