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| Will Government act against corrupt officials? | | 900 cr spent on restoration of Dal go into drain | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early times report
SRINAGAR, Jan 3: Jammu and Kashmir government has spent over Rs 900 crore on restoration of the Dal Lake without any visible change in improvement of the famed water body.
The Dal Lake is famous across the world and most of the tourists visit Srinagar to see the famed lake. The government had started several projects designed to lease fresh life to the Dal Lake. These projects cost over Rs 900 crores to the government since 2002.
A major project ‘National Lake Conservation Programme’ was started in 2005 costing Rs 300 crore. The second conservation and management programme 'Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme' (PMRP) of 2010 costing Rs 350 crore.
The third project was for the rehabilitation of the families dislocated from Dal and Nigeen Lake. However, there is no visible change on the ground.
As per a recent report of Pollution Control Board, the water quality deteriorates because of untreated sewage into Dal Lake.
The PCB has submitted a report to government which showed presence of high levels of lead, arsenic, copper, and cadmium affecting the aquatic life of the lake.
A study conducted by Dr Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, who teaches at Kashmir University says, “32% of the lake falls under severe degradation, 48% under medium degradation while as 20% of the lake waters are relatively clean.”
“It faces multiple pressures from the unplanned urbanization, high population growth, nutrient load from intensive agriculture and tourism,” it reads.
Earlier, the High Court had also said that crores of rupees have been spent on Dal and no “fruitful results” have come out.
“Therefore, immediate measures are necessary before the situation is rendered hopeless. It is therefore, necessary to have an expert committee with most importantly the vision and the experience of having undertaken issues which involve wide spectrum, multi dimensional assessment, evaluation and resolution,” the Court observed.
An official of Pollution Control Board said they have been continuously monitoring the water quality of the lake. “PCB has also submitted recommendations to the government about reasons to pollute the lake,” he said.
Bashir Ahmad Wani, a resident of Dal Lake still remembers the time about three decades ago when lake water used to be pure enough to be consumed by people for drinking.
“At that time no filtration or treatment was being done by the government to maintain it or to keep it clean. The lake has witnessed a sea of changes in reverse direction due to urbanization and encroachment,” he laments.
He said that authorities clean a portion of Dal Lake around the SKICC. “When one goes into the interiors of the lake, you will find how the famous lake is turning into a swamp,” he added.
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