| Lakes in Kashmir shrinking, Govt agencies in slumber | | |  S T Haq
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Feb 25: Most of the lakes in Kashmir valley are shrinking alarmingly due to the negligence of authorities and general public unaware of the future consequences but the government agencies entrusted with the task of conserving them are in criminal sleep.
Mohammad Ashraf of Anchar Soura while talking to Early Times said that, despite spending huge amount on the lakes, the beauty of lakes that are the major tourist attractions in Kashmir valley is being defaced ruthlessly.
The water of the Jhelum River has been polluted by different departments and the colonies that are closely living on its banks, but I remember the families used the water to cook their meals, said a resident of Anchar.
He further said, it was the prime responsibility of state government to restore the glory of lakes, but I also believe that there are other aspects which are responsible for snatching the glory of these water bodies, and for all this mismanagement it is the concerned authorities like Lake and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) that are not interested in keeping lakes safe from pollution.
Another resident of Srinagar said that there are scores of lakes in Kashmir valley including Dal, Nagin, Anchar, Wular and Mansbal Lakes around which a huge population is living and without any doubt, they are also responsible to some extent as most of the waste products are being thrown by them, and with the result the ecological conditions are deteriorating day by day.
Sajjad Hussain a local resident of Lal Bazar Srinagar while speaking to early times said that, as far as the deterioration of lakes are concerned, I believe it is all due to increase in the population in and around the lake with their activity.
There are many spots of tourist attraction that have been built along the peripheries of lakes in Srinagar, like the Mughal gardens, Shalimar gardens, Nishat gardens, Cheshma Shahi, Botanical Garden and other spots. Irony is that the tourists and the hotel owners dumps the non- biodegradable waste products into lakes, and the department concerned is in deep slumber over this issue. |
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