To save Dal, weed removal given priority

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 21

The management of weeds inside the Dal Lake, Srinagar’s most recognisable landmark, tops the priority list in saving the fragile eco-system of the water body, a senior official said.

The lake, which receives perennial high-altitude glacial melt and runoff from a catchment spread over more than 350 sq km, remains the focal point of continued conservation efforts of the Lakes And Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA).

Abdul Hafiz Shah, vice-chairman of LAWDA, said the “management of weeds” inside the lake remained a priority for the agency and it had already launched a massive operation to cleanse the lake of lily patches. “The biggest challenge that we faced was the outgrowth of lily patches which were spread over 5 sqkm,” said Shah.

To undo the damage to the lake, the waterways authority engaged 500 skilled labourers to cleanse the patches. “We have been able to clear 3 sqkm so far,” the official said. The authority has also carried out an experiment for “biological remediation” of lily patches and the results are being analysed.

The heightened activity to conserve the lake is backed by increased interest and monitoring by the High Court and Governor NN Vohra. The lake — which is at the heart of the tourism circuit of the Kashmir valley and serves as a base for thousands of tourists arriving in the region each year — has a total area of 25.76 sqkm with 20.21 sqkm covered by water and 5.55 sqkm by land.

Vohra has been monitoring the efforts being undertaken for the lake’s preservation on a routine basis and even yesterday had toured the area and chaired a meeting about the progress of the ongoing conservation works.

A report prepared by LAWDA has sought a balance in the quantum of vegetation required for “sustenance of the lake eco-system”.

The authority also launched a major shoreline deweeding project in mid-September and removed one lakh cubic metres of weed from the lake.

The efforts to conserve the lake are also regularly reviewed by a scientific advisory committee which has adopted a multi-layered approach, including the assessment of pesticides in the lake water and formulating a strategy for conversion of deweeded material into compost.

Preserving water body

• To undo the damage to the lake, the waterways authority engaged 500 skilled labourers to cleanse the lily patches. “We have been able to clear 3 sqkm so far,” an official said
• The Lakes And Waterways Development Authority has also carried out an experiment for “biological remediation” of lily patches and the results are being analysed
• A report prepared by the lake authority has sought a balance in the quantum of vegetation required for “sustenance of the lake eco-system”