Project to revive dried Dal lake in Dharamsala awaits nod

Tribune News Service

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, November 16

A Rs 20-crore project, submitted by the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department to the Urban Development Department for the revival of the dried Dal lake here, is awaiting approval.

Kulbhash Sharma, a resident of Naddi, said the lake used to retain water throughout the year. However, a few years ago, PWD officials dug up the base of the lake with JCBs to deepen it and remove silt. Since then, the lake had lost its capacity to retain water.

The lake is sacred to locals and the PWD officials should not disturb its base, he said.

Kangra DC Nipun Jindal said a Rs 20-crore proposal, submitted by the IPH Department to save the lake, was awaiting the approval of the Urban Development Department. Superintending Engineer, IPH Department, Dharamsala, Deepak Garg said the proposal was submitted under the AMRUT scheme of the Centre for its revival. The Rs 20-crore cost, given in the project report, was tentative. It was proposed to plug the leakage on the floor of the lake and it would be beautified as tourist destination. The approval was awaited, he said.

The lake, located at a distance of about 11 km from Dharamsala in Tota Rani village near Naddi, though small, is a natural water body, vital for the ecosystem of the surrounding hills.

The lake is located at a height of 1,775 metre and is surrounded by deodars. There is a Shiva temple on its banks. However, silt from the adjoining mountains had reduced its depth.

About half of the lake area is filled with silt which has been converted into grassland. A massive operation with the help of the locals was launched in 2011 for removing the silt from the lake. The silt was used to create a parking near the temple area.

Since then, the lake dries up rapidly. Sources said the district administration had called the geological experts to study the reasons as to why the lake was losing water. They had opined that the unscientific digging might have created aquaducts at the base of the lake, which was leading to draining of water. The sources said no solution had been found to the problem.

Why it dried up

• A few years ago, PWD officials had dug up the base of the lake with JCBs to deepen it and remove silt. Since then, the lake has lost its capacity to retain water.
• The lake is located at a height of 1,775 metre and is surrounded by deodars. However, silt from the adjoining mountains had reduced its depth.

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