Budget for conservation has always been plentiful but, as before, greedy people with myopic vision will squander the money for personal gains
GoI’s NLCP skips Anchar Lake in Rs 386 Cr plan
Abid Bashir (Rising Kashmir)
Srinagar: In a major move to conserve wetlands and lakes in Kashmir, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India has sanctioned a project under National Lake Conservation Program and released the first installment of Rs 298 crore. However the Anchar Lake, which is on the verge of extinction due to encroachments and pollution, is not mentioned in the program.
Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Tara Chand said a comprehensive project report on the conservation of Kashmiri wetlands and lakes was submitted to the Government of India.
Tara Chand said that the project had been sanctioned by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, GoI under NLCP. The Ministry has provided Rs 298 crore as initial assistance. The work under the program has already started, the minister said.
He said that the first phase of work involves sewerage system around the Dal Lake hydraulic works, removal of encroachments, cleaning of channels, solid waste management, afforestation and conservation works in the catchment area of Dal Lake.
The project involves acquisition of land and structures owned by the people within Dal and Nigeen Lakes.
Around 10,000 resident families have been identified for rehabilitation. The state government will monitor the project itself, the Deputy CM said. More than 1295 families have been shifted and rehabilitated from the Dal Lake.
The minister said 500 kanal of land had been acquired to rehabilitate the families living inside Dal Lake.
The rehabilitation program includes shifting of 13 hotels which exist inside the lake, he said.
About the conservation of Wular Lake, the government has involved Wildlife department and formulated a comprehensive Management Action Plan through a consultant.
The plan involves Rs 386.39 crore and has been submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, the Deputy CM said.
For Manasbal Lake, the encroachments on the peripheries especially in the areas like
Gratabla, Kondabal and Qazibagh have been removed and the areas have been fenced to avoid further encroachment, he said. A separate Development Authority has been set up for conservation and development of Wular and Manasbal lakes.
About the Brari Nambal, the minister said it is a lagoon in the heart of Srinagar which was fed by Dal through Nalamar channel. In early 80s the Nalamar channel was converted into a road. This lagoon now gets water only through Nowpora channel. A machine has been installed between this lagoon and the River Jhelum to flush out this lagoon.
For checking the pollution and encroachments on River Jehlum, the people living in sheds or in boats have been removed and rehabilitated at Bemina and Noorbagh, the Deputy CM said. So far 1344 families have been shifted from River Jehlum and rehabilitated in various colonies.