Rekha Mahajan
Surinsar and Mansar Lakes are called as two jewels of Jammu. These lakes are protected wetlands and rich in biodiversity. Surinsar Lake, situated in the vicinity of Jammu, is surrounded by thick forests with hilly terrains forming a backdrop. Many tourists visit this lake on way to Mansar lake. The lake, during summers, attracts a large number of tourists as it remains covered with blooming lotus flowers throughout the season. According to Hindu mythology, the origin of Surinsar Lake is linked with Arjuna, an important protagonist of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. The mythological warrior, Arjuna, supposedly shot an arrow that landed on the Mansar soil. This subsequently resulted in the formation of lakes at two places, namely Mansar, the place Arjuna’s arrow landed, and Surinsar, the place from where Arjuna shot the arrow.
Mansar Lake finds reference in the ancient writings of Mahabharata times. Mansar is of immense importance from pilgrimage as well heritage point of view beyond being the most scenic attraction due to vast Mansar Lake and its flora and fauna.Mansar is in the close vicinity of Katra, holy city of Mata Vaishno Devi, where pilgrims from all parts of the country and abroad visit on yearly basis and will draw tourists from there. Government’s sustained efforts aim to bring Mansar on World tourism map and make it an iconic place and the project once completed will provide a big boost towards increase in the number of tourists and pilgrims.
Mansar Rejuvenation Plan will lead to employment generation of about 1.15 crore man-days and also generate more than Rs 800 crore of income per year. After the implementation of this project, the number of tourists/pilgrims will increase from current 10 lakh to 20 lakh per year in Mansar region.
River Devika, said to be the sister of mother Ganga, has its origin near Sudhmahadev and merges with Suryaputri Tawi and this confluence is a place of pilgrimage,where a fair is organised on the eve of Baisakhi every year.It appears and disappears at many places, so is also known as Gupt Ganga.
Devika River project in Udhampur is compared with Namami Gange Project, which was formally launched by PM Narendra Modi during his visit to Jammu in early 2019.
The work on the Rs.190 Crore project under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) was started in March 2019. Under the project, bathing “ghats” (places on the banks) of the Devika River, will be developed, encroachments will be removed, natural water bodies to be restored and catchment areas be developed along with cremation ground. The project includes the construction of three sewage treatment plants of 8 MLD, 4 MLD and 1.6 MLD capacity, sewerage network of 129.27 km, development of two cremation ghats, protection fencing and landscaping, small hydropower plants and three solar power plants.
On completion of the project, the rivers will see reduction in pollution and improvement in water quality.
While both these projects, namely Devika Project and Mansar project, will cost about Rs.200 Crore . River Lake Rejuvenation & Beautification are the two mega projects in the whole country in a single district of Udhampur with Central funding of Rs 200 crores. These prestigious projects will open more avenues for holistic development of the area, besides generating more employment opportunities for locals.
There are many such new projects, which got initiated that were beyond the imagination of anybody and similarly the dumped projects were also revived after decades.
Shahpur Kandi Irrigation Project, which was revived after 4 decades with the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ujh Multipurpose Project has also been revived after over 5 decades.
Tourism contributes to 7 percent of GDP of Jammu and Kashmir, but due to Corona, the sector got hit badly. Centre has given Rs 706 Crore for tourism sector and multi-pronged approach is being adopted to bring Jammu and Kashmir as one of the most preferred tourist destination in the World Map.
The Tourism Department also proposes developing the destinations for water sports activities, musical water fountains and water cascade works, as informed by senior official of Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department. It will also prove to be a milestone in development and promotion of tourism and sports activities linked with water bodies in Jammu region.
Although the development of water bodies in Jammu is at an initial stage, Water Tourism could be a new buzzword here.
India is a country where rivers or other water bodies are traditionally worshipped as god or goddess and particularly rivers, from the origin to the basin. Lakes are also worshipped by different religious communities or symbolize the beauty and natural perfection. Moreover water bodies in India have always received special importance from every sphere of economic activity to culture, custom, rituals and heritage.
The J&K Tourism Department should also study various projects taken into hand for promoting water Tourism by governments in some other states of the country. Like, the government of Odisha is planning to commence river cruises on select water bodies under Public -Private Partnership (PPP) mode in order to boost tourism health in the state .Madhya Pardesh Tourism Development Corporation has started Jal Mahotsav Programmes with adventure water sport activities in the state .
Kashi would remember that the Prime Minister launched the campaign to clean the ghats of Varanasi by cleaning the Assi Ghat. He used a spade to remove silt deposited at the ghat.
Keeping the rivers clean, preserving the environment and enriching our culture and heritage is not only the work of governments, but also the social and personal responsibility of all countrymen, and this thought needed to be adopted and assimilated nationwide.
The people should also follow the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, for proper maintenance of water bodies, which say:
Do not litter near a water body such as a lake, river or sea.
Plant trees in catchment areas of rivers and also on banks.
Do not block/ stop natural drains by constructing on drains or dumping wastes.
Plant flora at lakes or rivers.
Stop Chemical Pollution. If you notice someone throwing chemicals into the river or lake, or hear about such an incident inform your local authorities about the matter. Give them a feed back insisting on a speedy action. Your silence may aggravate the situation.
Industrial waste must be treated before discharge into the river.
Industries on the banks of the rivers should be persuaded to reduce/ reuse/ recycle of waste water.
Following religious ceremonies on the river bank prevent left over from sliding into the rivers.
Convert the river banks into pleasant and clean areas for recreation and walks. Planting appropriate shrubs and trees on the river banks would enhance the environment.
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