SMC awaiting GoI nod for plan under AMRUT
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Aug 26: Despite the restoration of Khushal Sar-which once was nothing but a cesspool-under the private-public partnership of the Nigeen Lake Conservation Organization (NLCO) and the administration, the authorities are yet to put into action the sustained conservation plan for the water body and its surroundings.
Concerning the further conservation and upkeep, after it was restored, the UT administration tasked the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to carry out the necessary works; however, so far, there has not been any development in this direction.
Although more than a year has passed and a major portion of the lake has been cleaned by NLCO, no comprehensive plan in this regard is yet seen being put into action while it is to be noted here that to retrieve the water body and revive the same, there is a need for taking several measures which includes dredging, continuous upkeep and setting up of STP’s connecting the drains which are getting discharged into the water body.
The larger plan for the restoration of the water body also needs to include restoration of springs, demarcation, solid waste collection, fencing of boundaries, and keeping a check on the illegal filling of water bodies and encroachments.
Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo who is heading NLCO told Excelsior that the ‘Mission Ehsaas’ which they launched to clean the water body was a success and now the concerned authorities need to ensure further conservation.
“Now that the mission is a success, it is a challenge to keep it sustained. NLCO has already extended its Mission Ehsaas to Phase-2 and started clearing the much vital navigation route of the Zadibal – Sazgaripara side,” he said.
Pertinent to mention here, Khushal Sar, located in the heart of Srinagar city, was almost dead and used to be filled with all kinds of solid waste, muck, garbage, and weed and was further aggravated by the unabated encroachments by the land mafia. The process of cleaning the water body by NLCO was started in February 2021 and the same took more than expected time to clean, nearly 100 days.
While around 1000 truck-load of muck and garbage was collected from the lake, the SMC has been actively working on lifting the muck retrieved from the lake; however, the plan of action that it needed to implement for the sustained conservation of the lake has so far remained missing.
Wangnoo said that the success of the Khushal Sar restoration encouraged the administration which, he said, is now cleaning other lakes such as Gilsar and Vicharnag.
“If the administration is serious about saving the water bodies, they need to step up and expedite the implementation of their conservation plan,” he said.
Commissioner SMC, Athar Amir told Excelsior that the planned works will be carried out under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme (AMRUT) and that the same has been submitted for approval from the Government of India.
“We will start the works under the plan after the approval, while, as now, the routine works are being carried out which includes keeping a check on the encroachments in coordination with the District Administration,” he said.
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