Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat
On March 24th , I had an opportunity to undertake a boat-ride in the interior parts of Dal lake along with few friends. We got into a shikara at Nigeen lake and travelled across Kanka , Sofi Mohalla , Nehru Park and finally got down at Khoja Yarbal. It was almost 3 hour long boat ride and we travelled across the filthiest parts of the lake. I could see dozens of lavatories having outlets in the Dal lake. I witnessed heaps of polythene , plastic and other waste material floating in the lake. After we left from Nehru Park and were heading towards Khoja Yarbal via Kralyaar -Rainawari we couldn’t believe that we were going through the world famous Dal Lake. That particular part of Dal lake just looked like a massive drain where we could see all the sewerage coming out from residential houses entering into the lake. In absence of any door to door collection of garbage by Municipal authorities, the residents have become habitual of throwing all the biodegradable and non biodegradable waste material inside the Dal lake. Me and my friends had to cover our face completely for more than an hour until we got down at Khoja Yarbal. During this horrible boat ride , I was discussing with my friends that Government claims that lives of people have been changed after launch of Swatch Bharat Mission (SBM) but this scheme has failed to even kick-start inside the Dal lake. The garbage which gets accumulated in Dal lake is hardly collected on daily basis by the authorities from Srinagar Municipal Corporation or Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority (LAWWDA). Due to absence of any scientific mechanism of collection and treatment of garbage from as many as 30 localities inside the lake, the residents have no option other than dumping all garbage in the Dal waters.
From last more than 15 years Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority has been provided funds to the tune of more than Rs 300 Crores under different schemes which includes a scheme known as National Lakes Conservation Programme (NLCP) , but in-spite of getting such a huge funding nothing seems to have changed on the ground especially in the interior parts of the Dal lake. We found dozens of illegal constructions going on inside the Dal lake, but we could hardy see any officials from Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority patrolling inside the lake in their motorized boats to check stop these illegal constructions .
Last year I sought 3 year details under Right to Information Act (RTI) regarding permissions given for residential houses in Brein , Nishat , Ishber , Gupt Ganga areas which are located on the banks of Dal Lake.
The information provided by Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority , reveals that from 2012 to 2015 as many as 400 building permissions for residential purpose only have been given in the aforementioned areas , but to my utter surprise I can see 70 plus newly constructed hotels and guest houses in these areas. All of these hotels and guest houses are illegal and LAWWDA is only a mute spectator.
The officials of LAWWDA are under constant political pressure as well and when they succumb to the pulls and pressures , they too get involved in corrupt practices. The residents of Shamilar , Nishat and other areas allege that officials of this authority are busy in minting money from influential and rich people who undertake construction of illegal structures in violation of Srinagar master plan.
It is also alleged that Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority is unscientifically dumping all the filth and sludge coming out from huge drainage pipes. Huge drainage pipes are connected with three Sewerage Treatment Plants (STP’s) , but all these STP’s are defunct and vehicles of Lakes Authority carry the sludge from different STPs and dump it near Shath Mohalla Shalimar which is unfortunately located on the banks of Dal lake. Local resident say that good amount of sewage enters into Dal lake from surrounding areas as well. The continuous flow of sewage into the Dal had drastically affected the flora and fauna in the lake . Before the STP’s meant for Dal lke were commissioned the experts had forewarned that the Fluidised Aerobic Bio-reactor (FAB) technology used in them, was not suitable for Kashmir where sub-zero temperatures persist during the winter months. Notwithstanding the warning of experts, political pressure forced the inclusion of the “outdated technology” at the cost of Dal Lake. As predicted by the experts, there has been massive proliferation of weeds and alarming deterioration of the Dal lake’s water quality as well .
The Secretary & Enforcement Officer of Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority after having failed to give details under RTI Act about illegal constructions to an information seeker were issued penalty show cause notices by the Information Commission (SIC) last year . An RTI application was filed before Secretary of Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority (LAWWDA) on 19.01.2015. The information was not provided to the information seeker namely Manzoor Ahmad Bhat R/O Barji Bala Harwan Srinagar. Manzoor filed first appeal on 18.02.2015, but no action was taken . Subsequently the information seeker filed 2nd appeal before the State Information Commission (SIC) and requested that Secretary / Enforcement Officer (EO), be subjected to penalties/fines for wasting his precious time by not providing information within the specified time. The SIC sent penalty show cause notice to the Secretary and Enforcement Officer.
Conclusion :
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation , Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority , educational Institutions and civil society organizations must join their hands together in restoring the lost glory of Dal lake. Initially authorities must begin with door to door collection of garbage in the Dal interiors. The authorities must not only undertake door to door collection of garbage , but it must be segregated at site as well. We must give the local residents an alternative for dumping the waste and door to door collection is the only viable option.
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com
Follow our WhatsApp channel