* Flags off ‘Athwas’ for rejuvenation of Dal Lake
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 9: Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing a golden period as 80 lakh tourists visited the Union Territory in the last few months, a record in the last 15 to 20 years, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said here on Saturday.
He also highlighted several initiatives of the Government to boost tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.
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“I think this is the golden period for Jammu and Kashmir in which all the records of the last 15-20 years have been broken. More than 80 lakh tourists arrived here in the last few months. This has brought prosperity and is helping people establish peace,” Sinha told reporters here.
“Several activities are happening (on the tourism front), 3,500 shikaras row the lake each day and I think no activity can be bigger than that. Around 400-500 (tourists) arrive here every day. The number of flights has increased. For some, it is difficult to get a ticket to Srinagar just two-three days before (the travel date). Hotels are booked. We are thinking about having more hotels here,” Sinha said.
Earlier, Lt Governor flagged off ‘Athwas’, a unique partnership between citizens and authorities for the rejuvenation of Dal Lake.
Underscoring that effective community participation is vital to develop and conserve ecological heritage, the Lt Governor said that the de-weeding and dredging will be conducted in collaboration with the citizens.
He further observed that dedicated efforts have been initiated in the last two years to clean Dal Lake, and for conservation and protection of other water bodies across J&K. In this year’s budget, Rs 373 crore has been allocated for development and conservation of Dal and Nageen lakes, he said.
The Lt Governor noted that for the first time in history, a successful campaign is being run with active public participation to clean Dal Lake. “The de-weeding campaign which was started last year was very successful; now we will add new cleaning machines to the existing fleet and start dredging work on the western side to restore 60,000 Sq metre area”, he added.
On the conservation of Wular Lake, the Lt Governor said that a walkway is proposed to be built along the Lake which will enhance the beauty of Wular as also help in preventing encroachment along it.
“Our aim is to revive the historical and cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir and the lakes here are invaluable part of that heritage”, the Lt Governor underscored.
The Lt Governor further said that for three decades, Khushal Sar Lake had dried up and turned into a sewage dump, and it was only after the significant partnership of administration and people, the lake has been rejuvenated and returned to its original form. Hon’ble Prime Minister has also appreciated the efforts of the people of Srinagar and the district administration for the initiative, he added.
“This year, we aim to revive 3600 water bodies in different parts of the UT. I call upon all stakeholders, PRIs and departments to join hands with a resolve to save our natural wealth with collaborative efforts”, the Lt Governor said.
Earlier, the Lt Governor along with Mayor SMC, Junaid Azim Mattu; DDC Chairman Srinagar, Aftab Malik; senior officers and volunteers participated in the Dal cleaning drive.
In his welcome address, Vice Chairman, LCMA, Bashir Ahmad Bhat gave a brief introduction about the Athwas Dal cleaning drive.
Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Dheeraj Gupta Principal Secretary HUDD; Pandurang K Pole, Div Com Kashmir; Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir; Sarmad Hafeez, Secretary Tourism; Mohammad Aijaz Assad, DC Srinagar, besides senior officers of LCMA and other departments, large number of students from various institutions of district Srinagar were present on the occasion.
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