Way back in 2009, hundreds of private dwellers in the rim of Dal Lake in Srinagar were removed and promised to be rehabilitated at some distance from the main city called Rakh-i-Arth near Bemina locality. Their displacement was necessitated for redeeming Dal Lake and maintaining its purity and cleanliness. This project falling under LAWDA envisaged residential colony spread over 7526 kanals of land with a project cost of nearly Rs. 416.72 crores to rehabilitate the Dal dwellers. Under the project, 2000 plots were supposed to be allocated to the Dal dwellers. But, so far, just 200-300 families have shifted and they accuse Government of playing politics over grave issue of environment.
Concerned people have various complaints like the site is a marsh and wetland unfit for human residence; many houses have got damaged owing to wetland and have developed cracks; there are no facilities as was promised when the blue print was shown to them before the affected people were asked to migrate. Only two to three hundred families have shifted. The residents complain about absence of roads, schools, drinking water and other civic amenities. This is only a sham township they say. However, authorities dismiss them complaints.
It is not clear why the dwellers of this new township are deprived of civic amenities when there is a regular budgeted plan of Rs 416.72 crore rupees. And if the Government was advised to adopt a particular style of raising structures, it was the duty of the Government to ensure that each plinth was raised according to specific norms. It appears that the Government just pushed them to the new site and let them fend for themselves. It is unjust and a matter of human rights. We expect the Government to take up this matter with all seriousness and come to the rescue of the affected families.
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