“DPR being framed; team working out modalities”
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, June 21: In a bid to ensure the enhanced rejuvenation and effective, long-term conservation of Khushal Sar and Gilsar, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has been tasked by the Government to take up the job in close coordination with other agencies.
In this regard, the officials said while the Government was already contemplating handing over the twin lakes to some of the agencies for their conservation, it has been decided that now the SMC will take the lead in that process while working in close coordination with other concerned departments.
Commissioner SMC, Athar Amir told ‘Excelsior’ that the Corporation will take a lead in the process of conservation of the twin urban lakes in the city while he noted that the main focus would remain, apart from the conservation and rejuvenation, to keep a check on the encroachments in and around the lakes.
“We are in a process of formulating a DPR in this regard, while we have already tasked a team of engineers to work out the modalities for the same. We will not work alone, rather, there are going to be joint efforts launched led by the SMC aiming at rejuvenating the lakes,” he said.
He said that all the major works concerning drainage, cleaning, and other processes will be taken care of once the works are started.
“The works will be taken up once the DPR will be completed and we will ensure that a new lease of life is given to the water bodies as we stand committed to that,” he said.
It is to be mentioned here that the Nigeen Lake Conservation Organization (NLCO) has been working for the last over one year and started the cleaning process of the Khushal Sar for the first time in the last several decades.
Once the process was started, the administration joined the initiative launched by the NLCO and remained successful in restoring the lost glory of the water body which has been craving attention for quite a long time.
While the NLCO has been able to restore the traditional navigational routes of the Khushal Sar, especially one from Zadibal to Sazgaripora, it has been pressing for handing over the twin lakes to a government agency for the sustained and efficient conservation of the water bodies.
It was during the visit of the Principal Secretary to the Government, Housing and Urban Development Department, Dheeraj Gupta to the twin water bodies earlier when he said that Khushal Sar, Gilsar would be handed over to the LCMA for better and long terms upkeep, prompting the authorities to kick-start the necessary process.
While commenting on the move of SMC, the residents said that the step will go a long way and expressed their happiness over the move.
“It was the official neglect which had pushed the lakes to a bad state; now that the step has been taken, we hope it goes a long way,” the residents said.
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