Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 28: The flood affected residents of Nandpora Mir Behri in Dal Lake held a protest demonstration at Lal Chowk and Saidakadal here today.
The protestors were demanding reduction in the water level of the Dal Lake and immediate relief and resettlement of flood effected residents and vegetable growers of the area.
The protesters said that their vegetable gardens and residences are flooded with water since last year’s deluge. They said they have sustained huge financial losses due to floods as they could not grow vegetables in flood like conditions.
“The seeds of many vegetables have been completely wiped away and the production of famous Nadru vegetable will remain low for many years due to changed soil conditions and this has hit our income”, one of the protectors said.
The protesters blamed the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) for their plight. “To accommodate the flood waters LAWDA raised the water level of Dal lake by 2 feet from the normal level of 7.50 feet, this resulted in continued flood like conditions of the area”, residents said. They said due to flood like conditions their children cannot go to school and this has endangered the future of their children.
The protestors said that 500 houses have been destroyed in the last year’s floods in Dal Lake alone. They demanded that they should be relocated to Chandpora Colony, Harwan as has already been proposed by the authorities of LAWDA.
The protestors demanded that the flood gates of Dal Lake be kept open till water reaches one foot below normal level as the Metrological Department has forecast frequent rains in the coming months.
They threatened to hold sit in protest on May 5 if Government failed to address their grievances.
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