Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 1: The High Court today directed the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) to respond to the contention pertaining to pollutants and encroachments in Dal lake raised by the Court Commissioners in their report.
The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Tashi Rabstan sought response from the LAWDA to the report of Court Commissioners in which Commissioners have stated that Dal lake is depleting day by day owing obviously to the pollutants and illegal construction under process on banks of water channels of the lake.
A retired Sessions Judge and a retired Superintendent of Police who were appointed as Court Commissioners by the court in order to take stock of the condition of the lake and inform the court about its actual picture with regard to encroachments and other issues relating to the lake, today in their report have divulged a glaring condition of the lake viz-a-viz pollution and encroachments in and around the lake which, they said, tourists are also complaining.
Both the Commissioners, in their report, have submitted that the quality of the water in the Dal lake is depleting day by day owing obviously to the pollutants in humongous proportions flowing into it day by day.
With regard to unabated growth of Lilipad Commissioners said they too have strengthened their existence nothwithstanding the removed Lillypads last year have resurfaced.
“It would be pertinent to mention here that it has been seen evidently that the de-weeding process undertaken mechanically i.e by the machines and harvesters engaged by the department in this regard shows only timely results as compared to the manually de-weeding process and same is the case in the area that was visited”, report revealed.
They said the areas de-weeded last year by machines, the weeds have resurfaced as compared to the manual de-weeding and there are still a lot of weeds in the middle of Dal lake as well the area of Kabutar Khana and the tourists too were found complaining about the same.
On visiting the area of Nai Sadak, on the back side of Dalgate, Commissioners submited they found out the bad condition of the lake and its worsening look which seems to be totally neglected and unattended and the entire area is polluted beyond imagination.
In a very strange incident, Commissioners further revealed that on the back side of Nehru Park (Zaika restaurant), it was found out that a person was seen filling the water with soil and weed and the weed was being provided to him by the LAWDA people.
Besides this, Commissioners submitted huge illegal construction are under process and apparently seemed to be commercial just on the banks of the water channel and when they went to the spot, they said, the labourers and alleged violator escaped.
The DySP of the enforcement wing of LAWDA accompanying the Commissioners also informed them (Court Commissioners) that the construction was number of times demolished and one FIR was lodged against the violators.
“It is further submitted that these kinds of illegal constructions are usually undertaken with the help of the touts who facilitate the violators in ferrying of the material. It is, as such, suggested that two check points along-with CCTVs may be directed to be installed immediately, one from Saida Kadal side and another from the side of Ashaibagh bridge, which are the two areas vulnerable with respect to the illegal ferrying of the material”, report further revealed.
It is further appraised to the court by the Commissioners about another fact as on the main road near Saida Kadal area where the water channel is being dredged, the mud extracted is proving to be a blessing in disguise for the local land owners as it is the very same extracted mud that is being used to fill the low level and marshy land which then acts as a place for illegal construction and people feel obliged towards LAWDA.
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