The purpose of the State Government in creating Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) by virtue of Government order of April 11, 1997, was to properly look after, manage and conserve water bodies and waterways of the State. Being a State level body, LAWDA was expected to be fair and equitable in providing funds and directions for conservation of all known water bodies in all the three regions of the State. Of course, all lakes whether in the valley or in Jammu or Ladakh are having some differences in terms of area, setting, quantum of water and depth etc. and also the type of conservation needed for each.
But strangely, LAWDA concentrated only on two lakes of the valley, namely Dal and Nageen, and totally ignored the Jammu region lakes and made no allocation for these. The result is that Surinsar, Mansar and Dalsar, three prominent lakes of Jammu region are faced with deterioration. One fails to understand the reason why this organization has adopted discriminatory attitude towards Jammu knowing that Jammu region has been sensitive about discriminatory treatment meted out to it in the past. How come three lakes of Jammu region were kept outside the ambit of LAWDA when it is a State level body by dint of the Act it is expected to cater to the needs of all the three regions?
Keeping Jammu water bodies out of the purview of LAWDA proved damaging to Jammu region in a major way. The State Government submitted a project to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for conservation of two above mentioned lakes of Kashmir. A sum of Rs 298.76 crore was sanctioned by the Union Ministry for the conservation of Dal and Nageen lakes in September 2005. LAWDA has already drawn three instalments out of this allocation. But the State Government did not work out any project for the look after and conservation of three lakes of Jammu. Whatever financial support has made available to Jammu lakes is just peanuts in comparison to the allocations made for valley lakes. In all fairness the State Government should have made additional project for submission to the Union Ministry of Environment in which a plan for protection and conservation of Jammu water bodies should have been included.
The irony is that Jammu’s political leadership is also silent about these acts of the Government. After all there should be a reason for them to remain tight-lipped and not raise their voice against something unjustifiable. Jammu lakes, mentioned above, were at one time, beautiful lakes where people came to enjoy themselves the scenic view and the bird sanctuaries which these formed where migratory birds from Siberian Steppes would come to pass severe winter in this congenial environment. Today the condition of these lakes is sad and disappointing. If there is no effort of conservation, these will soon turn into cesspools. In response to a letter from the Ramnagar MLA to the Prime Minister inviting his attention to the discriminatory policy of the State Government, the Prime Minister asked the State Government to look into the matter.
Nothing has come out of it. The State Government has even ignored the pleas of the Prime Minister’s Office and let the matter remain in limbo. Policies and decisions like these mean giving affront to the people of Jammu, something which will not be tolerated. It is advisable that State Government should immediately bring lakes in Jammu region also under the purview of LAWDA.
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