Committee on Dal Lake indicts officials for no action

Srinagar, Nov 19 (UNI) A Committee, appointed by the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to monitor the implementation of its directions on preservation of world famous Dal Lake, has come down heavily on officials for non-compliance of court orders in this regard.

In its report, the Committee, headed by Registrar Judicial Abdul Wahid, said the water bodies were not cleaned from the menace of polythene bags and solid wastes. Shopkeepers and public in and around the Dal Lake were continuously using polythene bags.

''Erections have been made notwithstanding court directions to the contrary. No illegal structures have been demolished during the past two years within the Dal Lake and its peripheries and catchment areas,'' it added.

The Committee said the officers and officials of the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), associated with the job of monitoring and removal of structures in the Dal Lake, have not discharged their responsibilities.

''The construction material for building fresh structures has been and is freely being allowed to enter the prohibited area.'' The report further said floating bodies in the form of 'radhs' were still in existence. Instead of removing these, the officials were encouraging the encroachers, it added.

The Committee said the encroachment of watery land in the form of growing 'nadroo' and Lilly was also in existence.

''Trees have been felled at the stem level by the State Forest Corporation making regeneration imminent and this has actually happened. Apart from the money spent on felling of the trees having gone waste, the stems and offshoots too are yet to be removed.'' The reports said fresh plantation of willows and poplar trees has been done in abundance in few areas, including Doldrums. All but two dredgers and weed harvesters were found non-functional, it added.

The Committee further said no scheme for treatment of sewage from houseboats has been devised so far as a result of which pollutants and waste material were being drained into the Dal Lake.

''About 7526 kanals (376.3 hectares) of land at Rakh-Arth in Bemina earmarked for rehabilitation of Dal dwellers has not been developed so far,'' the report said.

UNI