Sajidah Yousuf
Srinagar, Oct 12: The Lakes and Water Development Authority (LAWDA) on Tuesday claimed that in the last one century, the water surface of the Dal Lake has been slightly increased from 18.21 square kilometres to 20.21 square kilometres in the past 114 years.
According to the official data available, in the year 1895 the water surface of the Dal Lake was 18.21 square kilometres.
As per the recent Electronic Total Station (ETS) survey carried out by the Revenue Authorities in 2009, the Water surface of the Dal Lake is 19.83 square kilometres (39226 Kanals) and in the same year satellite images show that the actual water surface covered by the Dal is 20.21 square kilometres.
Top officials from the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) said that the area of Dal Lake has not been shrinking, on the contrary area has been slightly increased.
“The Dal Lake has not been shrinking, from the past many years it is taking its own course and more area is adding up. At least more than two square kilometres of the water surface area has been added, not decreased. Shrinking of Dal Lake is not true,” he said.
According to the data, land mass or fixed cultivation of the Dal in the year 1895 was 7.65 square kilometres which shows a decrease to 5.17 square kilometres in the ETS survey. As per the satellite images the land mass is 5.55 square kilometres.
“The total area of the Dal in the year 1895 was 25.86 square kilometres, as per ETS survey it is 25 square kilometres and satellite images show 25.76 square kilometres,” reads the official data.
