Ground reality differs

The demolition drives are being conducted by the Lakes Conservation and Management Authority (LC&MA) from time to time, but the illegal structures continue unabated in the interiors of Dal Lake, putting a question mark over the claims of the concerned authorities. In the official communiqué, the officials have claimed to have demolished 516 structures, 160 FIRs were issued, and three structures were sealed in the year 2022. The numbers shared by the LC&MA although points towards the seriousness of the authorities in curbing the illegal constructions within its jurisdiction, but there has been steep increase in the number of structures in the interiors of Dal Lake, which is giving a presumption that some of the officials are in hand-in-glove with the people and are allowing them to raise their structures. One fails to understand why the illegal structures coming up in the interiors are not being curbed completely when the administration has been making serious efforts to preserve the world famous Dal Lake in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, which has remained an attraction for thousands of tourists to visit here, giving a boost to the economy of the Union Territory. The time has come when the achievements should not be highlighted through the statements, but should be visible on the ground so that the vision and dream of the government towards preserving the Dal Lake is ensured on the ground. At this juncture, the people should also stay away from greed and cooperate with the government in this regard so that the assets of Kashmir are preserved for the next generation.