Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Feb 9: Nearly one-third of the Dal–Nigeen Lake stands rejuvenated over the past five years following sustained mission-mode conservation efforts, leading to the clearance of 6.5 square kilometres of aquatic vegetation and an increase in the open water area of Dal Lake to over 20.3 square kilometres for the first time, officials said on Monday.
They said that The conservation work covered the Dal–Nigeen Lake and its 337.17 square kilometre catchment area and was carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA), they said.
According to officials, the LCMA undertook dredging operations and restored around 20 navigation channels spanning nearly 10 kilometres to improve water circulation. Several blocked water channels were reopened, intake channels and nallahs were developed, and protective and retaining structures were constructed to stabilise vulnerable areas of the lake.
To improve water quality and ecological health, the authority installed aerators, fountains and jetties at multiple locations and carried out large-scale plantation drives across the catchment to check soil erosion, they said.
Officials said houseboats on the lake are being progressively connected to sewage treatment plants to prevent untreated discharge into the water body. A new 30 million litres per day sewage treatment plant at Gupt Ganga, Nishat is under construction at a cost of Rs 306 crore, while existing STPs are being upgraded under the AMRUT 2.0 programme.
Daily lake-cleaning operations are also being carried out with the involvement of 300 to 400 personnel through an outsourcing agency. The exercise is providing livelihood support to Dal Lake dwellers while ensuring regular removal of waste from the lake, officials said.
The government is also in the process of launching an Integrated Management of Dal and Nigeen Lake Ecosystem project under the Prime Minister’s Development Programme (PMDP) at a cost of Rs 212.38 crore to ensure long-term conservation and promote tourism, they said.
In addition, the LCMA has undertaken public outreach and community engagement initiatives, including lake cleaning, de-silting and plantation drives under Sewa Parv 2025, along with awareness programmes aimed at promoting community participation in lake conservation, officials added.
