Raja Syed Rather
Ganderbal, Mar 7: Tourist footfall at Manasbal Lake in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district has witnessed a steady rise over the past three years, with authorities planning several adventure, infrastructure and conservation projects to transform the scenic lake into a major eco-tourism destination.
Chief Executive Officer of Wullar-Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA), Ahsan-ul-Haq Chisti, said Manasbal holds immense potential for adventure tourism and efforts are underway to enhance visitor facilities while safeguarding the lake’s fragile ecosystem.
“Manasbal is a unique tourist destination in Kashmir with huge adventure potential. Tourist flow has been steadily increasing over the past three years,” Chisti said.
He said, over 1.6 lakh tourists visited Manasbal in 2023, while the number increased to around 2.2 lakh in 2024. In 2025, the tourist footfall reached about 2.12 lakh, reflecting growing interest among visitors.
He said a significant number of foreign tourists also visit the lake due to its natural beauty and adventure possibilities.
To further boost tourism, the WMDA is procuring water sports equipment worth Rs 3 crore, which is expected to become operational in the coming months.
“Once the equipment arrives, tourists will be able to enjoy various water-based recreational activities,” Chisti said, adding that the authority is also planning to introduce a zipline facility to enhance adventure tourism in the area.
He said the authority has also established a homestay cluster in collaboration with the Tourism Department to encourage community participation and increase the stay duration of tourists.
“In the last two to three months, several cultural programmes and events were organised which received a very positive response from both locals and visitors. We plan to organise more such events in collaboration with cultural organisations,” he said.
Besides cultural tourism, the authority is promoting eco-friendly activities such as mountaineering, cycling, nature walks and water-based recreation to enrich the overall tourist experience.
Chisti said that under the Smart City project, WMDA is constructing jogging and cycling tracks along the boundary of the lake, with around 80 percent of the work already taken up.
“The jogger and cycling tracks will not only provide recreational space for visitors but will also help protect the lake from future encroachments by clearly demarcating its boundary,” he said.
To address traffic congestion during peak tourist season, authorities have also operationalised a bypass road near Manasbal, allowing routine traffic between Ganderbal and Bandipora to avoid the tourist zone.
He said the development authority is also improving public facilities, including washrooms, passenger sheds, selfie points and welcome gates, while ensuring that the structures remain environment-friendly and blend with the natural landscape.
Further plans include the creation of theme parks and a rural museum around the lake in coordination with departments such as Forest and Soil Conservation.
Highlighting conservation efforts, Chisti said that dredging operations have been restarted after many years, resulting in the clearance of over one lakh square metres of lake area and reopening of several water channels.
He added that authorities are also undertaking manual de-weeding and are removing around 7,000 cubic metres of aquatic weeds by the end of March, which will significantly improve water quality and lake ecology.
The lake has also witnessed a large presence of migratory birds this winter, many arriving from Siberia, prompting authorities to organise bird and wetland festivals to highlight the ecological importance of the area.
“To tackle pollution, WMDA has adopted a six-lakh square metre catchment area for solid waste management and is coordinating with the district administration to establish an integrated solid waste management plant,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said the capacity of the proposed Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) has been enhanced and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is currently with the UEED, with planning aimed at meeting requirements up to 2047.
Chisti added that Manasbal also holds heritage importance due to the presence of an ancient 10th-century temple, which has been stabilised and restored in phases by the development authority.
“It is one of the major historical attractions of Manasbal and has been preserved carefully for visitors,” he said, adding that the focus remains on promoting tourism in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner while protecting the natural and cultural heritage of Manasbal Lake. (KNO)
