Fresh DPR for Dal Lake conservation

SRINAGAR: The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is planning to frame a fresh detailed project report (DPR) for the conservation of Dal Lake in consultation with the experts. News agency KINS quoted an official of Housing and Urban Development Department saying that the framing of new DPR is being considered because there has been rarely any improvement in the condition of the lake despite hundreds of crores been spent on it over the years.

It has been noted that the Jammu and Kashmir Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) has been only carrying out de-weeding around the Shar-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre as it has a distinction of hosting important functions for both government and private crowds. Recently, the Government of India had allotted Rs 273 crore as grants towards the rehabilitation of Dal and Nigeen Lake. However, the condition of the lakes continues to deteriorate, as multiple surveys have noted.

The official mentioned that the Pollution Control Board has also written to the government for framing of fresh DPR for the preservation of Dal Lake. He said that there are three projects for which a new comprehensive DPR may be framed so that its implementation would achieve desired results. He added that there is a need to fix the criterion on the basis of designated best use of Dal Lake besides framing the standards for discharge of treated effluent from various sewage treatment plants into the lake. This needs to be done keeping in view the assimilative capacity of the water body to prevent the lake from deteriorating any further.