J-K Government deploys ‘Finnish machines’ to clean Dal Lake

SRINAGAR - The Jammu and Kashmir Government has deployed two state-of-the-art ‘Finnish machines’ to clean the over polluted Dal Lake.

Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) officials along with engineers from Italy have put the two machines ‘Water Master Classic 3′ for testing the areas of the lake with heavy weed growth and shallow waters.

The multipurpose machines, which is known for its low maintenance and high success rate in conservation of lakes in many countries, could be used as suction dredgers and floating excavators simultaneously.

LAWDA Executive Engineer Mushtaq Hussian said the ‘Water Master Classic 3′ has the capacity to crawl on dry land mass, shallow water areas and cruise in deep waters.

Hussian said, “This machine can work in dry land, water, shallow depths. So the area where we will be deploying these machines, none of our harvesters have been able to function there because those are self-prepared machines, which needs deep water, which is not here.”

Harri Tainio, an Italy based engineer who has come to Srinagar for helping in assembling and testing of the machine with the LAWDA officials, is confident that the machine would be successful in cleaning the Lake.

“It is a multi-purpose dredger. We can do many kinds of jobs with it. It has a lot of tools with it. We are just installing the suction raging tool. We have a 400-litre bucket, a 700-litre bucket, a pole erecting bucket and clamshell bucket,” said Tainio.

“On top of that of course, we have a pipeline so that we can pump up materials if necessary. It is a very good machine to clean up this lake and I hope you will be very successful with the machine here,” he added.

Locals feel that the government should rope in some more such machines to speed up the process of Lake’s restoration.

Fayaz Ahmad, a local resident said, “Taking into account the use of these machines, the government should get some more of such machines because if they do so then Dal will become beautiful again and it will also boost Kashmir tourism.”

Presently, the LAWDA has two dredgers and four harvesters. (ANI)