Encroachments threatening Dal Lake’s beauty

SRINAGAR - Encroachments and negligence by the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority in Jammu and Kashmir is diminishing the beauty of Srinagar’s famous Dal Lake.

Despite a ban on construction around the lake, hotels, houses and other infrastructure are being built.

Though the state government has imported machines at great cost for the lake’s cleaning, the encroachments are proving to be a major obstacle.

“Government has constructed roads here Western Foreshow road and Northern Foreshow road. Continuous encroachment is on. The officials, bureaucrats, politicians together have implemented all these roads. Encroachment is banned in the Dal Lake area. Despite the fact, so many hotels, guesthouses are under construction. Who has permitted them?” asked Tariq Ahmad, a houseboat owner.

Government officials, however, claimed that steps are being taken to curb encroachment to a great extent. By Afzal Bhat (ANI)