JAMMU: Civil Society for Development of Jammu and Kashmir (CSD J&K) president Puneet Singh Jamwal while expressing his grave concern over deteriorating condition of Dal Lake in Srinagar said that even after spending over one thousand crore rupees on its restoration the desired results have not been achieved and the water body continues to be shrinking and filled with dirt and weeds.
He said that there's a needed of constituting special department of Lakes and Water Bodies which should not fall under the purview of Housing and Urban Development Department and instead have all lakes and water bodies besides ponds under its ambient including that of Sanasar, Mansar and other lakes of Poonch and Ladakh. This is the only way the department can work to its full potential and save water bodies.
In absence of such an institution, a lot many important and huge ponds of Jammu region have either been encroached upon, filled for making playgrounds, conveyed into parks or unnecessary used as dumping sites. This is the reason animals don't get water for drinking, water table has also gone down and environment of the respective areas where there were ponds changed over a period of time. The municipal authorities in whose areas ponds were existing themselves facilitated converting ponds into parks or parkings.
Puneet Singh Jamwal said Dal Lake, Mansar and Surinsar lakes being important water bodies should all be restored to their printing glory with additional amenities for tourists available at the site. All these lakes must have beautifully paved paths around them, cycling tracks and decks for viewing. These if developed can attract tourists in large numbers. Special signboards asking tourists to not to spoil water bodies must be put up in and around lakes to save them from further deterioration.
In absence of a separate department the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) under the H&UDD has become hub of corruption and should immediately be let off the parent department and made a self sufficiently sustaining department. Earlier animal husbandry and sheep husbandry besides floriculture and horticulture use to be all under agriculture department but later on they were made independent units.
Similarly LAWDA should be a separate department with employee and engineers engage from all over the state for preservation and maintenance of lakes and water bodies besides ponds in our state, Puneet Singh Jamwal urged Governor Satya Pal Malik.