Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed Lakes and Waterways Development Department to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for strengthening the embankments of all the nallahs and flow channels leading to Dal Lake, the flagship of Kashmir tourism.
The direction by a division bench of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey followed suggestion put forth by senior advocate and amicus curie Z A Shah the slides of the work done for clearing all the channels and nallahs leading to the Dal Lake, that the embankments should be fortified to prevent soil erosion so that the whole process was not repeated year by year. “This is also to ensure that the hydraulic flow of water is maintained in the channels,” Shah said. “We feel that this is a good suggestion,” the division bench said and directed JK LAWDA to prepare a DPR for strengthening the embankments of all the nallahs and flow channels and retention ponds.
LAWDA submitted a proposal for Geo Synthetic Solution for delineating the boundaries of the three lakes—Khushalsar, Gilsar and Anchar as also Rakhi Arth and Brari Nambal. “The proposal be also expedited,” the court said.
The court also directed that DPRs in regard to Khushalsar, Gilsar and Anchar stand already submitted.
“According to him, this project is funded by Economic Reconstruction Agency sourced from ADB. The Financial Commissioner to the Government, Housing and Urban Development Department, is directed to expedite the process of approval of the DPR and ensure that this project is executed at the earliest,” the court said and directed all concerned agencies and departments to fully cooperate in this regard.
