Srinagar: A meeting of the Committee on Environment of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was held here on Wednesday under the Chairmanship of MLA, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami to review the Dal-Nagin Lake conservation, management and rehabilitation plan.

Legislators Mohammad Baqir Rizvi, Choudhary Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, Mohammad Abass Wani, Abdul Rahim Rather, Anjum Fazili were present in the meeting.

Threadbare discussions were held on the deteriorating condition of the lakes, illegal encroachments in and around them, conservation, de-weeding, Water Pollution and functioning of STPs.

The Chairman stressed upon the need to extract weeds on regular basis so that excessive load of nutrients trapped in weed will be removed from the lakes.

“Every month the Committee will have on-spot inspection of the lakes to check their heath and hear the concerns of the people associated with them,” the chairman said.

He also called for a complete satellite directory of all lakes and water bodies with focus on devising ways and means for proper upkeep and conservation of wetlands besides calling for effective implementation of relevant Centre and State laws to prevent encroachment on wetlands.

“Wetlands are an important part of ecology and environment besides being important habitat for bird species,” he said, adding that the state cannot afford to lose its wetlands, for which, it is famous all over the world.

He called for a pragmatic protection plan for wetlands adding that all the concerned departments and the civil society should coordinate to conserve State’s water bodies, which are its heritage and identity.

Vice Chairman, LAWDA, Dr. A.H. Shah briefed the Committee through Power-Point presentation and said that on an average one lakh centimetre wet weed is removed from Dal and Nagin Lake.

“Encroachments/ demolition of illegal structures and a massive anti-encroachment drive has been launched and 445 structures have been demolished and 556 FIR’s against violators have been lodged,” Shah told the Committee.

Among others, officials from Remote Sensing and Ecology, Control Board, Additional Secretary Legislative Assembly, besides others senior officers of concerned department and Assembly Secretariat were present in the meeting.

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