Srinagar: The authorities will be using drones to carry out detailed mapping of Dal lake periphery that will not only help them upgrade their records but maintain a close watch on any encroachments around the lake.

The first phase that will witness a month long aerial topographical survey will be conducted by the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), up to 200 meters from the lake fringe. The survey will also be done around Nigeen Lake.

An official document said that the LAWDA that is engaged in comprehensive conservation and management plan of the Dal and Nigeen lakes. It envisages conducting an aerial survey, photography and aerial videographer through drones for checking illegal constructions within the lake and on its periphery,”

It said a drone-based photogrammetric survey will be also conducted to obtain high resolution orthomosaics (aerial photograph geometrically corrected) to be used to create computer-aided design and geographic information system-based map.
According to the document, successive aerial surveys would be undertaken once every six months to acquire fresh temporal change data sets. The data thus acquired will be used to track the temporal changes.
The lakes body will also prepare a comprehensive report based on the survey to analyse and highlight the temporal data changes. “Subsequent surveys will use the base map data to compare the temporal changes,” it further reads

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court had in April last year directed the Surveyor Authority of India (SAI) to undertake a survey of the Dal Lake to demarcate its boundary and put a halt on the encroachments.

NAZIMA SIDIQ