Srinagar: Restoration work on the Brari Nambal “lagoon” at Baba Demb, which had started in the month of March after years of delay, has come to a complete halt since the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed in the second half of March.
The lagoon, as it is called due to being a link between Baba Demb and Dal Lake, is on the verge of extinction due to pollution and encroachments.
As per the locals, the lagoon has turned into a cesspool in absence of conservation measures. Piles of garbage, obnoxious weeds, and extensive encroachment have together devastated the water body.
Vice-Chairman of the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), Tufail Mattoo, said that dredging work had been started in the lagoon in March this year but because of the Covid-19 situation, the work had been postponed.
“After Covid-19 lockdown lifts, we would resume work on the project and all pending dredging work would be completed,” he said.
He added, however, that the contractor for the work is not showing a “good response” due to risk of coronavirus infection.
There is also the problem of acquiring about 500 kanals of proprietary land in and around the lagoon. “We will start the land acquisition process and develop the lagoon as one of the best tourist destinations of Srinagar. We are working on this issue,” Mattoo said
Three years ago, former deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh had approved conservation work on the lagoon at a cost of Rs 16.91 crore under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation.
Also, as part of the Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP), footpaths, kiosks and food courts were to be constructed along the lagoon at a cost of Rs 8.05 crore.

NAZIMA SIDIQ