Srinagar: Despite spending crores of rupees to beautify and restore the lost glory of Dal Lake, the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) has failed to control the growth of weeds in the lake.
Weeds have engulfed a large portion of the lake, with the stretch from Hazratbal to Boulevard and to Foreshore Road and Nigeen being the worst affected. The weeds have almost defaced the lake.
“Last year, the authority extracted weeds through machines but that has failed to yield desired results. These machines cut only the upper portions of weeds, leaving the roots untouched. Within a few days the weeds regrow. This year, we saw neither machines nor manual labouers in operation,” said Ghulam Rasool, a shikara wallah.
“They used to de-weed first near SKICC but this year weeds have occupied that area as well. This is tourist season and it gives a very bad impression. It is a big loss for us,” he added.
Bashir Ahmad, a Dal dweller, pointed towards a weed-covered portion of the lake near Moti Mohallah. “LAWDA officials are provided salaries and funds for conservation of this lake. They have failed to perform even one percent of their duty,” he said.
The weeds have also obstructed the movement of shikaras. “You will not have easy access to Kachar Mohalla and its adjacent areas inside the lake as large number of weeds obstruct movement of shikaras. That part of the lake has become a virtual wetland,” said Sultan Qadir, a shikara wallah.
“De-weeding doesn’t mean uprooting. It simply means cutting,” he said, adding that if the de-weeding is not started soon, it will lead to a “red bloom” which comes out of the roots in high temperature.
Vice Chairman LAWDA Tufail Mattu, however, maintained that de-weeding is going on in the lake. “Due to high temperature, the weeds grow at a fast pace. The process of de-weeding is on,” he said.
He added that both men and machines are at work and the main focus right now is on Nehru Park and adjacent areas, as LAWDA has not enough machinery as of now. “New machines are being purchased to de-weed the lake at a better pace,” he said.

NAZIMA SIDIQ