Take extra measures to clean Wular Lake, act tough against encroachers: Chief secy
Dulloo said that the Wular Lake is a picturesque location studded with many of the popular sites in its periphery and observed that the place has a great potential for development and could come up as a great tourist attraction in the Valley.
Five sq km of the Wular Lake has been dredged so far at a cost of ₹196 crore and 22 sq km more critically silted area is to be dredged now.
Chief secretary Atal Dulloo held a meeting of the Wular Conservation & Management Authority (WUCMA) to make assessment of the measures taken for cleaning and beautification of the waterbody besides increasing tourist footfall to the largest freshwater lake in the country.
The chief secretary impressed upon the authority to make efforts to clean the lake area besides acting tough against the encroachers.
Dulloo said that the water body is a picturesque location studded with many of the popular sites in its periphery and observed that the place has a great potential for development and could come up as a great tourist attraction in the Valley.
“He told the DCs to give assistance to the lake authority to make it the best location in terms of facilities and scenic beauty existing there.
The ACS, forests, Dheeraj Gupta said that the department has taken several steps to improve the overall ecosystem of the lake.
“The solid waste management is given the prime focus for the same is the primary detriment for the lake waters. Area is around 130 sq km and the entire periphery of 84 km has been demarcated by geo-tagged boundary pillars. So far 11 km of vulnerable boundary has been consolidated by bunds/chain-link fencing and this year, the department is contemplating to cover 15 more kilometers of such boundary to evict the encroachers,” he said, adding that 5 sq km of the lake area has been dredged so far at a cost of ₹196 crore and 22 sq km more critically silted area is to be dredged now.
“It is a revenue-based model is being worked out to take the task towards completion,” he added.
He said for the generation of livelihoods through tourism promotion, it was given out that construction of 2.5 km non-motorable walkway is under execution through R&B department which is expected to be completed by October this year.
The meeting was further apprised that a Delta Park at Baniyari and Dyke Park at Garoora are also under progress. The installation of water fountains near vantage are going to be completed this year along with extending the walkway by another 2.5 kms up to Vantage from Naz Nallah and developing Watlab, Adipora-Ninglee cycle track.
