The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole Thursday visited Dal Lake and participated in the ongoing cleaning drive by the Department of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA).

The Divisional Commissioner was later on joined by President KCCI, Sheikh Ashiq who also participated in the cleanliness drive. He urged the people to take part in this drive as this is the endeavour of all citizens. The Divisional Commissioner at the occasion was accompanied by officers from LDA and Joint Commissioner SMC.

The KCCI President also later visited lily extraction sites and saw for himself the extraction process which has been taken up on a large scale this year.

Pertinently the cleanliness drive which was inaugurated by LG Sinha on 2nd oct 2021 under Swachhta Pakhwada has been running successfully till date. The drive has been supported by all stakeholders including Houseboat owners, Shikara unions, university students, college students, various volunteer groups including NCC, NSS & NGO’s.

The officials said the drive is continuously being supported by SDRF, NDRF, SMC since the day of start in which 7000 people have ensured their participation so far in this mega drive under the overall supervision of LAWDA.

According to the LDA officials,  lily extraction works for an area of 2.5 sq km in the first phase have been outsourced. The lily has been extracted by using pontoon based 16 machines since June. The LDA has been able to clear about 1.00sqkm till date & extraction process is in full swing.

The LDA is engaging about 350-400 laborers per day for de-weeding the periphery of Dal Lake which is about 1.32 sq km area. In the process the LDA has also pressed into service it’s own machines which are 7 in number. These machines are used for de-weeding and skimming in inner parts of Dal Lake. "The drive will end on October 16".