The J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) has started the dredging of the shoreline of the northern side of the Dal Lake under ‘Lake Conservation Programme’.
After completion of the shoreline dredging of the Hazratbal Basin, the department has shifted Crawl Cat Dredger to the Northern side of the Dal Lake (Laam area) for dredging of the shoreline.
In phase 1st, the department of LCMA has taken up the dredging along the shoreline in the Laam area of the lake for a stretch of 2 km approx. along the road by Departmental Dredger– Crawl Cat Dredger to achieve an average depth of 1.5 mtrs approx.
The stretch to be covered under phase 1st is from NPL bund to Kral Sangri and the dredging of the area has been initiated for the 1st time to crush/arrest abnormal growth of weed and azola formation. Presently the average depth of the lake in this stretch is less than two feet on average which is the sole cause of formation of azolla/ red bloom of the lake in this stretch because of water stagnation.
The dredged material is being deposited across the road in the earthen dykes constructed by the Mechanical Division of the JKLCMA on the barren land provided by the locals/inhabitants at Laam region; being the proprietary/ Maliki land of the locals.
The total tentative quantity of material to be dredged out is almost 1.70 lac cums. approx. up to the stretch of Kral Sangri in phase 1st.
Presently the work has been taken up in hand after enormous efforts by the authority utilizing the available departmental machinery both for the construction of the earthen dykes and dredging as well.
In order to clear/clean the shoreline beyond Kral Sangri, efforts are on to work out an alternative to deploy one more departmental dredger upto Oberoi basin and beyond for which possible modalities are being worked out.
Taking up the works in the Phase Ist of dredging of the shoreline of Laam basin of the Lake in phase Ist, shall greatly and to a large extent not only increase the water expansion of the lake but will result in arresting the deterioration of the same from enormous formation of azola/red bloom in the coming hot season of summer.