*River Jhelum, Dal Lake face slow suffocation*

Srinagar, Feb 14 : River Jhelum and Dal Lake, iconic water bodies in Srinagar, are facing “slow suffocation” as their banks have turned into “dumping grounds.”

A stroll along Abi Guzar, Lal Chowk Bund paints a grim picture, with plastic bottles, polythene bags, and heaps of waste floating on the water’s surface, emanating a foul smell.

As per the details obtained by the news agency—fishermen, boatmen, and residents living near these water bodies are witness to how the iconic water bodies are losing their sheen.

“Every day, we see waste piling up along the Jhelum banks, yet no one seems to care,” said Firdous Ahmad, of Rajbagh. “We are destroying our own lifeline with our negligence,” he said.

Another resident, Zubair from Dalgate, said, “It’s unfortunate but true that people throw garbage in these waters. We need to put in a collective effort to stop this,” he said.

Similarly, shopkeepers along the Jhelum and opposite Dal Lake stretch voiced similar concerns. “Tourists used to stop here to admire the beauty of the river. Now, they turn away in disgust. If we don’t act now, we will lose our heritage forever,” said a shopkeeper.

He said the situation at Dal Lake is no better, with houseboat owners raising alarms over dwindling water quality.

“Our livelihood depends on the lake. If this pollution continues, tourism will suffer badly,” said Nazir Ahmad, a Shikara owner in Dal Lake. “We appeal to our people, to let’s not wait for the administration. We must stop throwing garbage into the Jhelum and Dal Lake and start cleaning them together,” he said.

Meanwhile, an official from the Lakes Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) said they are working to keep Dal Lake clean. “We have deployed several machinists round the clock to conduct manual clean-ups. Additionally, we are taking action against those littering the lake,” he said.

Notably, as reported in March 2024, CEF Group, “an energy solutions company,” launched a waste processing plant in Srinagar to remove waste from Dal Lake. This project was part of collaboration between the J&K Lake Conservation & Management Authority (LCMA) and NAFED, with CEF Group as the technical and financial partner of the latter.

It is worth mentioning that Prime Minister Narendra Modi e-inaugurated this project along with others, collectively worth ₹30,500 crore for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir—