Heavenly lakes?

Fall from grace: the Dal lake< (Credit: Amin War)THE lakes in the Kashmir Valley are soon
to get a facelift as a team of Austrian
experts are visiting the valley to develop a plan for their conservation. A master plan will be framed by the state
government for the capital city and
ensure lake-mapping so that their con
servation is taken up on a priority basis.
Union minister for environment and
forests, Saifuddin Soz, disclosed that
the Dal lake especially, needs to be completely "depopulated".

Although the state government had
submitted a conservation plan worth
Rs 338 crore for the Dal lake, Soz said that
it was "too small an amount". Out of the
projected cost of the plan, the state had
earmarked Rs 200 crore for removing
encroachments and rehabilitating the
displaced. Announcing complete funding for the project, Soz urged the state
government to submit a detailed report
on the Anchar lake as well. Regarding
encroachment and construction activities near the Dal lake, Soz ordered that
the population near the lake be rehabilitated. The minister wanted strong
action to be taken against "influential
persons who exploited their status and
encroached upon the lake area."