SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday informed the Legislative Assembly that 1,159 geo-referenced RCC pillars have been installed and 78.43 lakh cubic metres of silt dredged as part of ongoing conservation and restoration works at Wular Lake, a Ramsar site of international importance.
Replying to a question tabled by MLA Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, the Department of Forest, Ecology and Environment stated that conservation measures are being implemented through the Wular Conservation and Management Authority.
The Government said boundary demarcation of the lake has been completed with the installation of 1,159 GPS-based geo-referenced RCC pillars using remote sensing technology. The revenue area of Wular Lake is 130 square kilometres, and the demarcation has strengthened protection measures and helped prevent further encroachments.
It further informed that desiltation works have restored about 5.0 square kilometres of critically silted lake area through dredging of 78.43 lakh cubic metres of silt, enhancing the lake’s water-holding capacity. Bund consolidation has also been carried out by strengthening around 15 kilometres of vulnerable earthen embankments to prevent encroachments and provide flood buffering to local communities.
On ongoing and proposed interventions, the Government said a revenue-based dredging model is being initiated in the critically silted areas of Baniyari and Kanyari, while continuous monitoring and enforcement are underway to check fresh encroachments.
Under embankment management and eco-tourism development, construction of a 2.5-kilometre non-motorable Wular Walkway Phase-I from Baniyari to S.K. Payeen is under execution by the R and B Department at a cost of Rs 18.73 crore. The project includes cycling tracks, lookout points and jetties. Phase-II of the walkway is under process and is expected to be taken up in the next financial year.
Upgradation of Delta Park at Baniyari at a cost of Rs 2.50 crore, Gurura Park at Rs 4.70 crore and construction of an Eco-Park at Ningli, Sopore at Rs 4.90 crore are also under execution.
In the biodiversity conservation segment, two watch towers equipped with CCTV cameras have been constructed, and four additional CCTV cameras are being installed this year. Scientific studies have also been conducted to generate baseline ecological and hydrological data to inform the management of the lake.
Responding to a query regarding suspension of the Indus Water Treaty and its impact on Wular Lake, the Government stated that the matter does not pertain to the conservation works of the lake.
