Ubeer Naqushbandi
SRINAGAR
Only four staffers which include two field assistants, one assistant executive engineer and one technical assistant are deployed to check the collection of ‘two ton solid waste’ produce from Dal lake on regular basis and to it only two spots which include Ranger Stop at Saida Kadal and a spot opposite Welcome Hotel Boulevard are specified ‘garbage collection sites’, sources revealed to Kashmir Life.
The collection of solid waste from Dal lake which includes collection from houseboats, hamlets (interior areas of Dal) and the floating solid waste on water surface is done by LAWDA for which a private firm is hired, said an insider in LAWDA. “But these are only are only a group of 20-25 people, looking after such a vast water body efficiently with such amount of workforce is not humanly possible,” he added.
“The lake is totally clean and we only have responsibility of garbage collection, the rest is the domain of Srinagar Municipal Corporation,” VC LAWDA, Sarmad Hafeez told Kashmir Life.
Dal Lake which according to the experts is heavily polluted due to flow of sediments from catchments, resulting into the growth of ‘obnoxious weed’ – Azolla, has degraded the ‘flora and fauna’ of the lake to a large extent.
(Ubeer Naqushbandi is an Intern with Kashmir Life.)
