‎Srinagar, Sep 29 (KNS): Around 10 kilometres of internal channels and waterways in and around Dal Lake have been cleaned and dredged during the past three years, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
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‎Replying to a question by MLA Tanvir Sadiq during Question Hour, Omar, who also holds the Housing and Urban Development Department, said the government was carrying out regular cleaning of the lake’s internal channels through manual deweeding and removal of solid waste.
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‎He said mechanical dredging was also being carried out in priority areas with water-master machines owned by the department.
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‎Omar said dredging during the current financial year had been completed in the channel connecting Dol Damb with Meena Bazar through Angraz Hut. Work has also been carried out in two major channels of Khushalsar, covering the stretches from Saidipora Bridge to Firdousabad Colony and Sazgiripora.
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‎He said the deepening and dredging of the main channel of Gilsar was also almost complete.
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‎On the issue of sewage entering Dal and Nigeen lakes, Omar said sewage from surrounding areas and houseboats was being treated through five sewage treatment plants (STPs).
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‎These include the 16.10 MLD Brari-Numbal STP, 5.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel4 MLD Nallah Amir Khan STP, 7.5 MLD Hazratbal STP, 3.2 MLD Habak STP and 4.5 MLD Laam STP, he said.
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‎The government is also expanding the sewage treatment network, with a 30 MLD STP being constructed at Gupt Ganga. Omar said the facility is expected to be completed within two years and will cater to areas on the northern side of Dal Lake.
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‎On Khushalsar and Gilsar, the Chief Minister said the Lakes Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) took over conservation work on the two water bodies in 2025, while the Urban Environmental Engineering Department has been tasked with developing the sewerage network around them.
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‎Omar said several internal channels, including those at Jogi Lanker-Rainawari, Chowdary Bagh, Naidyaar, Sabzi Market and Lamba Mohalla, were being regularly cleared of weeds and solid waste. These channels had also undergone dredging during 2023-24, he said.
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‎He said the government would continue regular cleaning of the channels, while dredging would be carried out on a priority basis using departmental machinery.
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‎The measures, he said, are intended to improve water flow, maintain the capacity of the channels and strengthen the management of sewage and solid waste in Srinagar’s interconnected water bodies.(KNS)