Dal Lake
A jewel in the crown of Kashmir
Dal
Lake is sited in the heart of Srinagar city, in the mountains of Kashmir. It is
the second largest lake of Jammu and Kashmir. It is shallow with a depth of
around 6m. Currently it has an area of 16 sq km. previously it covered an area
of 22 sq km, hence the area of this beautiful lake is shrinking.
Dal lake is a major attraction for tourism and recreation. Scenic views of the lake can be witnessed from the shore line Mughal gardens, such as Shalimar Bagh and Nishat Bagh. The shore line of the lake, about 15.5 km is encompassed by a boulevard lined with Mughal era gardens, parks, houseboats and hotels.
Dal
Lake is also known as "Lake of flowers". It hosts a floating market
where vendors sell their produce, directly from their boats. In some areas, swimming
is popular as is canoeing and other forms of boating. During the winter months,
there may even be the opportunity for skiing. Dal Lake also offers some
commercial uses such as fishing and weed harvesting for compost making.
Dal
Lake has been encroached mercilessly and has already shrunk and polluted to an
alarming level. Pollutants that enter in Dal Lake are sewage and sullage,
agriculture runoff, detergents and soaps etc. Hence, it faces a
serious pollution crisis.
Various
effective measures should be taken for conservation of Dal
Lake. Such as, afforestation of catchment area, installation of Sewage
Treatment Plants, removal of house boats and hotels from Dal lake. Removal of
excess weeds from Dal Lake on continuous basis. Educating villagers regarding
the importance of construction of sanitation latrines, to prevent direct
disposal of sewage into the Lake. All these effective measures will reduce the
pollution and help to preserve this beautiful lake of Kashmir.
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