Dal Lake, also known as “Srinagar’s Jewel” is a popular tourist destination in Jammu and Kashmir which attracts thousands of visitors. But in recent years, due to anthropogenic pressures such as encroachment, water extraction, untreated residential sewage, and fertilizer runoff, the lake is in threat. According to ancient documents, in 1200 AD, the lake had a surface area of 75 square kilometres and this was reduced to 10.56 sq km in 1983. Dal Lake is part of the lake conservation initiative of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF). The Lake and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), Srinagar, has also taken up the initiative for lake conservation through education and popular awareness in partnership with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) and other NGOs. This article will explain to you about the Conservation of Dal Lake which will be helpful in preparing the Environment Syllabus for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

Dal Lake - Location

• Dal Lake is located near the Tota Rani village in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir and also India's northernmost state.
• It is situated at a height of 1,775 meters above sea level.
• The lake is 6.4 kilometres long and 4 kilometres wide, with a total area of around 10 square miles.
• Causeways separate the wetland into four basins: Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal, and Nagin (although Nagin is also considered as an independent lake).
• Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank are the islands in the middle of Lokut-dal and Bod-dal, respectively.

Dal Lake

Dal Lake - Physical Features

• The surface temperature of the lake has varied from a low of 3 °C (37 °F) in January to a high of 26 °C (79 °F) in June.
• During the winter, the temperature can sometimes drop below 11 degrees Celsius (12 degrees Fahrenheit), freezing the lake.
• The lake is warm, monomictic (mixed type), with a pH value on the surface that has fluctuated from 7.2 to 8.8 over the course of a year.
• Within a year, the dissolved oxygen value on the surface has fluctuated from a low of 1.4 to a high of 12.3.
• On the surface, the greatest nitrogen content was 1315, and at the bottom of the lake, it was 22.

Dal Lake - Flora and Fauna

• Dal Lake is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. Many Mughal gardens and orchards may be found around the lake.
• Thousands of Lotus flowers, water lilies, and water chestnut trees have been scattered around this lake.
• The lake is bordered by magnificent mountains and willow, poplar, and chinar woods.
• The catchment area of Dal Lake is home to a diverse range of vegetation.
• The following are a few of them: Rose, Pinus Gerardiana, Melia, Ephedra, Celtis, Daphne, Pinus roxburghii, Cupressus, Ailanthus, Daphne, Pinus roxburghii, Cupressus, Ailanthus, Rose, Pinus Gerardiana, Melia, Ephedra, Celtis, Daphne, Pinus roxbur.
• Zooplanktons, Benthos, and Fish make up the faunal distribution.
• Keratella cochlearis, K. serrulata, Polyactis vulgaris, Brachionus plicatilis, Monostyla bulla, and Alona cochlearis were among the zooplankton found in the lake.
• Cyprinus, which was introduced in the early 1960s, is now the dominant species, while Schizothorax, the native species, is dwindling.

Chinar Trees of Dal Lake

Dal Lake - Fishing Resources

• The fishing sector on Dal is the second largest in the region, and it is vital to the livelihoods of many of the people who live on the lake's outskirts.
• Carp fish species, which were introduced into the lake in 1957, are particularly important to Dal's commercial fishery.
• As a result, carp account for 70% of all the fish taken in the lake, with schizothorax accounting for 20% and other species accounting for 10%.
• Pollution has caused a progressive reduction in the quality of the lake water, resulting in decreasing fish supplies and the extinction of endemic fish species.
• The causes of this degeneration have been discovered, and corrective work has begun.

Dal Lake - Threats

• According to a socio-economic survey done by the Urban Environment Engineering Department in 1986, the lake shelters 58 hamlets with a population of 50,000 people who own property rights over 300 hectares of agricultural land and 670 hectares of water area.
• The lake's size has been substantially diminished as a result of all of this.
• Population: The lake's most serious threat comes from the growing population in and around it.
• Construction: As early as 1978-79, the government prohibited the construction of huts and other structures on the lake and its outskirts.
• However, the lake's encroachment remained unchecked.
• Untreated Sewage: Since there are no sewage treatment plants in Srinagar, untreated sewage from the city makes its way into the lake on a daily basis.
• Pesticides And Fertilizers: Pesticides and fertilizers used for vegetable cultivation in the catchment area, as well as floating gardens on the lake, have increased the chemical composition of the water.
• Siltation: There's also the issue of siltation. The Dal receives 80,000 tonnes of flow every year, according to the pfr.
• Weed Growth: The significant input of silt, sediments, and nutrients from the lake's catchment and periphery has resulted in a decline in water inflow and prolific weed growth.
• Red Algal Bloom: The lake's red algal bloom, which was first spotted in 1993, is just one example, according to the officials.
• Pollution: Pollution is also wreaking havoc on the flora and animals of the Dal wetlands.
• Vanishing Species: Microorganisms have all but vanished, and the population of several native fish has plummeted.

Dal Lake - Proposed Solutions

• Public-Private Partnership: A public-private partnership in which the private side removes the weed and sells it as fertilizer.
• BOT Model: A build–operate–transfer (BOT) model of participation can also be established, in which the corporate partnership recovers its expenditures by creating fertilizers and biofuels from the weeds.
• Recovering Expenditures: Under government-mandated pricing, it can also recover its expenditures from houseboats and shikaras.
• Penalizing Encroachers: Encroachers must be immediately penalized, hence strict rules must be enforced.
• Strict penalties can also be used to prevent sewage water from being dumped in the Dal.
• Construction of New Sewage System: A new sewage system can be built around Dal to provide inhabitants with another alternative.
• Prevention of Human Waste from Dal: The 1,200 or so houseboats might be fitted with vacuum toilets to prevent human waste from entering the Dal.
• Biogas And Biofertilizers: The Dal's weed has a high methane concentration, making it perfect for producing biogas and biofertilizers.
• Biodiesel: Because of the weed's high oil content, commercial exploitation of the Azolla weed can also aid in the production of large amounts of biodiesel.
• Creation of Artificial Wetlands: The tens of thousands of tonnes of silt and other material dumped into the Dal every year could be utilized to create artificial wetlands around the lake.
• Biofilter: These wetlands can act as a biofilter, allowing nutrients from the upper catchment areas to be treated.

Dal Lake - Ongoing PIL For Restoration

• The Public Interest Litigation (PIL), which was filed in 2001, resulted in a number of court instructions to the funding and implementing organisations, and the case is still continuing.
• The PILs have sought injunctions of the court for:
  • Construction of an integrated sewage ring encircling the lake;
  • Releasing funds from the Indian government to implement pollution-control measures;
  • Establish a High-Powered Committee to oversee the proper use of the monies granted.
• The committee is required to provide direct comment to the Supreme Court on progress developments from time to time.

Dal Lake- Governor’s Initiative

Nodal Consulting Firm

• The Governor has named the Dredging Corporation as the nodal consulting firm.
• It will be in charge of developing a strategy for dredging areas of the lake's land masses.
• It will also look into the potential of adding holding tanks and bio-digesters to ensure that houseboats do not discharge sewage.
• He had requested a full bathymetric survey (measuring depth and mapping underwater features) of the Dal-Nageen water body from the Navy head in order to develop a baseline database for determining the level of dredging required.

Save Dal Project

• In 1997, the "Rs 500 crore Save Dal Project" was launched in an attempt to save the lake.
• The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LWDA) have joined forces to clean up the lake and remove the harmful weeds under this mission.
• To clean the lake, approximate 100 SDRF troops and ten boats were deployed.
• The initiative began after the state administration asked the Union ministry of environment and forests for assistance in restoring the lake to its former grandeur.

National Lake Conservation Plan

• Funds were sanctioned for the lake's conservation under the Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Government of India's National Lake Conservation Plan.
• The restoration and rehabilitation procedures envisioned under the "Conservation and Management of Dal" are being implemented at various phases with funding provided by the Indian government.

Constructional Remedies

• Construction of siltation tanks, mechanical de-weeding, regrouping of houseboats, deepening of outflow channel, and removal of bunds and barricades, including some floating gardens, were among the actions performed to rehabilitate the lake and return it to its former eutrophication-free status.
• A prohibition on new construction along the lakeside, including the construction of new houseboats, has also been imposed.

Relocation of Population

• As Dal Lake supports a wide multitude of people, threats are also arising due to encroachments, mixing of human waste in the lake, etc,.
• Therefore, plans for relocating the population away from the lakefront have emerged by the government authorities as well.
• Long-term development plans include addressing reforestation of watershed areas to prevent erosion and silt flow, as well as livestock grazing regulation.

Conclusion

Sustainable conservation of Dal Lake will necessitate the collaboration of multiple departments working as one. Aside from the dredging and de-weeding technology, sensor-based monitoring and overhead drone scans will offer real-time data on the development of the project. These real-time data can be gathered by a single platform for all stakeholders, including the general public. The people of Kashmir are equally invested in Dal's transformation. It is an integral part of the Kashmir and Srinagar cultures. Without it, Srinagar would deteriorate into a soulless metropolis.