SRINAGAR: Intensifying the ongoing cleaning of Dal Lake in Srinagar ahead of the mega event of G-20, the J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) has placed men and machinery to work for maximum hours to ensure the cleaning of the water body on a fast-track basis, an official said on Tuesday.
LCMA Vice Chairman, Bashir Ahmad Bhat said that the cleaning of the Dal Lake is an ongoing process, but ahead of the G-20 event, they have switched the cleaning process on a fast-track basis.
“In view of the G-20 summit event, men and machinery have been pressed into work for maximum hours, and these days it starts from around 7 am to 9 pm on a daily basis,” he said.
He said they are cleaning the entire Dal and are maintaining the area of around 6.5 sq km, which they have cleaned up over the past two years so that there is no regrowth.
Bhat said there are some areas across the shoreline where they cannot take up cleaning with the help of machines, but they are deploying labor for manual cleaning in those areas alongside the work of dredging on the shorelines.
Pertinently, in order to add to the beauty of the lake and to attract more tourists, J&K LCMA in March this year installed an aerator/fountain inside the Dal Lake which shoots water up to 80 meters high.
According to the LCMA officials, the clusters of the aerators have been pre-programmed with different patterns of formations viz high jet, mist formation, and trumpet formation with changing colors which provides breath-taking and scintillating visuals.
As the G20—tourism summit is scheduled to be held at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on the banks of Dal Lake here from May 22 to 24 this year, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir—Srinagar is witnessing a major makeover—(KNO)
SRINAGAR: Donning an ethnic handwoven silk anarkali dress, actor Hina Khan on Saturday posted pictures of herself on the banks of Dal lake.
The Kashmir- born actor recently travelled to Kashmir to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in the valley. She took to her Instagram to wish her fans on auspicious occasion of Eid and gave a glimpse of the picturesque Dal Lake through her photos.
“Kashmir ki kali celebrating Eid in Jannat-e-Kashmir…Eid Mubarak Everyone,” Hina wrote on her Instagram handle.
Meanwhile, fans showered love on Hina’s post and complimented her traditional attire.
Hina Khan, a popular name in Television industry shot to fame with her role of Akshara in the longest running TV show, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai.
She was also a part of the renewed version of Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2, in which she played the antagonist Komolika. Hina Khan was also seen in a brief appearance in the TV show Naagin 5, in which she starred as the titular shape shifting serpent. She also participated in television reality shows like Khatron Ke Khiladi season 8 and Bigg Boss 11. Hina Khan last starred in the web-series Damaged 2 and was last seen in Wish List, which she also produced.
The actress stepped into films with Lines, the poster of which was unveiled at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival in May, 2019. She attended the prestigious Cannes Film Festival last year too.
Born to a Kashmiri Muslim family, Hina has been enjoying massive fan following for her work and style statements.
SRINAGAR: A parliamentary panel has recommended to the JK Union Territory administration to conduct fresh mapping of Dal Lake.
In its report, the department-related parliamentary standing committee on Ministry of Home Affairs has recommended to the UT administration to conduct fresh mapping of Dal Lake.
“The Committee recommends that the UT administration may conduct fresh mapping of Dal Lake to get an understanding about the percentage of the lake’s water which is relatively clean or severely degraded. This will help the UT administration to make a conservation plan for Dal Lake as well as in removing encroachments,” reads the report which was tabled in the Parliament during the ongoing budget session.
The panel has recommended that the cleaning of the water-body should be completed within a time frame. “Additional allocations, if required, may be sought from the Ministry of Finance at the Revised Estimates(RE) stage for this purpose,” the report states.
Briefing the panel about the steps taken for the restoration of Dal-Nagin lake, the UT Administration on Feb 16, 2023 informed them that the work for the preservation of both the water bodies spread over an area of 25.01 sq. km. and in the catchment area of 337.17 sq. km has been undertaken in a mission mode.
“Numerous other steps including de-weeding and lake cleaning on a large scale have been taken up for the conservation of the lake to restore it to its pristine glory,” the JK administration told the panel.
In 2022-23, the Ministry of Home Affairs allocated Rs 273 crore for the rehabilitation of the Dal-Nagin Lake.
The committee, in its report, said that it notes that while Rs 273 crores was sanctioned in BE 2022-23, the UT administration has not provided details regarding its utilization.
The panel observed that there are large number of encroachments in the Dal lake area.
“Weeds, silt and untreated sewage are increasingly choking the beautiful lake, which draws tens of thousands of tourists each year. The waste discharge from houseboats also adds to the pollution in the lake. The committee observes that the visible outcome of the projects are yet to be seen,” the report further states. (KNO)
A cultural anthropologist gives time to Kashmir’s famed Dal Lake and generates an impressive piece of literature, writes Insha Shirazi
Tourists enjoying a sunset in Dal lake, rendered golden by the sub. KL Image Bilal Bahadur
Michael J Casimir’s The Cultural Ecology of the Dal Lake in Kashmir is a thorough and instructive exploration of one of the most exquisite and significant bodies of water. The lake has natural and cultural significance. Well known for its beauty, the lake is a significant source of income.
Casimir paints a clear picture of how the lake has been shaped over the centuries and how it still matters for contemporary culture and ecology. A professor of cultural anthropology at the University of Cologne, Casimir has spent a lot of time in the field studying ecology, economy, and environmental management.
The book goes into great length on the lake’s intricate ecosystem, the history of houseboats, and water transportation. It offers details about the evolution of tourism and its literal paralysis owing to political upheaval in the 1980s and 1990s. While detailing Kashmir’s transition to Islam, the book offers a sketch of Kashmir’s “caste systems”, sectarianism, marital customs and social structure.
The book dives into the ins and outs of Dal Lake while detailing its ecosystem. It explains the development of the houseboat and water transportation.
The key focus of the book is the exploration of the lifestyle of the Hanji people, a group of fishermen living in the lake and how they play an essential role in the advancement of culture, the economy, and aesthetics. He provides an in-depth look at the Lake market gardens, raised fields, and floating gardens, and how the residents make an artificial landscape on the water and plant vegetables, flowers, weeds, and water lilies.
The book explains how market gardeners plan their gardens based on weather trends and how the 2014 flood affected the growth of the lake. Offering interesting insights into intriguing lotus gardens, the book explains how the lotus rhizomes are a source of revenue. An interesting and engaging read, the book provides an enlightening and informative look into the lives of the Hanjis and how essential they are to the economy and ecology of Srinagar city.
A man clears snow from the roof of his houseboat during heavy snowfall at river Jehlum in Srinagar
The Houseboats
Detailing the history and evolution of the houseboats, the book does not forget to link the other economies and offer a window to explain how modern technologies like the cell phone has impacted space. It offers an unbiased examination of the impacts of human-driven development on the ecology of the lake and its inhabitants, exploring both the positive and negative effects. He also provides a thorough discussion of the lake’s many fish species, vegetation, and water birds, as well as the issue of sewage pollution. The author offers insight into the lake’s ecology and how it has changed over the centuries as a result of human-driven development.
The Pollution
Off late, the lake has been facing severe environmental issues due to the unregulated construction of various buildings on its banks, and the overuse of fertilizers for agricultural purposes. Massive concentration of fertilizers has resulted in the death of many native fish and aquatic species, including the now incredibly rare Schizothorax niger.
The government has relocated many of the local fishermen. It has made efforts to improve the lake’s condition, such as implementing sewage treatment programmes and providing better access to roads, basic sanitation, and quality education. Flagging the issues facing the lake, particularly its deterioration due to sedimentation, domestic sewage, and other human activities, the author has observed that success is eluding the policymakers.
Painting a grim picture of Lake’s future, the author believes that proper funding and support from the government can help the water body to regain its pristine status. The author argues that the political forces in power often have conflicting interests, and this can lead to the people of Kashmir being disconnected from their spiritual roots. To protect the iconic Lake, the author argues that both the public and the governing authorities must engage in actions that uphold the teachings of Islam. This will not only preserve the natural beauty of the lake and its surroundings but also preserve the culture and spiritual identity of the region. To achieve this goal, it is crucial that the general public cooperates with the government and that the government implements its policies in a manner that serves the best interests of the people.
They may all be boatmen but they have a lot of divisions dictated by the services they deliver and the professions they adopt. Insha Shirazi reports about the newer challenges to the people living in Dal lake
“Houseboats were founded at the end of the eighties by Colonel R Sartorius, vc; and Sir H Harvey, Bart, and Martyn Kennard, I think, owned the first two crafts,” Lt Col Joshua Duke, the British Residency surgeon in Srinagar for many years, wrote in 1900. “Mr Kennard’s boat cost a great deal of money and is still on the river.”
Duke’s series of guidebooks, a huge collection of graphic descriptions of the nineteenth and twentieth-century Kashmir, however, acknowledges the fact that the boats existed in Kashmir prior to the intervention as well. “Since then they have multiplied in variety, shape, size, cost, etc, to a certain extent they take the place of houses, still very deficient in Srinagar.” The Doonga boat, however, existed.
Those were the days when the boatmen (Heanz) were the key drivers of life. They were the main transporters within the twin Kashmir lakes and managed most of the cargo between South and North Kashmir. Movement within Srinagar was only because of them. Given this advantage over others, they were close to any visitor that came to Kashmir. Most of the Kashmir travelogues are based on their interaction with the boatmen.
Divisions
Since then, diversity among the boatmen existed. There were different types of boatmen and that sub-division still exists. The divisions are based strictly on the type of professions the particular family was engaged with.
Fishing is a major economy for the communities living on the Wullar lake shores. Off late, however, the fishermen said the government is contributing negatively to the sub-sector putting them to losses. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
Fisherman: These are the Gadeh–haenz’s whose main source of income is fishing. They live within and around the lake of Dal and Wular. Their men catch fish and their women sell it in the market.
Lotus Growers: They are called Gaer Haenz. These people are primarily farmers who grow Lotus and chestnuts. Though both grow naturally, they harvest the nadroo (Nilumbium) and the chestnut and market them. Water chestnuts mostly grow in Wular. Some of them, off late, have lost their access to water areas where the plant grows rendering them jobless. Now, they work for others during harvesting. Lotus stem apart, they also harvest green and black trapa, fodder, and other plants.
Vegetable Growers: In their own parlance, they are known as demb-heanz. They are the main cultivators of the Dal lake and most of the vegetables marketed in Srinagar city come from them.
Boatmen: Despite the fact that Doonga’s no longer exist but a major section of the boatmen who own houseboats and shikara taxis are locally known as Dungehhaenz. They offer accommodation to tourists in their luxurious houseboats and have decent careers doing so. This category of boatmen is the most advanced and economically sound. They are cosmopolitan in nature as they have relations across the world. Some of them have retained their houseboats and are living in plush homes. A number of them, now own good hotels as well.
Hunters: Though they do not exist, there has been a sub-group called Ayer-heanz, who made a living by hunting. It is said they used to live in or around forests.
Transporters: Kashmir’s transportation and cargo were managed by horsemen or boatmen. Boatmen who owned huge barges for moving cargo were locally known as Bahatsi–heanz. Interestingly, the section of these transporters who were transporting timber was called Mata-heanz.
Challenges
All these people have been under pressure for one or the other reason. The last 100 years saw the complete disappearance of the transportation dungas as the roads were built even within the Dal Lake. Hundreds of families were relocated off the lake under the Dal restoration plan. They have homes far away from the ecosystem they were brought up in.
Now, newer tensions have cropped up. “I have been running a Shikara boat in the Dal Lake for 40 years. I pick up customers from various ghats to the houseboats,” Ghulam Rasool said. “Our boats have problems but we are not being permitted to repair them.”
Official records suggest there were 1103 houseboats and Dunga boats in 2000 and 157 of them were decommissioned in 2007-08, reducing their number to 910. With repairs being denied the numbers will go down further as fires and routine wear and tear are taking their toll. Insiders in the lake said the number of working houseboats could be much lower as no new houseboat was built in the last more than two decades.
Tariq Ahmad Pingloo a houseboat owner in Dal Lake said they have been squeezed into the lake. “It is rare to see hanjis in the Jhelum River. Quite a few houseboats are left in the river now,” he asserted.
Caught in Kashmir’s age-old peculiar casteism – that sees them as a clan apart, the boatmen are regretting a peculiar stereotyping of the community. “We are being accused of polluting the lakes,” Tariq said. “Why do not people understand the fact that the lake is our universe and we cannot pollute it because it is linked to our survival?” The government has gone to court, more than once, accusing the community living in the lake of polluting the water body. This is the key factor for rejecting the repair request by owners.
