Good Move! Citizens, Govt Join Hands To Restore Dying Lake In Srinagar

For around 30 years, Khushal Sar Lake in Srinagar was in a state of neglect. Now, thanks to the efforts of locals, environmentalists, and the government —the waterbody has been revived.

The lake was covered with weeds, animal waste, plastic, and sewage till three months ago while many of its sides had been encroached upon. In February, Nigeen Lake Conservation Organisation (NLCO), a local environmental organization took the initiative to clean the water body.

About 20-25 Trucks Of Muck Fished Out Daily

"I didn't believe that we had a water body like Khushal Sar which was on the brink of its end. The lake was full of dead animals, animal skins, polythene, grass, weeds and it was encroached upon from all sides," NLCO's chairman Manzoor Wangnoo said, reported Hindustan Times.

During the clean-up drive around 20-25 trucks of muck, which included mud, plastic bottles and polythene was being fished out from the lake daily.

The locals also joined the cleaning process. Some of them pooled resources and hired machines for some days. The stench from the lake had forced many locals to move from the area. Wangoo said about 1,000 truckloads of unwanted material were cleared from the lake in 100 days.

Following the success, the administration, earlier this month, started work on reviving the adjoining Gilsar Lake. This process is also expected to take over 100 days given the fact that the water body has more encroachments in comparison to the Khushal Sar.

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