Published: March 06, 2010

Finnish Dredgers to Clean Dal Lake in Kashmir

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Srinagar, March 6: The government has procured two dredgers from Finland to clean world famous Dal Lake in Kashmir.

The Finnish company made machines cost around Rs. 8 crore alongwith attachments and can venture into such areas of the water body where no other self-propelled machine has been able to enter.

While launching the operations of Finnish dredgers, chief minister of Kashmir Omar Abdullah said that a multi pronged approach is being executed for conservation of the world famous Dal lake. "Apart from carrying dredging and removal of weeds and land mass in Dal, sewerage treatment plants are under construction to ensure treatment of the sewerage from the catchment areas of the Dal lake," he said adding there is need to start afforestation in the Dal catchment areas and also speed up rehabilitation of the Dal dwellers.

He expressed hope that with the operationalization of the new machines there would be a good impact on ground and a discernable change would be visible.

"The Dal Lake which is epitome of beauty of Kashmir valley since times immemorial and has attained world fame as a favourite tourism destination shall be given full attention by the Government so that its past glory is revived", Omar said.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.