Srinagar, Aug 27: The High Court has asked the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) to come up with a plan for construction of Ring Road all around the Dal Lake, widening of the existing roads as well as parking facilities.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation on conservation of the Dal lake, the division bench of Chief Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Sanjay Dhar also directed the authorities to consider enhancement of the capacity of the sewage treatment plants (STPs) or setting up of new plants.
During the proceeding of the case, vice chairman LAWDA, Bashir Ahmad, along with law officer Shabir Panth were personally present.
The court directed the two officers to come up with a plan with regard to construction of the Ring Road all around the lake, widening of the existing roads and the parking facilities.
“They may also consider the enhancement of the capacity of the STP plants or establishment of new plants at the location which may not affect the Dal Lake itself,” it said.
In keeping with an earlier direction, the LAWDA filed a compliance report regarding scheme for the management and development of the Dal Lake.
The court ordered that a copy of the report may be supplied to the senior advocate Zaffar Shah who is assisting it as Amicus Curiae so that he may go through it and examine as to whether the scheme needs any modification, improvement or addition of any material subject.
In April this year, the court while disbanding committees on Dal constituted previously had ordered that the entire responsibility of the Lake should be shifted upon LAWDA. The Authority, the court said, should be allowed to work out a broad scheme for solving all the problems in connection with the water body.
The Court had also directed VC LAWDA to survey and prepare a list of all the drains flowing into the Dal and take immediate steps to prevent discharge of drain water and the effluents into the Dal.
The Court also directed the LAWDA to ensure proper arrangements are made for the treatment of the sewage or the drain water in sufficient number of plants established at proper places.
While the court held that an exercise may be undertaken to find out if the waste material from any houseboat is being discharged into the lake, it had asked for taking measures to stop it or to divert it to some alternative place, if so.
The Court had also asked the LAWDA to formulate a scheme for the development and the beautification of the Char Chinar and ensure the security thereon.