Srinagar, Feb 06: The Jammu and Kashmir government is developing hamlets within Dal Lake as eco-friendly settlements under an in-situ conservation model, instead of relocating families, the Assembly was informed on Friday. So far, 1,808 families have been successfully rehabilitated at Rakh Arth Colony, receiving free land and compensation for their properties.
In response to an assembly question by MLA Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq regarding Dal dwellers’ rehabilitation, the Housing and Urban Development Department said that Rakhi-e-Arth and Mir Behri Dal are not neglected areas and emphasized that residents are considered an integral part of the lake ecosystem.
A High-Level Committee (HLC) headed by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, decided in April 2022 that the in-situ conservation model is a viable alternative to conventional rehabilitation, which had made only 27% progress over 36 years. The J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) Board also approved the model, citing the need to preserve the lake’s eco-sensitive environment.
Under the plan, Dal dwellers living in hamlets are part of the “Dal Ecosystem,” and six of the 58 hamlets are currently being developed under the UT CAPEX budget. The Kachri Mohalla has already been transformed into a modern village. Sewerage networks for six hamlets have been completed, and DPRs for two modular sewage treatment plants are in preparation.
Additionally, a DPR titled “Integrated Management Programme for Conservation of Dal-Nigeen Lake Ecosystem” has been approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for ₹212.38 crore over five years. The project focuses on sewage management, development of model hamlets, treatment of inflow nallahs, dredging, and widening interior channels to restore water circulation and navigation.
