Weeds take sheen off Dal lake vital basin

Unbridled growth of weeds particularly in vital Hazratbal basin of Dal lake is taking heavy toll on the fragile ecosystem of the water body.
Dal receives waters into its Hazratbal basin from Marsar, a glacial oligotrophic alpine lake through two main sub-watersheds namely DharaDanihama and Dachigam.
Before reaching the lake, the waters pass through denuded mountains carrying tons of silt and nutrients with it— propelling growth of weeds.
In absence of sustained de-weeding by Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), a large expanse of Hazratbal basin overlooking the Foreshore road has been engulfed by weeds and spring Algae.
The thick growth of weeds hampers movement of shikaras and affects aesthetic beauty of the lake. “The weeds have taken sheen off the lake. This gives the world famous lake an ugly look. Authorities must undertake sustained de-weeding to check the problem,” said SaritaMathur, a tourist from Mumbai.
LAWDA undertakes de-weeding by four harvesters and two truxors. However, experts maintain that these machines are insufficient to undertake de-weeding.
The problem has been compounded by haphazard dumping of weeds on footpaths at several places along the lake. With rise in temperature, pungent smell emanates from the dumped weeds causing inconvenience to pedestrians.
“The stench emanating from rotting weeds on footpaths is unbearable. The weeds should not be placed on footpaths along the lake which are thronged by tourists and locals,” said Ghulam Ahmad, a shikara owner.
Sources said LAWDA presently shifts the removed weeds through four of its vehicles. “From last year LAWDA has stopped hiring private trucks for shifting the weeds. Due to less number of vehicles, the weed is dumped for weeks on the footpaths. LAWDA is mismanaging de-weeding,” they said.
Annually, over one lakh cubic meters of weeds are removed from the lake. Experts recommended immediate de-weeding and skimming operations in the lake.
AjazRasool, an environmentalist censured authorities for failing to take timely action to prevent growth of weeds and green algae.
“Every spring due to excess of fertilizing nutrients available in Dal and Nageenlake there is a prolific spread of mats of green algae. As temperature start rising even the emergent weeds start showing their growth. The entire water expanse shows large patches of these prolific floating and emergent weeds which spoils the aesthetics of water surface,” said Ajaz, who is also a hydraulic engineer.
He said to maintain a clean lake from aesthetic considerations and nutrient expose mechanism immediately after spring, there is urgent need to resort to de-weeding and skimming operations.
“These operations are normally done simultaneously by mechanical or manual means much before the floating mats of same settle down to the bottom.
The Hazratbal basin and interiors of lake are seen to have been invaded by the algal mats and weeds giving a look of excessive vegetation on lake water expanse but so far the authorities have not acted to take care,” he said.
He said the sewage ingress from certain areas adds nutrients to its waters which result in prolific weed growth.
“Until the nutrient budget of lake is brought under control by stopping the pollution to travel to it, de-weeding has to be a regular activity as nutrient export mechanism,” he said.
He recommended that authorities must act scientifically to control the prolific weed growth and have the under vegetal cover of lake to be optimum and conducive. “This will help in affording Dissolved Oxygen to the shallow lake waters through photosynthesis rather than allowing the weed mats to cut off penetrative of sunlight,” he added.
Executive Engineer Lake Division 1st LAWDA Vijay Kumar Kundal acknowledged the de-weeding was being carried at slow pace.
“Our scientific wing has advised us not to remove the weeds in some parts of Hazratbal basin and other areas saying it will lead to Algal blooms in the lake next month. However, we are undertaking mechanical and manual de-weeding and removal of scum from other areas of the lake,” Kundal told.