Save Dal mission impossible?
for the people of Kashmir, the unbelievable is happening. Their famed Dal lake is dying before their eyes. The government says it is "committed' to save the lake, but ifs and buts rule the roost. One such attempt to save the lake was made in 1997 with the launch of the "Rs 500 crore Save Dal Project'. The project was started after the state government sought help from the Union ministry of environment and forests ( mef ) to restore the lake to its former glory. This was during Saifuddin Soz's tenure as mef minister. Subsequently, Dal was accorded top priority under the National Lake Conservation Plan which includes 21 lake systems across the country.
A Project Feasibility Report ( pfr ) was prepared by the mef in consultation with the state ministry of housing and urban development and a separate body