Amenacing presence for over 25 years now, militancy took a heavy toll on Kashmir and its people. The unrest didn’t spare the placid waters of the Dal, Srinagar’s lifeline. Tourism took a hit as the heavily armed CRPF became a fixture at the lake. The fortified Dal was a stranger to the ordinary Srinagar resident, who was scared to visit the waterfront and enjoy its comforts.
The wheel, however, is turning slowly. Tourists are trickling back into the Valley and Dal seems to be stirring back to life after a forced hibernation. Weary locals are back at the lake to recharge their batteries. “It helps bust stress accumulated over these years. The Dal, the tourists, the buzz make me feel like I’m breathing,” says Yasir Ahmed, an engineer.
Houseboats and shikaras are ready and dressed up for the tourist. The same goes for the vendors with their alluring displays of Kashmiri handicrafts. Mornings start with the floating market, a huge draw among photographers. Boats laden with garden-fresh vegetables and flowers form a colourful pattern on the lake. Sunset at Dal is no longer an eerily quiet affair. You can hear laughter and chatter well after dinner-hours.
People who live off the lake, however, are not satisfied with these signs of revival. Dal’s waters are choking with pollution, and little has been done to mend the situation. The number of boatsmen residing on the lake has nearly doubled, making waste management one of the biggest challenges in the fight to keep Dal alive.
Much of the waters is covered with weeds. The Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) has installed three sewage treatment plants on the periphery of the lake to “reduce the inflow of toxics and other nutrients in order to control the growth of weeds”. Locals have also been hired to remove these manually. But this is perhaps too little, too late.
Photos by Nissar Ahmad