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By: Majid Maqbool
Amid a lot fanfare final month, visiting G20 delegates arrived in Kashmir’s capital metropolis Srinagar to attend a tourism working group assembly in a conference heart overlooking the long-lasting Dal Lake, which has drawn vacationers from internationally for many years for its beautiful magnificence. It’s referred to as variously the “Lake of Flowers,” the “Jewel within the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel.” Walter R. Lawrence, the British Resettlement Commissioner of Kashmir wrote in 1887 that “Maybe in the entire world there is no such thing as a nook as nice as Dal Lake. The water of the Dal is evident and comfortable as silk.”
The delegates additionally loved a Shikara (houseboat) journey on the lake, which was decked up with fancy golden lights. However beneath the glitter on the lake’s 15.4 km shoreline lies an disagreeable actuality – it’s dying. Researchers warn that if well timed motion isn’t taken, the famed lake is perhaps historical past. Elevated urbanization, unchecked encroachment and lack of correct sewage have taken a heavy toll on the ecosystem. The water is polluted, filled with weed progress, and unfit for human consumption.
Final month, a fish recognized as an unique Alligator Gar was present in Dal Lake, which set the alarm bells ringing amongst scientists who concern that presence of non-native fish species may spell doom for its fragile ecosystem. That was adopted by the sudden die-off of numerous fish, to the purpose the place native inhabitants mentioned that they’d by no means seen so many lifeless fish floating on the lake. Though authorities mentioned that it was a traditional annual affair on account of “thermal stratification,” or a change within the temperature at completely different depths, which can not directly trigger massive die-offs, specialists mentioned {that a} main explanation for fish mortality is elevated air pollution and continued influx of untreated sewage.
A analysis examine carried out in 2022 discovered that the water high quality of Dal Lake has undergone “monstrous anthropogenetic stress” for the final 4 a long time. “Houseboats, sewage therapy vegetation, motels, agricultural practices across the lake, floating gardens, lake encroachment, and different non-point sources have degraded the water high quality in addition to aesthetic properties of the lake,” the examine discovered.
“Through the years, the focus of dangerous substances, phosphates, chlorides, and nitrates has elevated tremendously. Focus of whole phosphorous has elevated from 0.1 to 0.4 mg/l in 1997 to about 6 mg/l in 2017. Equally, chlorides have proven a steep improve from 2–2.7 mg/l 329 in 2007 to 10.3 mg/l in 2017. Different parts like calcium and magnesium have additionally witnessed an growing pattern within the lake,” in keeping with the examine.
The examine revealed that the lake has turn out to be hyper-eutrophic at a number of locations, severely affecting the ecosystem. Hyper-eutrophism is a time period describing a scenario the place a water physique has misplaced a lot of its dissolved oxygen that standard aquatic life begins to die off. The result’s a lake the colour of inexperienced pea soup.
“Modifications brought about on account of these components have affected the lake water high quality to such an extent that these can’t be corrected naturally, and if correct and well timed measures usually are not carried out, the possibilities of lake survival are bleak,” the examine concluded whereas calling for an pressing want for restoration, administration and conservation by each authorities and native inhabitants
Khalid Z. Masoodi, Assistant Professor and Junior Scientist on the Division of Plant Biotechnology, School of Horticulture, Sher-e-Kashmir College of Agricultural Sciences and Expertise of Kashmir (SKUAST), was a part of a latest examine targeted on figuring out the macrophytes (vegetation that develop in water) of Dal Lake utilizing DNA Barcoding. Their examine discovered that not solely fish but additionally new macrophytes have been present in Dal Lake.
“A examine was lately achieved by my lab by which we collected numerous Macrophytes from Dal Lake to establish their use as Superfood and to determine them at DNA Degree. To our utter shock, we found three new macrophytes in Dal Lake utilizing DNA Barcoding that had been by no means proven to be current in Dal Lake earlier than,” Masoodi informed Asia Sentinel.
The scientist believes that the most important concern confronting the lake is uncontrolled sewage waste which accounts for the biggest pollutant going into the lake.
“All of the fields which might be above Dal stage, their water containing pesticides, vitamins, and fungicides flush into Dal Lake. The at the start factor to assist Dal is to forestall all sewage going into the lake,” mentioned Masoodi.
Ather Masoodi, one other researcher who makes a speciality of aquatic weed biology and administration, mentioned that untreated sewage influx is “extraordinarily detrimental” to the lake.
“After which the accompanying runoff of fertilizers will increase disease-causing pathogens and weed progress and low ranges of oxygen for fish and different animals,” the researcher mentioned.
Khalid Masoodi believes if the dying lake is to be saved, well timed motion is necessary, which incorporates stopping sewage from going into the lake, full rehabilitation of Dal dwellers to close by locations, introducing fish that are herbivorous and eat macrophytes voraciously, and figuring out invasive fish species through the use of synthetic intelligence instruments.
In accordance with Ather Masoodi, a long-term plan is extraordinarily necessary together with common short-term measures.
“We have to verify the vitamins flowing into the lake. SWOT evaluation of any exercise aimed toward conservation needs to be a precedence, in order that the errors and classes realized could be utilized to different websites,” he mentioned including that’s sadly not occurring and we’re “repeating the errors whereas managing different lakes and wetlands. Managing a lake needs to be based mostly on ecological rules and never seen with a purely engineering prism. Any conservation exercise needs to be selected knowledge.”
“What makes Dal, a glacial oligotrophic alpine and spring-fed lake, completely different from different water our bodies is that it’s dotted with human habitations, houseboats, agricultural and floating gardens,” journalist Arif Shafi Wani, who has extensively reported on the lake’s situation, informed Asia Sentinel.
“Nevertheless on account of in depth air pollution, the lake has been overwhelmed by in depth progress of weeds and lily pads,” he mentioned. Though within the final yr, the involved authorities have considerably succeeded in controlling weed infestations in some areas by finishing up in depth de-weeding, loads stays to be achieved.
In accordance with Arif, one other main downside confronting Dal is the dearth of correct water circulation in absence of cleansing of its influx and outflow canals.
“Many inside areas within the lake are but to be linked with Sewage Therapy Crops and have changed into level sources of air pollution for the lake,” he mentioned.
There’s a have to take long-term scientific measures for higher administration and conservation of the lake.
“It wants a joint effort by the federal government and the general public, particularly by Dal Lake dwellers to assist restore the previous glory of the famed lake,” he mentioned.
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