Floating sewage system for Dal, Nageen lakes to be available by Nov-end: LCMA

SHAKEELA ANDRABI

SRINAGAR: Floating sewage systems for the Dal and Nageen lakes that connect the houseboats to treatment plants will be operational by the end of November this year.
These treatment plants help to protect the lakes from pollution.
The officials of the Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA), which manages and conserves the water bodies and waterways of Jammu and Kashmir, said the project will collect sewage from the houseboats and keep the lakes clean. Both the lakes have over the years suffered a great deal of pollution, they said, adding that the project will totally contain the sewerage from the houseboats and render the lakes clean.
LCMA official told STATE TIMES the refuse from houseboats currently go directly into the two lakes. Since the problem of sewage seeping into the lake has persisted, the government has decided to connect the houseboats through a proper sewage system. Last year, the LCMA started a programme to connect all the houseboats in the Dal and Nigeen lakes to the sewerage line, they said.
“The western shore houseboats of Nigeen Lake were connected last year. The Dal Lake project has been started and currently, we have completed 60 to 70 per cent of the work. We are hopeful that by the November end, all the houseboats of both lakes will be connected to the sewerage line,” an official said. The houseboats in the lakes are being connected with a sewage treatment plant through a floating sewage system.
“Basically, the project is aimed to contain all the refuse that gets into the lake so as to improve the water quality. The objective is to restore Dal Lake to its pristine glory,” he said, adding that it was a challenging project as many experiments on collecting sewage have failed in the past. He added that there are 950 houseboats in both lakes. Assistant Executive Engineer, LCMA, said the project was designed to scientifically dispose of sewage from houseboats.
For the Dal Lake part of the project, the water body has been divided into 11 clusters. Each cluster has about 70 houseboats. The work on the project is taken cluster after cluster, he said.
“These clusters will have an individual sump in which the sewage is collected. After the collection, it will be pumped out and will be carried to the shores where it will get treated in a nearby sewage treatment plant,” he said.
He added while the project deadline is November ending, the LCMA is trying to complete it before time.
He said houseboat owners would benefit from the project as the lakes would be cleaner which would lead to an increase in tourism.
“We have the support of houseboat owners and houseboat associations. They want this network to develop so that the lake remains clean,” he added.