Impacts of Houseboats on the Water Body in the Nehru Park Basin of Dal Lake, Kashmir, India

Being second major freshwater lake of Kashmir valley, Dal lake has immense importance in the economy of the Kashmir valley. It is known for its clean water, stunner mountains surrounding it and beautiful floating palaces, that is houseboats. Houseboats and the Dal lake are widely associated together as they add to the charm of the water body, especially at the Nehru park basin. Though houseboats represent the cultural heritage of valley, improper sanitation of houseboats, like greywater, generation of sewage and sullage has deteriorated the quality of water which is now unfit for drinking and overall ecology of the Nehru park basin. Other pollutants that enter the basin are in the form of soil erosion from catchment area, animal waste, solid waste and waste from local dwellers, hotels and business hubs that have altogether worsened overall biodiversity of the basin. This is pay-off of poor governance and laxity of authorities (LAWDA) who have never fulfilled their duties in conservation of the lake through solid waste and sewage management; as a result whole basin is engulfed in the immense growth of weeds and sedimentation and poses a grave warning to its longevity. Thus preservation of the basin is the need of the hour. Numerous procedures have been put forth for the sustainability of lake including forestation and control of grazing animals in the catchment area, removal of houseboats and hotels and rehabilitation of their owners and inhabitants living in and around the basin to suitable places, removal of excess weeds on continuous basis, construction of sanitation facilities for villagers, reducing use of chemical pesticides, avoiding use of commercial fertilizers, installation of STPs, continuous monitoring of Nehru Park basin environment; these are expected to reduce the pollution and hence, lead to preservation of the basin.