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June 15, 2010 | Shrinking lakes of Jammu pose threat to environment | Mansar, Samba: Mansar and Saruinsar lakes in Jammu have the potential to become a major tourist destination and can draw over a thousand tourists every day. The lakes, however, need to be conserved. They are the source
of water for dinking purposes for the neighborhood villages. The Public Health
Engineering department, is seized of the problem and is exploring the possibilities
of finding borewells These picturesque water bodies in the midst of hills covered
by green forests, are gradually shrinking. The water drawn from the lakes is supplied
to 56 villages nearby. Nearly 75,000 gallons of water from the two water bodies
is pumped out daily by the Public Health Engineering department to supply water
to some villages and hamlets and general public for construction and irrigation
purposes. All this has led to declining water-level and a large portion of the
lake- bed is turning dry. Also, a large number of the rare turtles and fish species
have started dying. "The lake is home to several birds and animals. And if the
water is lifted at this rate then the lake will soon become a small pond," says
Gyan Singh, a local resident. Mansar is a holy site and shares the sanctity of
Mansa Sarovar. Visitors feed fish as it is considered very sacred here. But lowering
of water-level is harming aquatic life in the lakes. "Water is an important element
for a picnic-spot. People come from as far as 70 km to 80 km only to see the Mansar
Lake. If the water level of the lake drops, then the main feature will die and
therefore, the number of tourists coming here will also decrease, affecting the
local economy," said Sharad Kumar, a Varanasi tourist. Authorities claim that
a comprehensive plan to save these two lakes is underway. People hope these plans
do not remain on paper only. |
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