More than 312 illegal structures have been demolished in and around the areas surrounding world famous Dal Lake and the adjoining Nigeen lake, as part of conservation plans for the two water bodies in the state.
Among the demolished structures around 25 were present inside the lake area while other 131 structures had come up over the periphery.
The remaining 156 structures, which were demolished had been constructed in the jurisdiction of the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA).
Deputy chief minister Tara Chand, who holds the portfolio of Housing and Urban Development, in a reply to a question in the Legislative Assembly said that the government is taking several measures to save the Dal Lake from encroachment.
Tara said “watch and ward staff” of the LAWDA maintains strict vigil within the lake and its peripheries to check any encroachment. "The local police is under instruction to install nakas and regularly monitor the movement of building material in the lake area," he said.
Tara said efforts have been made to make people and other stakeholders aware about the need to conserve the lake and desist from encroaching upon it. Meanwhile, the police in Thursday night seized nine trucks loaded with construction material while on their way to Nishat area on the banks of the Dal Lake.
Construction in the Green Belt, a 200 metre area from the banks of Dal Lake has been prohibited by the state high court.