Kashmir’s most crumbly water bodies end up like a septic tank

Nishwan Rasool:
Despite being Chek Nageen being notified as the green belt area by the Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority (LAWDA), the college continues to thrive.
The National Institute of Technology (NIT) who are using over than 400 toilets finds its discharge way into the Dal Lake, the C.R.P.F troopers, who are deployed at the Institute, are the main part which subsidizes to the pollution of Dal Lake
Officials at NIT, who wished to keep their anonymous, said, “That the Institute had received a warning note from the Pollution Control Board (PCB) and a case was registered against the college authorities.” Because of the presence of CRPF personnel who have occupied three accommodation buildings in the Institute lot of excreta is flushed out from premises," they further said that the students of the Institute have to suffer in terms of facilities because of the continued presence of CRPF personnel in the NIT premises.
“The major polluter of the lake at this side is the National Institute of Technology and the CRPF battalion situated inside its campus. But the people in the Nigeen area consider NIT as the only major polluter. All the drains of the area are directed into the Nigeen Lake. “The drainage from the canteens, hostels and residential quarters inside the campus goes into Nigeen Lake,” said Razaaq Khan [name changed] (who was working in the NIT hostel mess from past 25 years.
“Human left-over is great manure," once it gets in the water, the raw sewage and fertilizer run-off cause plant life to grow quickly. “Weeds and algae, along with bacteria, proliferate. “As the plant life soaks up oxygen from the water, other forms of aquatic life like fish are slowly choked,” said Dr.Abdul Rasheed who is working as Scientist in Plant pathology department.
He further added that the worsening condition of water bodies and the failing sanitation scenario poses a major threat to the health and economic security of thousands of people in Kashmir. The survival of these water bodies like Dal Lake, Wullar Lake, Nigeen Lake, Manasbal Lake, and River Jhelum, are at risk.

The college authorities further said, that a work progress is going on in NIT premises the 1st and 2nd phase are over, now a work is going on 3rd phase (final phase) which would connect college drainage pipes to Cheek Sedarbal (Nigeen Lake) and Dobhighat Hazratbal (Dal lake) the LAWDA authorities had make the Sedarbal and Dobhighat as the dumping area for human excreta.