Srinagar, Feb 6,: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has reiterated that rehabilitation of Dal dwellers will be carried out under an in-situ conservation model, allowing families to continue living within the Dal Lake ecosystem while ensuring environmental protection and sustainable development.
In a written reply to an unstarred Assembly question tabled by MLA Tanvir Sadiq, the Housing and Urban Development Department said the long-standing rehabilitation process has shifted away from relocation towards conservation-based habitation, recognising Dal dwellers as an integral part of the lake ecosystem.
The government informed the House that around 1,808 families have already been rehabilitated from Dal Lake to Rakhi Arth Colony, where land and housing plots were provided free of cost along with compensation for acquired properties. However, the reply clarified that further large-scale relocation has not yielded substantial results over the past decades.
Citing deliberations of the High-Level Committee headed by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, the government said a decision was taken to adopt in-situ conservation, enabling continued dwelling within the lake while making the ecosystem vibrant, dynamic and environmentally sustainable. The Jammu and Kashmir Lake Conservation and Management Authority has been tasked with framing a comprehensive policy through public consultation under the CBC mode.
As per the policy framework, priority hamlets where maximum rehabilitation has already been carried out will be excluded from in-situ conservation, while only a limited number of structures within the lake will be identified for rehabilitation based on updated surveys. The total number of structures inside the lake is to be fixed after verification.
The government said eco-hamlets are being developed instead of relocating Dal dwellers elsewhere, and that the rehabilitation and conservation scheme has been approved in principle by the Board of Directors of JK LCMA and endorsed by the High-Level Committee.
Responding to concerns over prolonged uncertainty and alleged harassment, the government maintained that the decisions were taken with the intention of balancing environmental conservation with humanitarian considerations and without any intent to harass Dal dwellers.
The House was informed that administrative reforms have been initiated to monitor rehabilitation progress, with nodal officers and committees constituted to oversee implementation and address grievances.
[KNT]
