The story of once magnificent Dal and Nigeen Lakes is a paradox. The J-K government insists that it wants to conserve the famed lake, sets up an exclusive development authority for its well being and invests lakhs of rupees for its preservation.

Simultaneously, the government also speeds up its death by providing basic life facilities like electricity, roads, water supply and other amenities to illegal neighbourhoods which are continuously encroaching upon the lake waters and a source of its pollution. The reason: vote bank politics of the ruling party.

The Dal and its basin Nigeen is unique because it is the only water body where people live inside the lake in small hamlets and houseboats and cultivation is carried out in floating gardens. There are around six thousands households in the lake and more than hundred mohallas (colonies) - all contributing to the shrinkage of the lake. The Conservation and Management Plan submitted by the University of Roorkee to the J-K Government has put forth a Resettlement and Rehabilitation Plan for the Dal and Nigeen dwellers as an essential part of a Save Dal project. The project had been assigned to the Alternate Hydro-energy Centre of University of Roorkee by the Union Environment and Forests Ministry.

On the ground, it is a different story. These lake dwellers are an essential part of National Conference vote bank and thus an immediate priority to the party legislators and the government. Aakhon Mohalla, Takiya Lal Sheikh inside Nigeen lake is an example of such a double standards within the government. The mohalla has been provided a primary school, a middle school, electricity lines, ration cards by the government and thus a legal cover.

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