(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)
SRINAGAR — Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan today chaired a meeting to review issues regarding Hokersar wetland.
Various issues were discussed threadbare in the meeting.
Additional Commissioner Kashmir Tasaduq Hussain Mir, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal, Deputy Commissioner Budgam Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar, Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control, Chief Wild Life Warden, Deputy Director Tourism, Local NGO and other concerned officers were present in the meeting.
Known as the queen of Himalayan wetlands, Hokersar which hosts around half a million birds annually is being vandalized in the name of flood management and an apparent 'treatment operation' for the wetland these days, Kashmir Observer had reported last December.
The careless manner with which the dredging for construction of drainage channel across the wetland and also the apparent treatment operation for maintaining the water level was being carried out was in total disregard for area's delicate ecological balance, according to report published by this newspaper.
Hokersar is a wetland of international importance given its inclusion in the list of Ramsar sites. Situated in the outskirts of Srinagar wetland is a favourite halting and breeding ground for the migration of birds from Siberia and central Asia.
The dredging of the channel, was being carried out by the Kolkata-based dredging firm, Reach Dredging Ltd. (RDL). But the earth being excavated for creating the channel was being dumped around which has created huge mounds of earth in the wetland.
In the tender notice (of Irrigation and Flood Control), reviewed by Kashmir Observer, it had been clearly specified that the excavated earth has to be cleared right-away.
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