till recently, restoring the pristine beauty of the famous Dal, Nagin and Aanchar lakes seemed an impossible task. But a recent court directive on the cleaning of these water bodies has rekindled hopes.

In a significant judgment, a two-member division bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, comprising Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice Muzaffar Jan, directed the state government to take specific measures to give a new lease of life to the three lakes.

The court has banned all construction in the vicinity of the lakes. Washing of vehicles is also prohibited in and around the lakes. The inspector general of police (traffic) has been accorded the responsibility of taking action against those violating the order.

The Srinagar Municipality and other developmental authorities have been directed by the court to take steps to prevent the use of polythene in and around the lakes. In addition to this, the bench has also ordered the state pollution control board (pcb) to monitor the functioning of small industrial units around the lake