Mehbooba Mufti opposes motorable boulevard on western side of famous Dal Lake

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday (October 12, 2026) opposed a proposal of ruling National Conference (NC) legislator to construct a motorable boulevard on the western shore of the Dal Lake, a major attraction for tourists travelling to Kashmir.  

“The proposed Western Foreshore Road from Hotel Mamta to Habbak via Cherry Park is a deliberate attempt to mislead and push a vote-bank agenda. The Tourism Department developed the Proposal, but Cherry Park should be preserved as an ecopark, not sacrificed for political appeasement. Why destroy Nigeen Lake’s tranquillity? Kashmir needs ecological protection, not divisive politics,” said Ms. Mufti.

The Opposition to the move came when NC legislator Tanvir Sadiq moved a private members’ Bill, ‘The Right to Dignified Eco-Housing in Lakeside Areas Bill, 2026’, before the J&K Assembly earlier. It aims to rehabilitate the Dal dwellers in and around the lake, in contrast to the 2000 policy of 2000 of both the Centre and the local government to relocate the dwellers from over 7526 kanals of land on the city outskirts. However, Mr Sadiq also proposed a boulevard on the western shore of the lake “to ease traffic for the Dal dwellers”. 

The proposal also attracted criticism from the Environmental Policy Group (EPG), a local advocacy group. It highlighted the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that recorded a decline in the size from 15.40 square kilometres in 2007 to 12.91 square kilometres in 2020 of the lake, “a reduction of 10.15%”.

“There is the need to ensure dignified living conditions and protect the legitimate interests of families who have historically lived around water bodies. Housing rights should not compromise the ecological integrity, carrying capacity and public character of lakes and wetlands,” said the EPG.

It warned that the Dal lake was not an ordinary residential settlement but a living ecological system, a natural flood buffer and one of Kashmir’s most important environmental assets. “The answer to decades of administrative failure could not be to retrospectively legitimise activities that had contributed to the deterioration of the lake,” it added.

The advocacy group also opposed attempts of land filling, reclamation for roads, residential structures or other infrastructure. “Any legislative intervention should address the causes of degradation rather than merely recognise the consequences of years of weak enforcement,” it added.

It demanded a detailed environmental, legal and technical scrutiny of the proposed legislation. “The Assembly must not create a framework under which the degradation of the lake becomes a fait accompli and then receives legislative protection,” it warned.

Meanwhile, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday highlighted the need for “a practical and balanced approach to sustainable mountain development”.

Speaking at the 13th Sustainable Mountain Development Summit in Srinagar, Mr. Abdullah drew attention to climate change, erratic snowfall, water scarcity, extreme rainfall and landslides affecting Jammu and Kashmir.

“These developments are the new reality. The challenge was to determine how Jammu and Kashmir could continue to develop while adapting to growing environmental risks. Development is essential, but it must be sustainable,” said Mr. Abdullah.

He said environmental responsibility had to be shared by the government, residents, businesses and visitors alike. He urged locals to avoid littering, reduce the use of single-use plastic and conserve water and energy.

Highlighting the need for environmentally sound infrastructure, the J&K Chief Minister said unscientific hill cutting during road construction had contributed to landslides and repeated damage to roads, particularly in far-flung areas of Jammu and Kashmir. He asked the Forest and Environment Department and the Public Works Department to work together to ensure that development projects incorporated sustainable engineering practices and reduced the risk of landslides.