Srinagar, January 5:
The walls of Srinagar’s Dal Lake are threatened by rats. Dozens of holes between the road and the wall. Apart from shikar rides, house boat rides in Dal Lake, hundreds of tourists come here every day to roam here.
They also sit on the walls along the wall and take photos. In such a situation, there is a risk of the walls standing on the hollowed ground collapsing.
People coming for walks on the Boulevard Road and the boatmen who run the hunters here said that for a long time.
There have been holes between the road and the walls. These are the paths of burrows made by rats. The problem is compounded by the dumping of food waste and leftover food on the lakeshore, which attracts rats. Due to this, their number is increasing here.
The number of burrows has increased due to the increase in rats and they are constantly weakening the soil under the pavement along the lake. The rats have dug deep burrows and made visible holes and cracks. Erosion has weakened the foundation of the walls, leaving parts of the walkway weak and on the verge of collapse.
Unknowingly, the pressure of tourists can lead to an accident at any time. Also, vehicles on a busy road can be at risk.
The sailor of the Dal said that this is not the first case of the walls weakening. The situation near Ghat 17 is particularly worrisome. Here in February 2025, a portion of the pavement collapsed due to similar erosion. This section of the pavement was closed for a long time for repairs. A portion of the wall of Dal Lake on Boulevard Road collapsed in September 2025, which is still undergoing repairs.
