Mansar lake in Jammu and Kashmir gets new lease of life; here’s all you should know

New lease of life for Jammu’s Mansar lake! Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region, Dr Jitendra Singh and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday inaugurated the Mansar Lake Development plan in Jammu through virtual mode. Situated 62 kms from Jammu, the lake has religious significance apart from its serene beauty. Ancient temples are situated on its embankments and devotees throng the place in large number every year.

According to a press release by the ministry of personnel, public grievances, Dr Singh is hopeful that on implementation of the lake project, the tourist or pilgrims footfall will double from the present 10 lakh to 20 lakh per year in the Mansar region. The project is pegged at generating Rs 800 crore of income every year and generating employment of about 1.15 crore man-days.

Dr. Singh crediting the Centre for its development projects in the union territory said that the number of projects started in the last six years is more than the ones initiates in the last 70 years. He further pointed out how the Udhampur-Doda-Kathua parliamentary constituency has received the highest priority in development and informed that work for the extension of Katra-Delhi expressway corridor has started.

Fishing is a major activity in the natural freshwater lake. On the eastern bank is a holy shrine of sheshnag (snake with six heads). Newlyweds visit the shrine and perform parikrama (circumambulations) around the lake. An ideal boating site, the lake also highlights a diverse range of flora and fauna. For tourists, the scenic beauty makes it a must-see place to visit.

Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in his address said tourism contributes to 7% of the UT’s GDP that has been badly hit due to the ongoing pandemic. Emphasizing on the tourism part, Sinha said that the centre has contributed Rs706 crore for the tourism sector and has adopted a multi-pronged approach to make the new Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir as one of the most preferred tourist destinations in the World.

Advisor to LG of J&K Shri Baseer Ahmad Khan, Divisional Commissioner Shri Sanjeev Verma and other senior officials from the UT also joined the e-inauguration event.