Srinagar’s world-famous Dal Lake, a major symbol of Kashmir tourism, is facing a serious threat due to a growing rat infestation along its main frontage on Boulevard Road. Severe rodent activity from Dalgate to Shankaracharya Ghat, covering nearly a 2.5-kilometre stretch, has caused extensive damage to the Dal Lake bund, posing an urgent risk to public safety and critical infrastructure.
Continuous burrowing by rats has weakened the soil beneath the lakefront. As a result, visible cracks, deep holes, and unstable pedestrian paths have appeared along the bund and adjoining road. Since February 2025, major portions of the footpath and the Dal Lake bund in this area have collapsed on three occasions, further highlighting the severity of the problem.
The erosion has compromised the foundation of the bund, making it increasingly fragile and vulnerable to further collapse. This situation threatens pedestrians, people sitting at the base of the bund, and the heavy vehicular traffic that passes along this busy tourist route, endangering both locals and visitors.
Shikara pullers operating on Dal Lake have expressed deep concern over the issue. They allege that the rat population has surged into the thousands due to poorly managed food waste and leftovers discarded by tourists and locals along the lakefront. Hundreds of deep holes and cracks are clearly visible on the bund and the road between Dalgate and Shankaracharya Ghat.
Omar Ahmad, a Shikara puller, said that locals have tried to fill many of the holes with stones to prevent further damage. He claimed that in the evenings, large rats, some appearing six to seven inches long, can be seen moving freely in the area. “They dig the soil and this wall can collapse. Our Shikaras can get damaged. Tourists and locals sit here with food and throw leftovers. I request the government to impose fines for littering. The bund has become hollow and can collapse at any time,” he said.
Another Shikara puller, Feroz Ahmad, echoed similar concerns. He said that tourists sitting along the bund in the evenings often eat snacks, which attracts rats. “They are making the bund and road hollow. It’s dangerous. If rats enter our Shikaras, people can panic and jump into the lake. The boundary wall has also weakened. Vendors selling eatables like bhelpuri are contributing to the rat influx,” he added.
Residents and boatmen have urged the Jammu and Kashmir Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) and other concerned departments to take immediate action to prevent a major tragedy. They stress that the issue is not limited to the lake’s front side. Volunteers working for Dal Lake’s conservation allege that negligence has pushed the interior areas of the lake close to extinction.
Tariq Ahmad, a Dal Lake volunteer, said that over the past few months, several sections of the lake’s boundary have tilted or collapsed. “Authorities repair one spot, but another gets damaged. We later found out it’s because of rat infestation. There should be strict fines for people who leave food waste here, like in Europe. This problem is not limited to the bund; if you go inside the Dal Lake, you will see how much has vanished. Dogs and other animals have entered the lake. We should not just take photos; we must act seriously,” he said.
There is an urgent need for authorities to assess the situation comprehensively. Locals and volunteers have called for permanent repairs using cemented and strengthened materials instead of temporary stop-gap measures. They have also demanded an intensive rodent control drive, strict enforcement of waste disposal rules along the lakefront to eliminate food sources for rats, and a thorough survey of the entire bund to identify and reinforce vulnerable sections before further collapses occur.
About the Author
