SRINAGAR, Sept. 17 -- The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to coordinate a fresh exercise for the removal of encroachments from Shah Koul, also known as Gupt Ganga, a canal-feeding channel linked to Dal Lake.

The directions were issued by a Division Bench of Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Rajnesh Oswal while hearing a public interest litigation seeking restoration and revamping of Shah Koul.

The court observed that it had been monitoring the matter through a series of earlier orders aimed at clearing encroachments and restoring the water channel. It noted submissions by the petitioner that, despite demarcation of encroachments, effective removal action had not been ca...