Nigeen Lake (alternatively spelled as Nageen Lake) is a

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

located in

Srinagar Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...

, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is mildly

eutrophic Eutrophication is a general term describing a process in which nutrients accumulate in a body of water, resulting in an increased growth of organisms that may deplete the oxygen in the water; ie. the process of too many plants growing on the s ...

, a term that refers to a body of water rich in nutrients, which cause excessive growth of aquatic plants like algae, resulting in bacteria that consume nearly all the oxygen. It is sometimes considered a part of Dal Lake and is connected to it via a narrow strait. It is also connected to the

Khushal Sar Khushal Sar ( ; ) is a lake located in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is in a highly deteriorated condition and has been encroached upon at many places with illegal construction and landfill A landfill is a site for the disposa ...

and

Gil Sar Gil Sar ( IPA: /ɡilʲ/ /sar/) is a lake located in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The lake is named after Moorhen which is called Gil in Kashmiri language. It is in a highly deteriorated condition due to encroachment. The lake is someti ...

lakes via a channel known as Nallah Amir Khan.Unni,K.S.

Etymology

The Nigeen lake is surrounded by a large number of

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

and poplar trees. Hence, it has come to be referred as a "''nageena''", which means "''the jewel in the ring''". The word "''nigeen''" is a local variant of the same word.

Location

The lake is located adjacent to the

Hari Parbat Hari Parbat (), also called Koh-i-Maran (), is a hill overlooking Srinagar, the largest city and the capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is the site of the Hari Parbat fort, built by the Durrani Empire, and of a Hindu temple, mosques, a ...

hillock, to the west of the Dal lake. To its north and west, lie the localities of Baghwanpora and

Lal Bazar Lal Bazar is a locality in the municipal committee of Srinagar in the Indian administered States and union territories of India, union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It comes under the Zadibal (Vidhan Sab ...

while to its north east lies the locality of

Hazratbal Hazratbal is a notified area situated in the Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is about from the Srinagar city center. The area became famous after the construction of Hazratbal Shrine, where hundreds of thousands of people visit ev ...

, which is known for the

Hazratbal Shrine The Hazratbal Shrine, popularly called Dargah Sharif (), is a Sufism, Sufi dargah and mosque, located in Hazratbal locality of Srinagar, in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir, India. The site contains ...

Present status

The lake is a major tourist attraction in

, known for its relatively pristine waters as compared to the Dal lake.

Houseboats A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily for regular dwelling. Most houseboats are not motorized, as they are usually moored or kept stationary, fixed at a berth, and often tethered to land to provide ...

and

shikara The shikara is a type of wooden boat found on Dal Lake and other water bodies of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. Shikaras are of various sizes and are used for multiple purposes, including transportation. A usual shikara seats six people, with ...

s are common. It is also used for swimming. The colonial era Nigeen Club is situated on the eastern shore. As with other water bodies in the

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the Vale of Kashmir, is an intermontane valley in northern Jammu and Kashmir, a region in Indian-administered Kashmir.(a) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcont ...

the lake suffers from encroachments which are deteriorating its water quality and also increasing the risk of floods. The

government of Jammu and Kashmir The Government of Jammu and Kashmir is the principal administrative authority responsible for the governance of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Established on 5 March 1948 as the Government of Princely state of Jammu and Ka ...

is taking steps to help improve the condition of the lake and restore it to its original condition.

References

{{Kashmir Valley Lakes of Jammu and Kashmir Srinagar Tourist attractions in Srinagar