Srinagar district i
s situated in the centre of Kashmir Valley, is surrounded by five districts.In the north it is flanked by Kargil,in the South by Pulwama,in the north-west by Budgam. The capital city of Srinagar,is located 1730 metres above sea level.The district with a population of around 9,00,000 souls(1991- census), is sperad over an area of 2228 Sq.Kms.It comprises three tehsils/ towns viz Srinagar, Ganderbal and Kangan, four blocks (Srinagar, Ganderbal, Kangan and Leh), besides 175 villages.The population density in the district Srinagar is 401 per Square Kilometer which is highest in the state. The literacy rate of the district was 33.80%in 1981.
Lalchowk
It is the heart of srinagar city .It has the biggest market in kashmir province people com from all provinces of the kashmir valley for shopping as well as specialized services.IT has a very good market for all kinds of kashmiri handicrafts carpets , kashmiri shawls as well as other branded national and internationa stuff .IN Lal chowk tourists can find branches and ATM of all the major banks like SBI,ICICI ,HDFC and others .
Dal lake
Dal Lake has rightfully become an icon of the Kashmir tourism
industry.
A Himalayan urban lake, it has five basins and a number of channels
that are well linked with each other. There are plenty of fishes in Dal Lake and
fishery is the second largest industry of the region centered on the lake. The
sparkling quiet waters of Dal surrounded by snow-capped mountains on its three
sides, undoubtedly mark it as one of the most beautiful lakes of India. It is
also the second largest lake in the State of Jammu and Kashmir with numerous
gardens and orchards all along its shores. Houseboats form an indelible part of
the scenery of the Dal Lake that are always ready to take tourists to a romantic
and peaceful ride of the lake and soothe their nerves as the houseboat floats
over the slightly rippling waters. They also offer some of the most exotic views
of the splendid scenery of the Dal Lake.
There are Shikaras that look like small ornate versions of the gondolas of
Venice that offers ferry rides to and from the banks of the lake to the
houseboats. The shores of the Lake houses the distinct Moghul monuments and the
campus of the University of Kashmir while the two hillocks overlooking the lake
house Shankaracharya and Hari Parbat temples. The glorious Mughal gardens on its
shores contribute to the beauty of the Dal Lake. Out of about five hundred
gardens laid down in 16th to 17th century, only a few still survive. There have
been controversies about the origin of the Dal Lake. While some geologists
believe that the origins of Dal Lake lie in the Pleistocene Oligotrophic Lake
that once covered the entire valley of Kashmir, others just believe it to be a
flood plain lake. The floating gardens of Dal Lake are considered a beauty in
themselves. One can find a number of restaurants and hotels at the lakefront
that have sprung up, encouraged by the large influx of tourists here.
The lake itself is connected to a number of other lakes of the Kashmir valley. It is well known for its approximately 500 Victorian-era woodenhouseboats, originally built as vacation homes for British administrators during the Raj. The lake covers 18 square kilometers, and is divided by causeways into four basins, called Gagribal, Lokut Dal, Bod Dal and Nagin. Lokut-dal and Bod-dal have an island each in the centre, known as Rup Lank (or Char Chinari) and Sona Lank respectively. During the winter season the lake sometimes freezes over.
The lake has some interesting flora and fauna. The flora include lotus flower, water lillies and water chestnuts. Notable birds are kingfishers and heron.
Apart from the houseboats, the Lake and Waterways Dal Authority allows kayaking, canoeing, water surfing and licensed angling on the lake.[1
Dal is a Himalayan urban lake which is mainly
used for tourism. Fishery is of secondary importance. 
Dal Lake
is unique in having
hundreds of house boats which afford an opportunity to tourists to resde on the lake in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. The boats are served by Shikaras which more or less resemble the gondolas of Venice but are smaller in size and are tastefully decorated. Besides the Moghul monuments the campus of the University of Kashmir is also located along the shores of the lake. Overlooking the lake are two hillocks which house the famous temples of Shankaracharya and Hari Parbat. A perennial inflow channel enters the lake from the north and supplies about 80% of the water. Towards the southwest side an outflow channel drains the lake water into a tributary of the River Jhelum. Parallel to this exit is a stone-lined canal which connects the lake with the tributary. This channel is used for movement of boats in and out of the lake and prevents inundation of floating gardens during high floods.The famous Moghul gardens around the lake have been laid during 16-17th century and their number was about five hundred but now only a few of these have survived. The origin of the lake has remained unresolved. It is believed by some geologists that the Dal Lake is the remnant of a Pleistocene oligotrophic lake which once covered the entire valley of Kashmir. There are other geologists who believe Dal to be a flood plain lake. The lake water is being used for irrigation of vegetable fields which have grown in number and extent during recent years. The present maximum depth of the lake is 6 m (Nagin basin). Many aquatic plants growing in the lake are used as food, fodder and compost.The water quality of Dal Lake has deteriorated considerably in the last two decades. Large peripheral areas have been reclaimed and converted into floating gardens. With the increase in the tourist influx a large number of residential buildings, restaurants and hotels have come up along the lake front. The number of house boats has also been increasing at an alarming rate. As a result of rapid and unplanned urbanization, large quantities of raw sewage are discharged in the lake water, which might pose health problems in the near future.
The main environmental issues are excessive weed growth, reduction in water clarity, enrichment of waters and high microbial activity. A Dal Development Project was formulated in 1978 and the State Government of Jammu and Kashmir adopted it with some modifications. The main thrust of the project is to improve the lake environment by using both physical and biological approaches. The work is in progress (Q).
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