Terming the study report of Roorkee based NIH on Sukhna lake as “incomplete”, the UT Administration has written to the institute seeking more details to conserve and revive the lake to its pristine glory.
In a communiqué sent to the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), the UT Administration has asked them to furnish more details regarding inflow and outflow regime of Sukhna lake. Expressing displeasure over the insufficient data provided by NIH in the study, the Administration has pointed out that a number of crucial details about the lake are missing in the report submitted by the NIH.
The Administration has asked the NIH to study and provide details pertaining to outflow-regime, inflow-regime, seepage loss at Sukhna lake. Besides, the authorities have urged NIH to study the water inflow to lake from catchment areas. A senior official of the UT Administration said that a letter has been sent to the NIH seeking more details about the lake. The draft report of the study submitted by them is incomplete.
“The NIH has been asked to provide details of factors like seepage loss, evaporation loss, outflow regime, inflow regime of Sukhna lake. These factors are significant to conserve the lake,” said the official. The NIH has been requested to install rain gauges, a meteorological and hydrological instrument for determining the depth of precipitation (in millimeters) that occur over a unit area and thus measuring rainfall amount and flow of water in the area.
“The rain gauges instruments installed by NIH at various locations at the lake were washed away during monsoon. And, we have requested them to install rain gauges again if they want and submit the vital data about the lake,” added the official. Notably, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had recently asked the Administration to furnish its comments and observation on the draft report submitted by NIH.
The draft report stated that the water crisis at the lake is mainly due to deficient rainfall, and the Administration will have to find some alternatives to solve the problem. The report also recommended an increase in the overall capacity of the lake and lowering the capacity of check dams. The experts of NIH had evinced concerns on lake’s dependence on rainfall water only and have recommended a feasibility study to identify alternate source of water for lake.
“Sukhna lake is marred by troubles like water scarcity, weed Infestation and siltation”, pointed out the draft report. To control the menace of weeds and silt at lake, the NIH had recommended the technique of harvesting manually or mechanically from time to time. Giving details about the possible sources of nutrients supply to lake, the study listed sediments inflow from the catchment area, contribution from the Kaimbwala Nallah, possible contribution from the Kansal Nallah during the monsoon, overland flow from the Kaimbwala region, litter from the forest area towards the north and nutrients regenerated from within the lake.
The UT Administration had roped in NIH, Roorkee in 2011 to conduct a detailed study pertaining to the silt, thorny weeds, depleting water-table at Sukhna lake.