A team of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) will be studying the biggest water body, Kankaria lake of Ahmedabad for a week in May. The study tour will help the corporation in beautifying Ranchi lake situated at the heart of the city. The beautification of Ranchi lake has been getting delayed after the incident of December 2013 during the inauguration of Nigam (Corporation) Park near the lake. Three persons were killed when a boat carrying 15 people capsised in the water body. The boat was driven by then Tourism Secretary Sajal Chakraverty. The park is closed since then.
“We accept that the plan of Ranchi lake beautification has been pending since long. But, now we have decided to work for the proper implementation of the plan framed in 2008. For this reason, we are going to Ahmedabad wherein we will study the development of the Kankaria lake. This, in turn, will give us the opportunity of understanding the civic way of maintaining a big water body,” said Mayor Asha lakra. “The observations noted at the Kankaria lake will be implemented in and around Ranchi lake. I along with councillors of all the 55 wards, corporation’s Chief Executive Engineer Suresh Paswan accompanied by another engineer will be departing for the study tour on May 25,” lakra added.
According to official sources, RMC is in talks with Tandon Associates for preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the mentioned lake’s beautification. Tandon Associates has been given the charge of beautifying Karamtoli lake by the RMC. Ashok Kumar Baraik, Councillor of Ward Number 28, said the tour will certainly benefit RMC in learning the proper solid waste management, sewage and traffic system of Ahmedabad. “Mayor, Town Commissioner Prashant Kumar and other senior officers of RMC have directed us to take the tour seriously and not to spend it like a holiday,” Baraik pointed out.
locals residing near the Ranchi lake felt the lake is in urgent need of maintenance. “I have been watching the daily activities of the lake for last five years. After the December 2013 mishap, labourers of the corporation have been neglecting their job. They come and sit for hours, urinate or gossip and leave the place without collecting the wastes dumped by the denizens,” said a cycle repairing boy. Similarly, Vikas, a school going boy of Irgu Toli located at a distance of few meters, said RMC officers have not visited the lake area in recent months.