The State Government is determined not to let the famous Naini lake dry up and would remove the encroachments from the Sukhatal area to revive the Naini lake, said the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand, Utpal Kumar Singh while addressing a meeting of officials and environmentalists at Uttarakhand Academy of Administration at Nainital on Wednesday.
In the meeting, the CS directed the Chief Engineer Irrigation, D K Pachauri to earmark the houses that are putting down the rain water into sewer line and take strict action against them.
He said that the administration should construct drains and unclog choked water passages so that rain water is directed towards the lake. The CS said that the Sukhatal area should be made completely free from encroachments so that water is easily channeled into lake during the rainy season.
On a stern note, the CS said that no construction activity should be allowed in the catchment area and green belt around the lake and an extensive afforestation drive would be undertaken in the catchment area by the forest department.
Directing the District Magistrate to initiate legal action against owner of the houses where the rain water is directed into the sewer system, Singh said that the lake should be protested at any cost. In the meeting the CS reviewed the water conservation projects and found that an amount of Rs 7.27 Crore is needed to be released. He directed the Kumaon Commissioner Chandra Shekhar Bhatt to dispatch a letter in this regard to the state administration. Singh directed the DM Dipendra Kumar Chaudhari to undertake regular review and assessment of the lake conservation works undertaken by the irrigation department, Jal Sansthan, Public Works Department and Municipal body as saving the lake is a moral duty.
In the meeting environmentalist, Ajay Rawat suggested that the Sukhatal and its catchment area is needed to be revived to conserve Naini lake.
He said that the extinct and clogged drains should be cleared so that water accumulates in Sukhatal which would ultimately seep into the Naini lake. Rawat said that ban on construction of Cement Concrete roads should be imposed so that the water is allowed to percolate from the surface.
He said that earlier the lake was fed with 30 water sources which have now reduced to only eight. Professor G l Shah and President of hotel association Dinesh Shah said that rain water drains down to the sewer system and increment of 20% in lake water can be done if this water is allowed to enter the lake.