Clear water a far cry in the lakes of Delhi

 

NEW DELHI: At Rushanara Bagh, Delhi's oldest Maghal-era park, hatory unt ut neglected its roming in plain seght Once the leisure haunt of princeses and poets, dhe century garden has reelert of neglect for decades. But last year, was infused with a new lease of life when under a II crore project funded by the entral gowrnment, the lake was des ited, landscaped, and beautified.

But less than a year after being declared restored, the lake at its heurt is cace again under stegt hall of it choked with thick algil bloom. A pungent stench rises from its water. Even the ducks now struggle to navigate the dense green seums. The sweet promise of restoration that arrived decades late has already soured.

 It wasn't meant to be this way. When the lake was rejuventied, the government announced plans for boating and a lake side café, calling it a model for nestval. But even before the project's second phase could begin, signs of decay have returned with alarming speed. Aerators and foun tzina whir every evening at 6pm, but they do little in oxygenate the fith in the water.

 Roshanars is not an isolated case Acrons Delhi, even several high-profile Lake revival projects are willing under the weight of poor planning, untreated sew age and minase of neutred water. The pre vious government had launched the ambitious City of Lakes mission restare more than 200 waterbodies Now, as the new adminstration renerates its Delhi's pe promise to revive Dethes ponds and lakes, a ground check by HT of five tmayor lakes reveals that most are once again deteriorating.

Water activist Dewan Singh, who has led cumpalgas like the Yamuna Satyag raha, believes lake rejuvenati enation begin with natural sources such as nain water or linking waterbodies with storm water drains.

 "We've done this in De ppen in nation can still happen in these systems, but at least there's a chance of long-term sustainability," he said. "Treated water should only be the last resort.

Bhatswa Lake: Covered in waste tempat take comparable in to the Natinal Lake Bhalwa was formed from a mean from the treatment pla er dering loop left behind by the Yamuna Today, Its western side is shrinking fat encruched by luntfill, settlements, and the sprawling Bhalawa Dairy colony.

Rajender sahu, a local, pointed to chocked and punctured drains around the dairy colony.

Sanjay Lake, a 54-acre artificial water-body built in the 1970s by backflows from the Yamuna and Hindon, lies in Mayur Vihar, surrounded by greenery and ear-marked for tourism. DDA owns the lake, but its revival was handed over to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).project, treated water for the apply into lake Kandil plant was pomped into the lake to help recharge groundwater, with plans to extract and punly the water for house hold use. But the reality is far grimmer.

Welcome Jheel: A lake, but only in name Welcome Jheel Park in east Delhi is per-haps the most tragic example of failed revival. Its restoration was planned back in 2012 by the then East MCD, with ₹22 crore proposed from the Trans-Yamuna Area Development Board. In the first phase, 27 crore was allocated for a sew-age treatment plant. Construction began and the partially built park was even inaugurated in Feb-ruary 2022 by MP Manoj Tiwari. Amphi-theatres, administrative blocks, and a landscaped footpath followed. But the lake itself never materialized.

Kitchener Lake: How a park jewel turned into a marshland Located inside Jheel Park near Dhaula Kuan, the 66-acre Kitchener Lake was once a scenic centrepiece-it featured in seismic impact reports during the earth quake that shook the city in February.

Now, it's a marsh choked with algae, garbage, and plastic. Stinking waste dots the periphery. Anil Sood, a Vasant Kunj resident who remembers the lake in its pristine 1970s state, has filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal seeking its revival. This used to be clear blue water. Now it's completely green with algae. There's not a single patch where clean water is visible," Sood said.