M A I N   N E W S

After Harike, Army takes on Kanjali Lake
From Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

KANJALI LAKE (Kapurthala), Jan 14 — Army jawans have taken upon themselves to clear Kanjali Lake of hyacinth.

Several Army personnel, clad in orange life jackets, can be seen swarming the lake and removing the weed with the help of motorised boats and trucks, amid a thick sheet of fog. Unruffled by the biting cold, the jawans of the 118 Engineer Regiment, with help from the district administration, are working hard to revive the glory of the once favourite tourist spot of the Doaba region.

The serene lake, a creation of the “maharajas” of the erstwhile Kapurthala state, was known for its clear waters. They had selected an adjoining site to build a sprawling villa on its banks. The villa is presently occupied by Mr Sukhjit Singh.

The lake was a favourite place among all royal guests.

According to legend, the lake is linked with the first Sikh Guru, in whose memory the district administration organises an annual fair on Baisakhi when thousands of devotees take a dip in the lake.

The lake started losing its glory after Independence on account of the indifference of successive governments and decrease in the flow of fresh water in the Kali Bein which has ceased to be a seasonal rivulet owing to the setting up of several barrages upstream. The devastating 1988 floods left tonnes of hyacinth in the lake which multiplied over the years and virtually choked it.

Though efforts were made from time to time to revive the lake, these failed, forcing the Army and the civil administration to join hands. They launched a project, an extension of the ongoing Operation Sahyog of the Vajra Corps, aimed at reaching out to people of the state. Lieut-Gen Kamal Davar, GOC, Vajra Corps, has been supervising the operation.

Giving details, Major Alok Dhar and Mr Jagjit Singh, GA to DC, said two kilometres of the lake, up to the villa, had almost been cleared of the weed and two JCBs, two tippers and a number of motorised boats had been pressed into service.

“An improvised bucket can remove two tonnes of the weed from the lake bed,” said Major Dhar. About 50 metres of the lake area could be cleared in a day by using this method.

Mr V.K. Singh, Deputy Commissioner, said efforts were being made to ensure a fresh flow of water into the Bein river from the Buddhu Barkat barrage near Dasuya, to clear the river and the lake of the weed and to push out the stagnating water in a gradual manner.

“We cannot release the water at once as it may harm the crops of farmers whose fields are adjoining the river bed. We are planning to channelise the river right from the barrage point,” he said.