M A I N   N E W S

Centre joins efforts to revive Sukhna
Jairam Ramesh to come on July 9
Sanjeev Singh Bariana and Smriti Sharma Vasudeva
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21
In an important development, following an exclusive series by The Tribune on ‘Saving Sukhna’ recently, the Centre has decided to intervene and contribute towards saving the dying beauty of the City Beautiful.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh is scheduled to visit the lake on July 9, following which an action plan is an expected development.

Confirming this, Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said, “I have had a detailed dialogue with the Environment Minister on the issue and he has responded very positively. Back in New Delhi tomorrow, I will have the backgrounder prepared before the D-day. I expect that the Centre will definitely take up cudgels for the collapsing water body from the administration. The administration had initiated a praiseworthy plan, however, the exercise needs to be taken up on a larger scale.”

“While the issue largely concerns environment, there are certain aspects in which my ministry, too, can assist. With The Tribune highlighting a disaster waiting to wipe out one of the biggest landmark on the city’s map, the message has been taken up very seriously by all authorities concerned at the top,” he added.

Bansal said, “The UT Administration has done a commendable job in clearing a chunk of approximately 95 lakh cubic feet silt from the lake bed. At the same time, the real issue in saving the lake is checking the silt inflow into the lake from the catchment area. The area includes the barren hills in Haryana. A team of experts will underline a common action plan needed for the cause.”

UT also doubles efforts

Appreciating The Tribune’s initiative, Finance Secretary Sanjay Kumar said, “The UT’s effort on saving the lake has doubled and its commitment strengthened, following The Tribune reports. The shape of the lake after the monsoons this year will show the results.”

Certain portions have been completely de-silted, which could lead to a situation of portions towards the area under water, opposite the regulator end, drying up by next year. “This will happen because the area dug up for silt this year, will be on the lower gradient and when it rains the water will naturally flow down”. Highlighting the benefit, he said, “Drying up of a major chunk of land, currently under water, will give us an opportunity to de-silt there, as well.”

Sanjay said, “We are satisfied with the work of de-silting dams in the catchment area of the UT forest. Among those drying up, each year, at least 10-15 have been cleaned up. The results were visible from the abysmally low silt at the check dam on the regulator end, just before the water flowed into the lake. In case of extra inflow, new dams upstream is not a very big task”.