BHOPAL: If dry spell of monsoon continues for the next couple of days, the water supply to the city from Upper Lake would be affected. With monsoon taking a break, the state capital is witnessing a dry spell for the last 10 days. Upper Lake level stood at 1652.50ft during this period. The lake’s full tank capacity is 1666.18 ft.
The city has experienced rise of 14 degree Celsius in day temperature during the monsoon break. The city had recorded 21.1 degree Celsius day temperature on July 7 and thereafter the city has been experiencing hotter days as the temperature on Tuesday (July 16) was 34.6 degree Celsius, 4.2 notches above season’s normal. Heat and humidity is on the rise.
Upper Lake caters to potable water requirement of the old city’s densely populated areas. Nearly 43 per cent of the capital’s population is supplied water from the Lake.
Meanwhile, BMC administration is focusing on drafting a plan for the catchment area of Upper Lake to ensure that smooth and interrupted water flow into the lake.
Special care would be taken to enhance state capital’s green cover and plantation would be carried out in areas were the trees were felled for the development work.
Administration had already taken note of the rising temperature in the city which has seen massive decline in the forest cover from 35 per cent to 9 per cent during 2009 to 2019.
If the trend continues, the city will be left with just 3 per cent of its forest cover by 2025. Administration has launched Green Bhopal –Cool Bhopal initiative. It aims at planting 11 lakh saplings, so far 4.32 lakh saplings have been planted.
