BHOPAL: Unlike last year, Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has no plan to launch any ‘special drive’ to mobilise public participation and generate awareness towards water conservation BMC administration, however will carry out its annual exercise of de-silting lakes and other bodies enhance holding capacity of water reservoirs this summer.
Last May, the then Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had launched a campaign to revive endangered rivers across the districts. Even Jal-Sansad was held at Eitkhedi, located on bank of Kolans River, to ensure mass participation for Upper Lake conservation. Two rivers Kolans and Uljhawan fall into Upper Lake.
Water level of Upper lake is receding, even as its water holding capacity is dwindling at fast pace. BMC is already drawing 3MGD less water from Upper Lake this year in comparison to last year. Upper Lake, a man-made lake has 361 sq km catchment area and 36 sq km surface area. The importance of this lake can be established by the fact that it caters to the water requirement of half of the walled city. Water level is receding and drying -up from Bhadbhada side.
In new few weeks the civic body will have to undertake a lot works towards conservation of city lakes to ensure round the year water supply. Dredging and de-silting, catchment area treatment, sewage treatment schemes, solid waste management and other shore-line /fringe area management activities besides de-weeding, aquaculture and installation of floating fountains are among exercises which the civic authorities would have plan for. The considerable improvement in the water quality and enhancement of the carrying capacity of the lake depends on the success of these exercises.
