Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state-wide Jal Ganga Sanvardhan Abhiyan to clean and rejuvenate water bodies ahead of the monsoons seems to be disproportionately focused on lakes and ponds in Bhopal, with heritage and step-wells largely neglected.
The drive was launched on March 30 and is set to run until June 30. In the state capital, however, while the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working on the cleaning of lakes and ponds, crucial historical water sources such as step-wells and public wells are being sidelined.
According to the officials of BMC’s water department, only six step-wells out of a total of 23 have been cleaned in 1.5 months, whereas seven out of 11 lakes have been cleaned.The cleaning of Upper Lake and Lower Lake continues, as they are too big to be cleaned in one shot.
BMC superintending engineer of lake conservation, Pramod Malviya, said that the cleaning of lakes is on. Every day, 2-3 trucks collect garbage from all the lakes, and the work is going to continue.
However, this slow pace raises concerns over completion of the drive before the monsoon arrives, with the Meteorological Department predicting rains between June 15 and 20. Rainfall could force the suspension of operations, leaving many water bodies uncleansed.
Adding to the concern is the lack of updated data on Bhopal’s public wells, once numbering over 500, particularly in the old city. Currently, 80–90% of these wells are either dried up or sealed, and the BMC reportedly lacks proper information on their current status.
BMC assurance
Allaying fears of slow progress, BMC’s Executive Engineer Udit Garg said the campaign is being accelerated and assured that all water bodies will be cleaned before the rains begin.
