Dry patch to be thing of past for Delhi's Shahdara Lake

Shahdara Lake is set to get a new lease of life as the East Delhi Municipal Corporation has planned its redevelopment to restore its past glory of a major public place in trans-Yamuna area.  
Northeast Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari, East Delhi mayor Anju Kamalkant and civic officials visit the Shahdara lake complex on Friday. | Express Photo Services
Northeast Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari, East Delhi mayor Anju Kamalkant and civic officials visit the Shahdara lake complex on Friday. | Express Photo Services

NEW DELHI: Shahdara Lake is set to get a new lease of life as the East Delhi Municipal Corporation has planned its redevelopment to restore its past glory of a major public place in trans-Yamuna area.  

In addition to beautification of the green patch and water body, the civic body will install two open-air gyms and benches.The project will be funded by northeast Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari, who has given consent to utilize funds from his MPLAD for the purpose.

Tiwari, East Delhi mayor Anju Kamalkant and senior municipal officials, including Shahdara (North Zone) Deputy Commissioner Pooja Joshi and Assistant Commissioner AK Singh, visited the lake complex on Friday.“Beautification work for the park and lake will start within a month. All the footpaths in the park will be reconstructed,” said Tiwari.

The special feature of the park will be a water treatment plant to treat the water from the drains of the area, which once treated will be diverted to the lake.Meanwhile, Tiwari raised the issue of unauthorised construction in the Yamuna riverbed near Okhla in Parliament during zero hour and spoke about the rising pollution level in the Yamuna.

“Hundreds of crores have been spent, but there is no improvement in the condition of the Yamuna. After Wazirabad Barrage, there is a little water in the river. The banks are dry and there is no flow in the water. The temperature is also increasing due to continuous pollution. The quantum of oxygen is decreasing and the water has become heavy due to various chemicals,” said a statement issued by Tiwari.

Once a flourishing wetland, Shahdara Lake was reduced to a garbage dumping site. It was also turned into a nome for stray animals and open defecation was rampant in this area.The first plan in the recent years to rejuvenate the wetland was made in 2013. But the East MCD stopped work suddenly as it faced financial crunch. Locals now hope it won’t recur this time.

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