Delhi: 2020-end opening for Shahdara lake picnic spot

NEW DELHI: East Delhi Municipal Corporation is planning to inaugurate the Shahdara lake-cum-recreation centre on December 25, which happens to be the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The project is funded by the Centre under its AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) scheme and the civic agency has decided to name the facility after the late PM only.
“This is a big 30.7-acre green space, of which the lake occupies 14 acres.Once developed, this will be the first such picnic spot in east Delhi with provisions for boating, eateries, huge lawns, walking tracks, etc,” said a senior EDMC official.
The official added that with the beginning of the unlock period in Delhi, the work on the project picked up pace and gradually the number of labourers started increasing.
“We have levelled the place with soil and completed the work on excavating the lake bed. Now, work on making partial permeable lining around the lake is going on so that water doesn’t get absorbed easily. A provision for water supply till the lake has been made, apart from biological plantation for treating the wastewater done,” said the official.
“Work on creating parks, walking areas and plazas will be taken up soon. In the final phase, the jheel will be made attractive with artificial bridges, LED lights, decorative planters, etc,” added the official.
Due to lack of funds, the project conceived in 2008-09 kept on getting delayed.
“In 2012, EDMC had engaged National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and prepared a plan for the lake’s revival in two phases. Under Phase-I, a phytorid technology sewage treatment system was to be set up. The civic body obtained Rs 4 crore from the Trans-Yamuna Area Development Board for the job and got a Pune-based company to do it,” said another official.
A full-fledged sewage treatment system was installed in 2016-17. “Plants, which absorb sewage as nutrients to clean the dirty water, were planted then and these are still there,” added the official.
But after TYADB become defunct, funds for the second phase of the project could not be released and the project was put on hold again. Finally in July 2019, the Centre decided to allocate Rs 15 crore for revival of the lake and the civic body announced to complete the work by July 2020.
“But due to the pandemic, ban on construction activities and riots in northeast Delhi, work got impacted again. We are now aiming to inaugurate the facility on December 25,” said the official further.