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The summer 2012 would spell trouble for the city’s landmark — Sukhna Lake. Nearly one-half area of the Sukhna Lake will dry out by June this year.
The water woes of Sukhna Lake would apparently be a dark cloud on the horizon for the higher authorities. The National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) at Roorkee, which is conducting a year-long study on the lake, in its preliminary report submitted to the UT Administration, has stated that nearly 50 per cent of the water body would run dry by June.
This is not all! Even 160 acres water spread, out of the total 340 acres, in Sukhna Lake would dry completely. In its report, the NIH has showed that several areas in lake would entirely dry out by the month of June. Supporting their claims, the NIH in its report has also carried pictures projecting the pattern of how the lake will be drying every month from January to July 2012.
As the monsoon usually hit the region by June, there is hope that the rain-fed lake would be filled after rains in June or July. The NIH report also pointed out that the Sukhna Lake is losing six mm water every day in winter; while in summer, the water-level is descending by nearly nine mm daily.
“As per the report submitted by the NIH lately, nearly 50 per cent of the Sukhna Lake will dry out by June 2012. Also, if the monsoon is delayed this year, the condition will worsen further,” said a senior official of the UT Administration while talking to The Pioneer.
The official, requesting anonymity, said, “The report has stated that out of total area of 340 acres, nearly 160 acres would dry out completely by June.”
Considering the great trouble in store for the city’s prestigious Sukhna Lake, the administration has planned to speed up the manual de-weeding work for the water body.
Sources said the administration would spend nearly Rs 21 lakh in the manual de-weeding process during this year. Such a huge amount would be spent for the first time in five years to remove weeds from the lake.
Earlier, the administration had spent Rs two to Rs eight lakh every year in the ongoing manual de-weeding procedure at lake. This year, the administration has planned to dig several parts of lake by nearly two-feet in the summer to control the menace of weeds in the Sukhna Lake.
Unfortunately, from manual de-weeding to introduction of grass carp fish to the Sukhna Lake to counter weed problem, the initiatives have been futile so far. The rain-fed Sukhna Lake has been combating the weed trouble since long. The menace of weed has led to plunge in the water spread and water level in the Lake. The storage capacity in the lake has also reduced partially.
Meanwhile, to deal with the water crisis in lake, the administration has proposed to utilise the water from Kajauli water works to fill Sukhna Lake in winters. The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has been directed to look at the prospects of the proposal and submit a report soon.
At present, the Sukhna Lake has a water capacity of 1,200 MGD to 1,300 MGD. The administration is brooding over to construct a pipeline and directing about 10 MGD (million gallons per day) to the lake in winters. If the process continues for two months in winters, the higher authorities would be able to fill the lake with a total of 600 MGD.
The water woes of Sukhna Lake would apparently be a dark cloud on the horizon for the higher authorities. The National Institute of Hydrology (NIH) at Roorkee, which is conducting a year-long study on the lake, in its preliminary report submitted to the UT Administration, has stated that nearly 50 per cent of the water body would run dry by June.
This is not all! Even 160 acres water spread, out of the total 340 acres, in Sukhna Lake would dry completely. In its report, the NIH has showed that several areas in lake would entirely dry out by the month of June. Supporting their claims, the NIH in its report has also carried pictures projecting the pattern of how the lake will be drying every month from January to July 2012.
As the monsoon usually hit the region by June, there is hope that the rain-fed lake would be filled after rains in June or July. The NIH report also pointed out that the Sukhna Lake is losing six mm water every day in winter; while in summer, the water-level is descending by nearly nine mm daily.
“As per the report submitted by the NIH lately, nearly 50 per cent of the Sukhna Lake will dry out by June 2012. Also, if the monsoon is delayed this year, the condition will worsen further,” said a senior official of the UT Administration while talking to The Pioneer.
The official, requesting anonymity, said, “The report has stated that out of total area of 340 acres, nearly 160 acres would dry out completely by June.”
Considering the great trouble in store for the city’s prestigious Sukhna Lake, the administration has planned to speed up the manual de-weeding work for the water body.
Sources said the administration would spend nearly Rs 21 lakh in the manual de-weeding process during this year. Such a huge amount would be spent for the first time in five years to remove weeds from the lake.
Earlier, the administration had spent Rs two to Rs eight lakh every year in the ongoing manual de-weeding procedure at lake. This year, the administration has planned to dig several parts of lake by nearly two-feet in the summer to control the menace of weeds in the Sukhna Lake.
Unfortunately, from manual de-weeding to introduction of grass carp fish to the Sukhna Lake to counter weed problem, the initiatives have been futile so far. The rain-fed Sukhna Lake has been combating the weed trouble since long. The menace of weed has led to plunge in the water spread and water level in the Lake. The storage capacity in the lake has also reduced partially.
Meanwhile, to deal with the water crisis in lake, the administration has proposed to utilise the water from Kajauli water works to fill Sukhna Lake in winters. The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh has been directed to look at the prospects of the proposal and submit a report soon.
At present, the Sukhna Lake has a water capacity of 1,200 MGD to 1,300 MGD. The administration is brooding over to construct a pipeline and directing about 10 MGD (million gallons per day) to the lake in winters. If the process continues for two months in winters, the higher authorities would be able to fill the lake with a total of 600 MGD.
