Delhi to be made city of lakes with aim to conserve wetlands: Gopal Rai

With the aim of conserving the wetland ecosystem, the Delhi government on Tuesday decided to revamp and develop 20 lakes in the national capital.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai chaired a joint meeting with officials from the Delhi Parks and gardens society, Wetland Authority of Delhi, Environment Department and land owning agencies on Tuesday at the Delhi Secretariat to address the beautification and repair of Delhi's lakes.

The conference was also attended by officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Central Public Works Department, Public Works Department, Delhi Development Authority, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Revenue and other concerned departments.

Chairing the meeting, the Environment Minister said, "Delhi will be made 'City of Lakes'. It was decided to revive and develop 20 lakes in Delhi in accordance with international standards in the first phase of this project. The Kejriwal government is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of Delhi's lakes. The environment of Delhi is dominated by its lakes. They not only provide water but also nourish aquatic life and regulate climate. However, due to the current state of these lakes, it has been decided to revive them."

While highlighting the project, Rai informed that the Wetland Authority of Delhi has finished the mapping of roughly 1,018 lakes out of a total of 1,045 lakes. In addition, UID numbers have been assigned to each of the 1045 lakes. The rest of the lakes will be developed as part of this project in the future.

The Minister said Delhi will be transformed into a city of lakes as part of this project. The first phase will see the beautification and development of 20 Delhi lakes. These 20 lakes include Sanjay Lake, Hauz Khas Lake, Bhalswa Lake, Smriti Van (Kondali), Smriti Van (Vasant Kunj), Tikri Khurd Lake, Najafgarh Lake, Welcome Lake, Daryapur Lake, Poth Kalan (Sardar Sarovar Lake), Mungeshpur, Dheerpur, MP Green Area at Sanjay Van, West Vinod Nagar (Mandawali, Fazalpur), Mandawali Village, Park, Lake and woodland area in Rajouri Garden (Near Tihar Village), Barwala and Jhatikara Lakes.

''Responding to complaints about lakes is the most important component of lake development and repair. So far, the research has identified encroachment, sewage discharge, and solid waste disposal as important challenges," Rai added.

To address these concerns and promote lake development, the Delhi government constituted a District Grievance Committee. The Committee will be in charge of checking and monitoring these lakes on a regular basis. It will also take care of any complaints about the lake.