Punjab and Haryana HC asks Centre to consider ₹73-crore grant for de-silting of Sukhna Lake

The HC bench was hearing a 2009 petition on the decreasing water level of the lake

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday asked the Centre to consider the ₹73-crore grant to Chandigarh administration for preservation of Sukhna Lake.

Chandigarh has been maintaining that it needs the support of Punjab and Haryana to save the lake. (HT FILE PHOTO)

The HC bench was hearing a 2009 petition on the decreasing water level of the lake.

On Wednesday, it had come to light that a proposal for de-silting of the lake was submitted to the Centre by the UT in 2006 with estimated cost of ₹73 crore. However, the UT did not follow-up on the matter even though the Centre had sought more information on the issue.

The HC bench also reserved its order related to lake conservation and its catchment area in the hearing which saw arguments from Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Kansal villagers and local MLA Kanwar Sandhu.

The Punjab government that has recently demanded a fresh survey of Sukhna catchment area reiterated that wetland area notification of the lake cannot be extended to areas in Punjab. It also argued that as per 1963 notification, the area of revenue village Kansal was never included in the catchment area of the lake. On the other hand, Haryana told the HC that it had made check dams to avoid silting of lake and that no illegal construction was taking place in the areas falling under its jurisdiction.