Plan for lake in Aravallis approved

Gurugram The plan to develop a lake in the water catchment region of the Aravalli foothills, at Gairatpur Bas on the southern outskirts of the city, was approved

Gurugram The plan to develop a lake in the water catchment region of the Aravalli foothills, at Gairatpur Bas on the southern outskirts of the city, was approved by the chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday. The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) will now start laying a water pipeline, as a permanent source of water, for the proposed lake.

HT Image

The GMDA is likely to float a tender next week and to select a contractor by January-end, with a deadline of June 2020. The pipeline will connect the sewage treatment plant (STP) in Sector 72 with the water catchment area, the site of the proposed lake. The project cost has been estimated at around ₹4.5 crore.

As per the plan, the GMDA would initially supply 4.5 million litres daily (MLD) for the lake, which would be increased to 5 MLD by end of the year, so as to cover an area of seven to eight acres.

Lalit Arora, GMDA’s chief engineer, said, “This plan would help in conserving water at the lake, which would recharge the foothills, and the water catchment area can be used for tourism as well. The plan would help GMDA also reduce water discharge load of the Najafgarh drain.”

The state forest department had been working on developing an Aravalli Conservation Zone on 1,000 acres across four villages — Sakatpur, Sikohpur, Naurangpur and Gairatpur Bas. The district forest department of Gurugram proposed a plan, of which the lake was a part, in this regard to the forest department of the Haryana government last July.

Subhash Yadav, district forest officer, said, “We are already working on erecting boundary walls to protect 1,000 acres as part of the Aravalli Conservation Zone. Water catchment area will be developed as a lake and we will make boating facility available, so that people can visit and enjoy it like they used to do at Damdama lake, years ago.”

The Aravalli Conservation Zone also includes a leopard safari, bird sanctuary and enclosures for other wild animals. “Leopard safari, bird sanctuary, etc, will be introduced. We have submitted a plan to the Haryana government in this regard,” said Yadav.

After Damdada lake lost its water catchment, the lake bed turns into a playground in peak summer. “There is little water in the lake at Damdama and that disappears in May-June, turning the entire lake bed into a playground. The Damdama lake used to be a famous tourist spot until the late 1990s. Heavy constructions in the Aravallis soiled the water source for the lake and that affected the rain cycle also,” said Satbir Khatana, a resident of Damdama village.