Day after TOI report, cleaning drive begins at 100-yr-old lake

Raipur: Maulana Abdul Rauf Ward No. 28 corporator of Birgaon Municipal Corporation, has taken up the task of cleaning 100-year-old Vyas Talab located on the Raipur-Bilaspur road. This comes a day after the deplorable condition of the water body was highlighted in a TOI report.
While sharing videos and photographs of the work undertaken by him to rescue the disputed lake — which spans over five acres of land and had turned into a sewer — local corporator Iqram Ahmed, who is in-charge of Birgaon Municipal Corporation’s water works department, stated that water is being pumped out of lake to clean it.
“We will make the lake free from plastics, open defecation, and the dumping of animal waste after it is dries. We will also raise awareness among the residents of our ward to refrain from dumping garbage into the lake and practising open defecation. We will ensure that the lake is cleaned before the onset of the monsoon,” Ahmed said. Currently, the portion of the lake that stores water is under the possession of the state government, while the ownership of the fence around the lake belongs to a private party. The matter is pending in court.
“Regarding the disputes, I will continue to communicate with the district administration and state government to resolve them as soon as possible,” the corporator said, adding, “Until the matter is resolved, we cannot do much except clean the portion that stores water.”
He also mentioned that he would raise the issue with the municipal body of Birgaon for the conservation and rejuvenation of water bodies in the municipal area.
Thousands of devotees flock to this lake twice a year for the ‘Chhat Puja’ in November and ‘Chaitra Navratri’ rituals in March. However, poor upkeep, garbage dumping, waste disposal by meat shop owners, and open defecation have been common practices here, transforming the historic lake into a sewage cesspool.
Local residents living near the lake, which is nearly 10 km from Raipur district headquarters, have developed a habit of dumping garbage into the lake, according to local residents, who spoke to the TOI reporter on June 9th. Despite this, local residents, mostly teenagers, were seen bathing in the highly contaminated water of the lake.
When questioned about the poor maintenance, the corporator had promised to take necessary steps for the upkeep of the lake.
Three-years-ago, chief minister Bhupesh Baghel visited the lake to attend a religious event and promised to resolve disputes between the government and a private party.