Poor upkeep & garbage dumping turns Birgaon’s Vyas lake into sewage pond

Raipur: Thousands of devotees flock to the hundred-year-old Vyas Talab, located on the Raipur-Bilaspur Road in Birgaon municipal corporation, which was separated from Raipur in 2003 and around 10 km away from the state capital, twice a year for the 'Chhat Puja' in November and 'Chaitra Navratri' rituals in March. However, the lack of maintenance, garbage dumping, animal waste disposal by meat shop owners, and open defecation have become daily practices here, transforming the historic lake into a sewer. The residents and shopkeepers in the vicinity of the lake, spanning five acres in the Maulana Abdul Rauf Ward No. 28 of Birgaon Municipal Corporation, approximately 10 km from the Raipur district headquarters, have developed a habit of dumping garbage into the lake, according to local resident Abhishek Gupta.The alarming condition of the water body was evident when this reporter visited the pond site. The lake was filled with plastic waste, animal feces and human waste. Despite this, local residents, mostly teenagers, were observed bathing in the highly contaminated water of the lake.Meanwhile, the civic body laments the lack of funds for the proper maintenance of this historically and religiously significant lake.Gupta stated that the pond has turned into a dumping ground due to the indifference of the civic body. The pond's fence has been encroached upon. "Meat shop owners are disposing of waste in the pond, while other shopkeepers are dumping plastics and other waste. Similarly, local residents are defecating in the pond," he said.The corporator of ward no. 28 told TOI that Vyas Talab has been neglected due to a dispute between the government and a private party. He explained that while the portion of the lake containing water belongs to the government, the fence of the lake belongs to a private party, and a long-pending court case further complicates the matter."I have written several letters to the Raipur collector and the state government, urging their intervention to resolve the issue. The pond can become a tourism paradise for Birgaon if developed. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel visited the pond three years ago during the Chhat Parv festival and announced plans for the renovation and beautification of the lake, but no action has been taken yet," he said."In 2015, Rs 70 lakh was allocated for the development of the pond, but the funds were returned after the private party obtained a stay order. We used to clean the pond every year before Chhat Puja and Chaitra Navratri. However, we need a permanent solution,” he said. When asked about Birgaon Municipal Corporation's budget for pond maintenance, the corporator said that the civic body struggles to even pay its employees' salaries. "We don't have sufficient funds for the maintenance of water bodies. The condition of almost all the ponds in Birgaon is the same. Nevertheless, we will do our part to ensure the proper maintenance of the ponds," he added.
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