Covid hits Kapra Lake restoration

Virus infects contractor, supervisor; fear grips several workers

Work on restoring Kapra lake has been impacted with both the contractor and the supervisor infected with the Coronavirus. “While the former tested positive ten days ago, the latter was infected 20 days ago. They both are recovering now,” said an official of the irrigation department, requesting anonymity.

Out of fear of contracting the disease, the workers too have been staying away from the work that has to be taken up at the lake.

“The contractor and the supervisor only visited the lake once a week. So, it is difficult to gauge where they might have contracted the virus. But the workers are refusing to resume work,” the official added.

Officials also tried to convince the workers to resume their work by promising higher pay. “We told them that we will pay them `1,500 per day as compared to their daily wage of `1,000. But they were not convinced as they said that it was more important to stay alive than earn more money,” said the official.

As things stand, work along the bund of the lake has been completed whereas the ring-bund of the lake is still pending.

“A bund covers only one side of the lake. This protects it from one side and ensures that there are inflows that fill the lake up. A ring-bund covers the circumference of the lake to prevent it from being encroached,” said noted environmentalist B.V. Subba Rao.

This particular lake was chosen as one of the 100 lakes in the Centre’s bid to save the wetlands of the country. It is one of two wetlands in the state, the first being the Pakhal lake.

In February this year, officials of the department had told this newspaper that the preliminary work to restore this lake would be done by the end of summer.

Also, officials said that the work for restoring this lake was to be taken up with a budget of `60 crore. This was to be used to improve the bunds of the lake, improve plantation, and provide clean water within the water body.