Immediate steps needed to save Lko’s water bodies

: Days after a large number of fishes died at the Butler Palace lake due to sewer water flowing into it, the UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has urged Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) and Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) to take immediate action to prevent the repeat of such incidents in city’s other lakes like the Motijheel in Aishbagh and Vinayak jheel in Telibagh.

Recently around 30 quintals of fish died in Butler Palace lake due to influx of sewer in it.

Samples collected from these lakes between March 21 and 23 by board’s assistant scientific officer Kshitij Patel, scientific assistant Rajjan Tripathi and assistant Nimesh Dubey have found waste, weed and dangerous debris. The water of these major lakes of the capital has almost become poisonous and unfit for human consumption, they claimed. Taking the matter seriously, the UPPCB has written to the LMC, LDA and asked them to take immediate steps to save these lakes.

Additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Singh said, “LMC will do whatever is required to save these lakes.”

An official of LDA on the condition of anonymity said, “The LDA has always worked for preservation of water bodies. LDA will implement the recommendations of the pollution control board.” Noted environmentalist VK Joshi said, “Residential colonies have come up around Motijheel Yamuna Lake. The sewer discharge flows directly into the lake which was once the lifeline of the area. Not only that, there is a cremation ground, graveyard near the lake. The waste of these places is also dumped into the lake. Sewer and sludge makes 70% of the lake.”

Similarly, sewage of the colonies around Vinayak Lake is flowing into it making the water body stink.

The lake is full of sewer waste, garbage, polythene, solid waste and water hyacinth. The water has turned completely black and is suffocating for aquatic life. The pollution control board has asked to clean these lakes and divert the sewer to treatment plants.

‘THE WATER OF THESE MAJOR LAKES OF THE CAPITAL HAS ALMOST BECOME POISONOUS AND UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION’