Who will pay for the ‘unbelievable’ show on Friday?

the Sukhna Lake catchment area had been converted into the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, and an additional 880 hectares were classified as a reserve forest. While these measures succeeded in checking the problem of silting, they also reduced the quantity of water entering the lake.

Another problem is of excessive weeding — there are 8 types of weeds in the lake. According to experts, the major reason for the growth of weeds is excessive siltation and the flow of sewage from the Kansal and Saketri villages into the lake. The Chandigarh Administration has now started bio-treatment of sewage water.

Is it common for a lake’s levels to be boosted in this manner?

There have been some examples in the West. The city of San Diego has been pumping drinking water into the Chollas Lake, a popular, 16-acre recreational fishing basin, for at least a decade, according to US media reports. In January 2016, some 10 billion gallons of pollution-laden water was pumped into Lake Okeechobee over four days to prevent flooding in South Florida following heavy rain. Closer home, in November 2016, the Forest Department pumped water into dry tanks and ponds in Karnataka’s Bandipur National Park, and attempts have been made to fill the marshlands of the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur artificially. None of these projects are, however, comparable in scale, circumstances and methods to the efforts being put into the Sukhna Lake. First, how much will it cost?

The cost of Inauguration Day and the week leading up to it could top $ 200 million (over Rs 1,360 crore), based past experience and estimates by officials.

Who foots the bill?

It is shared by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, the Presidential Inaugural Committee (comprising Trump’s friends and donors), the federal government, and state and local governments. Basically, private donors and taxpayers split the bill.

What is the biggest expense?

Security. Law enforcement and intelligence officials have been working for more than a year to ensure that the transfer of power goes off seamlessly. About 28,000 personnel from three dozen state, local and federal agencies, including the Secret Service, the FBI and the National Guard, will be on watch this week. Costs could easily top $ 100 million, which will eventually be paid by the federal government.

How does Trump’s inauguration compare to those in the past?

Could be the most expensive ever, thanks to inflation and a sharp uptick in donations. Trump’s inaugural committee has raised $ 100 million from corporations, wealthy individuals and smaller-scale supporters, easily surpassing the record of $ 53 million set by the Obama team in 2009. THE NYT

AP Preparations for the inauguration under way at the Capitol in Washington DC.