Bathinda lakes to be revamped, developed as tourism destination

In a bid to transform lakes here into major tourism attractions, the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) has decided to engage a private consultant to draw up a comprehensive plan for their beautification and development.

Advertisement

According to officials, the move aims at tapping into the tourism potential of the city’s artificial lakes, which were created at the time of the construction of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant five decades ago. Despite being a unique asset in the heart of an otherwise semi-arid region, these water bodies have remained underutilised and neglected after the thermal plant ceased operations in 2018.

“The lakes have the potential to become a major attraction for tourists and locals alike. With professional guidance, we plan to develop these lakes,” said Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, Additional Chief Administrator, BDA.

In response to local MLA Jagroop Singh Gill’s query, Tourism Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond had stated in the Vidhan Sabha in March this year that if the district administration submited a proposal for the beautification and development of the Bathinda lakes as a tourist destination and food hub, the Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department would take prompt action.

Initially, there was a plan to connect lake numbers 2 and 3 and develop the site into a rowing hub of international standards. “Our civil engineering team could not prepare a detailed report in this regard as there is silt in the lake, and it is wider beneath. Now, the consultant will provide a detailed report,” said the Additional Chief Administrator, BDA.

Similarly, Tarun Aggarwal, Superintending Engineer, BDA, said, “A tender is being floated to hire a consultant for the beautification of these lakes. We received approval in this regard recently.”

Some water sports activities, including parasailing, jet skiing, speed boating, pedal boating, and pontoon boating, along with a food joint, are already operational here. These were started during the SAD-BJP government in 2011 with the special efforts of then Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.