High Court for clearing water channels

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 9

Taking up the Save Sukhna case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday asked the counsel for states of Punjab and Haryana to seek instructions on clearing the water channels. The move is aimed at ensuring free flow of water into the lake keeping in view the falling water level.

Appearing before the Bench, the counsel for the UT Administration, meanwhile, submitted that the work of relaying 1,500 meters of the lake pathway was complete.

The Division Bench of Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal and Justice Tejinder Singh Dhindsa, in May, had directed the clearing of all water channels to Sukhna Lake for ensuring ensure smooth flow of rainwater. The Bench, on a previous date of hearing, was told that 1,500 meters out of the total 2,300 meters had been covered. The initial deadline for the completion of work was May 30.

The rain-fed lake at the foothills of the Himalayas was created way back in 1958 by damming the Sukhna choe, a seasonal stream coming down from the Shivalik Hills.

The High Court, in its order dated March 14, 2011, had also issued directions for restoring the lake and its former glory.

The Division Bench of the High Court in May, 2012, had directed the states of Punjab and Haryana, along with the Chandigarh Administration, to not just stop construction activity in the lake’s catchment area, but also to demolish without notice any construction being carried out against the High Court mandate.

The High Court has already been told that treated water will keep the levels up in Sukhna Lake. The Chandigarh Administration during the course of hearing informed the Bench that the STP at Kishangarh village was expected to begin trial run nine months from the opening of tenders in mid-May.

The Administration placed before the Bench a letter, which said: The tender for the installation of a sewage treatment plant at Kishangarh village has been invited by the office and is due to be opened on May 17. It will take about nine months for design, installation, testing, commissioning and trial run of the STP. However it is subjected to the examination of the committee of technical head of the stakeholders, governments of Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh”.