From pride to pit: Panipat’s Hali Lake lies in ruins despite Rs 24-cr makeover

Once envisioned as a flagship urban beautification project, Panipat’s historical Hali Lake — revived at a staggering cost of Rs 24 crore — now lies in a state of utter neglect, drawing widespread public criticism and calls for a high-level probe into what many are calling a major scam.

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Constructed just three years ago, the lake and its adjoining 28-acre park were part of a grand redevelopment initiative announced by former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in December 2014. The Municipal Corporation (MC) later awarded a Rs 23.69-crore tender to a Delhi-based company in 2018, with the project deadline set for August 2019. However, delays and poor execution soon followed.

As per the Detailed Project Report (DPR), the plan included an open-air theatre, jogging tracks, children’s swings, an open gym, memorial, yoga park, café, auditorium, sound system and CCTV surveillance — all intended to transform Hali Lake into a recreational and cultural hub. A separate pipeline was even laid to fill the lake with water from the nearby canal.

But on the ground today, the picture is starkly different. Industrial effluents and sewage have found their way into the lake, filling the air with a foul stench. The once-glorified infrastructure now lies in ruins: broken walking tracks, abandoned and vandalised buildings, stolen fixtures and overgrown vegetation choking every structure from the café to the theatre.

“Crores have been spent, but look at the state of it. The café, auditorium and open gym are crumbling. Doors, windows and electric fittings have been stolen. It’s nothing short of a scam,” said Vikram Chauhan, a local industrialist and regular morning walker at the park for over four decades. He urged the Chief Minister’s Office and the Anti-Corruption Bureau to initiate an inquiry and take action against those responsible for the misuse of public funds.

Chauhan also suggested that the project be handed over to the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) for long-term maintenance. “If IOCL can bring crude oil from Bombay High through pipelines running 1,500 km, it should not be difficult to bring water from the Delhi Parallel Canal, just 2 km away.”

Sandeep Ralhan, a local BJP leader and daily visitor, echoed these concerns, calling the project a textbook case of official negligence. “Rs 24 crore has gone down the drain. What remains is sewer water, crumbling buildings, fallen trees and darkness. The environment has been polluted and the vision has collapsed,” he said.

In response to the mounting criticism, Mayor Komal Saini acknowledged the issue. After visiting the site and meeting with MC officials, she said, “I have instructed the officers to prepare a comprehensive plan to revive the lake and the park. We will ensure better facilities are soon made available to the public.”

Panipat City MLA Pramod Vij also weighed in, stating that the matter was recently discussed in detail with MC officials and the mayor. “We have taken the concerns seriously. The lake and park will be restored within the next three to four months,” he assured.

For now, however, the grand revival project stands as a grim reminder of unfulfilled promises, poor planning and the critical need for accountability in public infrastructure development.