Project to revive Panipat's historic Hali Lake in limbo

Mukesh Tandon

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Panipat, february 5

The project to revive the historical Hali Lake here is in a limbo. The MC had spent around Rs 24 crore on it but it has failed to fill the lake with water in the last three years.

Announced in 2014

• Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the project to revive Hali Park and the lake in 2014
• An amount of Rs 23.69 crore was released in 2016

Not operational

Buildings worth crores have been constructed but these have not been made operational. Tiles and some areas have already started getting damaged — Raju Dawar, Resident

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had announced the revival of Hali Park and the lake in 2014 during the first regime of the BJP government. Following the CM’s announcement, the MC had prepared a plan for the revival of the lake and the development of the park spread over a total area of about 28 acres.

The project was approved by the ULB Directorate and an amount of Rs 23.69 crore was released in 2016.

The work was allotted to a Delhi-based company in 2018. As per the tender agreement, the company had to complete the work by March 2010 but it was completed after a delay of around two years. The MC had developed an open-air theatre, joggers’ track, swings for children, open gym, cafeteria, yoga park and other facilities to attract people.

Vikram Chauhan, an industrialist who has been going to the Hali Park daily for the last 40 years, said the government had spent crores on the revival of the lake and park but it was sheer wastage of public money as the MC had failed to maintain the area. The track in the park has worn off at various places. The park is in a dilapidated condition due to poor maintenance and shortage of gardeners. Even tiles in the lake have started to break. There was an instance in which thieves had tried to steal the costly MCB box due to poor caretaking arrangements. The four-storey building of the cafeteria and the open air theatre is also lying abandoned, Chauhan said.

The MC had to fill the lake with canal water but it failed to do so. Sources said around 2.5 million litres of water has been released but all water was sucked in by the lake, which was spread in around nine acres. Now, the MC has decided to spread a layer of bentonite clay on the lake bed and after that it will release the water.

Raju Dawar, a resident, said it was a big example of corruption. Buildings worth crores have been constructed but they have not been made operational. Tiles and other building areas have started getting damaged already, he alleged.

“Filling the lake is a big task as it can be filled only with the canal water,” said Rahul Punia, XEN, MC. The work of widening and strengthening the Delhi-parallel canal is under way. To fill the canal, a continuous water supply is needed but we are getting water for only 15 days after 45 days, the XEN added. As we get a regular water supply from the canal, the lake will be filled,” he maintained.

The auction of shops and resorts would be organised very soon,” he said.