Patiala: Historic Rajindra Tank Lake in a shambles, departments pass buck

Ravneet Singh

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Patiala, May 8

Wild growth and algae have overshadowed the city’s iconic Rajindra Tank Lake that was recently rejuvenated at a cost of Rs 5.04 crore with the involvement of a number of government departments. It has even failed to find a caretaker, as government departments claim it does not fall under their ambit. As such, due to lack of upkeep, the lake rather than attracting visitors is becoming a cause of concern and now carries the look of a village pond.

The Rajindra Tank Lake rejuvenation project was started in 2020 and was carried out during the tenure of the previous Congress-led government. The Capt Amarinder Singh government spent Rs 5.04 crore on it which involved strengthening its boundary wall, creating a walkway, cleaning its water bed, plantation and installation of water fountains among others. The works were carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD), department of water resources and horticulture department.

While the project, as per officials of the Public Works Department has been completed, it fails to attract visitors. Residents claimed, “Excessive wild growth and algae have overshadowed the recently rejuvenated lake. There is a lack of maintenance as animals continue to roam inside its premises. The fountains also do not function at times.”

While as per officials of the Water Resources Department, water is regularly being provided at the lake from Hansali, officials of the PWD said they completed the work and handed it over to the Municipal Corporation in October 2021.

Officials at the Water Resources Department said, “Due to wild growth and algae, the plants get stuck in the lake’s fountains. We have had to get them cleaned repeatedly, but the situation persists.”

Mayank Kansal, SDO, PWD, said, “We completed the work by October 2021 and handed it over to the Municipal Corporation, Patiala. Now the corporation is responsible for the lake’s upkeep.”

When contacted, Suresh Kumar, Superintending Engineer, Municipal Corporation, said, the project was not handed over to the department. He said, “Once it is handed over, it will be maintained by the corporation on its own.”