Nainital lake’s lifeline is under threat as authorities plan to choke the lake’s most important recharge zone – Sukhatal. ACT NOW!
Sukhatal, a seasonal lake situated about 800 metres from the Nainital lake, is arguably the most important recharge zone in the entire Himalaya. It is responsible for 50% of the total underground inflow to the Nainital lake, and 2 million litres of water per day (MLD) is extracted from the aquifer beneath it to serve the town. However, despite being scientifically proven as Nainital lake’s main water recharge zone by premier government research institutions such as National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee, IIT, Roorkee, Kumaun University, Nainital, and Centre for Ecology, Development and Research (CEDAR), Dehradun, Sukhatal has been subject to rampant encroachment. As a result, a large part of the Sukhatal lakebed has been occupied by illegally constructed buildings and has been made into a debris dumping ground by the builders. To keep the lakebed dry so the buildings on the lakebed are not impacted, the drains flowing into Sukhatal from its 0.74 sq km catchment area have been diverted, depriving Sukhatal of the rainwater which should ideally remain stored in Sukhatal during the monsoon season. Considering its essential hydrogeological services, groundwater recharge, and for being a ‘zone of influence’ for Nainital lake, Sukhatal must be notified as a wetland. However, instead of bringing Sukhatal back to its natural state, the authorities are planning to choke the lakebed to develop Sukhatal into a tourist spot.
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