Fateh Sagar Lake - Lake Restoration Works

Lake Restoration Works

The first effort to desilt the lake and improve its water quantity was undertaken by local citizen groups and environmental conservation organizations. The shallow part of the lake was desilted through voluntary labour in the early 1970s. Udaipur Lake Conservation Society, a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) set up in 1992, has independently carried out studies of the problems of the lakes of Udaipur and has been continuously pressurizing the government agencies to take up several restoration schemes on the lakes of Udaipur, including Fatah Sagar Lake, some of which are reported to have been acted upon by the Rajasthan Government. The restoration works pursued are Limnological Conservation Works (introducing new varieties of fish species), Ecological Conservation Works (catchment area treatment), Hyacinth removal (through bio-control), lining of unlined canal from Moti Magri Hill to Fatah Sagar Lake, construction of sewage lines, institutional development in the form of creating Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the lakes, etc. It has appealed in the Rajasthan High Court, through Public Interest Litigations, seeking court’s intervention on several issues concerning restoration of small lakes, land acquisition up to the High Flood Level (HFL) of the Lakes, Constitution of the Lake Development Authority (LDA) for Udaipur Lakes, etc. which are reported to have been upheld by the High Court

Government of India, under its National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) of the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoE&F), has sanctioned in June 2008, projects for development of Fatah Sagar Lake in Udaipur at a cost of about US $ 10 million (Rs 42 crore) with central government sharing 70% of the costs and the balance 30% by the State government. This programme of NLCP envisages desilting of the lake area, installation of a sewage treatment plant, beautification of the adjacent area and installation of fountains, with a completion schedule of 18 months.