By IANS,
New Delhi : The ancient Neela Hauz lake, the largest natural water body in south Delhi, will be restored after the Commonwealth Games in October.
The lake is spread over 2.5 hectare in the Southern Ridge, which is known as Sanjay Van, and plays a key role in maintaining water table level in south Delhi.
As part of the preparations for the Games, the public works department (PWD) of the Delhi government started construction of an over-bridge in 2008.
The construction, aimed at widening Aruna Asaf Ali Road that links Vasant Kunj to the Outer Ring Road, led to damage of the eco-system of the lake.
Speaking to IANS, the chief minister promised to clean and beautify the lake.
“The environmentalists are worried over the fate of the lake. But I can assure you that the whole lake will be cleaned, and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has been directed to prepare a detailed restoration plan of the lake,” said Dikshit.
The construction work of the road by the PWD invited the ire of locals, who alleged that it led to the choking of the lake. They demanded that it be restoration.
The decision to restore the lake came after the chief minister along with PWD Minister Raj Kumar Chouhan visited the site recently and met environmentalists and activists there.
However, an official said that making Neela Hauz a functional water body will take time as a large quantity of construction material has been thrown into the lake.