Beauty Getting Beastly

Bhopal is called ‘the city of lakes’ as it is home to seven such water bodies. Bhopal has always been known for its beauty and cleanliness but now people are questioning that claim. The lakes and the area around them are being turned into dumping sites and things are getting ugly.

The water from the drains flow into the lakes and there are piles of garbage around as well. After poojas (religious ceremonies) all the idols made of toxic materials are submerged in these water bodies. Also, there is lack of awareness among the citizens about the effect of their actions. Another issue is that much of the catchment area has been encroached. The presence of slums does not allow rainwater to collect in the monsoon season and the lakes reduce in size. All this has led to rising concerns towards how the future generations won’t be able to see the beauty of the seven lakes.

Harsh actions need to be taken by the Bhopal municipality to undo this damage. Although temporary water bodies have been formed in a few places to submerge the idols, more long term solutions need to be executed. Primarily, the sewage water needs to be redirected and the catchment area cleared. What we need to consider, though, is that reviving the lakes to their former glory will take a lot of money. Moreover, the problem is bigger than money or machinery, the citizens need to be made aware to ensure the long term maintenance of Bhopal’s known beauty.