This year’s rainfall has attracted just about every Udaipurite to Fateh Sagar. Though Fateh Sagar is a common hangout place for youngsters, even the oldies of the family wished to make at least one trip this season. And why not? This year Fateh Sagar, full of water, at times splashing through the barricades, popularly known as ‘Bansiyan’, is indeed a breath-taking sight.

However along with this great reason to rejoice, there is simultaneously a threat to the same Fateh Sagar. As per The Times of India report dated November 15, the unscientific construction of ‘Vibhuti Park’ and its Parking Area on the opposite side of the fencing and sitting area constructed for public, commonly called ‘Fateh Sagar ki Pal’, can cause considerable damage.

The Park is being constructed by the Urban Improvement Trust (UIT), at the Fatehpura side entrance to Fateh Sagar, while the Parking area will supposedly stretch till the City side entrance to the Lake. The Park has been under construction for around two years and the parking area construction has begun a few months back. This construction is at a level below that of the ‘Pal’ and is thus all the more a reason to be cautious.

The Jheel Sanrakshan Samiti (JSS) has been leading the campaign against the unscientific construction on the lake side. While the Park too is causing damage, an obvious effect of this insensitive construction was seen when the area opposite the ‘Pal’ at the ‘Kala Kiwad’ entrance was dug to create space for the parking lot.

Anil Mehta, an engineer by profession and a member of the JSS, said that on October 17, an earth-moving machine was employed to dig a trench over the land on the opposite side running parallel to the Paal with the road separating the lake and the construction. Ten days later a number of such (JCB) machines were employed in the same area in order to construct some structures in ‘Vibhuti Park’. On October 28 the soil on the slopes of the opposite side collapsed and there were visible cracks on the road side tiles towards the edge.

This can thus cause an obvious harm to the vehicular traffic on the road. However, in the long run it can serve to be a reason for the weakening of the structure per say. Supporting the same, Mr.Anil said that reasons for any structure failure are piping and collapse of slope soil. The drilling on upstream and downstream sides of the lake may develop a continuous channel of water beneath. The flow of water through such channel carries away soil particles —-weakening the foundation, he said.

It is now necessary to begin dumping soil and earth fill over the slopes. Mr. Anil said the process to put soil on slopes requires specific methods and technical supervision. The soil has to be put in layers and each layer requires simultaneous consolidation in order to get proper density.

The Jheel Sanrakshan Samiti has accused the UIT of callousness and said that such construction is a threat to not only the Lake and surrounding structure but also to the lives of the people residing in the downstream area.

After the JSS protest, UIT plans to seek expert opinion from the Irrigation Department and if necessary from experts of IIT, Roorkee.

Let us hope this happiness of witnessing the Fateh Sagar beautifully filled with water doesn’t become a short lived one.