This horrific and filthy photograph is of Lake Pichola (at Chandpol side) which is showing intestine of animal floating with plastic bags, bottles, dirty clothes, empty cigarette boxes etc.

It is a subject of shame and utter embarrassment for all of us who propagate the beauty of Udaipur’s lakes. The reality is that we are not dumping waste but we are destroying our valuable and only asset by polluting these lakes.

Both for religious or personal purpose, lakes of Udaipur are frequently tortured by us when we shamelessly throw various types of garbage, most of which is highly toxic for drinking and also for creatures living inside these water bodies.

There is no one to take responsibility or have any answer to this problem. So we went to the members of Lake Conservation Committee, an NGO and asked their views. Here is an excerpt.

Haji Sardar Mohommad (President- Jheel Hiteshi Nagrik Manch): “Garbage dumped in the lakes is contaminating our only source of drinking water. We have been requesting governing bodies to make some strict regulations and restriction for areas near the lakes. We have also suggested imposing penalty on those who dump waste things in the lakes. I don’t understand why they don’t take any action?”

“Since years we have been using water from these sources so I request public to treat it as pious. There has been some improvement in the mentality of people but still a few orthodox people can’t leave the habit of throwing things in the lakes.”

Ismail Ali Durga (Deputy Director, department of Fisheries, Govt. of Raj): “Manual interference is a disturbance to lake’s biological cycle. Excess of organic load in the lakes is affecting the environmental balance. ”

Nand kishore Sharma (Secretary, Mohan Singh Mehta Memorial Trust): “Lakes have become a dumping yard today. It is a social responsibility; we must look after the lakes in similar manner as we take care of cleanliness of our private properties. At present our lakes are under 17 government authorities, there must be one specific authority to take up the responsibility like the one in Bhopal.”

Tej Shankar Paliwal (Chandpol Nagrik Samiti Adhyaksh): “The lakes are considered a garbage tank. Hotel wastage, liquor bottles, sewage etc. are directed towards the lakes.”

We don’t encourage ‘blame-game’ but need your suggestions and hope for subsequent action by the authorities. So please pour on your valuable comments on this issue.