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Gobind Sagar lake turns into a waste dump
by Nagendra Ranta

      Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh): The Gobind Sagar lake in Himachal Pradehs has become a dump for industrial and domestic waste. The lake supplies drinking water to lakhs of homes in North India and fascinates water sports lovers every year. It is a man-made water reservoir on the Sutlej river and acts as the reservoir for the Bhakra and Nangal Dam project in the Bilaspur District of Himachal Pradesh. But today the lake draws a large amount of garbage from nearby areas, causing water pollution. Waste materials collected from nearby areas and adjoining cities are dumped into the lake.

      Residents lament that due to absence of any proper dumping ground, all waste material collected in the region are to be thrown into the Gobind Sagar Lake. "There is no place to dump the waste products of Bilaspur. The waste products are dumped in a nearby village and later disposed off in the lake," said Vijay Kumar, a resident. Residents, however, admit that the pollution in the lake has affected the reproduction of fish. Meanwhile, the administration claims that necessary steps are being taken with the local bodies like the Town Municipal Councils to deal with the situation. "A meeting was organised where Municipal Committee members were present and there was a discussion on the selection of a dumping place for waste materials. A place must have been selected. We will make efforts to keep the water clean," said H S Chauhan, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Bilaspur. Located about 83 kilometres from Anandpur Sahib in Bilaspur District of Himachal Pradesh, the Lake was named after the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh and declared a waterfowl refuge in 1962. Formed in 1976, the Gobind Sagar Lake feeds water and electricity to many states of North India.

     Fishing is done in this huge lake and about fifty-one species and sub species are found here. Some of the common species found here include Labeo dero, Tor pitutrata, Mystus seenghala and Mirror carp. The lake is also a home to a variety of birds. For sports enthusiasts, the major attractions of the lake include ferry rides and water sports like speed boating, water skiing, surfing and rowing. The road bridge on this lake at Kandraur is highest of its kind in Asia. Its headquarters are in the town of Bilaspur. The district has an area of 1,167 km, and a population of 340,735 (2001 census). Bilaspur District was formerly a princely State under British India. The ruler acceded to the Government of India on October 12 1948, and Bilaspur was made an Indian State under a chief commissioner. The state of Bilaspur was merged with Himachal Pradesh on July 1, 1954, and became Bilaspur District. Administratively, the district is divided into three tehsils namely Ghumarwin, Bilaspur Sadar, and Jhandutta.
-Nov 24,  2006

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