New Delhi: After years of planning, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has finally started work for the complete restoration of Naini Lake in Model Town.The Rs 9.7-crore project, being carried out under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, will include laying of pipelines of 200m in diameter from Coronation Pillar sewage treatment plant (STP), four km away, to fill up the water body on a daily basis.Other key work involves utilisation of excess treated water to nearby municipal parks, fancy lighting and horticultural work, remodelling of a peripheral reinforced cement concrete (RCC) drain, provision of two musical fountains and RCC benches, revamping a toilet block and repairing the plot’s grille and boundary.The project, inaugurated by Delhi minister Kapil Mishra Sunday, is expected to be completed by July 2027.For years, the 6.5-acre lake with a depth of four to 10 feet has been filled with water supplied from borewells. Delhi Tourism runs boating facilities there.The ecological functions of the lake as an urban water body are important for groundwater recharge, temperature buffering, carbon and dust absorption and providing a habitat for aquatic flora and fauna, while also making it a safe and well-maintained recreational asset for the surrounding community, an official said.Saying that a study was done to assess the lake’s complete requirements, the official added, “Besides maintaining the water level by supplying treated water, we will lay a pipeline to carry excess water from the lake to at least 10 parks in the neighbourhood daily. At least three pumps of 5-HP capacity, along with a sump well and minor pumps, will be installed. To ensure that rainwater from surrounding areas does not accumulate in the lake, a peripheral drain will be built.”“Once these things are in place, beautification, including landscaping and plantation, will start. They will be complemented by aesthetic lamp posts and musical fountains. All these will take a year to complete, since most are largely sequential and cannot be taken up simultaneously,” the official said.
