Enewstime Desk
Agartala, January 18, 2020: High Court of Tripura today heard a PIL on Rudrasagar lake – on which iconic Neermahal in Tripura was built. Neermahal was constructed at the centre of Rudrasagar is a major tourist spot in the State, however, as the area under Rudrasagar lake is shrinking and its water level is depleting, High Court of Tripura looked into the matter.
Today, the High Court of Tripura has asked for a status report on the water level of Rudrasagar Lake for its preservation.
Tripura High Court on water level in Rudrasagar
During hearing on a PIL filed by the Court on its own motion, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Akil A Kureshi and Justice Arindam Lodh directed the Amicus Curiae- Indrajit Chakraborty to give a status report on the water level of Rudrasagar Lake. Though, Nirad Sharma, Superintending Engineer (Water Resource) informed the Court that the water level at Rudrasagar lake is presently RL 9.08 meters.
Last year, the Court suggested that the depth of the water body must be increased upto 11 meter.
However, in its order, the Bench said, “There are general reports of the water level in the lake being rather deteriorated. We would, therefore, request advocate Indrajit Chakraborty, who is assisting the Court as an Amicus Curiae and who also has agriculture science background, to visit the site and make an on spot report before the Court on the next date of hearing”.
“A permanent mechanism has to be put in place so that the water body in question which is an important ecosystem and which also carries considerable significance for tourism and fishing activities is properly maintained and does not fall prey to neglect or vested interests”, the Court observed.
It was pointed out that before 1950 the lake area was stated to be more than 2008 acres. In 1975, it came down to 682.92 acres and in 1995, it was further reduced to 375 acres. Presently, it is stated to be about 366 acres.
The matter has been posted for hearing on January 27 next.
Notably, the only palace of its kind in the whole eastern region, Neermahal was built by the Martin and Burn Company way back in 1930s in the centre of the 5.3 sq km Rudrasagar lake. It served as the summer resort of the erstwhile King Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur and still draws thousands of visitors every year despite the poor condition of the lake which became shallow because of heavy deposit of silt.
Farmers demand water from Rudrasagar Lake
Recently, the movement of local farmers to have water released from the Rudrasagar Lake has put the state government in a tight spot. It was in 1960 that a decision was taken to have agriculture around the lake along with fishing. The agricultural land was distributed among 600 families but it was not a permanent decision.
In the past few decades, the local administration’s compulsion to keep the local farming community happy led to a degradation of the lake with water being pumped out to assist paddy cultivation after every rainy season.
