Lakes are the important water resources which support millions of people, but due to rapid urbanization and industrialization, many thousands of lakes adjacent to urban center have already been closed. The remaining takes are most useful for holding domestic waste water and dumping of solid wastes.
After the severe crisis in water suppiy, local bodies, irrigation departments, state and central governments arid other NGO’s are showing keen interest on cleaning lakes and restoring the existing remaining water bodies. It is pathetic to see that even at this stage the action plan proposed to restore the polluted lakes involves only structural oriented activities and not concerned with ecological components like flora and fauna and environmental aspects.
The structural components like desilting, strengthening sluice and weir repairs play critical role in the action plan. The action plan does not address the waste water, solid wastes, public awareness, training etc. since the civil engineers involving in the restoration programme do not have any idea about basic environmental and ecological issues and the need of remedial measures for keeping the lakes pollution free.
This article insists the need for change of attitude in lakes conservation. In the lakes restoration plan the causes and impacts due to pollution are to be studied. Some time the change of land use pattern also paves way for encroacnments. Before arriving any action plan for polluted lakes, all the social and environmental issues should be listed and also the holistic approach is to be adopted for preparing the DPR.
Basis for the scientific way of improving lakes is arrived based on the ecosystem approach for which the communities involved in the preparation of DPR have to develop their skill in environmental, ecological and social aspects. Our lands and areas are divided into specific ecosystem such as forest, pond, river ecosystems. Each ecosystem has its own advantages in supporting the environment and people. Without knowing these facts about the pond ecosystem, restoration of lakes with respect to structural component will not solve the problems. Here a new approach is needed in preparing the DPR for the restoration of polluted lakes.
