Birds abandon Chandlai lake amid rising pollution & encroachments

Jaipur: About 30 kilometers from the capital, Chandlai Lake is becoming a burial ground for migratory birds due to increasing pollution and encroachment. Comparison reports from the last five years show that the number of birds is steadily declining, and thousands of birds have abandoned this lake. The National Green Tribunal has already reprimanded the authorities, but the bigger issue is that the factories, which were ordered to shut down, are still discharging contaminated water into the lake, continuing the bird deaths. Recently, a joint team of responsible departments visited Chandlai Lake, and the revelations were shocking. Now, all the departments have submitted their factual reports.

The National Green Tribunal had asked responsible agencies to submit a factual report regarding the encroachment and pollution in the lake, including the dumping of industrial waste. Following this, a joint committee comprising the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, Water Resources Department, Revenue Department, Central Pollution Control Board, State Wetland Authority, and State Pollution Control Board conducted an inspection of the lake on October 28. The report reveals that the Water Resources Department clearly identified the encroachments around the lake. It also highlighted that since 2020, the responsible departments have repeatedly been informed about factories discharging untreated wastewater into the lake. The report stated that polluted water has led to the death of aquatic life, and the chemical contamination in the surrounding area has adversely affected the health of local residents.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan State Wetland Authority clarified that Chandlai Lake is not a notified wetland; it is a Ramsar site proposed by the state government, but it has not been finalised.