Tripura: Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury assures to restore Rudrasagar lake amid water hyacinth crisis
May 22, 2024
Sepahijala (Tripura) [India], May 22 : Tripura's Tourism Minister Sushanta Chowdhury visited Rudrasagar Lake to address the invasive water hyacinth issue that has halted boating services and impeded access to the historic Neer Mahal palace.
Inspecting the site, Chowdhury directed officials and the fishermen's cooperative society responsible for ferrying passengers to expedite the removal of the plants.
"Very shortly, the Rudrasagar lake, which bears historic importance for the people of Tripura, would be brought back to its previous state so that tourists could visit the heritage site and the palace built during the erstwhile princely rule," Chowdhury said during his visit to the lake on Tuesday.
Rudrasagar Lake, Tripura's sole Ramsar convention site located in Melaghar subdivision under Sepahijala district, has been overrun by water hyacinths since May 9. This invasive plant growth has not only disrupted boating activities but also threatened the aquatic ecosystem. The lake's iconic Neer Mahal palace, a major tourist attraction, is now inaccessible due to plant proliferation.
Describing the water hyacinth invasion as a yearly feature of the lake, the minister said, "Every time we see the beauty of the lake, it gets impacted due to the water hyacinth growth. This year, the growth is intensive. And, due to the model code of conduct, we have some restrictions on carrying out any kind of development activity. Despite that, we are here today in the presence of officials from the fishery, forest, director of tourism, and other line departments. We have come to a conclusion that within the next few days, we shall start working to remove the aquatic plants that are creating obstruction for the tourists."
According to the Minister, Melaghar Municipal Council has been assigned to carry out the task in collaboration with the fishermen cooperative society and locals of the area.
On being asked about the footfalls of tourists, he said, "For the last many days, tourists have been coming and going back out of frustration. We were unable to do anything because of the model code of conduct enforced by thwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwe Election Commission of India, keeping in view the ongoing election. We haven't calculated the total loss that the government incurred due to the problem, but we shall be able to address the issue within a very short period of time."
On dredging activities and the gradually declining navigability of the lake, he said, "We are not at this moment very concerned about the depth of the waterbody. This is a matter of research that should be carried out with the help of all the major departments and with the approval of the Chief Minister of the state. Right now, we will leave no stone unturned to fix the problem we are facing at this moment. The tourism department will take care of the funds required for the removal of aquatic plants from the whole water body."
Speaking to ANI, the secretary of the Rudrasagar Displaced Fishermen Cooperative Society, which is the agency that ferries tourists to the iconic palace, said that the boating has been stopped since May 9.
"On average, we can easily earn between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 from boating. On weekends, earnings increase, and in the winter season, when picnic parties create beelines, income increases manifold," Das told ANI.
