Safeguarding Lakes' Ecosystems and Public Health During Monsoon: Insights from Water Expert Dr. Anil Mehta

Udaipur, Amid the ongoing monsoon season, the ecological safety of lakes and the well-being of public health were key points of concern at the Lake Dialogue event held on Sunday. Speaking at the gathering, renowned water expert Dr. Anil Mehta emphasized the challenges monsoon runoff poses to aquatic ecosystems.

He noted that rainwater runoff brings along pollutants, sewage, organic waste, and debris from roads, populated zones, and catchment areas, severely reducing the dissolved oxygen in lake water. With dense cloud cover and limited sunlight, photosynthesis in aquatic environments is further impeded, increasing the risk of mass fish deaths due to oxygen depletion.

Dr. Mehta stressed the urgent need to safeguard the quality of drinking water sourced from lakes. He urged the Water Supply Department to conduct regular tests for residual chlorine in the water distribution system to ensure bacterial safety. These tests, he said, should be carried out with public involvement and transparent sharing of results.

Former Lake Development Authority member Tej Shankar Paliwal appealed to the Fisheries Department to maintain continuous monitoring of lake water quality and enforce the seasonal fishing ban rigorously to prevent further ecological damage.

Sociologist Nand Kishore Sharma advocated for the round-the-clock operation of floating fountains, particularly at night when oxygen levels naturally decline, to help maintain aquatic oxygen balance.

Educationist Kushal Rawal underlined the need for routine cleaning of roads and densely populated areas during monsoon, preventing pollutants from being washed into water bodies.

Meanwhile, senior citizen Drupad Singh called on citizens and business owners to recognize their collective responsibility in ensuring that waste does not enter or pollute the city's lakes.

As a symbolic gesture of environmental commitment, the Lake Warriors group planted a peepal tree prior to the start of the dialogue.