Chandigarh: A fresh environmental concern has surfaced in Chandigarh after allegations of untreated sewage being illegally discharged into stormwater channels connected to Sukhna Lake, raising fears over pollution at one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Ward number 1 councillor Jaswinder Kaur has written to the Municipal Commissioner, urging immediate intervention to stop the alleged dumping of waste into drains that ultimately flow into the lake.
According to the complaint, several areas surrounding Khudda Ali Sher, including Shivalik Vihar, Kansal, and Naya Gaon, continue to struggle with inadequate sewerage infrastructure. The councillor alleged that private operators engaged in septic tank cleaning are illegally emptying sewage directly into stormwater lines instead of disposing of it through authorised systems.
She warned that the contaminated discharge travels through drainage channels and eventually reaches Sukhna Lake, posing a direct threat to water quality and the fragile ecosystem of the nationally recognised wetland.
Photographic evidence and details of the alleged violations have reportedly been submitted to civic authorities, with demands for immediate inspections and surprise raids in vulnerable stretches, especially near drainage routes originating from Khudda Ali Sher.
The councillor has also called for strict legal action against tanker operators and private cleaners found violating environmental norms. She said she is prepared to cooperate fully with the administration during any investigation.
The issue has revived broader concerns over the long-term survival of Sukhna Lake, which was created in 1958 by damming the seasonal Sukhna Choe flowing from the Shivalik foothills. Designed under the vision of Le Corbusier, the artificial lake remains Chandigarh’s most recognised public space and a major ecological asset.
Environmental experts have repeatedly flagged threats such as rapid silt accumulation and falling water levels. Recent concerns were also echoed by Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari, who warned that if degradation continues unchecked, the lake could face severe shrinkage in the coming decades.
He had earlier highlighted that nearly 56 percent of the lake’s original spread has already been impacted over the past several decades due to silting and inadequate conservation efforts.
The latest allegations have intensified calls for swift administrative action to preserve one of Chandigarh’s most treasured natural spaces before the damage becomes irreversible.
