Residents of Nikol village and surrounding areas are unhappy with the corporation's neglect of the historic Nikol lake. They say the beautiful, heritage site should be revived.
According to them, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has abandoned the lake, which has resulted in loss of its beauty and charm.
This lake has been the centre of their daily life for centuries. According to Hemant Pandya, a resident of Nikol, the seven-angled lake is more than 250 years old and was built during the reign of Siddhraj Jaysinh. "If you look at its unique architecture, it will look similar to the lakes and structures of Patan. There is hardly any other lake in Gujarat with such a unique shape and design," claimed Pandya, who is the principal in a high school.
Residents paint a sorry picture of the present state of the lake. There is apparently no water and it is filled with weeds and garbage. "The lake was in good shape as long as it was managed by the panchayat. Ever since AMC took over things have deteriorated," said Pandya, who has written a book on historic lakes of Gujarat.
Locals took this matter to the authorities and made a representation to the local councillor Dr Suresh Patel a few months ago. They were told that the corporation was planning to rejuvenate the lake in the near future.
Dr Patel assured them that AMC had approved Rs9 lakh for cleaning of the lake. "We will clean the lake this month and have asked contractors to submit tenders for this purpose," he added. He is also chairman of the Health and Solid Waste Committee.
Apart from cleaning, locals are demanding renovation of the lake. "This lake is larger than Kankaria lake. Why is AMC only interested in Kankaria lake? This lake is equally beautiful and a heritage site," said Dharmesh Parmar, a local.
As per legend the lake was constructed by nomads who were passing by Nikol village. They were moved by the water scarcity in the area and started building the lake. Recently, a huge fair was organised to commemorate the completion of this lake."We want immediate action to rejuvenate this heritage structure" he added.
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