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News18
5 days ago
- General
- News18
Satpula lake springs back to life -- from parched land to thriving biodiversity
New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) A lake bed, so parched it served as a cricket pitch, has sprung back to life, the revival recalling its history of 700 years ago when its waters were believed to have healing powers and bringing back birds and aquatic life much to the delight of naturalists, locals and others. The Satpula Lake, tucked inside a park in south Delhi's Khirki Village, is brimming with water again thanks to the determined efforts of experts from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and enthusiastic members of the Rotary Club. The lake, part of a monument complex dating back to the reign of Muhammad bin Tughlaq in the 14th century, surrounds a medieval water-harvesting dam whose platforms and arches, overrun by vegetation, still stand as markers of Delhi's rich past. According to historian Swapna Liddle's book '14 Historic Walks of Delhi", Nasiruddin Chiragh Dahlvi, the last Sufi saint of the Chishti order, used the water from the pool at Satpula for his ritual ablutions before prayer and this act sanctified the water — then regarded to possess healing properties for various ailments. 'Bathing in the water was also believed to protect against evil spirits. Till late into the nineteenth century, there used to be a big annual fair here just before Diwali, when people would come for a holy dip and even take some of the water away with them," reads the book. But that was an age ago. 'It was a completely barren place when we first noticed it in 2021. There was not even a drop of water here. Children used to play cricket over there. We visualised the whole thing, and requested INTACH to give us the detailed project report, and then we decided how to move forward," said Ashok Kantoor, who was the governor of Rotary District 3011 during 2022-23. A year later, the revival of the lake began in earnest. The two social organisations, Rotary District 3011 and Rotary Club of Delhi South Central, decided to take it up as a project and then looked for guidance. Familiar with INTACH's work on reviving Hauz Khas lake, the team reached out to the heritage organisation for its know-how. It was a long and demanding 18-month journey, involving an investment of over Rs 70 lakh with major contribution by Shammi Bansal of Liberty Shoes. It was not just about the money. The ancient structure is under the jurisdiction of Archeological Survey of India (ASI) and the water body is under the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). And so, the most challenging part, Kantoor claimed, was obtaining approvals from multiple stakeholders, including the DDA, ASI and the Delhi Jal Board. 'Everyone in the Rotary initially discouraged me, saying that trying to revive a lake in Delhi — where multiple agencies are involved — was nearly impossible. Despite that, I spent several months going from pillar to post before finally securing approval from the DDA. '… There were many obstacles along the way but we tackled them one at a time. It has been a real success story," he said. There were other hurdles too. With the only available water source being the polluted runoff from the nearby Chiragh Delhi drain, they had to employ several treatment methods before channelling it into the dried lake. According to Manu Bhatnagar, principal director of INTACH, the groundwater table at the site was over 60 metres deep and the soil beneath the lakebed was so porous that any water added would vanish overnight. 'We realised that before surface water could collect, the porous ground had to be saturated. This process has taken about a year and a half. 'In that time, we've managed to recharge the aquifer with 4.5 crore litres of water. While groundwater levels are falling across the city, this specific area has actually seen improvement due to our efforts," he explained. They initially had to pump in nearly 300 cubic metres of water each day just to keep the lake from drying out. Now, with the ground finally saturated, that amount had dropped to less than a third. To restore the ecosystem, they also introduced '500 fish fingerlings" — including Indian carps and a local species known as 'gharai'. These fishes not only helped break down organic waste but also set the stage for wildlife to return. 'Now, we're seeing natural signs of revival: kingfishers, a pond heron, spot-billed ducks that have become residents, grebes, and we hope even more bird species will visit this winter," the urban and environmental planner added. With the lake now revived and officially handed back to the DDA, N K Lamba, Rotary District Chair for Water, is setting his sights even higher. His wish: to see the Satpula site transformed into a vibrant public space — a destination that blends heritage, nature, and the arts. 'Sky is the limit… It can become a tourist marvel and maybe one day you can have a light and sound show over here, maybe dance performances and something like 'Dilli Haat' can come up over here. The list is endless." Not everyone is quite so enthusiastic. Oral historian Sohail Hashmi welcomed the return of a waterbody near Satpula but stressed that calling it a 'revival" of the original Satpula lake is misleading. According to the author and filmmaker, whose heritage walks are much sought after among Delhiites, the current site was merely a natural depression and not the actual historical lake. 'The original lake, once used by local farmers for irrigation, was significantly larger and located downstream of the barrage — where the Delhi Metro colony and Saket District Court now stand. What's now referred to as a revived lake lies east of the barrage, whereas the real water body was on the west. It's a positive step, but the claim is inaccurate," he noted. PTI MG MIN MIN (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 25, 2025, 16:00 IST News agency-feeds Satpula lake springs back to life -- from parched land to thriving biodiversity Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Judge issues K-P CM's arrest warrants again
A judicial magistrate in Islamabad has once again rejected Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur's request for exemption from attending proceedings of a case related to possession of liquor and illegal weapons and maintained his arrest warrants. On Monday, Gandapur again failed to appear in the court of Judicial Magistrate Mubashir Hassan Chishti despite being summoned. His lawyers were also absent. Judge Chishti remarked that even after multiple calls for the case, no one appeared in court. He granted a final deadline for Gandapur until Monday 2:30pm to record his statement under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The court then adjourned the proceedings until that time and warned that failure to appear would result in the forfeiture of the right to record the statement. When the session resumed, Gandapur's lawyer Raja Zahoor-ul-Hasan came to the rostrum and filed a request for exemption from appearance, citing Gandapur's engagement in the Senate elections. Judge Chishti, however, asked him either to record the 342 statement or lose the right to do so. The lawyer gave an undertaking assuring that Gandapur would appear in the next hearing. He said seven co-accused had already been acquitted, and a petition for Gandapur's acquittal was also pending. The judge noted that the K-P CM had previously committed to appearing in court and recording the statement himself, and that the date had been set according to his own convenience. The lawyer stated that the Peshawar High Court had granted bail to Gandapur in all related cases, and requested one more date for the 342 statement to be recorded. Judge Chishti told the lawyer to submit the necessary applications, saying he would issue an order shortly. Later, the court rejected the exemption request and maintained the arrest warrants, ordering that Gandapur be arrested and produced in court. The judge adjourned proceedings until July 22 (today). The case dates back to Oct 2016, when the Islamabad police claimed to have recovered five Kalashnikov assault rifles, a pistol, six magazines, a bulletproof vest, alcohol and three tear gas shells from a vehicle belonging to the PTI leader outside Bani Gala. The case was registered at Bara Kahu Police Station. The same judge on July 19 issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the K-P chief minister and directed the station house officer (SHO) concerned to ensure his production before the court.
Business Recorder
04-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Status-quo: Chishti suffers Supreme Court reversal in battle for TRG Pakistan control
In a reversal for former TRG Pakistan CEO Zia Chishti, the battle for the control of PSX-listed TRG Pakistan Limited has taken a new turn with status-quo ordered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on a recent ruling by the Sindh High Court (SHC) in favour of Chishti. The SHC had issued a ruling on June 20, 2025 abating a $53 million tender by the company's largest shareholder Greentree Holdings, as well as annulling Greentree's shareholding and ordering elections. Greentree subsequently appealed the ruling at the SCP, which has led to an interim order asking all parties to maintain status quo. US arbitrator orders Zia Chishti to pay $9.1mn to TRG International TRG Pakistan's share price reacted immediately to the posting of the order on the Supreme Court's website, jumping by 7% on hopes of a quick resumption of the tender, before reaching at a more modest gain of 1% as investors digested the news of a legal battle through the SCP. Chishti had resigned from the company in late 2021 upon disclosure in US Congressional testimony of an arbitration award against him for sexual misconduct. The company's current management has maintained that any association of Chishti with the company would be damaging to its assets and reputation. At the same time, the company's Bermuda based affiliate TRG International has sought to remit to Pakistani shareholders the proceeds of sales of its stakes in its portfolio companies by way of share purchases by Greentree Holdings. Zia Chishti, The Telegraph settle libel suit over reporting of ex-employee's 'grooming' allegations Chishti had successfully challenged Greentree's remittance of funds and purchase of shares in the SHC, which has now been appealed in the SCP. With Chishti's takeover efforts for TRG Pakistan now at least delayed by the Supreme Court appeal process, the impact on former TRG Pakistan CEO's financial liabilities is unclear as Chishti's path to accessing the significant liquidity at TRG International has narrowed. With significant creditor liabilities ranging from the US tax authorities to bank defaults to arbitration fee awards, Chishti is estimated to owe over $30 million to various parties.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Part of Ajmer dargah ceiling collapses due to heavy rainfall; devotees outraged
AJMER: Heavy rainfall in the city Wednesday evening led to multiple structural collapses, including a portion of the historic Ajmer dargah's ceiling, exposing serious infrastructural concerns and triggering backlash against authorities. The city received over 54mm of rain, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. A man died when an SBI bank wall collapsed, burying him under debris, while two others were injured. The other wall collapse incident at the dargah, which occurred on the sixth day of Muharram, fortunately saw no casualties as the area was deserted due to the downpour. The dargah collapse has sparked widespread outrage among religious leaders and devotees. Syed Sarwar Chishti, Secretary of the Anjuman Syedzadgan Committee, blamed the dargah Committee's "institutional apathy" for the deteriorating condition of the centuries-old shrine. "Not a single audit of the structure was carried out ahead of the monsoon," Chishti said, noting that the committee, meant to comprise nine members, hasn't been constituted for three years. Dargah priest Syed Daniyal Chishti claimed that maintenance requests had been ignored for years, including repairs to leaking spiritual chambers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The dargah committee's CEO, Bilal Khan, was unavailable for comment. This incident follows a 2020 collapse of a historic lightning tower at the shrine, highlighting a pattern of maintenance issues at the religious site. Religious leaders are now calling for management changes to ensure better preservation of the historic shrine and safety of devotees. The heavy rainfall severely disrupted city life, with widespread waterlogging causing vehicles to float in several areas. The SP office was flooded and multiple wall collapses were reported across the city, including at Bhagchand Ki Kothi and the Roadways bus stand. Former RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore criticised the municipal corporation's monsoon preparedness, pointing out that the city was underwater during the first significant rainfall. The situation at JLN Hospital was equally concerning, with leaking roofs and power outages affecting patient care.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Part of Ajmer dargah ceiling collapses due to heavy rainfall
1 2 Ajmer: Heavy rainfall in the city Wednesday evening led to multiple structural collapses, including a portion of the historic Ajmer dargah's ceiling, exposing serious infrastructural concerns and triggering backlash against authorities. The city received over 54mm of rain, resulting in one death and multiple injuries. A man died when an SBI bank wall collapsed, burying him under debris, while two others were injured. The other wall collapse incident at the dargah, which occurred on the sixth day of Muharram, fortunately saw no casualties as the area was deserted due to the downpour. The dargah collapse has sparked widespread outrage among religious leaders and devotees. Syed Sarwar Chishti, Secretary of the Anjuman Syedzadgan Committee, blamed the dargah Committee's "institutional apathy" for the deteriorating condition of the centuries-old shrine. "Not a single audit of the structure was carried out ahead of the monsoon," Chishti said, noting that the committee, meant to comprise nine members, hasn't been constituted for three years. Dargah priest Syed Daniyal Chishti claimed that maintenance requests had been ignored for years, including repairs to leaking spiritual chambers. The dargah committee's CEO, Bilal Khan, was unavailable for comment. This incident follows a 2020 collapse of a historic lightning tower at the shrine, highlighting a pattern of maintenance issues at the religious site. Religious leaders are now calling for management changes to ensure better preservation of the historic shrine and safety of devotees. The heavy rainfall severely disrupted city life, with widespread waterlogging causing vehicles to float in several areas. The SP office was flooded and multiple wall collapses were reported across the city, including at Bhagchand Ki Kothi and the Roadways bus stand. Former RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore criticised the municipal corporation's monsoon preparedness, pointing out that the city was underwater during the first significant rainfall. The situation at JLN Hospital was equally concerning, with leaking roofs and power outages affecting patient care.
