Thousands march barefoot in Nainital to raise awareness, save depleting Naini lake

Nainital: Thousands of people silently marched barefoot on Mall Road in Nainital, Uttarakhand, to raise awareness and invite government action to save the hill station’s iconic ‘Naini Lake’ after a PWD official said that the depth of the lake was 18.5 feet below the normal water level of 27 feet.

According to  The Times of India , the march commenced around 6.30 pm from Tallitaal, the southern end of the lake and ended at Mallitaal, the depleting end of the lake. People walked with placards and posters urging the government to save the vanishing tourist attraction. Locals, as well as people from other parts of the country, also participated in the march.

Classical singer Shubha Mudgal took to Twitter to share the event and spread the word with the hashtag #SaveNainiLake. Mudgal shared several images of people who participated in the march along with a video.

Citizens march peacefully to draw attention to distressing condition of Naini lake. Netas mute spectators on posters. #savenainilake pic.twitter.com/XIvSqOK3GX

— Shubha Mudgal (@smudgal) June 3, 2017

#SaveNainiLake Citizens walk barefoot in large numbers to raise awareness about depleting water level of lake. pic.twitter.com/Rchv9QMB2M

— Shubha Mudgal (@smudgal) June 3, 2017

The Indian Express   reported that the maintenance of the Naini Lake was being transferred from the PWD department to the irrigation department last week. The move came about amidst serious concern over the condition of the lake whose water levels have drastically plunged over the last few years owing to factors such as tourism and construction.

In 2016, another  The Times of India  report said that the Naini Lake had lost seven metres of its depth due to illegal construction, sewerage and waste disposal.