Braving dense fog and biting cold, a large crowd of morning walkers descended on Sukhna Lake to be part of the walkathon organised by the Chandigarh Administration to mark the opening of the city’s lifeline after a month.
For several regular walkers, it was nothing less than a “reunion” as they exchanged pleasantries and cracked jokes. Though the fog reduced visibility to a few metres, they were seen enjoying every moment of the celebrations. While some were happy to be back on the track, there were others who were upset over the absence of geese at the lake.
As the police band performed, UT Adviser Vijay Kumar Dev released balloons and took part in the walkathon. Much before the events began, a number of visitors had assembled at the lake promenade.
Unmindful of the restrictions on boating and going near the water body, visitors were seen clicking photos towards the evening. The Administration has put up hoardings and signboards asking visitors not to go close to the lake waters. The staircases leading to the lake have been barricaded.
Scores of regular morning walkers from the tricity, who had shifted to other parks and open areas after the lake was closed following the bird flu scare, today returned to their favorite destination.
Dev said, “It is a happy moment for city residents, especially the regular morning walkers. The lake is the lifeline of city residents and the Administration is committed to maintaining its glory.”
“In fact, Chandigarh’s glory is associated with Sukhna Lake and the Administration has chalked out plans to add more features to this hot tourist destination. To attract the youth and the general public, more schemes will be introduced,” he said.
“I have conceived some ideas for establishing new tourist spots in the city, but the glory of the existing ones will definitely be retained, Dev said.
Other officials who joined the walkathon included Saravjit Singh, Finance Secretary, Anurag Aggarwal, Home Secretary, Vivek Pratap, MC Commissioner, and Mohammad Shayin, Deputy Commissioner.
In memory of geese
As the geese had become a part of the lake, the Administration has a plan to set up a symbol (made of eco-friendly material) to commemorate the geese.
Lake waters to remain out of bounds for two months
- The water body will remain out of bounds for two months
- The UT Administration to add more features at the lake to promote tourism
- Schemes to be introduced to attract youth