Tripura seeks Jal Shakti help to restore Rudrasagar Lake

Tripura has asked the Union Jal Shakti ministry to help restore Rudrasagar Lake, the state's only wetland on the Ramsar list of internationally important wetlands, with a plan to deepen the lake and improve how water moves in and out of it.

Tripura's higher education minister Kishore Barman, a BJP MLA from Sepahijala district where the lake lies, met the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, in Delhi and handed over proposals for rejuvenating the lake, The Times of India reported on Saturday.

What Tripura is asking for

According to the report, Barman called for a comprehensive restoration plan that would:

• increase the depth of the lake;
• improve its capacity to hold water;
• upgrade the management of water flowing into and out of the lake; and
• revive the confluences that feed it.

Barman said coordinated action and adequate funds were needed for the long-term protection of the wetland. He argued that scientific restoration and better infrastructure could turn Rudrasagar into a major tourism hub while protecting its ecology, and that the project could create local jobs and support businesses that depend on tourism. He said the Union minister acknowledged the concerns and assured timely steps. No amount or timeline has been announced.

About the lake

Rudrasagar, near Melaghar in Sepahijala district, about 50 km from Agartala, was designated a Ramsar site in 2005. It is fed by streams draining the surrounding hills and drains into the Gomati river, and it supports fisheries and wintering water birds.

The lake is best known for Neermahal, the water palace built by Maharaja Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya and completed in 1938. The palace is one of Tripura's most visited sites, and the lake hosts the annual Neermahal water festival with boat races.

Over the years, environmental groups and local residents have raised concerns about silt, shrinking water area and weeds in the lake, which affect both fish catches and the views around the palace. Any central support would add to state efforts to manage the wetland.

Tripura has been trying to draw more visitors to its heritage and nature sites. NEInsider will update this story if the Jal Shakti ministry announces support for the project.