Save Sukhna Lake from Dying

January 24, 2026

After issuing directives to stop the rampant mining in the Aravalli mountains, the Supreme Court has now expressed serious concern over the plight of Chandigarh’s famous Sukhna Lake. If you visit Sukhna Lake now, you’ll notice upon arrival that the lake’s area is shrinking. Sukhna Lake is drying up. Supreme Court Chief Justice Surya Kant expressed deep concern about this. He said that the collusion between builder mafia and officials is responsible for the deplorable condition of Chandigarh’s famous lake. The court has banned any new construction in the lake’s catchment area.

Now the court has directed strict adherence to these rules. Although the rules already exist, the builder mafia is ignoring them, posing a threat to the very existence of Sukhna Lake. The Chief Justice said that this uncontrolled construction is endangering the lake’s existence. An application against this had been filed in the Supreme Court. Speaking on this, he said, “It seems that some builders and others are in collusion with the officials.” It should be remembered that the Supreme Court took cognizance of the situation at Sukhna Lake in 2020.

The court primarily focused on protecting the catchment area from encroachment. In 2020, an order was issued to demolish the structures built in the protected area. However, anyone visiting Sukhna Lake can see that these structures have not been demolished; instead, they are being expanded under the guise of renovation. The Chief Justice bluntly asked, “How much more will you dry up Sukhna Lake?” He reprimanded the officials, stating that their negligence has led to increased encroachment in the catchment area. In this regard, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in 1995 before a bench of Justices Bagchi and Pancholi.

The hearing on that PIL was underway, and it was in this context that the Supreme Court made these remarks. It is strange that the first petition to protect Sukhna Lake was filed 30 years ago, and orders were issued, yet while hearings are ongoing, encroachment continues in the Sukhna Lake area. Is this how we promote scenic tourism in the country, from which we intend to earn so much revenue? The Supreme Court has given a perfectly valid warning regarding Sukhna Lake. The concerned authorities must pay attention to this.