35-Water management of Pushkar Sarovar and its rejuvenation

Abstract

The famous and world renowned Pushkar lake sacred to religious Hindus is about 13 km from Ajmer, another equally well known religious place to Muslims due to a Darga Ajmer Sheriff located there. Of late due to expanding population and increasing influx of pilgrims and tourists both Indian and foreign, water management has run into serious problems causing shrinking of the lake and at the same time deterioration in quality of the water in the Lake. Pushkar is also famous for its camel fair in the desert surroundings that draws tourists from all over the world during the season. In addition this is the only place in the country where there is a Brahma temple that draws crowds from the country all over the year. Consequently the lake water body is put to heavy strain from pollution and decrease in quantity. If this process continues unabated it will not be too long when the lake may dry up undermining the religious importance of this place and also affecting the livelihood of hundreds of priests and others who depend upon the tourists for religious activities and sacred worship. The paper deals with the traditional practices of water management in the past and the current practices in around the lake region that has led to the rapid deterioration. The paper also deals with suggestions to arrest the process and reverse the trend to make the lake sustainable restoring its importance and the old glory.