BHUBANESWAR: As many as 18 out of 30 temple tanks surveyed in the capital city are dangerously polluted, containing E coli, faecal bacteria and toxic metals like arsenic and fluoride, revealed a report released by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Bhubaneswar chapter on Sunday.
Low dissolved oxygen and pH levels have rendered these tanks unusable threatening public health and heritage conservation, the report added.
The report ‘Sacred Waters: Preservation Strategy for Temple Tanks’ prepared by preservation architect Anisha Swain highlighted the dire state of the tanks and called for urgent measures for their revival. Swain’s study highlighted that rapid urbanisation and neglect have turned these tanks into cesspools. The report was released by INTACH state convener AB Tripathy and director general of KIIT School of Architecture and Planning SS Ray.
Tripathy pointed out that Odisha has the highest number of temple tanks in India, with Bhubaneswar, Puri, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Berhampur and other urban areas being home to many heritage water bodies. This apart, the state has about 1.5 lakh common village ponds, all of which are in a state of utter neglect. INTACH Bhubaneswar convener Anil Dhir emphasised the need to restore the tanks and revive natural aquifers which have dried up due to rampant borewell drilling.
The report recommended immediate measures to prevent pollution, regular maintenance and involvement of local stakeholders in preservation efforts. The maintenance of the tanks should be entrusted to local stakeholder committees and the inlets and outlets of these water bodies should also be regularly cleaned, the report suggested.