Dhanbad, Oct. 3: Mayor Chandrashekhar Agarwal today said that Raja Talab, which plays a pivotal role in the century-old Durga Pujas of erstwhile Jharia estate but is now choking on filth and water hyacinth, would be cleaned up and refilled before Mahalaya on October 12.

He visited the historic 8.64-acre pond along with Dhanbad Municipal Corporation (DMC) engineers and other officials and chalked out strategies for the task besides ensuring a cleanliness drive around the pond.

Three strategies have been chalked out - filling a part of the pond with soil, removing hyacinth and moss, and refilling the rest with fresh water drawn through pipeline from BCCL colliery behind RSP Jharia College.

The mayor said he was hopeful that Raja Talab would be refilled within three to four days once the work started as the colliery had unlimited supply of water.

"The engineers have already prepared a blueprint. Work will start in another four to five days," said Agarwal.

Despite spending Rs 58 lakh, sanctioned last year by DMC for desilting the oldest pond of Jharia, the pondwas never properly cleaned.

State urban development department had also sanctioned Rs 3.5 crore for renovation and beautification of the banks and ghats of the talab and installation of a water treatment plant, which was scheduled to start early this year. But the project is yet to kick off.

Raja Talab is famous for hosting the rituals of 154-year-old Jharia Rajbari Durga Puja like kalash sthapan, nabapatrika snan and pratima bisarjan. Three other Durga Pujas of the area - Mukherjee Mela, Mishir Mela and Chotir Mela - that were started by chief priests who later became zamindars of the Jharia estate are also dependent on the pond.