Raja Talab, Jharia's historical pond that is choking on dirt, will breathe easy before turning into good-looking royalty.

Dhanbad Municipal Corporation (DMC), which signed an agreement with Jharkhand-based agency Sujit Construction, has started desilting work at a cost of Rs 58 lakh.

The desilting work, which began last week, is likely to end before April to pave way for beautification at a separate cost of Rs 3 crore provided by the state urban development department.

The 8.46-acre pond, sanctified by people for decades in the district, will regain its glory soon, said mayor Chandrashekhar Agarwal. "The contractor has been instructed to complete the work by March 31. Though a detailed project report for the beautification of the pond was prepared last year, it will require slight modification before implementation," the mayor added.

Established by erstwhile Jharia king Durga Prasad Singh in 1920s, the grand reservoir served as the focal point of all religious activities of the district - be it immersion of all idols or offering Arghya during Chhath.

But, years of neglect led to the inevitable. A survey conducted in 2007 by the environment engineering department of ISM of different water bodies of Dhanbad revealed that the water of Raja Talab had turned alkaline. Its pH value rose to 8.4 and anions and cations were beyond WHO permissible limits.

Dewatering and desilting, which started in 2014, stopped when the model code of conduct for 2014 Assembly polls came into force, resumed briefly and again stopped in July 2015 due to monsoon.

Madhavi Singh, a member of the Jharia royal family, has welcomed the desilting work. "We want the pond beautified at the earliest," Singh added.