Aqua OUCH: Sand, silt and wild grass invade Jayanti Sarovar in Jubilee Park on Tuesday. (Bhola Prasad)

From mirror-finish to mucky? Aquatic landmark in the heart of Jamshedpur, Jayanti Sarovar or Jubilee Lake as it is popularly known, is making a splash, but for the wrong seasons.

Floating monsoon muck and irregular desilting have made large tracts of the 20-acre reservoir in Jubilee Park sandy and filthy. At some places, water stands barely one foot deep.

Telltale signs of thinning and polluted water are clearly visible on the flanks of the lake on stretches near the Tata zoo and old court. Near the zoo-end, there is a cesspool of muck and sand spanning some 50m of the lake. Similarly, sand and sludge choke around 100m of the lake near court premises.

Anglers and morning walkers told The Telegraph on Tuesday morning that two inlets of the lake bring in a lot of city garbage, especially during and after monsoon.

They alleged that Tata Steel subsidiary Jusco had not been cleaning the lake as often as it should have, especially the areas near the two inlets.

“Water from the city gushes into the lake through the inlets. Usually, after rainy season, Jusco cleans areas near the inlets. But for the past two-three years, this has not been done and the health of the lake has suffered in consequence,” said a Jamshedpur Angling Club functionary, declining to be named.

Sand, gravel and wastes seep into the lake waters through two inlets, each 5ft deep.

Jayanti Sarovar, which used to be 9ft deep, is also fast becoming shallow, say anglers. Flanks, 6ft deep earlier, barely have one-foot of water.

“We told Jusco authorities many times this year to clean Jayanti Sarovar but no action has been taken so far. Ecological vulnerability apart, as the lake gets shallower, our angling is hampered. Sand, silt and less water restrict fish movement, making them sitting ducks for unscrupulous predators,” the veteran angler said.

“If a lake gets shallow and polluted, its oxygen content reduces, suffocating aquatic flora and fauna. A vicious cycle plays out. This must not happen at Jayanti Sarovar,” said K.K. Sharma, head of zoology department at Jamshedpur Cooperative College and Ornithological Society of India (Bihar-Jharkhand) representative.

When contacted, Jusco spokesperson Rajesh Rajan claimed to be unaware about dipping water level. “It is not possible to desilt the lake every year. The last desilting was carried out over five years ago. We do clean the lake, especially inlets, regularly. But yes, we will check the water level at the lake and initiate remedial measures,” Rajan said.

Which is the cleanest water body in your city? Tell ttkhand@abpmail.com