Bhubaneswar, June 30: The state government has asked the municipal corporation here to furnish the utilisation certificate for funds provided by the Centre for renovation of the Bindusagar lake.

The renovation project got Rs 6.1 crore from the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), while the National River Conservation Directorate sanctioned Rs 2.45 crore. The state government was supposed to cough up Rs 1 crore. The directorate had released Rs 2.25 crore till March 2012, but the civic body was yet to furnish the utilisation certificate.

On June 26, housing and urban development secretary Injeti Srinivas wrote to the municipal commissioner to expedite the process of renovation. He had also asked why the utilisation certificate was not being submitted despite the directorate asking for it on October 7, 2011 and March 1, 2012.

The renovation of Bindusagar was divided into two parts. While the JNNURM money was meant for construction of the parikrama, or walkway surrounding the religious water body, the National River Conservation Directorate component was planned to be utilised for the bioremediation of the water and also to have a better water level in the lake.

Municipal commissioner Sanjib Kumar Mishra said Rs 43 lakh was left from the bio-remediation component because the contractor from Mumbai left midway without completing the work. With Rs 1.74 core of the state government component available, the total funds available for Bindusagar is now Rs 2.17 crore.

It has been decided to dredge the lake basin to raise the water level. Experts have found that due to closure of the natural aquifers and streams nearby due to rapid urbanisation, the water body is suffering and in the beginning of the monsoon season, the water level is still as it was in mid-summer.

The dredging will be done by the drainage division of the water resources department and is estimated to cost Rs 2.84 crore. The same department was also engaged by the state government for dredging of the Narendra puskarini (pond) in Puri before the Chandan yatra.

“The dredging machine will come from Puri, but as it needs a particular water level to float, we will need some more time so that the water level rises after the rain. We have Rs 2.17 crore with us and the dredging will cost more than that. The remaining cost will be borne by the state government,” said a senior official of the corporation.