Bhubaneswar, March 4: Choked by weeds and encroached by the local residents on its banks, the Laxmisagar Lake, seems to be dying a slow a death.

According to fisheries department officials, the lake had an area of about 50 acres in the past but now it has shrunk to less than half that size. Besides encroachment, wastewater from the nearby residential areas and apartment blocks add to the lake’s pollution level.

“We have tried to clean the weeds on many occasions, but in 2004 a massive cleaning and desilting operation was undertaken by the residents in association with the local representatives of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). After that no cleaning has ever been done,” said a local resident and retired telecom employee Sukadeb Sabat.

Councillor of ward No. 49 Amaresh Jena said the lake had a great history as the king of Barang in memory of his queen dug it hundreds of years ago. “With encroachment and pollution killing the water body, immediate renovation is required,” he added.

Councillor of ward No. 42 Nibedita Pradhan added that already local residents had given a proposal for the renovation of the lake and the urban development minister Badrinarayan Patra had given his consent to the proposal. “According to the plan, the lake would be made free from weeds, siltation and there will be development of a water recreation facility with provision for boating. The encroachers in the areas will be evicted and the areas freed from encroachment,’’ she said.

As per the land records available with the revenue inspector of Kalpana area, the area of Laxmisagar Lake is about 20 acres. However, there was no exact figure available with the government. Even some fisheries officials do not know the area of the lake which is under their control and is just yards away from Matsya Sadan, the local headquarters of the department.

“In the past, a development project was undertaken by the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture and Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, but the fisheries department was not involved. Only for marketing of the project a wing of the department was associated,’’ said a senior official.

Local resident and retired engineer-in-chief and secretary works department Nandanandan Das said the source of the stream of the lake originates from the geological plate near the secretariat building. “So technically both the ground source and the surface water coming from the upstream areas fill the lake and it remains a rich source of fresh water. But indiscriminate housing projects and pollution have adversely affected ground water in nearby areas,’’ he added.

BMC commissioner Vishal Kumar Dev said although the land of the lake belonged to the fisheries department, the civic body had already started a process to include the water body under the national river conservation directorate.

Fisheries secretary Satyabrata Sahu added that his department would extend all support to BMC in executing any beautification and renovation plan.