Matsyagandha Lake
Artificial lake in Saharsa district of Northern Bihar, India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Matsyagandha Lake (Hindi: मत्स्यगंधा) is a 1.5 km (1 mi) by 200 m (660 ft) artificial lake in the Sattar Kataiya block of Saharsa district of Northern Bihar region in India.[1]
| Matsyagandha Lake | |
|---|---|
| मत्स्यगंधा (Hindi) | |
| |
  Matsyagandha Lake  Matsyagandha Lake | |
| Location | Saharsa, Northern Bihar |
| Coordinates | 25°54′15″N 86°35′15″E |
| Type | Artificial lake |
| Basin countries | India |
| Built | 1996 |
| Max. length | 1.5 km (1 mi) |
| Max. width | 200 m (660 ft) |
| Surface area | 33 ha (82 acres) |
| Water volume | 6,000 m3 (210,000 cu ft) |
| Surface elevation | 42 m (138 ft) |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of Matsyagandha Lake | |
The lake was conceptualized in 1996, by the then Saharsa Collector, Tej Narayan Lal Das, as a development of wasteland used to cremate bodies.
As a result of neglect, the lake shrunk between 2006 and 2017, almost disappearing by 2018. In June 2020 the lake was planned to be renovated at the cost of ₹ 7.47 Crore (USD 1.02 M),[2] by the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali mission under the Government of Bihar, to be carried out by the State Department of Minor Water Resources Archived 2023-05-15 at the Wayback Machine, and includes increasing the depth by 2 metres (6 ft 7 in), expanding the size of the lake to 33 ha (82 acres), and capacity to 6,000 m3 (210,000 cu ft).[1]
Etymology
The name of the lake is derived from the semi-mythical character of Matsyagandha, the wife of King Shantanu. She is also the mother of the sage Vyas, fathered by the wandering rishi (sage) Parashara.
Facilities
There is a Matsyagandha temple nearby, which houses a small temple pond with idols of Gods and Goddesses. The lake has the facility for boating and speed-boating at a chargeable basis,[3] however, due to low water levels, boating is intermittent. There are plans for lake improvement for tourism by developing an 8 feet wide pavement lined with trees and park benches.[4][5]