The travel brochures are, of course, full of beautiful descriptions of the natural wonder that is Udaipur. But behind the hype, there is a sordid reality. Nearly a third of the population here suffers from water-borne diseases. The lakes, which once teemed with fish and crocodiles, now have just one variety of fish -- the carp. The capacity of the lakes has shrunk by a fifth of its original size in just two decades, because of the silt and solid waste that has found their way into them.

In other words, Udaipur is facing an environmental disaster of gigantic proportions. It has been brought about by greed of vested interests and the apathy ofadministrators, who have together sold the future of the city and the lakes for petty private gain.

If there is a heaven on earth for the land mafia, it is here. Politicians of all shades are in league with the mafia. Rules and norms framed by the experts are being openly flouted.

It's not that the threat to the lakes is not known. The media has highlighted the problem, not once, but on several occasions. Since 1992, a group of citizens, organised under the banner of Jheel Sanrakshan Samiti (JSS), has been waging a relentless battle to save the lakes. A public interest litigation was filed in the High Court. The city's lake system figures among the top 10 in the list of 21 lakes that the national lake conservation programme (NLCP) of the Union environment ministry has earmarked for special attention.

This pressure may have resulted in the a few brave steps to try and avert the tragedy, but they have proved sadly ineffectual. How can it be otherwise? Some of the most senior state government functionaries-- including Chief Minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat -- have found it convenient to turn a blind eye on the problem. Aggravating matters is the question of ownership. With the former ruling family of Mewar, which owns a chain of hotels including the Lake Palace, claiming that the lakes belong to them.

The fact is that although a multitude of government agencies share the responsibility for maintaining the lakes, it is nobody's baby. The JSS has long been suggesting that a lake development authority be set up to oversee the maintenance. Today, there has been no progress on that front.

There are roughly 60,000 families living around the lakes, and nearly 150 hotels on their periphery. Both the sewage from private homes and the hotel waste is conveniently dumped into its waters. Since there is no sewage system to speak of, raw sewage is allowed to flow in. In fact, in some areas, the lake side is used as an open air lavatory. Solid waste is also dumped close to the waterfront only to be washed into the lakewhen it rains.

There are 38 drains from which an estimated 6,000 cubic metres of waste flows into these water bodies every day. The main feeder canal of Fatehsagar is itself in a bad state with drains flowing into it. The backwash from a water treatment plant in the area also finds its way into the feeder canal.

As a result of this it is not entirely surprising that there is a high incidence of water-borne diseases like paratyphoid and typhoid. A petition filed in the court estimates that one third of Udaipur's population suffers from one or other of these diseases and tourists are advised to avoid drinking local water.

Then there is the problem of deforestation in the hills surrounding the catchment area of the lakes, which means that tonnes of silt is also washed down during rains. According to P.L. Aggarwal of the JSS, the capacity of Pichola is getting reduced by 0.93 per cent and that of Fatehsagar by 1.16 per cent every year. One of the first indications that all is not well with these waterbodies is the copious presence of water hyacinth. The lake water is low in dissolved oxygen and has untenable levels of pollutants like orthophosphates.

But the more facts like these are revealed, the more the apathy of the authorities seem to be. ``Not only are big and influential hoteliers busy constructing structures right next to the lakes, the urban improvement trust a local body has proposed amendments to the by-laws which would in effect open up the entire area near the lakes to construction activity,'' says Dr Tej Razdan of the JSS. Local environmentalists also point out that Haridasji ki Magri, a green, agricultural area near the city, has been converted into urban land under pressure from the land mafia.

The Oberoi group is constructing a hotel by the lakeside here. Another hotel owned by Vision Hotels & Resorts is coming up a little distance from the lake in an area where construction activity is prohibited. What's more it is on temple land, which cannot be sold. The purchase of this plot istherefore illegal and was done on a wrong title deed. Collector Srimat Pandey confirmed that inquiry into this has been ordered. Yet construction work on the hotel has not been halted. Pandey's request to the higher authorities to review the permission granted for construction has evidently not been heeded so far.

As a result of all this construction activity, Udaipur has not grown in a homogeneous fashion. Most of its growth has been inward, between the lakes around which it is located. It is not only private parties which are interested in land next to lakes. The government agencies are not far behind. Every department wants to locate its office or guest house close to the lake. Under the proposed amendments to the by-laws -- which is awaiting clearance -- construction will be allowed on land that was hitherto lying vacant.

The JSS has sent its objections to this move, urging that the restriction on construction within 100 m from the lakes be adhered to and that only internal repairs for oldconstructions be allowed. They also want the authorities to retain the green belt near Pichola lake and insist, among other stipulations, that no more construction be allowed in the catchment area of the lakes.

The Union environment ministry had asked for a pre-feasibility report from the state, to be prepared within three months. The task was assigned to a foreign consultant a I.C. Watson and a government body, Awas Vikas Sansthan. They failed to prepare a proper report even after being given more time to do so. Ultimately, their report was accepted only along with the report prepared by JSS.

A project of Rs 116 crore was finally sanctioned for a plan to help maintain the Udaipur lakes under the NLCP. According to JSS, the government agencies and their consultant have failed to complete the project within the Eight Plan period.

The scheme is now scheduled for the Ninth Plan. Whether it will ever take off, only time will tell. Meanwhile, the bell tlls for Udaipur's fabulous lakes.