Matsyagandha Lake

Matsyagandha Lake
मत्स्यगंधा (Hindi)
Matsyagandha Lake Show map of Bihar Matsyagandha Lake Show map of India
Location	Saharsa, Northern Bihar
Coordinates	25°54′15″N 86°35′15″E / 25.90417°N 86.58750°E / 25.90417; 86.58750
Type	Artificial lake
Basin countries	India
Built	1996 (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

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]

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, 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]

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.

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]