{
  "id": 335991,
  "title": "Inside India’s newest man-made lake | By the Waters, Ahmedabad",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/inside-indias-newest-man-made-lake-by-the-waters-ahmedabad",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-09T00:16:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
    "slug": "the-hindu-sci-tech",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/homes-and-gardens/by-the-waters-ahmedabad-india-newest-manmade-lake-blue-heart-suryam-developers/article71304496.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "We started our journey by analyzing the hydrogeology of the site, examining soil permeability, seasonal groundwater fluctuations, and evapotranspiration rates. Generally, man-made lakes face issues such as contamination, eutrophication, and ecological decline. However, the designers of India's newest man-made lake, Blue Heart, aimed to avoid these pitfalls through innovative design choices.\n\nG.M. Patel, founder and chairman of Suryam Group, explained their motivation: \"The inspiration was a refusal to accept that luxury in India must mean verticality and density. What we kept returning to was a simpler question: what does stillness feel like? And water is the most ancient answer to that question.\"\n\nThe hydrology for the project was engineered by Dutch firm Witteveen+Bos, who specialized in working with water in unlikely places, such as the Netherlands. Patel emphasized the importance of their closed-loop system, drawing on groundwater, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and seasonal monsoon capture. This system was designed to be resilient across both deficit and surplus years, given Gujarat's erratic rainfall pattern.\n\nThroughout the project, concerns about potential environmental impacts were addressed through thoughtful design. The closed-loop system eliminates wastewater ingress, prevents thermal stratification, and ensures continuous water movement by an automated inlet system. Native macrophytes along the banks provide a biological nutrient sink, which will outperform chemical treatments in the long run.\n\nAs we arrived at Blue Heart, we could see the lake was still under construction. The riparian vegetation was establishing itself, and the water hadn't reached its pristine blue hue yet. However, the designers had more exciting features planned, such as a 1.5-km lakeside promenade, a 2-km kayak trail, and multiple garden environments. The goal is to create a self-sustaining biological ecosystem that residents can live with, not just look at.",
  "summary": "Anchored by a 72,600 square yard man-made waterbody crafted with Dutch expertise, By the Waters, the residential estate by Suryam Developers, is redefining ultra-exclusive living in Ahmedabad",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}