Mumbai: Nerul's protected lake is a dumping ground now

The debris dumped in the lake allegedly by CIDCO

There seems to be no end to the destruction of wetlands in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The famous Lotus Lake in Navi Mumbai has become the latest target, with City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) allegedly dumping construction debris in it.

Even though the lake is a notified wetland according to the Thane tehsildar's report on January 20 and the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has taken no measures to protect it.

Navi Mumbai-based environmentalist Sunil Agarwal has written to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray about the ongoing dumping of debris in the lake at Sector 27, Nerul.

"The residents are surprised by the debris dumping happening in this wetland. This is more than 2.25 hectares and protected by the Supreme Court order of October 2017. This is also a verified wetland... Still instead of protecting this, CIDCO has started dumping debris in this wetland claiming it to be a plot no. 2. They applied to the NMMC for transportation of the debris and the civic body gave permission without any inspection or verification. Thane collector, sub divisional officer and tehsildar are clueless about this," his letter stated.

Agarwal has requested both the ministers to stop this destruction, restore the lake and take steps to punish officials responsible for this. He has also written to Navi Mumbai municipal commissioner, police chief and the members of the high court-appointed committee formed to look after the protection of mangroves and wetlands in the state. "I have requested him [the NMMC commissioner] to immediately cancel the No Objection Certificate given to CIDCO for debris transportation, and also remove the debris already dumped there," he said.

Agarwal also sent them pictures of the current state of the lake, which he received from Save Navi Mumbai Environment group.

CIDCO Environment Officer Promod Patil was unavailable for comment.