Maha govt to seek wildlife dept approval to remove excess water from Lonar Lake

Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik on Thursday informed the state Legislative Assembly that the government will urgently seek permission from the wildlife department to pump out excess water from Lonar Lake where rising water levels have submerged several historic temples and restricted access for devotees reported news agency PTIThe issue was discussed in the Assembly after a calling attention motion was raised by Siddharth Kharat who highlighted the difficulties faced by devotees and the delay in initiating pumping operations despite funds being sanctioned for the projectWater levels rise sharply after heavy rainfallResponding to the concerns Naik said that unusually heavy rainfall in the region this year had activated several natural springs around the crater lake causing the water level to rise significantly reported PTIAccording to the minister the level of water in Lonar Lake has increased by nearly 20 to 25 feet leading to the submergence of temple structures located along the lakersquos peripheryAs a result devotees are currently unable to access many of the temples situated near the lake which are considered important religious sites in the regionSix temples submerged due to rising lake waterDuring the discussion Kharat pointed out that at least six temples in the area have been submerged due to the rising water levels These include the Gaymukh Temple Ramgaya Temple Paphreshwar Temple and the Kamla Ja Devi TempleHe said that although the government had sanctioned Rs 41 lakh for pumping out water from the lake to reduce the level the work had not begun because of a lack of coordination between the wildlife department and the archaeology department reported PTIThe legislator urged the state government to resolve the issue quickly so that devotees can regain access to the templesMeeting scheduled to secure wildlife department approvalNaik informed the Assembly that a meeting has been scheduled on Friday to obtain the necessary approval from the wildlife department to begin pumping out water from the lake reported PTIHe said discussions will also be held with senior officials including the divisional commissioner and the district collector to ensure that the process is expedited and the water removal work begins as soon as possibleThe minister added that the government is closely monitoring the condition of the lake noting that its water has turned pink and is naturally saline in character reported PTIMajor funds allocated for Lonar Lake developmentNaik further told the House that the state government has allocated 434 crore for development works in the Lonar Lake regionOut of this amount approximately Rs 168 crore has already been spent on various infrastructure and conservationrelated initiatives in the areaDuring the discussion Kharat also raised concerns about the absence of elected representatives in the committee responsible for the conservation and management of Lonar Lake He urged the government to ensure that public representatives are included in the decisionmaking process related to the protection and development of the historic crater lake siteWith inputs from PTI