Mumbai News: Union Environment Ministry Directs Maharashtra To Act On Powai Lake After Green Activists’ Complaints

The union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) asked Maharashtra’s director of environment department to take necessary action to secure Powai Lake after complaints from greens.

The Free Press Journal has earlier published a series of reports about environmentalists and the residents of Powai raising alarm against water hyacinth taking over the scenic 660 hectare Powai lake attributing it to the inflow of 18 million litres of sewage water in the lake everyday. While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started removing the water weed from the lake, the citizens have raised concerns that it will not prove to be helpful as the vegetation is known for regrowing in filthy water.

NatConnect Foundation had filed a complaint in this matter through the prime minister office’s public grievances website, which was forwarded by MoEF&CC to the director of Maharashtra’s environment department directing necessary action in the matter. 

“All the promises by the civic authorities to clean the lake have remained only on paper and there is a semblance of action to clear hyacinth from the lake now, after the activists raised their alarm. The major wetland, which was once a source of drinking water, is now full of hyacinth due to the unchecked sewer flow,” said BN Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation.

The residents of Powai have started a series of initiatives giving a call to save Powai lake. One of the initiatives, an online petition, has garnered over 3,000 signatures. Similarly, a silent human chain protest was organised at Powai Lake by the local residents’ association, which was cancelled after BMC demanded an event fee of Rs11,000, which was reported by The Free Press Journal.