Navi Mumbai News: Centre Flags Lotus Lake Threat, Maharashtra Govt Seeks Report From CIDCO & Thane Collector Over Wetland Violation

Navi Mumbai: In response to a central government directive, the Maharashtra State Environment Department has sought detailed reports from CIDCO and the Thane district collector regarding alleged attempts to bury Lotus Lake, a verified three-hectare wetland in Nerul, Navi Mumbai, a RTI filed by activist BN Kumar, revealed.

The Centre’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) asked the State to act on the issue after NatConnect’s director B N Kumar raised the matter via the Prime Minister’s Public Grievance (PMOPG) portal on June 11.

In a response posted on the portal, Pankaj Verma, Scientist-F in MOEFCC’s Wetland Division, confirmed the complaint was "Taken up." Verma also emailed State Environment Director Abhay Madhukar Pimparkar to initiate necessary action.

Following the Centre’s intervention, the State Environment Department issued letters on June 13 to CIDCO and the district collector seeking status reports, as revealed by information received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

“This clearly indicates the seriousness of the official correspondence and that it is not a routine response,” said Kumar, who has vowed to follow up until the wetland is fully protected. “We have irrefutable evidence from official RTI replies confirming the wetland status of Lotus Lake,” he added.

Lotus Lake is among the 564 wetlands documented by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) under the state’s mandate in preparation for long-awaited official wetland notifications.

The MOEFCC had earlier directed all states and union territories to protect wetlands identified in the National Wetland Inventory and Assessment (NWIA), following a Supreme Court ruling.

Additionally, the Bombay High Court has twice intervened to protect Lotus Lake through Public Interest Litigations (PILs) filed by advocate Pradeep Patole. In one case, the court directed CIDCO to remove debris dumped in the lake, while in another, it disposed of the petition after the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation assured the court it would clear encroachments.

Despite these orders, CIDCO reportedly awarded a contract to TIPL, a private firm owned by an influential politician, to dispose of construction debris from the Navi Mumbai International Airport project into the wetland, sparking fresh concerns from environmentalists.