After facing strong objection from residents, activists and politicians against dumping of debris into Lotus lake in Nerul, City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has now reportedly sought police protection to dump the debris. A letter by CIDCO addressed to police, has been taking rounds in social media which has demanded police bandobast to dump the debris. In counter to the permission sought, environmentalist and advocate, Pradeep Patole, gives a complaint to Nerul police against CIDCO.
Patole has accused CIDCO officials of forging work orders and flouting multiple court directives to reclaim a protected wetland in Nerul, Navi Mumbai.
Patole—an advocate and member of the Save Lotus Lake movement—submitted a detailed complaint on Friday to the Senior Police Inspector of Nerul Police Station. Patole alleges that CIDCO’s Executive Engineer (KHR-1) Chandanshive and other unidentified officers issued two “bogus” work orders, dated 26 October 2023 and 9 May 2025, authorising private contractor M/s TIPL to dump excavated earth from the Ulwe Hill airport site onto Plot No. 2, Sector 27—better known locally as Lotus Lake.
According to Patole, the wetland is classified as Plot No. 2 on official records but has High Court protection. He contends that CIDCO obtained a 22 May 2025 licence from the Raigad Collector by “suppressing facts” about the lake’s legal status and by falsely linking the reclamation to an unrelated infrastructure project in Kharghar.
Patole’s letter cites at least seven High Court and Supreme Court orders—including rulings in Public Interest Litigations (PILs) dating from 2013 to April 2025—that prohibit any reclamation or encroachment on the site. He argues that the new work orders amount to contempt of court and violate the Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
Residents first reported truckloads of debris entering the lake on 2 June 2025. "Warning boards and boundary fencing installed by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) under earlier court directions were torn down to allow earth-moving machinery access," Patole said.
CIDCO has misused its authority and misled the Raigad Collector by making false statements,” the complaint states, calling for “strict legal action” against the officials involved and for immediate restoration of the lake.
The activist attached copies of the disputed work orders, court judgments, and government memoranda to support his allegations.
When contacted, CIDCO officials declined to comment. "I am yet to receive any such letter from CIDCO. If we get, we will study all the documents before we decide," Deputy commissioner of police, ZoneI, Pankaj Dahane said.
Lotus Lake, a biodiverse waterbody frequented by migratory birds, has long been at the centre of legal battles between conservationists and developers. Environmental groups warn that further infilling could irreversibly damage the wetland ecosystem and also lead to flooding of sector 27 during monsoons.
