Navi Mumbai: Environmental groups have alleged that the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) is illegally dumping construction debris into the High Court-protected Lotus Pond in Nerul for land reclamation.
“The debris that is being collected from Navi Mumbai Airport site is being dumped into the pond as per the work order that has been allotted to Thakur Infraprojects Private Limited by CIDCO,” Sunil Agarwal, founder of Save Navi Mumbai Environment group and Save Lotus Pond group, said.
The incident has sparked outrage among activists, municipal officials, and citizens, coming just days ahead of World Environment Day. According to NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar, “It is shocking that CIDCO, a state government-owned agency, has permitted dumping into a wetland that the High Court has repeatedly ordered to be preserved and cleared of debris.”
CIDCO Faces Heat for Dumping Debris in Protected Lotus Pond, Environmentalists Demand Action | File Photo
Agarwal and Kumar have raised an alarm through a series of emails to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The High Court had earlier ruled in favour of removing encroachments and debris from the lake, in cases filed by advocate Pradeep Patole.
Meanwhile, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), which shares the responsibility for preserving the lake along with CIDCO, has taken a firm stand. City Engineer Shirish Aradwad confirmed that the civic body has objected in writing to both CIDCO and the Raigad collector, citing clear violations of earlier court orders.
Raigad collector’s office reportedly issued a royalty waiver for transporting debris from Ulwe—located over 10 km away—and dumping it into Lotus Pond. Though the waiver letter stated that a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from CIDCO was mandatory, activists say this requirement is meaningless as CIDCO itself is the body facilitating the dumping.
“At least two truckloads of soil have already been dumped on the wetland,” Patole said, adding that he had called in the police to stop further landfill. The Chief Minister’s Office has responded quickly and asked Aseem Gupta, Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department, to investigate the issue and take necessary action.
Kumar pointed out that only certain officials such as the environment secretary, the district collector, the pollution control board, and sub-divisional officers are empowered under the Environment Protection Act to take action. A previous attempt by former Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray to empower forest officers was rejected by the Union Environment Ministry, creating what Kumar called “a big lacuna in the law.”
“This is a classic case of government agencies working at cross-purposes. On the one hand, they make grand statements about the environment, while on the other, they actively violate their own commitments,” Kumar said. “We urge the government to stop this mockery of World Environment Day.”
Agarwal also expressed concern on social media, calling for immediate action to halt the destruction of wetlands under the guise of development. CIDCO was unavailable for any comments on the issue. Messages to the MD were unanswered.
