‘Halt reclamation work around Powai lake’

MUMBAI: A member of the high court-appointed wetlands grievance redressal committee has written to the authorities in Maharashtra and the Centre, seeking an immediate stoppage of construction works around the boundary of Mumbai’s Powai Lake – near Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) – for the purpose of building a cycling track. The work is being together carried out by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).

The work has now invited objections from environmentalists, who said that forest and wildlife clearances for the project have not been granted despite being mandatory. In their letter on Thursday, addressed to officials from the Union environment ministry, the central and state pollution control bodies and the state forest and wildlife departments, Stalin D, wetlands committee member and director of nongovernmental organisations (NGO) Vanashakti, wrote, “The lake is home to the Indian marsh crocodile, a Schedule 1 protected species under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972... the National Board for wildlife and forest departments have not given any clearance... for this activity.”

Stalin also pointed out that site of the ongoing work is “very much inside the lake waters”, specifically in the spillover zone adjoining the IIT-B jetty. He drew the officials’ attention to the past orders by the Supreme Court and the Bombay high court which explicitly prevent any construction work or reclamation within the boundaries of wetlands identified in the National Wetlands Atlas, of which Powai Lake is one. Construction work in the region, the letter points out, will impact the availability of water to the dense natural forests which line the periphery of the lake.

BMC officials were unavailable for comment. Officials from forest and wildlife departments said they will look into the matter and take necessary action accordingly.