‘Powai lake is a protected wetland’
MUMBAI: Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that an atmosphere has been created as if drugs from the whole world have been brought only in Maharashtra and the attempts to discredit the reputation of Mumbai Police need to end. In a related development, state home minister Dilip Walse Patil ruled out any probe by state government against Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Sameer Wankhede.
Thackeray made the remarks while virtually inaugurating three fast-track DNA testing units under the Nirbhaya scheme to test human DNA samples, which will help in gathering concrete evidence and increase the efficiency of criminal investigations. He also launched the country’s first wildlife DNA testing laboratory in Nagpur.
Since the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020, the NCB has arrested many celebrities from the film industry in drug abuse cases. The central enforcement agency has recently arrested Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, along with two others from a rave party on a cruise. “Nowadays, there is a wave of drug activities in Maharashtra. An atmosphere has been created as if drugs from the whole world have been brought only in Maharashtra and are being produced here as well. It is also not true that only the special team (NCB) can crack down on drug abuse cases. In Mumbai, four days ago, heroin worth ₹25 crore was caught by Mumbai police (anti-narcotics cell) but since it was just heroin and no name of any heroine (actress) was involved there is no news. No one knows about the names of those who took the action.
But for us it is a matter of pride and they need to be felicitated. Maharashtra Police is the most efficient and competent force and attempts going on to disrepute its reputation, need to be destroyed,” Thackeray said.
Walse Patil on Thursday said that there was no question of a probe against Sameer Wankhede, NCB zonal director. The statement came in response to an allegation made by Nawab Malik, chief spokesperson of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), that Wankhede has filed false cases against many people including celebrities.
“There is no question of launching a probe against Sameer Wankhede. I will take information from my colleague Nawab Malik (skill development minister) about the NCB official,” Walse Patil told reporters in Nagpur late Thursday evening.
A senior official from the home department also said that they will have to take legal opinion for taking action against Sameer Wankhede as he is working for a central government agency.
On Friday when asked about Malik defending Aryan Khan, Walse Patil said both the issues are different. “It is more like a complaint on the functioning of a government department, minister or a government office. Malik too has complaints against NCB,” the home minister said. On Friday, Malik claimed to have received a threat call from Rajasthan for which an official complaint will be filed with the Mumbai police.
Responding to this, home minister said he will take information and if Malik has received any threat call, a decision regarding his security will be taken.
MUMBAI: The state forest department’s mangrove cell upheld the status of Powai Lake as a protected wetland, in line with previous orders of the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court, in a letter to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) earlier this month.
As such, the forest department voiced objections to BMC’s proposal to build a cycle track within the boundary of the lake, which has come under fire from citizens and environmentalists.
India is a party to the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty which pledges the country’s commitment to wetland conservation.
The convention defines wetlands as “areas of marsh, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which, at low tides, does not exceed six meters”.
Wetlands across India are known to be extremely diverse in terms of their origins (natural or man made), water source (freshwater or brackish) and the biodiversity they sustain.
“The forest department, which is entrusted with the conservation of wetlands, has confirmed on record for the first time that Powai Lake is indeed a wetland and needs to be protected as such. They have stressed on the importance of conserving its biodiversity and also said that work on the BMC’s cycle track should not proceed further,” said Stalin D, director of environment group Vanashakti, who obtained under the concerned letter (signed by Neenu Somraj, deputy conservator of forests (DCF), mangrove cell) via a Right to Information (RTI) request this week.
Somraj’s letter was written to the collector, Mumbai suburbs and the BMC’s assistant commissioner, S Ward, pursuant to a complaint from Vanashakti regarding the proposed cycle track, which allegedly flouts MCGM’s own development control regulations, in addition to the Centre’s Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, and the Indian Wildlife Act (1972), seeing as it is also the habitat of the Indian marsh crocodile, a protected species.
“According to the National Wetland Atlas of the Supreme Court, Powai Lake is an important wetland in terms of biodiversity and should be protected for the purpose of conserving wetlands,” Somraj’s letter states, translated from Marathi.
An official with BMC’s S Ward office said the work has presently been halted, and that a BMC committee comprising experts has been formed to deliberate on the feasibility of the project.
PANAJI: Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said she would be on a maiden visit to Goa on October 28, and appealed to political parties and individuals to join her party in defeating the ruling BJP in the state, where Assembly polls are due early next year.
The West Bengal chief minister’s party has already announced its decision to contest the Assembly elections in Goa.
“As I prepare for my maiden visit to Goa on 28th, I call upon all individuals, organizations and political parties to join forces to defeat the BJP and their divisive agenda. The people of Goa have suffered enough over the last 10 years,” Banerjee said on Twitter.
“Together, we will usher in a new dawn for Goa by forming a new govt that will truly be a govt of the people of Goa and committed to realizing their aspirations! #GoenchiNaviSakal,” she added.
The party had earlier announced that Banerjee would be visiting the state by the end of this month.
On Friday, the TMC had appointed Goa’s former chief minister Luizinho Faleiro as its vice president less than a month of his joining the party. The party has been inducting several local leaders in its fold ever since it announced its intention to contest the Goa Assembly polls. Several Congress leaders from Goa have joined the TMC over the last few days, while
Independent MLA Prasad Gaonkar has also extended his support to the party.
Elections to the 40-member House in the state are due in February.
THACKERAY MADE THE REMARKS WHILE VIRTUALLY INAUGURATING THREE FASTTRACK DNA TESTING UNITS UNDER THE NIRBHAYA SCHEME TO TEST HUMAN DNA SAMPLES