TMC standing committee raises issue over vanishing lakes in Thane city
The Turbhe Pada Lake in Ghodbunder is rapidly vanishing under the name of beautification while the Dawale Lake in Ovala will also vanish like this, alleged the standing committee members.
This was the first meeting of standing committee after it was formed, The formation of new standing committee took a long span of 15 months for various reasons. For all these months there was no standing committee in Thane Corporation which apparently holds the keys of treasure of Corporation
Thane, though is popularly known as city of lakes, the condition of the lakes in the city is pathetic. Apart from a select few which are popular among the residents, most lakes are either silted or encroached. The corporation had tabled a proposal to conserve 36 lakes in the city four years ago, which is still merely on paper.
These are few among the lakes which are rapidly falling prey to encroachments by land grabbers. Following the allegations, the standing committee chairman has now given directives to survey all the lakes in the city. A report on the original area of the lake and the existing area will now be prepared, while action will be taken against those who have encroached the lakes.
Apart from encroachments, the standing committee has also alleged that the lakes in tail end of the city like the Diva, Datiwali and Khidkali lakes are never cleaned or desilted. These lakes have merely turned into a dumping ground.
Naresh Manera, Sena corporator said, “The Dawale Lake in Owala is shown as a lake as per the DP plan and the area around the lake is reserved as garden. However this is only in the plan, at the actual site the lake is encroached by filling it with sand and pebbles on all the sides.”
The situation is similar with the Turbhe Pada Lake in Hiranandani Estate, claimed BJP corporator Manohar Dumbre. “The corporation had tabled a proposal to beatify the Turbhe Pada Lake. However under the name of beautification, the size of the lake is reduced by the con- tractor. The lake instead of being restored, is being filled.”
Along with encroachments, lakes dumped with garbage and silt is another common site in the outskirts of the city.
“The lakes in Diva,, Dativli and Khidkali are never cleaned. People carry out last rites in the lake at Khidkali, while immersions and festivals silt the lake at Diva and Dativali. The corporation has never bothered to clean any of these lakes. They merely look like dumping ground.” Shailesh Patil, Sena Corporator said,
BJP corporator Narayan Pawar has demanded that criminal cases should be registered against those who have encroached these lakes.
Following the demand from the committee, chairman Ram Repale demanded that the officials carry out survey of the lakes in the city. “The officials will take the original area of each of the lake and conduct an onsite survey of the existing area of the lake. If the lakes are found encroached, action will be take against the encroachers,” Repale said.
Thane’s pollution control of- ficer, Manish Pradhan claimed that the survey will be carried out as per the directives.
Standing committee
Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) finally has a functional standing committee after it received its chairman on Wednesday, last week. The formation of the new committee, had delay of 15 months due to a series of technical glitches in the committee's formation.
On May 16, Shiv Sena's Ram Repale was elected as TMC standing committee's chairman. Repale was elected unopposed as Narayan Pawar from the BJP took back his candidature the last minute on Wednesday.
The absence of TMC's standing committee chair, who is also known to hold the treasury of a municipal corporation, however, did lead to a delayed budget this year. As a result, nullah cleaning work began mid-May as the proposal was approved and contractors assigned in April end.
Along with this, chairman of other committees — women and child welfare, education, sports and culture, health committee were also selected on May 16.