Navi Mumbai News: Citizens Brave Rain To Protest At Nerul’s Lotus Lake, Launch Legal Battle To Save Wetland
In a determined show of environmental activism, over 50 citizens braved heavy rains on Sunday to gather at Lotus Lake in Nerul, asserting its status as a vital wetland and vowing to protect it from further degradation. The peaceful protest, titled “Chalo Lotus Lake – A Collective Stand for Nature,” concluded with the adoption of a robust legal and civic action plan aimed at halting the destruction and ensuring restoration of this ecologically rich site.
As part of the strategy, the citizens’ collective resolved to file an Intervention Application (IA) before the Supreme Court, citing violations and contempt of its earlier order in Civil Writ Petition 230/2001, which mandates the protection of wetlands listed in the National Wetlands Atlas.
The group also committed to urgently presenting the IA and related cases before the Bombay High Court, pointing out violations of past rulings in PIL 87/2013 and PIL 25/2021, both concerning wetland conservation.
In a push for wider public involvement, residents were encouraged to file police complaints over illegal dumping and environmental damage at Lotus Lake.
A resolution was passed to send a formal letter to CIDCO Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Vijay Singhal, demanding the immediate removal of debris, restoration of damaged fencing, and accountability of CIDCO officials and contractors involved in the destruction.
To increase pressure, the group will also write to the Ramsar Secretariat, requesting attention under the Ramsar Convention, of which India is a signatory.
Addressing related issues, the citizens resolved to petition the Mangroves Grievance Redressal Committee, urging it to direct CIDCO to hand over mangrove-bearing lands to the Mangrove Cell. "These lands, located in Kharghar, Kamothe, Ulwe, Uran and other areas under CIDCO’s jurisdiction, continue to suffer degradation," activist Shruti Agarwal said.
Environmental activist Sunil Agarwal emphasized the need for structural reform in how such complaints are handled. “In all such cases where complaints regarding mangrove destruction on CIDCO-owned land are found to be valid, the Committee should not merely ask CIDCO to act against unnamed culprits,” he said, adding, “Instead, it should mandate that CIDCO hand over such mangrove-bearing areas to the Mangrove Cell of the Forest Department within 15 days. This would prevent repeated dumping and ensure proper conservation and enforcement by a neutral authority."
He urged that this solution be seriously considered and implemented to safeguard what remains of the ecologically sensitive mangrove zones not only in Ulwe but also other areas falling in CIDCO’s jurisdiction.
Activists and Advocate Pradeep Patole also briefed the gathering on legal steps already undertaken by the Save Lotus Lake team.
Renowned zoologist Clara Correia, associated with the Save Kavesar Lake Citizens Movement, shared ecological insights based on her tenure with the Thane District Wetland Brief Documentation Committee. She recalled how the lake, previously called Darave Lake, was renamed Lotus Lake-Darave after a biodiversity survey revealed blooming lotuses and a rich array of wildlife, including 77 bird species—five of which are near-threatened—as well as several species of fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.
The protest also drew support from former NCP corporators and activists Sandeep Sutar and Shailaja Sutar, as well as MNS worker Sachin Kadam, who pledged their continued support for the lake’s conservation.
news