Nagpur: In response to the High Court directions in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) over Ambazari floods of September 2023, the Urban Development Department (UDD) of State Government has constituted a high-level committee headed by Divisional Commissioner of Nagpur, to chalk out a time-bound plan for strengthening Ambazari Lake and removal of encroachments posing hurdle in smooth flow of Nag River.
The committee has been tasked with chalking out the said plan by January 12, 2024, that is, in a week’s time, and submit the affidavit in the High Court in this regard. Another task of the committee is taking action in accordance with the State Government’s directions from time to time. The committee has been constituted in response to the directions of the High Court on March 21, 2018 and December 21, 2023 in separate PILs.
The floods in September 2023 had led to extensive damage to houses, shops, cinema halls, schools, hospitals, and many more. The committee headed by Divisional Commissioner, Nagpur, has the Municipal Commissioner of Nagpur as Member Secretary. The other members of this high-level panel comprise District Collector, Chairman of Nagpur Improvement Trust, Managing Director of Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, Regional Officer of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, Chief Engineer of Water Resources Department, Director of Disaster Management Cell, Chairman of Heritage Conservation Committee of Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Managing Director of Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute (Nashik), and Director of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute.
The Government Resolution in this regard was signed by Vidya Ramappa Hampayya, Deputy Secretary of UDD, and issued on Friday. Apart from the authorities drafted as members of the committee, the Advocate General of Maharashtra also was informed about the development.
The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court had issued directions on March 21, 2018 regarding strengthening of Ambazari dam while hearing a PIL. However, as its directions were not complied with, another PIL was filed last year in the aftermath of heavy rains and flooding on September 23. While hearing the new PIL, the High Court directed the Government on December 6, 2023 to submit an affidavit regarding the measures taken.
The High Court had expressed serious concern over the delay in strengthening and revitalisation of Ambazari Lake. The Court had questioned as to why the ambitious Ambazari Lake Plan initiated in 2018 had not been completed within the stipulated time of five years.
In another hearing on December 22, Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Abhay Mantri at the High Court accepted the unconditional apology submitted by the then State Chief Secretary Manoj Saunik. Through his affidavit, the then Chief Secretary assured the High Court that the orders passed by the court in this PIL would be complied with scrupulously and without any delay. He also informed the Court that he had conducted the meeting of all authorities concerned on December 15 and had instructed all of them to expedite the works, and that a high-level committee of four/five Secretaries of the departments concerned would work on executing the plans to avert the possibility of such natural calamity in future.
