Nagpur: The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court by petitioner Nitin Shendre has urged the administration and the state government to take immediate action against the pollution of the Surabardi Lake near Nagpur. During the hearing, the lawyer representing the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) informed the court that due to the presence of a large amount of pollution in the lake, a closure notice has been issued. The court has adjourned the hearing until March 5, a report in a local Hindi daily said.
During the previous hearing, several suspicious facts regarding Surabardi Lake and the surrounding land came to light. The court made strong remarks against the working methodology of the Executive Engineer of the Minor Irrigation Department, stating that the lease period had expired in 2015, yet the land was not reclaimed from the leaseholder. Instead, attempts were being made to illegally extend the lease at the private level. The High Court has now put a stop to any further lease extension.
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Tuesday 18 Feb. 2025
Accountability and compensation
The court has directed the Chief Engineer of the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) to submit an affidavit detailing the damage caused to Surabardi Lake due to the leaseholder agency and what compensation measures have been taken against them. The court observed that public interest has suffered immensely due to the negligence of both the VIDC and the leaseholder agency.
According to departmental records, the Irrigation Department had allocated land to M/s B.K. Agrawal Entrepreneurs for tourism purposes, but as per documents, no tourism-related activities were ever carried out by the entrepreneur.
Encroachment and legal action
Regarding the alleged encroachment on Survey No. 103 of Surabardi, the court was informed that the land was leased to Ankur Agrawal in 2005 for tourism activities, and the lease period ended in 2015. The application for renewal of the lease is currently under consideration by the VIDC. If the renewal is not granted, appropriate legal action will be taken to reclaim the land, as per legal provisions.
Following the hearing, the court expressed dissatisfaction with the affidavit submitted by the Executive Engineer and directed the Irrigation Department to submit a detailed report on the actions taken so far.
