NGT forms joint committee to look into Powai lake pollution

NGT forms a committee to address Powai lake's pollution issues, directing it to report findings within a month after residents raised concerns.

MUMBAI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a joint committee to investigate residents’ grievances with the Powai lake. The committee, comprising officers from the Central Pollution Control Board, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, and the Maharashtra State Wetland Authority, has been directed to submit the report to the Pune bench within a month.

Water hyacinths, aquatic decay, and plastic waste cover the lake’s surface, affecting the biodiversity (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The NGT passed the order on July 10, after the NGT in New Delhi took cognisance of a letter by Rakesh Bakshi, a resident of Hiranandani Powai, highlighting the deteriorating conditions of the Powai lake. The tribunal forwarded the application to the Western Zone bench in Pune. It directed the committee “to meet within two weeks, undertake visits to the site, look into the grievances of the applicant, verify the factual position, and submit a report suggesting appropriate remedial action.”

Bakshi said his letter was prompted by the years of neglect by various agencies towards the upkeep of the Powai lake. “For years, the residents and activists have time and again highlighted the degradation of the lake. A similar attempt was made in March when we were not allowed to stage a protest by the civic body,” said Bakshi. Following this, the residents detailed their concerns in a letter to the NGT on March 26. The principal bench of NGT accepted the letter and converted it into an original application.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), one of the respondents in the case, has cleared nearly 18,000 metric tonnes of water hyacinth this year. According to civic officials, the BMC is setting a new channel to divert 8 million litres of wastewater to a new sewage treatment plant (STP), the construction of which is expected to be complete within a year. The rest of the sewage will be channelised to the STP in Bhandup.

“There is a dredger deployed at the Powai lake for cleaning purposes, but it has to be done regularly. Just taking it up for one year will not help,” said BN Kumar, an environmental activist. “We need all agencies to look into the matter and find a permanent solution, which includes rejuvenating the ecosystem that is already done.”