Ahead of Independence Day, environmentalists launched a focused campaign seeking freedom from sewer for Mumbai’s 600-hectare Powai Lake, which has turned into a reservoir of filth due to the draining of 18 million litres of untreated sewer every day. With the title, “I Am Powai Lake, I need freedom from your sewer,” the NatConnect Foundation’s campaign pointed out that the lake was once a jewel of Mumbai and a prime attraction. The campaign, speaking on behalf of the lake in the first person, stated, "The city has neglected and tortured me over the years, and today I am reduced to a reservoir of filth. I am gasping. I need urgent help; I need freedom from sewer and muck. This Independence Day, my ask is: #FreedomFromSewer." The message also urged the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to include the Clean Powai Lake initiative as part of its Swachh Bharat campaign.
Activist Pamela Cheema, who is also the chairperson of the BMC-mandated Advanced Locality Management (ALM) committee, highlighted that heaps of garbage, including plastic wrappers, liquor bottles, and even debris, are being dumped on the lake. Cheema regretted that despite promises from ministers and municipal officials to clean the lake and restore its biodiversity, these commitments have largely remained empty. Stressing the significance of wetlands for Mumbai's survival, NatConnect director B. N. Kumar explained that wetlands like Powai Lake play a crucial role in carbon absorption, hosting biodiversity, and recharging the groundwater table. Kumar also appreciated the Indian Government's commitment to the global Ramsar Convention on wetland conservation.
Recently, Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav posted on social media that India’s Resolution on 'Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles for the Wise Use of Wetlands' had been adopted at Ramsar CoP15 in Zimbabwe on July 30, 2025. The resolution received overwhelming support from 172 countries and 6 international organizations. However, Kumar noted that Powai Lake reflects the grim reality of India’s degraded wetlands. Another ALM member, Meenal Bhat, pointed out the damage caused by hyacinths in the lake. Although the hyacinth might appear less in the middle of the waterbody due to currents and monsoon winds, she said, “Please check the sides. Hyacinth is piling up there, and it has begun to spread back into the lake.” Bhat emphasized that cleaning the hyacinth is essential for aquatic life to survive and thrive.
The campaign also recalled that during a Parliament question hour, the then Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Anil Madhav Dave, stated on November 11, 2016, that “Powai Lake in Mumbai is covered under the NPCA/NLCP programme and a project for the ‘Restoration and Conservation of Powai Lake’ has already been implemented by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at a cost of Rs. 4.70 crore.” The project involved bioremediation, de-weeding, desludging, installing an aeration system, chain link fencing, and monitoring, among other conservation activities.
In a Standing Committee on Water Resources Report dated June 26, 2016, Powai Lake was included in the National Lake Conservation Plan (NPCA) at an approved cost of Rs. 28.57 crore, with Rs. 18.675 crore already released. Local activist Anamika Sharma questioned the use of the funds and the results achieved, asking, “We wonder what happened to all that money and what results were achieved?” Recently, the BMC began the process of floating tenders for the diversion of raw sewage and the installation of treatment plants at the lake. Sharma stressed the urgency of expediting this process to restore Powai Lake to its former glory.