The Maharashtra government has confirmed that the controversial Lotus Lake at Nerul is a wetland, contradicting the CIDCO stand that the waterbody is not one. The clarification came in response to an RTI query filed by NatConnect Foundation director B N Kumar. According to the state’s Environment Department, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) has already completed a ground-truthing exercise of the Lotus Lake. The department further stated that the “brief documentation” process of wetlands across the state is in progress and that the final report from NCSCM is awaited. Once ready, the report will be forwarded to the District Wetland Committee for further action, the RTI reply signed by Nilesh Potedar, Public Information Officer and Scientist-2, revealed.
Environmental groups have long accused CIDCO of downplaying the ecological significance of the Lotus Lake. Activists allege that parts of the lake were even landfilled with debris from the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) project. Kumar highlighted that while CIDCO has maintained the lake is a man-made waterbody, even once allotted to Indian Airlines, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEFCC) had earlier clarified that CIDCO is not the competent authority to decide wetland status.
Meanwhile, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik had directed CIDCO on June 26 to clear the debris from the site within a week, but the directive has yet to be complied with. Citing the Ramsar Convention’definition of wetlands, Kumar stressed that Lotus Lake fits the criteria irrespective of CIDCO’s claims. “This confirmation by the state strengthens the case for its formal notification as a wetland and protection from destruction,” he added.