Nagpur: In a significant development in the Ambazari flood PIL, the Nagpur district administration on Wednesday informed the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court that Ambazari Lake does not qualify as a notified wetland under Central Government norms. The clarification was made via an affidavit submitted by District Collector Vipin Itankar, in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by nonagenarian activist Ramgopal Bachuka and others.
The affidavit comes as a defence of the High-Powered Committee’s (HPC) decision dated April 29, which excluded Ambazari from the list of wetlands, despite widespread public concern following the devastating September 2023 flash floods that claimed four lives, affected over 28,000 families, and allegedly caused damages worth Rs 234 crore across Nagpur.
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15 july 2025
Key Points from Collector’s Affidavit:
• Ambazari Lake is man-made, originally constructed for drinking water supply and aquaculture, and therefore exempt from wetland status as per the MoEFCC’s 2020 guidelines under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
• The District Wetland Committee, constituted on March 28, 2024, reviewed 71 water bodies, including Ambazari, and submitted its recommendations to the Maharashtra Environment Department on July 4, 2025.
• Documentation and scrutiny reports regarding the lake were forwarded to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on March 26, 2025.
The PIL, argued by counsel Tushar Mandlekar, cited Ambazari’s classification as a wetland in the ISRO Wetland Atlas, and alleged that its mismanagement played a key role in the 2023 disaster, which submerged 143 localities. The petitioners questioned the lack of preventive measures and claimed that the government bypassed public consultation while issuing Rs 21 crore worth of tenders for repair works on the dam.
While not verifying the Rs 234 crore loss claimed by petitioners, the Collector acknowledged that Rs 28.25 crore in ex-gratia aid was distributed to 28,256 flood-affected families (Rs 10,000 each), and Rs 4 lakh compensation was provided to the families of each of the four deceased victims.
On the controversial tenders, the Collector clarified that those contracts did not originate from his office, distancing the district administration from the funding and execution of repair works.
A division bench comprising Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Sachin Deshmukh took the affidavit on record and adjourned the hearing for two weeks. The court is currently evaluating the adequacy of disaster response and long-term ecological safeguards, particularly as climate-related events intensify.
The petitioners have sought a rethink of urban water body protection policies, arguing that Ambazari and similar lakes must be preserved as ecological buffers against extreme weather. They also demand greater transparency, public participation, and a scientific basis for water body classification.
As the High Court continues to assess the broader implications of the 2023 flood disaster, the outcome of this PIL could influence future urban planning, wetland conservation, and disaster mitigation strategies in Nagpur and across Maharashtra.
