Nagpur – A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court by petitioner Nitin Shendre, urging the state government and district administration to take immediate action to prevent pollution of the Surabardi reservoir, a key water source and tourist site.
During the hearing, it was revealed that there is currently no proper access road to the reservoir. Moreover, it was brought to the court’s attention that several encroachments exist along the proposed route. In line with the High Court’s directives, not only has work commenced on aligning the road properly, but authorities have also identified those responsible for the encroachments.
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24 April 2025
The District Collector has issued specific instructions to the Deputy Superintendent of Land Records, Nagpur (Rural), and also directed the Superintendent of District Land Records to verify proposals concerning land measurements.
Advocate Sudhir Malode appeared on behalf of the petitioner, while Advocate Jaimini Kasat represented the Irrigation Department.
According to the District Collector, a report detailing action taken under the provisions of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code will be submitted by May 3, 2025.
Earlier, the court had noted several questionable aspects regarding land around the Surabardi lake. It strongly criticized the conduct of the Executive Engineer of the Minor Irrigation Department, pointing out that although the lease on the lake land had expired in 2015, the land was never reclaimed by the authorities. Instead, the lease was informally extended through questionable means, and illegal private use continued.
The High Court had also ordered the Chief Engineer of the Vidarbha Irrigation Development Corporation (VIDC) to file an affidavit detailing the damage caused to the lake by the lessee agency and the steps taken to seek compensation.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reaffirmed that public roads in Surabardi have been encroached upon—some even with the construction of permanent structures like water tanks. The local Tehsildar submitted an affidavit explaining the difficulties in removing such public utility structures. In response, the government pleader suggested that an alternative route be considered to address the issue.
The matter continues to be under active judicial monitoring.
