Nagpur: During hearing of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Wednesday about Ambazari Lake, the Divisional Commissioner informed the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court that a high-level committee had urged the NMC, Chief Engineer of the Irrigation Department, and the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute in Nashik to relocate the statue of Swami Vivekananda situated adjacent to Ambazari Lake for free flow of water.
It is noteworthy that in its 2018 report, the Irrigation Department recommended various measures, including the relocation of Swami Vivekananda statue, ensuring free flow of water and elimination all other obstacles. The ongoing initiative to enhance and beautify the lake is progressing with an approved fund of Rs 21.07 crore for deepening of Nag River bed.
The Divisional Commissioner, in an affidavit presented before the High Court on Wednesday, stated that the fund will be distributed in four phases for different essential tasks. The hearing took place before Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Abhay Mantri. In previous hearing, the High Court had instructed a high-level committee to clear all encroachments along the Nag River. In compliance with this directive, encroachment removal is currently in progress.
Given that Ambazari Lake discharges 400 cubic metres of water and carrying capacity of 60 cubic metres of Nag River, the high-level committee claimed that they are involved in the process for encroachment removal and deepening of the river bed. According to the Divisional Commissioner’s affidavit, efforts to fortify and enhance Ambazari Lake have commenced. The Urban Development Department has established a high-level committee, led by senior officials, to oversee the safety of Ambazari Lake, streamline the Nag River and remove encroachments along its banks.
Residents of the area including Ramgopal Bachuka, Jayashree Bansod, and Natthuji Tikkas, represented by Adv Tushar Mandlekar, filed the PIL. Adv Deepak Thakre represented the State Government.
Demolition of parking slab over Nag River at skating rink begins:
Meanwhile, according to a local daily, four months after the Nag River floods, Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) has started taking some remedial steps and begun demolishing the parking slab constructed on Nag River beside the skating rink at Corporation Colony.
The report further said that the rink, which was constructed in 2001 along with an administrative building and parking lots at Nag River, will remain operational. The skating rink was built to international standards and partly funded by the government. The facility was built on a 6,236.64 square metre plot on the banks of Nag River. However, the parking deck was built over the bed of Nag River, which narrowed the river and obstructed the smooth flow of water.
On September 23 last year, water from Ambazari Lake flooded into Nag River, causing damage to thousands of private properties and damaging property worth hundreds of crores. As a result of the flooding, the parking slab on Nag River had cracked and the retaining wall on the slab had collapsed. NIT had conducted a structural audit of the parking slab. The report recommended that the place should not be used for parking vehicles as it could collapse anytime.
