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| Edited By: dna Correspondent |Source: DNA |Updated: Nov 16, 2014, 12:36 PM IST
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) general body (GB) on Saturday approved the proposal to convert the natural lake in Wakad into a residential zone amidst chaos.
While the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) voted in favour of the conversion, the Shiv Sena, the Congress and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) voted against the proposal. As many as 59 corporators voted in favour of the proposal and 20 against.
The civic administration tabled the proposal to convert the lake into a residential zone before the GB on May 19. The water body at survey number 211 is located at a prime location in Wakad, which was earlier with the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Town Development Authority (PCNTDA). Later it was brought under the development control rules of the PCMC. The site is shown as a water body in the development plan.
The PCMC wants to convert the natural lake along the Aundh-Ravet Road in Kalewadi into a residential zone or a commercial project. The work of filling up the lake with debris was going on without the approval of the GB or the state government. The work stopped in May after environmental and political organisations opposed the move.
A public interest litigation (PIL) on the issue was filed before the Bombay high court by Moti Mudaliar, a resident of Pimple Nilakh. In the last week of July, the court asked the PCMC to file its say on the civic body’s proposal to convert the Wakad lake into a residential zone within four weeks.
Shiv Sena corporator from Thergaon, Shrirang Barne said, “It is wrong that the civic administration is itself favouring the proposal to convert the lake into a residential zone. The lake is a natural source of water. Destroying such a natural source of water will disturb the geographical scenario of the city. The lake water can be used for gardens. Instead of destroying the lake, the PCMC should develop it.”
Leader of opposition and Congress corporator Kailas Kadam said, “It is illegal to convert the lake. We will move the court against the PCMC.”
Opposition party leaders alleged that the civic body was violating the state government rule to preserve wells and lakes for rainwater harvesting, yet the administration wants to convert the lake for the sake of developers. The PCMC is destroying a natural water source at a time when the state is facing a drought situation. If the civic administration goes ahead with this proposal, a day will come when they will start converting river beds into residential zones, they said.
