Several senior government officials could be in legal trouble for permitting MLA Gopal Shetty of BJP to fill up a natural pond at Eksar Road in Borivili.
Several senior government officials could be in legal trouble for permitting MLA Gopal Shetty of BJP to fill up a natural pond at Eksar Road in Borivili.
The pond, which is in a coastal regulatory zone, will give way to various recreational amenities. A revenue department notification dated October 2, 2008, allowed Shetty to build a children’s park, community centre, cultural centre, and library by filling up the 3389.60 sq m natural pond.
Shetty, who is also the president of BJP’s city unit, took up the work as part of a beautification project. The project involved sprucing up an adjoining large pond (12,929.50 sq m) and setting up a joggers’ park. The park, named ‘Jhansi ki Rani Joggers’ Park’ was recently inaugurated. Mhada carried out the pond reclamation work by using local area development funds allocated to Shetty for the work.
Though the pond has been filled up, construction of the park and other buildings is yet to begin. The entire beautification work is close to Eskay Resorts, a recreation club. Shetty reportedly had a major role in building the club.
Social activist Edwin Britto has served legal notices on state chief secretary Johny Joseph, revenue minister Jayant Patil and the department’s secretary, municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak, and suburban collector Vishwas Patil for ‘wilful destruction of environment’. And mayor Shubha Raul has been made a respondent in the notice. Shetty too has been sent a copy.
Britto has quoted a 2001 Supreme Court order, which says natural resources like forests, tanks, ponds, hillocks, and mountains are important for maintaining the ecological balance and needs to be protected.
Janata Dal (secular) has supported the complaint. Mrinal Gore of JD(S) was with Britto when he met Phatak on December 22. Britto had asked Phatak to issue a stop-work notice and see to it that the pond was restored. “Government officials create disaster by allowing the reclamation of nature’s bounty,” Britto said. If the government failed to take any action on the notice, he would move the high court, he said.
In July 2008, the municipal corporation was forced to stop work on an ancient pond in Kalina following a public outcry.
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