Nagpur’s Vanishing Lakes Trigger Environmental Alarm, High Court Steps In The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court recently took suo motu cognisance of reports detailing the disappearance and severe degradation of lakes across Nagpur city. The court issued a stern warning that the shrinking water bodies pose significant environmental and constitutional risks, particularly concerning citizens' right to clean water and a healthy environment. A division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode converted media reports published in The Times of India into a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) after identifying "grave environmental concern and public interest" in the matter. The court emphasized that Nagpur's lakes have historically played a vital ecological role, maintaining environmental balance, supporting biodiversity, recharging groundwater, and regulating the city's microclimate. These water bodies also functioned as natural flood buffers and open ecological spaces amid rapid urbanization. Referring to information obtained under the Right to Information Act by social activist Abhay Kolarkar, the court noted that Sanjay Gandhi Lake and Dobi Lake have effectively disappeared from the official inventory of the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). The civic body's records now recognize only 11 surviving lakes within city limits. The surviving lakes listed in municipal records include Ambazari, Futala, Sonegaon, Pandharabodi, Police Line Takli, Binaki Mangalwari, Naik, Gorewada, Sakkardara, Lendi Talao, and Gandhi Sagar lakes. The court highlighted that only five of these lakes remain under the jurisdiction of the NMC, while the others are controlled by different government agencies.#bombay_high_court #nagpur_municipal_corporation #abhay_kolarkar #sanjay_gandhi_lake #dobi_lake
