Times of India: Nagpur: Sunday, April 21, 2013.
The Nagpur
Municipal Corporation (NMC) is also to be blamed for Maharashtra Pollution
Control Board (MPCB) recommendation for denotifying a part of Nag River
starting from its origin point to Ambazari lake. The civic body has
acknowledged that the river's origin was Ambazari lake's overflow point despite
having many evidences to prove that it originated from a hillock near Lava
village.
Activist of
Vidarbha Environmental Action Group (VEAG) Swanand Soni obtained this
information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act query about the proposal
submitted by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Nagpur region. The
query revealed that MPCB submitted the proposal on September 1, 2012, with its
head office in Mumbai, mentioning that the NMC was proper authority of the
river.
MPCB said it
wrote to the NMC for verification about the river's origin. "The civic
body, through a letter dated August 7, 2012, acknowledged that the river
originates from Ambazari lake's overflow point and that there is no evidence of
river's origin from hillocks near Lava village. Besides, the river does not
exist in few parts from hillocks near Lava village up to Ambazari lake. The
source of water for the river is only sewage. Besides, industrial waste also flows
into the river. Therefore, the river's stretch from origin to Ambazari lake can
be derecognized," the MPCB stated.
The MPCB,
which is under fire from activists for submitting the proposal allegedly under
pressure from industrial lobby, has used the NMC's acknowledgement as a
platform to let the river meet a slow death. The MPCB also asked the irrigation
department whether Nag River was included in the list of notified river, to
which the department replied in the negative.
At the same
time, the MPCB contradicted it proposal by mentioning that Nag River was among
the 20 rivers notified by the State environment department under river
regulation zone (RRZ) policy implemented through notification dated July 15,
2000. The board also mentioned damage to Nag River due to illegal
constructions, sewage and garbage disposal permitted by Wadi Gram Panchayat. It
also stated that the industrial waste is let into the river from few industries
situated in MIDC Hingna. Still, the MPCB wants to prove that there is no
evidence of the river's origin.
The biggest
proof of the Nag River's origin is the Central Provinces District Gazetteers
published in 1908. The gazetteers mentions, "Nag River is a tributary of
Kanhan river which rises in the hills to the West of Nagpur and flows in a
serpentine course past the city, joining the main river at Saongi in east of
the district."
Besides, the
eco city foundation formed by the NMC itself claimed to have detected the
river's origin at hillocks near Lava village in 1999. Going ahead, the NMC
submitted the river's rejuvenation plan with the Centre on the foundation's
recommendation. Activists of the foundation have video footage of the river's
stretch from its origin to Ambazari lake.
Slamming the
NMC and also MPCB, convener of VEAG Sudhir Paliwal told TOI that the civic body
was not the authority to acknowledge any river's origin. "It is a brazen
violation to issue such acknowledgement. MPCB has already made a wrong move by
proposing denotification of the river. Many evidences are on record to prove
the river's origin. The office-bearers and officials of NMC and district
administration are also aware of this," he said.
The RTI
revelation points towards NMC's role in conspiracy allegedly planned by the
MPCB to benefit certain industries that proposed to construct its units along
the river's bank. Already, NGO Zero Gravity has submitted a memorandum signed
by over 10,340 citizens to the MPCB opposing the proposal.
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