Lendi Talao extinction leavesNaik Talao in state of nullah
| Date :25-Jun-2022 |
Staff Reporter
THE ‘planned’ assault on city’s waterbodies, by the authorities and people alike, has left ugly scars in the form of nullahs that were once pristine lakes. The strangulation of Lendi Talao has had a disastrous impact on the other two lakes -- Naik Talao and Dobe Talao -- situated within one kilometre distance. Both Naik and Dobe lakes used to get water from Lendi. In fact Naik and Dobe Talaos grew in the shadow of Lendi Talao. With strangulation of Lendi Talao, Dobe too has became extinct while Naik Talao has taken a form of nullah.
‘The Hitavada’ pictures with comparison of Lendi Talao of 2019 and that of today show how public choked the Lendi lake. Same is the condition of Naik
Talao. It has enough water but it is not potable. To add to the woes the roads on the bank of the lake leave no breathing space to the lake. To the lake’s misfortune, the city fathers and even public are not considerate about this sensitive aspect.
The Naik Talao has two roads on its bank-- one is for vehicular movement and other one is for pedestrians. These movements never keep the lake free. Secondly, people keep throwing garbage on the banks. Nagpur Municipal Corporation has kept huge dustbins but people find it convenient to drop the garbage near it and not into the bin.
Naik Talao lies in the north of Lendi and to the right of Dobe covering an area over three hectares. It was once a part of a private estate that also comprised farm lands to its north where presently the Bangladesh locality exists. Naik Talao is mainly surrounded by slums which depend on the lake water for their daily necessities of washing and bathing.
To add to its woes, idol immersions too are done in this lake. Though NMC has brought an option of artificial immersion tanks, people stick to their belief and do not use those. This lake is ideal in the sense it has Shiv Mandir on its bank where lot of religious activities take place. But this northern edge where the temple lies is also covered by the debris of demolished structures. Civic body over the years has been neglecting this north edge. Now this particular part of the lake has become a den for anti-social activities.
During the tenure of Abhijit Bangar as Municipal Commissioner, the civic authorities had planned rejuvenation of Naik and Futala lakes. The plan has remained on paper only. In recent times, sewage water got mixed in Lendi Talao.
Same was the case with Dobe Talao. Negligent approach of civic authorities helped people grab the lakebed as in the Development Plan (DP) of Nagpur Dobe Talao did not exist. The area where this small pool of water called the Dobe talao is situated is presently demarcated as a residential zone in the DP.
In the year 2008, a note written by Nagpur Municipal Corporation itself says, the place had been completely encroached upon and most of it completely dumped upon to facilitate construction of new structures.
In the same year according to NMC record the lake was reduced to small pool that could not be termed as a lake.
The lake now houses cement homes which used to mud huts a few years ago. To top it, NMC too has brought its school in the locality thus sealing the fate of the lake.