The questions we must ask Who is responsible for the Futala Lake mess ?

 

 

 

THAT the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has given show-cause notices to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for the decline in the condition of the Futala (Telangkhedi) Lake, is a welcome development in the sense this step will set in motion the process of fixing of the responsibility of the Futala Lake mess. Yet, the moot question is: Will the responsibility be really fixed and will the guilty be really punished? This question is uppremost in the mind of every Nagpurian -- no matter his or her political alignment -- no for today but for the past several years. Unfortunately, those who are responsible for the mess have tried their best to maintain a studied silence about the issue.

 

They are hoping madly that with their silence, they would be able to buy the society’s silence as well. It is obvious, however, that the suo motu picking up of the issue by the NGT Principal Bench will not allow that idea to succeed. It appears, the issue is going to occupy public attention from now on. Of course, thanks must be given to the strong lobby of environmental activists in the city for keeping the issue alive at the right place. ‘The Hitavada’ also has been actively and strongly pursuing this issue tirelessly for years. The loosefooter, too, has raised this issue at least fifty times in the past 3-4 years -- of course with malice towards none, but a commitment to the cause of the city. Even when the political programme for the so-called beautification of the Futala Lake was first announced as part of an election agenda, ‘The Hitavada’ and the loosefooter had opposed the idea -- giving substantial reasons for not going ahead with it.

 

The lobby of environmental activists, too, raised the issue tirelessly -- only to no avail. It was told that the Futala Lake fountain-show idea was inspired by some such show in some foreign location that was visited by some political personality of importance. However, while pushing that idea for the Futala Lake, the people involved in the project did not have the time and inclination and patience to examine its practical viability and feasibility. The fountain in the middle of the lake and the viewers’ gallery on the lake bank as also the parking facilities on the other side of the road were constructed at a huge cost and also at the cost of the natural scenic beauty of the Futala Lake and its embankment that separated the lake and the lush Telangkhedi forest patch.

 

A few shows were held attracting many people. But soon, the entire fountain-system went futt and the shows got discontinued. Thus, for the past some years, the entire project is nothing but a graveyard of a bad idea that only looked to killing of the great Futala Lake created centuries ago by the founders of the Nagpur city -- the great Bhonsala Dynasty. In fact, the Futala Lake was one of the brightest spots of that beautifully planned scheme of hydrological usage of the natural contours of the city and its surroundings. Those who have known the lakes and water bodies of Nagpur realise how those early experts marshalled the natural resource-base to create a great water-storage and usage system for Nagpur. The Futala Lake was considered a peak-point of that terrific marshalling of the terrain and contours of Nagpur geography.

 

The fountain-project just messed up that wonderful human effort with the help of something very crass and thoughtless. But then, nearly similar is the condition of many other lakes and water bodies of the city. Until just a few years ago, the city had more than a dozen wonderfully planned water bodies. Now, many of those have gone under -- killed systematically and ruthlessly and heartlessly by urban greed. Who is responsible for this ? Who will atone for this sin ? We must ask these questions again and again and again. We must support the action by the National Green Tribunal. We the people must make it impossible for any power to go unpunished for this sin -- of not just messing up with the Futala Lake but also with so many of other water bodies. That is the least we must do -- empowered by democracy and morality. n