Of systematic destruction of Futala Lake

 

 

THE ruling of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the water in Nagpur’s Futala Lake is not good enough even for human bathing, should make every Nagpurian not just very upset but also very, very angry. That is also the mood at ‘The Hitavada’. For, for years on end, ‘The Hitavada’ has been most consistently campaigning for conservation of the Futala Lake. It has insisted -- on the strength of proof -- that toying with the Futala Lake is dangerous (therefore not permissible) for the lake’s overall health. Yet, unmindful of all those words of caution and angst, some elements went ahead with locating a fountain in the middle of the lake waters and also constructed viewers’ gallery on its eastern embankment. That fountain went futt in just a few months and the lake got blighted.

 

To make matters worse -- as if with design -- some elements abused the lake bed and catchment areas of the Futala to construct roads and walls and agro-forestry nursery etc. All that human interference blocked the sources and channels of fresh water supply to the lake. The lake’s spread towards the west also shrank, which has happened on the southern and northern sides as well. Relentlessly, ‘The Hitavada’ has been pursuing the cause of the Futala Lake -- as well as that of other lakes and water bodies in the city -- for years, issuing warnings to the larger society that we were imperilling our own ecology. In its recent campaign, ‘The Hitavada’ published pictures of how the Futala’s spread had been reduced by construction of walls near its edge. Satellite pictures (through Google Maps) also confirmed the details ‘The Hitavada’ placed for people’s consideration.

 

The people -- the esteemed readers -- did respond strongly, but not the authorities. Corridors of power kept a stoic silence -- as if to communicate to the larger society that no one cared for the expose` and that those who matter would go on with their ugly indulgences to destroy the Futala Lake. And now has come the ruling of the National Green Tribunal (whose report ‘The Hitavada’ is carrying as first lead on the front page of this very issue of CityLine of August 14, 2025). The report lays bare all the ills that have come to strike the Futala Lake. The report also provides enough reasons to suspect that the historic lake is on the verge of death in some more time. T HE biggest problem in Nagpur is that the authorities in corridors of power are just smug about such issues. They don’t care a damn even if a lake is on the way to become a moribund entity.

 

That is what is threatening to happen with the Futala Lake. The larger society, therefore, needs to wake up and start accosting those in power -- either in politics or in the bureaucracy -- to ask angry and uncomfortable questions. If the larger society fails in doing this, Nagpur will have to face the misfortune of losing not just Futala Lake but also many other water bodies and green patches. ‘The Hitavada’ has raised the issue of Naik Talao and Lendi Talao on countless occasions in the past many years. It will keep up that task in larger public interest regardless. But the actual need is of an open public intervention in this regard.