Nerul: A day after an abortive attempt was made to fill the ecologically sensitive Lotus Lake  located in Nerul sector 27 and reclaim it, murky details have emerged which point to the dubious role of government agencies. In clear violation of Bombay High Court orders, yet-to-be identified individuals purportedly working for a private contractor had removed the metal sheet fencing the lake.

Nerul-resident DK Jain was the first to notice a portion of fencing, installed by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) in the first week of May following the High Court order.

Adv Pradeep Patole who had filed the public interest litigation (PIL) demanding protection and conservation of the eco-sensitive lake, said, “The contractor had been issued orders to fill the lake in plot No: 2 in sector 27 with the earth excavated from the Ulwe Hill for the Navi Mumbai International Airport.”

It appears vital information from the Raigad collector were withheld which led to the issuance of the order, Patole claimed, adding CIDCO was duty-bound to inform the Raigad collector that the lake in question was a vital waterbody. Instead of seeking permission from the Thane collector, the permission was sought from the Raigad collector.

A person posing as a contractor had started removing the metal sheet fence installed by Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation on May 31. The men on site claimed CIDCO had issued orders to fill up the lake. CIDCO officials, however, denied any knowledge of such a directive, raising serious questions about the transparency and legality of the action.

The lake, although it has shrunk from its original size, still covers a vast tract of land and CIDCO is trying repeatedly to get it filled up, Patole alleged.