Nerul: In yet another instance of scant respect for Bombay High Court orders, a fresh attempt was made to reclaim the ecologically sensitive Lotus Lake located in sector 27, Nerul.

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, removed on the morning of May 31.

A person posing as a contractor claimed that as per work order from CIDCO to TIPL the lake is to be filled up. Upon inquiry, CIDCO officials denied any knowledge of such a directive, raising serious questions about the transparency and legality of the action.

Activists from Save Navi Mumbai Environment and Save Lotus Lake expressed grave concern about the safety of the lake because the workers and supervisors disappeared when citizens contacted helpline number 112. Police were also summoned, however, the purported CIDCO contractor managed to flee.

“We urgently call on the current NMMC Commissioner Kailash Shinde to intervene immediately, halt any illegal reclamation, and enforce compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives protecting wetlands under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017,” shared Sunil Agarwal, member of Save Lotus Lake group, said.

“If the current action continues, it would constitute contempt of the Supreme Court and a blatant violation of environmental norms,” remarked Advocate Pradeep Patole, who had approached the Bombay High Court for the protection of the lake.

The High Court had directed the NMMC to protect the lake and submit a report. Following the directives, NMMC after removing encroachments had installed a fence in first week of May 2025