Panvel: The Bombay High Court has directed the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) to clean the Israel Lake and address illegal encroachments on the adjoining 200-year-old Jewish cemetery in Panvel. The lake, used for ritual cleansing before burial, lies next to the Jewish community’s cemetery, which serves residents from Panvel, Navi Mumbai, Karjat, and Khopoli.

The court passed the order during a hearing of a petition filed by the Jewish Heritage Trust. The Trust alleged that sewage from nearby encroachments is polluting the lake and that unauthorized construction—including a slaughterhouse—has damaged graves and desecrated the site.

Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne emphasized the civic body’s statutory duty to maintain water bodies and remove encroachments under the Mumbai Regional Town Planning Act. “You cannot shy away from that responsibility,” the bench remarked.

The PMC admitted it had issued notices but had paused action due to legal restraints during the monsoon. However, following the court's directive, it assured compliance within a specified timeframe.

The court has now asked PMC to conduct a full survey, hear all parties involved, and act against illegal occupiers if any construction is found to be unauthorized. The entire process must be completed within three months.

Senior advocate Abhay S Khandeparkar and advocate Raymond Gadkar represented the Trust. The cemetery has been a vital religious space for two centuries, but hoardings, drainage misuse, and encroachments have endangered its sanctity.