Nerul: With CIDCO adopting an adamant stand and refusing to undo the damage done to Lotus Lake in sector 27, Nerul, concerned citizens and environmental activists have decided to escalate the matter demanding urgent intervention by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Towards this end a citizens’ protest ‘Chalo Lotus Lake’ was staged on June 15. About 50 concerned citizens and environmental activists under the banner of Save Lotus Lake gathered at the waterbody site.

Heavy rain failed to dissuade the activists who have fought a sustained battle to protect and restore this ecologically rich area.

A biodiversity survey of the site recorded 77 bird species, including five near-threatened species, along with fishes, amphibians, reptiles and mammals in this lake,

The environmental activists reiterated their resolve to file an intervention application (IA) in the Supreme Court, file an IA in the Bombay High Court, to send letters to CIDCO officials for restoration of the lake by removing dumped debris, mend broken fencing, to inform Ramsar Secretariat, petition the Mangrove Grievance Redressal Committee to handover mangroves to Mangrove Cell to prevent widespread mangrove destruction.

The protest also demanded that CIDCO officials responsible for the illegal acts be identified and action taken against them.